Meet Calvin Blais, MTM Class of 2025

Q: What initially attracted you to the MTM program?

A: What initially attracted me to the MTM program is UCSB's long history in technology, going back to the original Darpa program to create the Internet and just the network. Since I'm local to the area, I wanted to stay in this area and I was deciding between going toward a more traditional MBA or something more tech-focused. I felt that [MTM] aligned with my values and where I was at. At that time, I had been working in tech for a local company called Procore for about six years, in conjunction with being in the Army for about seven years, in various management positions. So I wanted to pursue the MTM Program to really fill in some of those higher-level gaps and to also learn about some of the cutting-edge technology and how to leverage it in my next role and position. 

Q: What made the MTM program stand out for you?

A: Two things: the incredible wealth of knowledge of technical aspects at UCSB, the professors and the networking since I want to stay in this area. UCSB is a very prestigious university and they’re very involved in the world of tech here in California, so that was very attractive to me. One thing that I liked about this program, as opposed to more of a traditional MBA, is the MTM degree focuses on cutting-edge technology in a way that I don’t believe most MBA programs do. With the MTM program, we’re on the leading edge of technology, researching things that in the last couple of years exploded, for example AI. In this first quarter already, I have an AI class and we’re digging into the different types of Artificial Intelligence and how to leverage it as an effective leader in any company that you decide to work for after you graduate. 

Q: How did you learn about the MTM Program? 

A: I was coming back from a deployment in 2023 and I was at a point in my career where I wanted to advance my learning and challenge myself to grow, so I started researching various MBAs and programs across the United States and MTM came on my radar. As my wife and I live in Santa Barbara, I wanted to stay local and it piqued my interest. I’d say what really sealed the deal is there were a couple of MTM graduates who worked with me at Procore and they had nothing but great things to say about the curriculum and faculty and how the program was laid out. 

Q: How did your experience at Procore and in the Military prepare you to participate in the MTM Program? 

A. I had been at Procore for about six years, and I had started as a military officer back in 2015, so I had several years of leadership experience as well as experience in tech. I was in a really cool position at Procore where pre-IPO, we were able to set up a grassroots project with me and about five other people. Our director came up with a new revenue stream and gave us the flexibility to grow our own organic product from the ground up. 

Over the next six years or so I was able to work on and build this product, wearing multiple hats from sales engineer to implementation manager, and account manager. I would do business reviews as well as some self-taught programming to build and code new client features for our particular product. I had gathered a wealth of knowledge and experience. 

At the same time, being an officer in the military, I had been an executive officer and operations officer and now company commander. I believe all of those things positioned me to be able to provide a unique perspective to my colleagues in the MTM program and in turn I believed that the MTM program would give me some of that higher-level kind of business and technical expertise and acumen to expand my horizons and make me a lot more desirable in the job market for future roles.

Q: How has UCSB supported you as a veteran?

A: UCSB has a very robust Veteran Affairs Department and they helped me navigate the nuances of making sure that the VA would be able to use my GI Bill benefits, as well as some of my benefits from my father's disability in the army. 

The UCSB Veteran Affairs Center is extremely helpful for figuring out how to leverage what benefits you do have for the program. And since it is an accredited program, it is supported and fully covered by the VA. As a veteran or dependent, you also can pursue VA work study, which is a wonderful program to help subsidize a little bit more of your income if needed as well.

Q: What have been some MTM program highlights? 

A: In the AI realm, which is taught by Professor Matt Beane, it's probably one of my favorite classes that I've had so far, really just digging into artificial intelligence. I know AI is a massive buzzword right now but AI is a very comprehensive and kind of broad category, so this curriculum breaks down the different types of intelligence, whether it's machine learning, deep learning, large language models, etc. and it really will make you a subject matter expert on the different types of artificial intelligence and how to leverage that within a business environment. Not only that, but you get to work hand-in-hand with the technology and they encourage you to use various AI tools throughout the class, that way you understand them and how to access them and use them effectively. 

There's a wide variety of experience with programming among the MTM graduate students. There are some software engineers, and there are some people who've never touched a programming language a day in their lives. That is all fine and we're just encouraged to learn and kind of lean into the curriculum. I'd say aside from that, one of my other favorite classes is Negotiation with Dr. Renee Rottner, where we're able to learn how to prepare a case to have an effective negotiation. We're learning effective negotiation strategies and we're able to actively negotiate with our peers to refine our techniques and skills. Almost every aspect of your life is a negotiation, so I've been enjoying honing my skills outside of the classroom as well.

Q: How do you feel your military experience aligns with the MTM program?

A: I think no matter what your role is in the Armed Forces, whether you're enlisted or an officer, the MTM program provides an excellent opportunity for you to connect the very valuable skills that you learned in the Armed Forces and apply them to modern organizations and companies in the civilian sector. I know for me in particular, at times I kind of have a hard time connecting the sweat equity and experience that I've built up within the military and applying that to the civilian sector. I think the MTM program, the career counseling, and just being able to network and talk to various peers from different backgrounds helps bridge the gap. 

The MTM program is very much in alignment, in that being a part of the military you learn several valuable skills, whether that's something as simple as following directions or learning a complex process or leadership in various roles. I think just by the nature of being in the Armed Forces you have a different perspective and something valuable to offer, no matter what stage you're at in your military career. I think that your insights are very valuable, and certainly, in the MTM program, those insights are honored and encouraged, and you can provide a unique perspective to your colleagues. In return you have a very diverse group of colleagues here and just a phenomenal program of teachers and staff that will also give you various perspectives and help you in your journey toward whatever career path you'd like to go down in the future. It's very much a team, kind of like being in the military, and we're focused on the same mission, which is pursuing whatever comes next. 

Connect with Calvin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvin-blais-sb

Learn more about MTM: tmp.ucsb.edu/mtm