Keri Sprung

There’s this effort to make Houston the Silicon Valley of the South, and I want to be a part of it. I didn’t think I would have access to all those opportunities without a foundation in business principles. The curriculum at Rice Business is so thoughtful and so purposeful — they challenge us at every turn.

Keri Sprung, EMBA '22

As Texas Heart Institute’s communications director, with 25 years of work experience in medical research, Keri Sprung has worked with giants in medicine throughout her career. “In the Texas Medical Center, you’re surrounded by breathtaking innovations and human greatness — scientists, doctors, surgeons, inventors, policymakers,” she says. “I have amassed a unique and varied perspective over my two decades in the industry, but I was missing the full complement of business principles. There was something I just didn’t know that everyone else in the room knew, and part of it was the ability to execute business strategy to advance the mission and business goals of an organization.” She started taking seminars and online courses to fill the gaps in her knowledge, but it never seemed like enough. About five years ago, she realized that what she really wanted was a full business school curriculum. “There was a hole that I knew I couldn’t really fill by taking classes here and there.”

At Rice Business, she’s been humbled by how much there is to learn and emboldened to recognize how many skills she’s already mastered without being fully aware of it. “You really have to get through the coursework to realize it’s not rocket science, but you certainly cannot cut corners,” she says. “You really do need to study to become a better leader and be mindful and purposeful about how you’re leading at all times. There is an art and a science to leadership; it doesn’t just come naturally.”