Using data to make decisions is an invaluable skill. That’s as true in business as it is in national security.
Allen Cohen (M.S. in Business Analytics ’26) can tell you all about it.
He spent two decades applying analytics in operational environments, supplying leaders with clear, defensible insights, often with limited time and imperfect information.
Today, as a veteran transitioning from military leadership to civilian consulting, he is refining those same skills through the University of Virginia’s M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) Program and learning how to translate years of experience into modern, industry-ready practice.
From Military Operations to Data-Driven Decision Support
Cohen graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2004 with a degree in Mathematics and a minor in Computer Science. He entered active-duty service as an Operations Analyst, a role that, in today’s terms, closely resembles that of a data scientist. In the 20 years that followed, he provided support across a wide range of mission areas, including test and evaluation, logistics, air and space operations, counterterrorism, wargaming, strategy, nuclear treaty monitoring, and national pandemic response.
“Wherever I was assigned, I applied the same principles of data analytics and decision support to that entity,” Cohen says.
His military assignments took him across the U.S. and overseas to Germany, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and South Korea. Early in his career, he earned a master’s degree in Operations Research, further deepening his analytics foundation.
Over time, however, his role evolved from hands-on technical work to leadership and oversight, changing his focus to lead analysts with a better grasp of the latest tech.
Launching a Business for Life After the Air Force
By the time he retired from the Air Force in summer 2024 as Deputy Commander of an Airlift Support Group, Cohen was thinking carefully about his future. Staying in government as a civilian equivalent was an option, only not the one he wanted.
He sought a career in entrepreneurship. And in 2025, Cohen founded Sound Mind Analytics, a data analytics and consulting firm designed to support both government and non-government leaders alike. The goal was practical and public minded: help organizations make better decisions that ultimately benefit American taxpayers, communities, and the broader public trust.
But while he had deep experience applying analytics in high-stakes environments, his lack of consistent, hands-on exposure to modern analytic tools used outside government systems was problematic.
“The government is often behind on software applications,” he explains, pointing to security and structural constraints. “I was initially trained in ADA, Java, and Visual Basic. I knew that, leaving the military and transitioning to a consulting job, I would need that refresher on what is actually out there, what are the best practices, and how those tools are employed.”
Why UVA’s M.S. in Business Analytics Made Sense
Cohen also realized that what he needed was not just a credential. His search for a program to help him become more technically savvy led him to the MSBA at UVA. The program jointly delivered by the McIntire School of Commerce and the Darden School of Business was just what he was looking for.
“With family obligations and community responsibilities, a fully in-residence program would have been a heavy lift. This fits my life,” he says of the 12-month hybrid program.
Location mattered as well. After decades of moving every few years, Cohen and his wife wanted to stay local to Virginia. The program’s location in Northern Virginia near Washington, DC, offered both proximity and credibility. “UVA’s program has gravitas. It has a reputation for quality,” he says.
The MSBA curriculum combines technical depth (Python, Tableau, data visualization, modeling) with business context and applied problem-solving. “It’s fast-paced,” he says. “You’re using the tools, but you’re also applying them to real case studies across industries.”
That application matters. Students work through problems in marketing, energy, finance, and operations, often engaging directly with organizations. “We’ve worked with real clients, including UVA Advancement,” he says. “Working with them one-on-one has been helpful and shaped my experience.”
The UVA MSBA Class of 2026
Learning Analytics in a Civilian, Cross-Industry Context
His classmates, who represent government, healthcare, hospitality, automotive, and technology sectors, have been equally influential. Learning alongside peers with private industry experience has helped him to recalibrate how analytics creates value outside of public institutions.
“It’s accelerated my transition,” he says. “It has helped me understand the differences at a relatively quick pace. I can glean knowledge from the faculty, staff, and my classmates.”
Their experiences, combined with his own decades of presenting data to non-technical leaders, has shaped his contributions to group work and discussions. “It’s about translating the data and the information into tangible recommendations,” he says of communicating plainly with those colleagues unfamiliar with analytics.
The program is already influencing his consulting work in positive ways. While advising a nonprofit organization, Cohen identified redundant analytics tools that had been implemented to manage data separation. It’s helped him streamline systems, reduce costs, and improve access without sacrificing governance.
His clients are benefiting from his new knowledge from the MSBA, as he continues “helping organizations make better decisions.”
