Babson Magazine Winter 2023–2024

BABSON WINTER 2023–2024

One Day on Campus PAGE 10

PEOPLE OF BABSON / 9 POSSE SCHOLARS / 18 WOMEN’S GOLF TEAM / 24 NEWS, NOTES, AND NODS / 32

FROMTHEPRESIDENT

Every day on campus, we see purposefilled interactions that set our community of entrepreneurial leaders apart. This issue of Babson Magazine illustrates the vibrancy of a day in the life of our campus (Page 10) that engenders not only a greater sense of purpose but also a greater sense of community. Our students thrive in this culture that includes a lot of intensity and a lot of joy. It inspires me every day.

T

Babson students carry the torch from the he need for entrepreneurial leadership

scores of successful alumni who have come

is clear. As emerging technologies

before them and lead successful careers and

become ubiquitous and society

innovative ventures. As we mark the arrival

grows increasingly interconnected, there are

of the 20th cohort of Posse Scholars, this issue

limitless opportunities for entrepreneurs to

also profiles four Posse alumni who are using

have profound impacts around the world.

their Babson education to promote positive

We see that in the ways our alumni impart

change (Page 18).

change every day by approaching challenges

While the value of a Babson degree has

with innovative and unique approaches. The

been elevated to new heights, entrepreneurial

social and economic value they add to their

leaders never rest on their achievements. We

communities is impressive.

remain perpetually aspirational. I’m inspired

Babson College has long asserted that

by the commitment of our alumni and the

entrepreneurship is core to humanity. Others

many ways they lead around the world. Your

are taking notice now, too. While we’ve been at

support will play an important role as we

the forefront of entrepreneurship education for

continue our ascension.

decades—as evidenced by our consistent place

A Babson education uniquely prepares

atop U.S. News & World Report’s undergraduate

entrepreneurial leaders. Like you, I’m eager to

and MBA rankings—Babson has ascended

see what our diverse and inclusive community

to a new leadership position across higher

accomplishes next.

education. The Wall Street Journal recently ranked Babson as the 10th best college in the country. This unprecedented accolade affirms that entrepreneurship has evolved from a competency that can be taught to one that must be taught.

Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD

10

All in One Day

18

The Impact of Posse

24

Fit to a Tee

What happens on a typical September day on campus.

Meet Posse Scholar alumni making a difference.

The inaugural women’s golf team takes the course.

DEPARTMENTS 40

BABSON MAGAZINE STAFF / Vol. 90, No. 3 EDITOR Eric Beato PUBLISHER Kerry Salerno, chief marketing officer COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY Danielle Perry CREATIVE MANAGEMENT Cheryl Robock CREATIVE ART DIRECTION Cathy Cahill SENIOR JOURNALISTS Hillary Chabot, John Crawford CONTRIBUTORS Kara Baskin, Scott Dietz, James Kiley, Marissa Langdon, Bryan Lipiner, Francis Ma, Erin O’Donnell, Thecla Ree, Mali Reimer, Melissa Savignano, Wendy Schoenfeld MULTIMEDIA TEAM Christopher Brown, Paul DeWolf, Maggie McGinnis, Adam Pearlman

2

Babson and Beyond

8

Office Hours

9

People of Babson

28

Advancement Spotlight

32

News, Notes, and Nods

40

Entrepreneurial Leadership in Action

The latest news and updates from campus.

Xinghua Li examines media and the environment.

Chef Dennis Williams on innovating campus dining.

Celebrating a milestone with an eye on the future.

Undergraduate, Graduate, Connections, In Memoriam Chloe Samaha ’25 builds workplace relationships.

We welcome your feedback on the magazine.

Contact Eric Beato at ebeato@babson.edu Find out more about what’s happening at Babson College at: entrepreneurship.babson.edu On the cover: Photos by Nic Czarnecki

and Michael Quiet

TABLEOFCONTENTS

FEATURES

9

Babson Magazine (USPS 898-140) is published by Babson College, 231 Forest Street, Babson Park, MA 02457-0310, three times a year, in the spring, summer, and winter.

Copyright 2023 by Babson College. Editorial office: Babson Park, MA 02457-0310.

Send address corrections to advancement_services@babson.edu, or call +781-239-4044.

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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BABSON MAGAZINE / WINTER 2023–2024

BEST COLLEGE in America

– The Wall Street Journal

PHOTO: COLBY TODISCO

‘UNPRECEDENTED TIER’:

New Impressive Rankings Elevate Babson Babson College was ranked the 10th

the beginning.”

best college in America by The Wall

The Wall Street Journal ranking, in

Street Journal, only days before being

particular, highlights the College’s

named the No. 1 undergraduate

strength in the overall market. “We’ve

school for entrepreneurship by U.S.

long known that we are pioneers

News & World Report for the 27th time

in entrepreneurship and business

in a row.

education—a status that’s been

The consecutive powerhouse

reaffirmed by this No. 1 ranking—but

rankings highlight the College’s

today, the world is validating Babson’s

ongoing commitment to leadership

place as a leader across our entire

and innovation, pushing Babson into

industry,” Spinelli said.

an “unprecedented tier” of leadership

In its rankings, the Journal also

across all higher education, President

recognized Babson as the No. 1 school

Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD said.

in the nation for career preparation,

“This astounding achievement

highlighting the impact of Babson’s

– The Wall Street Journal

is a testament to our position as the

Centers for Career Development,

for Entrepreneurship (Northeast

flagship institution in the country for

the Arthur M. Blank School for

educating entrepreneurial leaders,”

Entrepreneurial Leadership, and its

Spinelli said of the U.S. News & World

centers and institutes.

for Entrepreneurship – U.S. News & World Report

for Career Preparation Graduate and Undergraduate Programs) – The Princeton Review/Entrepreneur magazine

Undergraduate Business School by Salary Potential – Payscale

PHOTO: NIC CZARNECKI

Report ranking. “This ranking is even

“The Babson community is

more impressive considering that

perpetually aspirational, never resting

other institutions have begun to see

on our achievements,” Spinelli said.

the power that entrepreneurship

“Validation of our strength in the

can harness as a catalyst for positive

market reminds us that we will need

change. The continued growth in

to continue to think innovatively and

entrepreneurship education only

ambitiously.”

validates what we have known from

Read more: bab.sn/FrankEileenCWEL

— Hillary Chabot

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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BABSONANDBEYOND

Andrew Mandell ’61 and Joyce Mandell H’22:

THE IMPACT OF INVESTING IN FACULTY

As a Babson student, Andrew Mandell ’61 was impressed with the faculty. “We became very friendly with the professors, other than just seeing them in classes,” he said. Those discussions provided unique insights into the business world.

“We really got a big view of what was out there in the marketplace.”

That Babson experience put Mandell

Professor Elizabeth Swanson P’19

and his wife, Joyce Mandell H’22, on

educational

the path to start Data-Mail Inc. in 1971.

experience we provide

As their business grew into one of the

our students,” said

nation’s largest direct marketing, print,

President Stephen

and production facilities, the Mandells

Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD.

always invested back in Babson. The

Andrew Mandell ’61 and Joyce Mandell H’22 have expanded their support of Babson’s faculty.

Babson has been a north star for the

Swanson’s work, providing time and

Mandell Family Residence Hall opened in

Mandells over the past half-century.

resources to conduct research that

2006, and they have long supported the

Andrew Mandell served as a trustee from

resulted in a range of publications,

College through student scholarships and

1980 to 1983 and as a member of Babson

practical applications, and experiential

faculty term chairs over the decades.

Corporation from 1980 to 1986, and they

learning opportunities for students.

Their enduring support, particularly for

often returned to campus, contributing

“The Mandells’ consistent support

faculty, continues now with the creation

their time and expertise. Inspired by her

has been critical to my ability to

of the Joyce H’22 and Andy Mandell ’61

experiences, Joyce Mandell continued

advance the arts and humanities, as

Endowed Professorship, which was

to invest her efforts in supporting

well as human rights, at Babson and

awarded to Elizabeth Swanson P’19, a

Babson’s advancement of women in

in my research,” Swanson said. “The

professor of literature and human rights

entrepreneurship. She received an

Mandells’ generosity is monumental,

in the Arts & Humanities Division.

honorary degree in 2022.

influencing everything from faculty

“Joyce and Andy have been longtime benefactors and advocates of Babson,

“Babson has always been a part of our lives,” Joyce Mandell said.

life to residential life. The spark started when Andy was a student, and they have never stopped loving

and their most recent investment

Along the way, the Mandells met

in support of our faculty is further

and invested in Swanson with two

and supporting Babson’s unique

validation of their belief in the unique

term chairs. The support was vital to

community.”

— Eric Beato

GEM REPORT: Entrepreneurial Activity Reaches Record Levels Data matters, and if you have data about a critical driver of economic value and social change, that data is especially important. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) is just such a source of critical data. Since 1999, when it was established as a joint venture of Babson College and the London Business School, it has examined entrepreneurial activity around the world.

In September, GEM released its 2022–2023 United States Report, which found that

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BABSON MAGAZINE / WINTER 2023–2024

entrepreneurial activity in the United States continues to rise, reaching its highest levels in GEM history, with rates of 18% for women and 20% for men, both records. “It’s remarkable to see this record-breaking entrepreneurial activity,” said Donna Kelley P’24, U.S. GEM team co-leader and chair of Babson’s Entrepreneurship Division.

The report also found a high entrepreneurial rate among young people, who are often driven by social and sustainability concerns, and a growing rate

of entrepreneurship in the manufacturing sector, particularly among women. This activity can have a profound influence on our daily lives, Kelley said, as entrepreneurs “are not only reshaping the business landscape, but also propelling significant social and environmental advancements.”

“Think about how entrepreneurs impact society,” said Kelley, also the Frederic C. Hamilton Professor of Free Enterprise Studies. “We want entrepreneurship to be accessible to everyone.”

— John Crawford

SHARK SIGHTING: Kevin O’Leary Shares ‘Wonderful’ Insights

An investor, entrepreneur, and a longtime Shark on the popular ABC show “Shark Tank,” Kevin O’Leary spoke to a packed and engaged audience October 18 at the Sorenson Center for the Arts.

In a conversation with Jack McCarthy MBA’82, associate professor of practice in management at Babson, O’Leary looked back on his career, on his triumphs and setbacks, and on the lessons he has learned through his years in business.

“The pursuit of entrepreneurship is not a destination,” said O’Leary, known by the nickname “Mr. Wonderful.” “It is, in fact, a journey.”

Among the takeaways from O’Leary’s “wonderful” visit to Babson:

Accept Failure

it’s going to happen anyway. Get over it

vision. “Great ideas are a dime a dozen.

before it happens. It’s not the end of the

Execution skills are really hard to get,”

world. You just get up and keep going.”

he said. “Investors know that execution

Look in the Eyes

skills are everything.”

Lastly, entrepreneurs know the

When entrepreneurs enter the set on

numbers. How big is the market? What’s

“Shark Tank,” they must stand for a

the break-even analysis? How many

couple of minutes while the crew shoots

competitors are there? “You got to know

needed video of them. In that moment,

that stuff,” he said.

the entrepreneurs stand right in front

Meeting all three of these criteria

of O’Leary, and he sizes them up. “I just

is the definition of leadership, O’Leary

look at them,” he said. “I don’t smile.

said. “You have to have them all. Not

I don’t play. I just look at them. Not

some of the time. One hundred percent

everybody can handle that.”

of the time.”

Even though the entrepreneurs haven’t said a word yet, O’Leary makes a

Tell the Truth

judgment on whether they are a winner

O’Leary is known for being candid and

or a loser. “If you can’t stare someone

direct on “Shark Tank,” but he says he’s

back, what does that say? You’re not

not purposely trying to be mean.

ready,” he said. “When you have a plan

“I get to be known as the mean Shark

The event was titled Embracing Failure

and you’ve done your homework, you’re

for telling the truth,” he says. “I just tell

as a Path to Entrepreneurial Success,

ready. And, it shows in your eyes.”

the truth and sometimes people don’t

and O’Leary spoke about how failure is inevitable. The crucial thing is to learn

Three Criteria for Success

want it.”

O’Leary doesn’t want to be

O’Leary said successful entrepreneurs

disingenuous and offer enthusiasm

meet three criteria. First, they can

for a venture if he doubts it’s going to

in an entrepreneur who’s failed

articulate their vision in 90 seconds

work. “I tell it the way I see it,” he said.

three or four times,” he said. “I’m not

or less. Second, they can explain why

“Entrepreneurship is tough.”

encouraging you to fail, but I’m saying

they’re the right person to execute their

from it.

“I personally would rather invest

— John Crawford

Read more from O’Leary’s visit: bab.sn/shark PHOTOS: NIC CZARNECKI

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BABSONANDBEYOND

ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT STANDOUTS: Faculty Shine at Prestigious Conference More than two dozen Babson

William B. Gartner, the Bertarelli

faculty presented on topics

Foundation Distinguished Professor

ranging from entrepreneurship

of Family Entrepreneurship, received

research to healthcare innovation

the DEI & Entrepreneurship Kauffman

and sustainability at the 83rd

Student Award for his paper, “A

Annual Meeting of the Academy of

Study of Helpers of Chinese Women

Management (AOM) in August in

Entrepreneurs,” presented at the AOM

Boston.

conference (Diversity, Equity, and

Heidi Neck, the Jeffry A. Timmons

Inclusion Division).

William B. Gartner

Yamlaksira Getachew

Scott Taylor

Jennifer Tosti-Kharas

Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies,

Yamlaksira Getachew, assistant

delivered the keynote address at the

professor of strategy, was a finalist

Best Symposium in Management

Teaching and Learning Conference

for the IM Division GWU-CIBER Best

Education and Development Award for

(TLC@AOM), “The Entrepreneurial

Paper on Emerging Markets Award for

his symposium, “Creating a Culture of

Educator,” discussing her five-part

his paper, “On the Location Choices of

Employee Development,” organized for

methodology for helping educators of

African Multinational Enterprises: Do

the AOM conference (Management &

all kinds better engage, inspire, and

Supranational Institutions Matter?,”

Development and Human Resources

connect with students.

presented at the AOM conference

Divisions).

Babson faculty members also

(International Management Division).

Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, professor of organizational behavior and the Camilla

hosted nearly 200 guests at an open

Scott Taylor—professor of

house event at the Hynes Convention

organizational behavior and the

Latino Spinelli Endowed Term Chair,

Center, and four Babson faculty

Arthur M. Blank Endowed Chair for

was elected to serve as the Professional

members were recognized by AOM for

Values-Based Leadership at The

Development Workshop (PDW) chair for

their scholarship and service:

Blank School—received the MED

the Careers Division in 2023–2024.

CANDIDA BRUSH Earns Bala Iyer Lifetime Achievement Award Longtime Babson Professor Candida Brush P’14 was awarded the prestigious Bala Iyer Lifetime Achievement in Scholarship Award.

Named in honor of Babson’s late, beloved dean of faculty, the Bala Iyer Award recognizes a faculty member for achievements in research and scholarship. Brush was honored in September along with a number of other Babson faculty members for their teaching, scholarship, and service.

“It was a very unexpected honor to be recognized with this award, made so much more special because it is named after our wonderful

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BABSON MAGAZINE / WINTER 2023–2024

colleague, Bala Iyer,” said Brush, the F.W. Olin Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship.

A pioneer in entrepreneurship research and one of the most highly cited researchers in the field, Brush is the co-founder of the Diana ProjectTM, a research collaboration that investigates women entrepreneurs around the world.

Service Awards were given to David Blodgett (associate professor of biology), Caroline Daniels (professor of practice, entrepreneurship), Patrick Gregory (associate professor of practice, finance), and Ganesan Shankaranarayanan P’14 (professor of information technology management).

Faculty Scholarship awards recognized scholarly work by faculty. Beth Wynstra (associate professor of English) was given the Multidimensional Scholar Award, and Linghang Zeng (assistant professor of finance) was given the Early Career Scholar Award.

Five Dean’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching: Undergraduate Teaching Award: Eric Chan ’08 assistant professor of statistics and public policy

Graduate Teaching Award: Wiljeana Glover associate professor of technology and operations management

Babson Executive Education Teaching Award: Mark Carr assistant professor of practice, management

Part-time Faculty Teaching Award: John Hallal adjunct lecturer in entrepreneurship

College-wide Teaching Award: Erik Noyes associate professor of entrepreneurship

DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP: Boosting

Number of Women in Law Enforcement

Boston Business Journal Power 50 Recognizes President Spinelli Babson President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD has been named to the 2023 Boston Business Journal Power 50 list of the region’s most influential people who are using their power to improve the community.

“I’m grateful to be named to the Boston Business Journal’s 2023 Power 50 list alongside such visionary and innovative leaders,” Spinelli said. “It’s an honor serving as Babson’s president, and this recognition is a testament to the strength of our community.”

Babson Chief of Police Erin Carcia (center left) addressed Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox (left of Carcia), Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (right of Carcia), and other members of the Boston Police Department about increasing the number of women in law enforcement.

Babson College Chief of Police Erin Carcia experiences the subtle but potent positive impacts of women in policing and law enforcement every day.

A new student employee recently asked to speak with Carcia privately. She had been watching and learning about the police chief’s role, and she wanted Carcia to know how inspiring it is to see a woman in charge.

“I got goosebumps,” Carcia said about the meeting.

“I think women bring different skill sets to the job.

We bring different approaches and different strengths in general when dealing with the community,” Carcia said. “But, I also think that seeing women in policing roles and seeing that people can count on us in a crisis—that’s why it’s so important to increase the number of women throughout the criminal justice system.”

That’s why Carcia, who also serves as vice president of the Massachusetts Association of Women in Law Enforcement (MAWLE), is a key figure in promoting the group’s ambitious 30 by 30 pledge. The nationwide initiative aims to increase the representation of women in law enforcement agencies to 30% by the year 2030.

“One of our biggest values is making sure we’re getting to the forefront of representing women in our line of work,” Carcia said. “It’s not just law enforcement; it’s work throughout the criminal justice system. It’s figuring out how to embrace women and increase recruitment and retention.”

PHOTO: BPD NEWS

Carcia made a high-profile appeal for greater inclusion in policing during a mid-July ceremony as the Boston Police Department signed on to the 30 by 30 pledge.

“Currently, women make up only 12% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership in the United States. This underrepresentation of women in policing has significant public safety implications and direct impact on the communities we serve,” Carcia said to an audience that included Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. “I want to reiterate on behalf of MAWLE this ceremony affirms that the Boston Police Department is taking the lead in being a role model for other police agencies and departments across the Commonwealth, and we hope others will follow their lead.”

Carcia, who began working at the College in 2011, notes that Babson’s Public Safety Department recently hit the 30% mark, including several women in highranking roles such as sergeant and detective.

“I’ve been very fortunate that Babson actually has a lot of women at the leadership level,” Carcia said, listing examples such as Babson’s Chief Marketing Officer Kerry Salerno, Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Katherine Craven, and Vice President of Human Resources Donna Bonaparte. “These are really amazing, talented women, and when I see them around the table, it motivates me. It builds my confidence.”

— Hillary Chabot

FOR MORE BABSON NEWS AND EVENTS: entrepreneurship.babson.edu

Ward Selected as One of 50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color For the second time, Lawrence P. Ward, Babson’s vice president and dean of campus life, was named one of the 50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color for Boston’s western suburbs. The list was compiled by the Charles River Regional Chamber, which champions businesses and nonprofits in Boston’s western suburbs, and Get Konnected!, a cross-cultural networking organization in Boston.

Jerry Epps Earns Multiple Honors for Supplier Diversity Leadership Jerry Epps, Babson’s first director of vendor diversity, received a pair of prestigious recognitions for his work and leadership in supplier diversity. DiversityPlus Magazine named Epps one of its 2023 Top 25 Diversity Change Leaders. And, Epps also was named one of four 2023 Shining Star Award Recipients by the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council.

Officer Nashley Gonzalez Honored with Community Service Award Babson Police Officer Nashley Gonzalez was honored with the Community Service Award from Massachusetts Latino Police Officers Association for her impact as one of the two founding members of the Babson College Community Engagement Team, along with Police Officer Kevin Carrigan, in the Babson Public Safety Department.

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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OFFICEHOURS

How Media Shape the Environment

With a popular course, Xinghua Li engages students to examine the effects on the natural world

X

inghua Li wants Babson students to consider how media have shaped human interactions with nature, from early American settlers who shared fireside tales of wild animals to the hiking trail apps and TikTok cat videos of today. Li, an associate professor of media studies in History & Society, has particular interest in the intersection of the environment and media.

“I grew up in China during its economic boom years and witnessed heartbreaking environmental destruction as the price for human prosperity,” Li explains. “I didn’t remember seeing the blue sky or the stars until I came to the U.S. (for graduate school),” she adds. Her first book, Environmental Advertising in China and the USA: The Desire to Go Green, explores the “green” ads in China and the United States that promise to do social good by selling eco-friendly products. Her analysis finds that such advertising functions “more as consumer therapy, to make everyone feel better when buying more,” and provides less environmental benefit than consumers hope.

Li’s current research examines China’s recent boom in outdoor recreation and the influence of the technology people use in nature, including smartphones, apps, and GPS. This led Li to create a popular course called Mediating the Wild.

Students learn the history of media, from oral storytelling to digital media,

PLEASE VISIT OUR

Xinghua Li, associate professor of media studies, teaches the popular Mediating the Wild course.

and discuss how the American view of nature has evolved. Colonists tended to fear and resent the wild, Li says, but as the amount of untamed land in the United States shrank over time, a more romantic view of wilderness emerged.

Li says students are particularly energized when the discussion turns to animals. Wildlife cameras and computer chip-tracking give scientists and the public unprecedented information about creatures from ants to sharks. Although this information can bring us closer to the natural world and increase empathy for animals, students hold a debate about such monitoring, with some taking the position that it might violate animals’ privacy.

“If we are complaining about social media invading our privacy, treating us as objects of surveillance … (maybe) I shouldn’t be watching what

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BABSON MAGAZINE / WINTER 2023–2024

Featuring Publications by Babson Faculty

wild eagles are doing in their nest,” Li suggests.

Students also use emerging science around “soundscapes.” They head into the woods near the Babson campus and use their phones to record natural sounds there. They convert these recordings into spectrograms, wave forms that help them identify individual animals and other sounds.

They use the data to theorize about the health of the ecosystem, Li says.

A main goal of the course is to develop students’ critical-thinking skills, asking them to closely examine how media influence their experience of the natural world. It’s impossible to remove all media from the equation, Li says. But “we need to know its effects. We need to know its mechanisms so that we can better inoculate against its negative effects … and use media to our benefit.”

— Erin O’Donnell

BABSON.EDU/BOOKSHELF

PHOTO: MICHAEL QUIET

PEOPLEOFBABSON

Small Talk with

DENNIS WILLIAMS

As a college chef for nearly 30 years, Dennis Williams knows what it takes to serve a campus. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Williams has served or assisted campus dining at about 60 schools around the country. Now the campus executive chef at Babson, where he has served since 2015, Williams manages a staff of 110, including 20 chefs, and oversees every aspect of campus dining, including Trim Dining Hall, Olin Café, and Roger’s Pub & Grille, as well as campus catering.

How does Babson innovate to meet students’ expectations?

“Our students have grown up around good food and know what they want. We follow trends on social media and use feedback tools to gauge new additions to our menus. The team gets excited to try new dishes and has fun with the execution. We also do a lot of partnerships with student groups, and that allows us to switch up menus quite frequently. There are also two registered dietitians on the team, so that helps us understand the specific ingredients students look for. Most importantly, our door is always open, and we strive to put out a hearty, good, healthy meal and offer something for everyone.”

How has campus dining changed over the years?

“Twenty years ago, when I was doing this, it was easy: Just feed the kids and get them on their way. Now, students are way more adventurous. They’re more educated on sourcing products and sustainability. Everyone plays more into it now. Dining is such an important part of the social and educational experience. Now, it’s more interactive.

Instead of just serving food, we’re incorporating their suggestions, and we’ll even do interactive events. It all helps build community around food.”

What are the most popular entrees or dishes?

“Chicken parm. You cannot buy enough. Chicken parm settles ’em down. You do all the craziness you want, and they appreciate the crazy stuff, too, but chicken parm, they’ll talk about it, tell you how great it was. If that’s what you want, I’ll give you chicken parm.”

— Eric Beato READ OUR COMPLETE Q&A WITH DENNIS WILLIAMS: magazine.babson.edu

PHOTO: NIC CZARNECKI

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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ALL IN

ONE DAY Story by Eric Beato, Hillary Chabot, and John Crawford / Photos by Nic Czarnecki and Michael Quiet

From sunrise to way past sunset, Babson’s Wellesley campus buzzes with activity—from the classrooms to the Commons, from the dining hall to the creative spaces, from the community meetings to the athletic fields. Here’s what happens during one typical September day.

I

t’s quarter past 7 on an overcast Tuesday morning in late September on the Babson College campus, and Jon Anderson ’75, P’04 ’08 ’13 ’13 is walking from the parking lot toward the Len Green Recreation and Athletics Complex (LGRAC), briefcase and coffee in hand.

It’s a walk he has made countless times before, and it’s the start of a long day for Anderson, now in his 38th season as the men’s soccer coach. His team has practice at 2:30 p.m., and he will be working into the evening because it’s recruiting season.

“It’s great to come in here, especially early in the morning.

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BABSON MAGAZINE / WINTER 2023–2024

It’s quiet. You can get work done,” says Anderson, also the senior associate athletics director who oversees the athletics buildings. “I love coming to work. This building is so amazing.

Let’s face it, the whole campus is like this. There’s a lot of pride from anyone who works here on this campus.”

It’s also the start of a busy, hectic day on Babson’s Wellesley campus. From early morning workouts to a marathon volleyball match, from Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship at Tomasso Hall to an evening graduate marketing class at Olin Hall, from community reflections to

WHEN:

All day Tuesday, September 26, 2023 WHERE:

Babson College’s Wellesley campus

Professor Jay Rao P’21 ’24 leads a Babson Academy program called Think and Act Like a CEO: Entrepreneurial Leadership & Innovation.

Valarie Jaquez ’25 leads a training session on tours for prospective students.

Carmelo Carbone ’25 (center) with Lawrence P. Ward, vice president and dean of campus life (left), and Michael Bruny MBA’18, manager of employee engagement, after playing pickup pickleball at lunchtime.

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

11

performance rehearsals, it’ll be a jam-packed day, which is to say it’s quite a normal day.

“Everyone should see what happens on campus in a day,” Anderson says.

“You can strike up a conversation with anyone on campus, and they are working on some amazing idea,” Widder says. “I am always inspired to do a little bit more, to aim a little bit higher, because they are as well.”

7:07 a.m.: Len Green Recreation and Athletics Complex

11:06 a.m.: Horn Library

Even before Anderson’s arrival, LGRAC is buzzing as 35 members of the swimming and diving team work out in the recreation center while others are swiping their OneCards on their way to the weight room.

“It’s a steady flow of students and community members,” says LGRAC supervisor Scott Kaufman, who arrives at 5:30 a.m. on weekdays.

Read more coverage of our day on campus, including the Undergraduate Center for Career Development’s popup table, in the digital edition: magazine.babson.edu

9:54 a.m.: Finance Lab No one is talking inside the Stephen D. Cutler Center for Investments and Finance’s lab, but there’s plenty of activity.

A symphony of mouse clicks fills the room as students practice principal trading during an advanced class on financial trading strategies and risk management. The course makes use of the finance lab’s 42 workstations, equipped with Bloomberg, FactSet, and trading simulation software.

These essential finance industry tools allow students to get hands-on experience, working with the same equipment as professional traders.

Babson Professor of Finance Ryan Davies moves about the room. Occasionally, his voice cuts through the clicks.

“I’m noticing that a lot of people don’t have their graphs out,” Davies says, referencing the candlestick charts showing market volatility and price trends. “I really want to recommend using them.”

This exercise is a rehearsal for an important trade performance evaluation next week in which students will be graded on their performance relative to each other. Lillian Lu ’24 leans toward one of the massive 34-inch curved monitors and briefly furrows her brow. Her screen has no fewer than 13 open windows, with offers to sell or buy coming in by the second.

“If you remember, this iteration is the one with the less favorable tenders. You might want to be a little picky about your tenders,” Davies says. Lu’s mouse stops clicking. She decides to hold off on an offer to buy.

“Sometimes, the hardest thing about being a trader,” Davies says, “is to do nothing.”

10:20 a.m.: Park Manor Quad D.R. Widder MBA’99 crosses the Quad following a leadership meeting. For the College’s vice president of innovation, campus life never ceases to inspire.

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11:30 a.m.: Tomasso Hall A lot is going on in Room 308. Today, the students in Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship, the hallmark Babson class better known as FME, are running through their rocket pitches. One by one, teams will stand in front of the room and present their business proposals.

Before they begin, music plays. “This is a big day, so we have the pump-up jams,” says Ben Spigel, visiting assistant professor in entrepreneurship, as “We Will Rock You” rings out.

A pile of candy is also available for students. “This candy is free game if you need extra energy before you present,” says Spigel’s co-teacher, Lucy Turner MBA’14, assistant professor of practice in management.

The presentations move fast, with teams given three slides and three minutes—and not a second more—to make their pitch. Spigel counts them off with a “three, two, one, go.” Their wide-ranging ideas include an on-campus delivery service, a washable laundry bag, a wellness platform, and not one but two proposals for golf balls that never get lost, one using thermal imaging and the other GPS trackers.

Ten teams present in all, and when they finish, Spigel says, “Give yourselves a round of applause.”

1:10 p.m.: Trim Dining Hall The lunch rush is on. With midday classes letting out at 1 p.m., a stream of students makes its way to Trim. Soon enough, at the first food station at the bottom of the stairs, a short line forms. “I try to get out of class and get right here,” Max Gregoire ’26 says.

Today, the station has jerk chicken on the menu. “This has the best options,” Gregoire says. “I really go for the protein.”

Finance Professor Ryan Davies works with a student during an important trade exercise.

In Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship, students present their business proposals during rocket pitch.

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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Others in line have different favorites. Tiffany Ramsarran ’23 likes Trim’s zucchini and squash, while Mia Fierro ’27 enjoys the sweet potato. “It’s reliable,” she says.

Jefferson Wu ’27 goes for the mac and cheese. Also, the ice cream. “I try not to get it too often,” he says.

1:37 p.m.: Babson Executive Conference Center As construction workers make progress on the renovations at the Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village, the robust discussion inside a classroom at the Babson Executive Conference Center is about gorillas, chimpanzees, and monkeys.

Professor Jay Rao P’21 ’24 teaches the course Leading Innovation: Gorillas, Chimps, and Monkeys as an MBA elective and in executive programs. Today, though, he is faculty director for a Babson Academy for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurial Learning program called Think and Act Like a CEO: Entrepreneurial Leadership & Innovation.

More than two dozen part-time MBA students from HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management in Germany are immersed in a two-day session at Babson, one of four stops on a weeklong visit to top

Boston business schools.

As always, the primates are at the forefront of Rao’s discussion. They represent “how large companies, medium companies, and small companies compete and innovate differently,” says Rao, who has a tattoo of a gorilla, chimp, and monkey on his forearm. “Ideally, you want to be a gorilla, think like a chimp, act like a monkey, which is super hard to do.”

2:35 p.m.: Upper Athletic Fields Anderson arrives at Hartwell-Rogers Field as his men’s soccer team begins its stretches, jogging, and drills. As a student-athlete, Anderson helped Babson win its first national championship in 1975. Now in his 38th season as coach, he’s molding a young squad, currently ranked 18th in the country. “It’s a really challenging schedule, so they’re experiencing what that means,” he says. It’s no exaggeration—the Beavers are preparing for tomorrow’s game against the third-ranked team in the country. (The next day, Babson will defeat Amherst, 2-1, on a goal by Ted Rosenfeld ’27 with five seconds left.)

As the men’s practice moves onto Isbrandtsen Field, four women’s players are packing up. The women’s soccer team is getting the day off, but Cassie Lawson ’24, Olivia Maltbie ’24, Jordyn

Ferrantino ’25, and Claudia Baiter ’27 have come out for extra training in preparation for a home game Saturday.

Now, they’re heading to the trainer’s room, then dinner at Trim, then studying at the library. “Most of my time on campus is with the team in some capacity, studying together or practicing,” Lawson says.

Baiter has to put the finishing touches on her group’s rocket pitch in FME tomorrow. “I’m scared, and I’m not even the one (presenting),” she says.

2:45 p.m.: Weissman Foundry As the room buzzes with activity, Jonathan Griffiths addresses the MBA students huddled at tables. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” the Weissman Foundry director says, “but you have three minutes remaining.”

The Foundry is a place for creation and exploration, and the students, from a course called Entrepreneurship, are visiting for a prototype exercise. They’re hustling to create a toothbrush holder in 30 minutes.

The holders will be simple, with cardboard serving as the main building material, but the goal is to introduce students to the process of designing and developing products. “The whole point is to get your hands dirty on things,” says the teacher of the course, William Gartner, the Bertarelli Foundation Distinguished Professor of Family Entrepreneurship. “It’s about how you test ideas and make them real.”

Professor Anirudh Dhebar teaches the Marketing High Tech Products graduate class in person and online.

Coach Jon Anderson ’75, P’04 ’08 ’13 ’13 leads the men’s soccer team through training before playing the third-ranked team in the country.

Construction continues on the renovations at the Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village.

PHOTOS: MICHAEL QUIET

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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6:15 p.m.: Canfield Hall For a community meeting, students gather in the living room of the Johnson House, a special-interest living space for Black students at Babson. The purpose of the meeting is to plan for future community projects that strive to lower the racial wealth gap. But first, one by one, students take time to speak about their personal stories.

They reflect on their upbringings, on the shortcomings they saw in their schools, on the lack of opportunities they and their friends and families faced.

The conversation is honest and real.

Sometimes, the truth hits so hard the residents snap their fingers in response.

“I grew up around people who didn’t take advantage of opportunities,” Katio Barbosa ’25 says. “I believe given the right opportunities and circumstances, they could have seen the value in themselves.

That’s what we do at the Johnson House.”

The Johnson House means a lot to the students present. “I am forever grateful to be able to converse with everyone here, coming from similar situations as me,” Barbosa says.

6:17 p.m.: Olin Hall Professor Anirudh Dhebar arrives early at Room 102 to log in for his Marketing High Tech Products graduate class, which is taught in person and synchronously online. “It’s called webflex, or hybrid,” he says.

As students arrive for the 2½-hour evening class, others begin to appear on the large screen in the front (one of seven in the classroom). One of the 10 online is Rasmus Bramm MBA’24, who is logging in from Copenhagen, Denmark, at 12:30 a.m. local time.

Pavan Telapolu MBA’24 is one of 30 students in the classroom. He raves about Dhebar and the class. “I’m confident by the end of this class that I’ll be able to develop an entire marketing plan by myself, which is boggling for an MBA class,” he says.

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During the class, Dhebar presses students to understand a company’s essence, its reason for being. “My reason for being is two things: to tease your brain and touch your soul,” he says.

6:33 p.m.: Diversity Suite, Park Manor Central It’s dark by the time students start piling their plates with broccoli and ziti, chicken tenders, and salad. The Babson Pride Community Dinner, held in the cozy Diversity Suite in Park Manor Central, started late after a weekly community conversation went long. The dinner, held every Tuesday, is organized by Babson Pride, a student-run organization that supports the College’s LGBTQ+ community.

Natalie Joseph, the director of Babson’s Multicultural and Identity Programs who leads the weekly discussions, sticks around as the Pride dinner gets underway.

Other students stay, too, including Julia Munoz ’25, a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Student Leader.

Munoz and her fellow JEDIs are tasked with ensuring that Babson’s community is socially just and equitable for all students. The first-generation college student says she started attending the weekly discussions when she was a sophomore.

“A lot of us have a close relationship with Natalie, so when she invites us to an event, we go,” Munoz says.

7:27 p.m.: MacDowell Field Under a sepia-toned near-full moon, the final horn blares and players rush the goal as Babson’s field hockey team celebrates a huge victory. The Beavers, ranked No. 2 in the country, have shut out fifth-ranked Tufts, 2-0, behind goals from Caroline DiGiovanni ’26 and z captain Meara Hanyon ’23, MSF’24 and five saves by Bayla Furmanek ’25.

More than 125 fans have turned out for the game, including the men’s lacrosse team eager to take advantage of a Chickfil-A giveaway for the first 99 fans.

8:05 p.m.: Sorenson Center for the Arts Inside the Sorenson Rehearsal Studio and Black Box, a stark, unadorned space tucked away in a corner of the building, actors do the hard work of bringing words on the page to life. They have been rehearsing since 6 p.m., running through scenes over and over.

Opening night of their play, Kingdom City, is well over a month away, but much polishing and perfecting remain to be done.

The Empty Space Theater, or TEST, a faculty-led theater company, is putting on the play. “Beautiful,” director Beth Wynstra tells the actors. “Let’s do a couple of notes, and then we’ll run it again.”

Rehearsing a production may be demanding, but it also transports actors far away. “You forget about anything else,” says Wynstra, associate professor of English. “No matter what is happening outside, you are fully present with each other.”

9:12 p.m.: Staake Gymnasium As the day winds down, the volleyball team is still hard at work.

For the past two hours, the Beavers have been locked in a marathon match with rival Wellesley College. Finally, Erin Gray ’24 and Lulu McShane ’24 each record three kills in the fifth set to secure Babson’s ninth consecutive win.

The victory serves as an exclamation point to a long, bustling, rewarding day on campus.

Students learned and laughed.

They created and collaborated. They won and celebrated.

It was a good day. Soon enough, another one was set to begin. 

Natalie Joseph, director of Multicultural and Identity Programs, leads a weekly community conversation.

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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THEIMPACTOF

POSSE

By Kara Baskin Photos by Mario Morgado

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For 20 years, Babson College’s partnership with the Posse Foundation has provided opportunity and opened doors for students in New York City with leadership potential. Here, we catch up with four exemplary Posse alumni to illustrate the immeasurable impact on the scholars, the College, and their communities.

An Emmy Award-winning documentary film editor. The founder of a nonprofit for at-risk youth. A higher education leader and youth advocate.

The United Nations Foundation’s director for ocean and climate.

These are just a few of the professional milestones achieved by Babson’s Posse Scholars. The scholarship program celebrates its 20th anniversary at Babson this year, with a rich tradition of transformation and inspiration—and an impressive 97% graduation rate.

Posse is different from many scholarship programs. It recruits promising public high school students in U.S. cities to consider elite schools offering scholarships, faculty mentoring, and leadership opportunities. The selection process is thoughtful and deliberate, transcending grades or standardized test scores as qualified students demonstrate their leadership potential, collaboration skills, motivation, and drive to succeed. Each year, Babson College works with the Posse Foundation to select a 10-person cohort, or “posse,” from a pool of more than 3,000 New York City high school students to receive Babsonfunded, full-tuition leadership scholarships.

Once at Babson, these small groups form close ties through weekly mentorship meetings with professors and at their signature PossePlus Retreat, held at the outset of the spring semester. Each Posse Scholar invites a classmate, plus faculty and staff, to spend a weekend discussing complex themes, such as Identity and Polarization in American Society, and Hope, Hate, and Race.

Babson is the only business-focused school among Posse’s 63 partner colleges and universities around the country, although its graduates go on to excel in a variety of fields and endeavors, as the following exemplary alumni illustrate.

JENNY ESTEVEZ-CRAY ’08 Space to Succeed Jenny Estevez-Cray ’08 joined the first cohort of Babson Posse Scholars in 2004, although going to college once seemed impossible.

Estevez-Cray came to New York City from the Dominican Republic and was raised in a single-parent home. Her high school guidance counselor told her not to bother looking at colleges.

“But, my U.S. history teacher said: ‘No. You’re going to make it. You’re an excellent student. I’m going to support you through this journey.’ She nominated me for Posse, and it changed my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it,” Estevez-Cray says.

She discovered Babson through the Posse interview process, and the small class sizes appealed to her, especially coming from a large high school. So did the down-to-earth faculty and staff interviewers. She accepted Babson’s scholarship before even visiting the campus.

“I just felt it in me: This is the school, even as a New York City kid coming to the suburbs,” she says.

Despite graduating at the height of the 2008 recession—with a banking job offer rescinded as a result—Estevez-Cray bounced back, working at the Posse Foundation as a program coordinator. The detour changed her career trajectory. Now, instead of investment banking, she continues to mentor students for Posse. Estevez-Cray also is the senior director of talent and operations for OneGoal, a postsecondary advising program that works with high schools in low-income communities and enables more students to enroll in and graduate from postsecondary programs. Estevez-Cray is especially passionate about supporting marginalized youth as they begin their postsecondary journey. Estevez-Cray and her wife live in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and she hopes to create safe spaces for students in every possible way.

“I think of kids who were just like me, who needed one person to help them—that one person who said: ‘You’ve got this,’ ” she says.

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KERRLENE WILLS ’12 Change on a Global Scale “Statistically, I probably shouldn’t have made it out of Queens,” says Kerrlene Wills ’12, the director for ocean and climate at the United Nations Foundation. Her parents came to the Far Rockaway area from Guyana, a Caribbean country on the South American continent. College wasn’t necessarily a priority as a teenager: She struggled a bit in early high school, but she came into her own with time.

“I think my guidance counselor saw something in me: ‘This girl is a leader.’ He changed the direction of my life,” Wills says. “When I got the Posse Scholarship, I realized that not only was I good enough, but people actually thought I was smart and capable of doing amazing things—and I got to go to the top business school in the country for entrepreneurship. It opened doors.”

Still, Babson was a bit of a culture shock, she says. Posse provided a built-in network of friendship and support.

“Some people are born with networks already built in. It’s innate in your legacy. Posse builds that in for people: It gives them a network that they probably wouldn’t have had, while I also met people from all over the world,” she says.

After Babson, Wills earned a master’s degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Today, her work takes her far from Queens. Prior to joining the U.N. Foundation, she was the Chargée d’Affaires a.i. (Head of Mission) at the Permanent Mission of Guyana in Geneva, where she led negotiations on fisheries subsidies at the World Trade Organization for Guyana and for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Group. In Geneva, she was the regional coordinator for the Group of Americas (GRUA) countries at the World Health Organization, where she facilitated the regional response to global health challenges, including COVID-19.

Now, Wills serves on the climate and environment team at the United Nations Foundation. The job requires diplomacy and negotiation, skills she sharpened as a Posse Scholar.

“Some people don’t believe in climate change.

At Posse, I learned how to bring all sides together, and to think critically,” she says. “Posse gives people an avenue to be leaders.”

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SEDONAMI AGOSA ’20 Entrepreneurship in Action Graduating in the midst of a pandemic is challenging. Balancing a full-time job as a risk analysis specialist at Bank of America while spearheading a nonprofit is probably even harder, but Sedonami Agosa ’20 does both.

As a Babson student, Agosa launched ClearPathNYC, a portal for young adults aging out of New York City’s foster care system, as well as other homeless youth. It offers access to academic, housing, mental wellness, and professional development resources as they transition to independent life.

Agosa created the nonprofit as his capstone project as a Natalie Taylor Scholar, a Babson program in which students work on social impact and community engagement initiatives. The effort is personal: Agosa grew up in lower-income housing on Staten Island, and he witnessed the effects of poverty firsthand.

“In high school, I would collect chocolate bar wrappers. On the back, it would say, ‘Buy one Whopper, get one free.’ I’d find young adults, people hanging around Burger King, opening doors for people, and I’d go and talk to them. I’d buy them a Whopper and talk about the issues they were going through,” Agosa says.

COVID-19 accelerated the homelessness crisis, and it also accelerated his mission: He launched the project in March 2020, debuting it to the public that August, shortly after his graduation.

Now, he balances his full-time job with the nonprofit, something he feels confident doing thanks to his Posse community, with whom he’s still in close touch today.

“Posse gave me an avenue to distill my voice,” he says.

And, as a first-generation college student, Agosa says that his cohort provided support during a turbulent time, long before COVID-19 and ClearPath even began.

“In 2016, there was already animosity happening across the country,” Agosa says.

“Through Posse, there are people who not only know you but are from the same city, from where you call home, in a space that isn’t your home. The Posse program consistently instilled in us the confidence that we belong here. We are the cream of the crop.”

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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SAMMY DANE ’15 The Business of Creativity While filmmaking and business school might not seem like a natural match, Sammy Dane ’15 says that creativity and entrepreneurship are tightly linked.

“We talked a lot about Entrepreneurial Thought & Action®, and my biggest takeaway from it was creative problem solving, and in that sense, I found a lot of kindred spirits on campus,” Dane says.

Dane first came to prominence as an editor on The First Wave, the documentary film that tracked healthcare workers at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens during COVID-19’s terrifying initial months.

“I had to set up my computer on a kitchen table and start immediately watching footage of my fellow New Yorkers dying. It was really awful,” he remembers. “All we were seeing at the time were numbers on the news. To actually see the healthcare heroes we were clapping for at 7 o’clock, to actually see them saving lives, completely changed me.”

Though he was hired as an assistant editor, Dane rose to become a co-editor by the film’s end; the film won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Editing.

Meanwhile, he just completed working on American Symphony, which follows Oscar- and Grammywinning composer Jon Batiste—one of The First Wave’s composers—as he prepares for a performance at Carnegie Hall while grappling with his wife Suleika Jaouad’s leukemia relapse.

“To see every second of a person’s life, when they’re having a child, or overcoming a disease, or creating a symphony? It’s such a precious gift that I’m handed, to try to make art out of it,” he says.

It’s a talent he developed at Babson, Dane says. “I’m not the best public speaker. I’m not the best protester. But, I’m really good at listening, asking questions, and putting the things I’m able to capture together in a way that can potentially forward a movement, more than I ever could with my own voice. It’s something that Babson students and faculty really champion: How can I make the most impact with my skill set?”

Dane remains close with his Posse cohort. In fact, he recently enjoyed a 30th birthday dinner with almost all of his Posse peers.

“It feels really rare to maintain such a close bond eight years out of school,” Dane says. “Four of us are getting married this year. Most of us are going to each other’s weddings. Two of us are marrying each other.”

It sounds just like a movie.

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MILESTONES

Milestone. It’s not the end nor the beginning. It’s a marker along a journey. And, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future. This fall, Babson College is hip s r u commemorating several milestone anniversaries ene r p and markers for Babson centers and e ntr E institutes, programs, and r o f organizations. nter

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ATHLETICS

FIT TO A

TEE

By Scott Dietz

Four first-year student-athletes make history, putting Babson’s inaugural women’s golf team on course as the College’s first new varsity program since 2001.

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omen’s golf at Babson is a natural fit, given the sport’s close connections to business and women’s influence in the golf industry. And, for the four pioneers comprising the College’s first women’s golf team—Michelle Guan ’27, Laura Lu ’27, Victoria Salim ’27, and Rachel Sim ’27— Babson is a natural fit.

“The women’s golf team is the main reason I came to Babson,” Salim says. “It was amplified by visiting campus and seeing the kind of learning environment here. Even a glimpse of the library showed me that people here want to make it big.”

“Babson now helps me fulfill both entrepreneurship and golf,” Lu says. “Since primary school, I always wanted to learn business in this environment. My whole family is in the business field, and my

grandparents are entrepreneurs.”

“I was very excited to learn of Babson adding women’s golf,” Guan says. “It is so special to be a part of Babson’s history. I was always told that one should try to make a difference in the sense that one can make a change no matter the community, helping someone, the world, or in this case the school.”

Now, the foursome is making an impact this fall as Babson has launched its 12th women’s varsity program.

Babson College’s inaugural women’s golf team—(from left) assistant coach Tom Miller, Laura Lu ’27, Michelle Guan ’27, Victoria Salim ’27, Rachel Sim ’27, and head coach Jeff Page—gathers inside the Hintlian Family Golf Performance Center at the start of the season.

PHOTO: BRYAN LIPINER

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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ATHLETICS

Being a pioneer of the first women’s golf team is special. We are going to set the standard for the subsequent players who come in the future.

— Rachel Sim ’27

Rachel Sim ’27 (left) is one of three team members who attended IMG Academy in Florida.

President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD and Lawrence P. Ward, the College’s vice president and dean of campus life, championed the addition of the program as an opportunity to further support the College’s commitment to women’s athletics. And, in June 2022, shortly after the 50th anniversary of Title IX— the landmark ruling that was enacted to help prevent gender discrimination in collegiate athletics—Mike Lynch, the Pamela P. and Brian M. Barefoot Associate Vice President for Athletics and Athletics Advancement, announced the addition of the 23rd varsity program and first since 2001.

Finding a coach for the new program also was a natural fit, as the College turned to Jeff Page, who has led the nationally ranked men’s golf program since fall 2013.

“I was initially excited to be a part of a new varsity sport and the

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opportunity to start a women’s program,” Page says. “Once that sank in, I needed to recruit a class of women in a short period of time.

Babson fields strong men’s and women’s programs, so I was confident we could put together a competitive team right away.”

Page immediately went to work and brought in four women from all over the world: China (Lu), Indonesia (Salim), Singapore (Sim), and New York (Guan). Three of them attended IMG Academy in Florida.

“The moment Coach Page emailed me on May 2 that I could still apply, I was ecstatic and immediately called my parents to say, ‘I’m going to Babson!’ ” Salim says. “I have known Rachel (Sim) since 2018, so it really has been a journey to share our Southeast Asian background, graduating high school, and beginning college together. I also feel fortunate that

our team mixes well. With everyone being a freshman, we have a lot of similarities, which led to an easily close group.”

“It has been really nice playing on a team,” Sim says. “College golf is different from junior golf, as your scores matter for the greater good of the team. If you don’t play well, it affects both you and the team.”

Led by Page and assistant coaches Tom Miller and Cassidy Riley ’22, MSEL’23, the new team teed off for the first time September 9 at the Polar Bear Shootout in Brunswick, Maine, and immediately made an impression.

The Beavers placed fifth among eight teams at the two-day tournament, and Lu and Salim both recorded top-10 individual finishes.

“The transition to college golf has been a lot easier than I thought it would be,” Sim says. “Coming from a sports academy, where we trained

half the day and the other half was school, has helped me to manage time wisely and be disciplined and independent.”

Two weeks later, Babson traveled to the Williams Invitational at historic Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The strong field included five nationally ranked teams and six others that received votes in the Women’s Golf Coaches Association preseason poll. Babson cut 12 strokes off its opening-round score to finish 14th overall in the 22-team tournament, placing ahead of two schools that were receiving votes in the national poll.

“This group is off and running,” Page says. “With no upperclassmen to provide guidance, they have been getting more comfortable with playing college golf.”

On the final day, Lu put together one of the afternoon’s best rounds,

firing a 6-over 77 on the way to grabbing a share of 23rd place overall, marking her second consecutive top-25 finish.

“We have hit my short-term goals of being competitive from the start,” Page says.

“Long term, I look to add to the 2024 roster, be a top-10 team in New England, and eventually be nationally ranked. The ultimate goal is to compete on a national level yearly.”

“Being a pioneer of the first women’s golf team is special,” Sim says. “We are going to set the standard for the subsequent players who come in the future.” 

The Babson women’s golf team—including, from left, Victoria Salim ’27, Laura Lu ’27, and Michelle Guan ’27—debuted September 9 at the Polar Bear Shootout in Brunswick, Maine.

FOR MORE SPORTS NEWS, VISIT: babsonathletics.com

PHOTOS: JEREMY VIENS

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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APPRECIATION ASPIRATION & Story by Eric Beato / Photos by Nic Czarnecki

With gratitude, the Babson community comes together to celebrate the monumental milestone of the Centennial Campaign surpassing $500 million and raise the bar on a new target in the rebranded Babson ELevates Campaign.

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ntrepreneurial leaders know how to harness the collective power of people to solve problems and achieve great things.

Entrepreneurial leaders also know how to continually reach new objectives to elevate their impact in the world.

And, entrepreneurial leaders know how to express appreciation for their collaborative achievements and toast their successes. That’s exactly what the Babson community did October 19, joining together to celebrate surpassing a major milestone in the Centennial Campaign—$500 million, making it the most successful campaign in the College’s history.

The confetti-capped celebration at the Len Green Recreation and Athletics Complex was a night of appreciation for the generosity and commitment of alumni, friends, faculty, and staff.

It also was a night of aspiration with an eye on an even greater impact and a new goal of $750 million with a rebranded campaign, Babson ELevates, emphasizing the “EL” for

Edward Chiu (left), the Governor Craig R. Benson Endowed Senior Vice President for Advancement, and Deborah L. De Santis ’85, P’26, vice chair of the Board of Trustees, express their gratitude for the community’s commitment and the enduring impact of the Centennial Campaign, which has surpassed $500 million. entrepreneurial leadership.

“In a time when colleges around the country have struggled to foster engagement and support critical fundraising initiatives, the Babson community came together like no other,” Jeffery S. Perry ’87, P’23, chair of the Board of Trustees, told the gathering. “Your dedication to Babson

has given the College a competitive advantage in higher education. And the world is taking notice.”

The success and impact of the campaign was further cemented just weeks earlier when Babson was ranked the 10th best college in America by The Wall Street Journal.

“Babson has truly elevated to a

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ADVANCEMENTSPOTLIGHT new tier of greatness across all of higher education,” President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD said. “This monumental achievement shows that the world is validating a Babson education and recognizing the power of entrepreneurship like never before.”

APPRECIATION Launched in anticipation of the College’s 100th anniversary in 2019, the Centennial Campaign was the most ambitious fundraising effort in Babson’s history, and it far surpassed its original goal of $300 million.

The response to the campaign has been astounding in its breadth and scope—nearly 36,000 donors making more than $525 million in total commitments—providing key

It’s the people, more than anything, that Babson celebrated on this night— the people who stepped up to support the College, and the people impacted by the campaign, most notably, its students.

“The campaign has given us the resources to keep finding new ways to elevate (the student) experience to a higher level,” said Lawrence P. Ward, vice president and dean of campus life. “Please know that you are literally transforming lives.”

Several students and recent alumni took to the stage to describe specifically how they and their classmates have benefited through scholarships, increased academic opportunities, athletics, and the overall student experience. And, they offered their heartfelt thanks to the community.

for Advancement, underscored the College’s gratitude, thanking donors for the overarching and expansive impact of their support. “The magnitude of your generosity has propelled Babson into our second century,” he said. “And, in true, Babson spirit, we set our sights even higher through Babson ELevates.”

ASPIRATION The Centennial has passed, and the campaign has hit its marks, yet the work is not done to fulfill the College’s loftiest ambitions to develop entrepreneurial leaders impacting communities everywhere. With waves of undergraduate, graduate, and executive students prepared and poised to change the world, the ripple effect is both immense and inspiring.

Our campaign has touched virtually all aspects of Babson. It is an investment in our mission of educating entrepreneurial leaders. But a campaign is about more than numbers. It’s about impact on people, places, and programs.”

— Deborah L. De Santis ’85, P’26, vice chair of the Babson Board of Trustees

investments in everything from student scholarships and faculty support, to academics and athletics, to transformational improvements in campus facilities, to an enhanced endowment.

“Our campaign has touched virtually all aspects of Babson. It is an investment in our mission of educating entrepreneurial leaders,” said Deborah L. De Santis ’85, P’26, vice chair of the Babson Board of Trustees. “But a campaign is about more than numbers.

It’s about impact on people, places, and programs.”

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“We don’t have to wait to start making a difference around the world,” said Sofia Caffer ’26, a Natalie Taylor Scholar. “You have given us the resources to do it now.”

Faculty members also shared their gratitude for the support. The investments in faculty, said Ken Matsuno, Murata Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, ensure “that future generations of Babson students will continue to change the world in profound ways.”

Edward Chiu, the Governor Craig R. Benson Endowed Senior Vice President

“Our past success is now fueling our aspirations for the future,” Perry said. He announced a new phase of the campaign with a new total campaign goal of $750 million “to further elevate Babson to a new level of greatness.”

Under the banner Babson ELevates, the new phase will target several key initiatives, including cementing the College’s footprint in entrepreneurial leadership; launching its position in technology entrepreneurship; embracing lifelong learning with expanded access to practical training and increased opportunities for alumni,

CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN

IMPACT

BY THE NUMBERS* $525,941,960 TOTAL COMMITMENTS

160,762 TOTAL GIFTS

35,896 TOTAL DONORS

9,429

CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEERS

2,904

CAMPAIGN EVENTS

2,037

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

131

NEW SCHOLARSHIPS

106

COUNTRIES REPRESENTED (PLUS ALL 50 STATES)

23

ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIPS

19

TERM CHAIRS

President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD (bottom left) and Chair of the Board Jeffery S. Perry ’87, P’23 announce Babson ELevates—the next phase of the College’s most ambitious fundraising effort, launched in 2016 under then-President Kerry Murphy Healey (top right)—with a new total campaign goal of $750 million. companies, and families; and building out the transformative Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village and other collaborative workspaces.

“We believe our future in Babson’s second century will be centered on empowering the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders,” said Donna Levin, CEO of the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership, a product of the transformational $50 million gift by Arthur M. Blank ’63,

H’98 in 2019. “With the momentum we have created in just a few years, I’m already excited to see what we can collectively do next.”

At the celebration, as confetti was falling, corks were popping, and buttons were bursting, the entrepreneurial leaders of the entire Babson community—alumni, students and staff, faculty and friends— excitedly embraced the opportunity to elevate the College’s greatness. 

* As of October 5, 2023

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NEWSNOTESANDNODS 32

UNDERGRADUATE 1983

Jim Amos ’83 recently became chief operating officer at Scout 22, a fullservice marketing and public relations agency based in Los Angeles that works with conscious capitalist, plantbased, and sustainable brands and organizations. “I wanted to find a focus for the last quarter of my career where I could leave a positive imprint on the planet,” Amos said of the new role. “It is deeply rewarding to be a part of the global sea change to solve the eco-crisis we face.”

1993

Craig Braren ’93, P’27 and Pamela Tiley Braren ’94, P’27 are thrilled that their daughter, Ashley Braren ’27, began attending Babson this fall. The Brarens enjoyed their return to campus when they accompanied Ashley on move-in day, Pamela Braren wrote.

1994

Pamela Tiley Braren ’94, P’27: See Undergraduates, 1993

Mario Vivado ’53, P’92 and his son, Marcelo Vivado ’92, met up in Costa Rica in February, reuniting, as the Babson graduates live on different continents. Mario lives in La Paz, Bolivia, and Marcelo lives in Prague, Czech Republic, where he works as a finance analyst for Honeywell.

Rodrigo Naranjo ’96, head of Babson’s alumni club in Venezuela, said a group of Venezuelan alumni gathered at a networking event in May. The group has had trouble meeting because of the pandemic and an ongoing social crisis that has prompted more than 7 million Venezuelans to leave the country. However, Babson graduates still living in Venezuela planned to meet again in November, Naranjo said. The Alumni Club of Venezuela is just one of many volunteer-led regional alumni groups across the world designed to foster community and engage Babson alumni through social media, networking, and social events. Pictured in the front row (from left): Naranjo, Vicente Davila MBA’86, and Eneko DeOrue MBA’88.

BABSON MAGAZINE / WINTER 2023–2024

Ambar Shrivastava ’99, MBA’05 launched CoverDoc.ai, an AI-powered research and writing assistant for job seekers. Shrivastava originally created the app as a cover letter writing tool but later expanded it to include research and interview preparation. Job seekers provide their professional information and receive a letter highlighting their unique qualifications. Shrivastava’s creation won Zapier’s 2023 No-Code Day Contest for the “No-Code Featuring AI” category in March.

Ashley Keenan Korizis ’01 and other Babson alumni met for an evening of fun September 14 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Korizis said Babson graduates of all ages have been steadily moving to Charlotte. Babson alumni in the area meet up every few months, Korizis wrote, and enjoy “welcoming newly relocated alumni to the ‘Queen City.’ ” Pictured (left to right) Alicia Giglio Charolle ’02, Korizis, Jeffery Goff MBA’22, unidentified alumnus, Troy Ramsarran ’20, Tim Ryan ’00, Petra Willig Cooper ’02, Beth Ziner ’04, Lauren Celli ’05, Devin Collins ’02, Andrew Blake MBA’02, Stephen Villa ’86, Maureen Magri Villa ’87, James Zarokostas ’98, and Scott Husselbee ’86.

Ron Levin ’00 recently published Higher Purpose Venture Capital: Fifty Venture-Backed Startups that Are Uplifting Humanity Through Social and Financial Inclusion. The book, which details 50 early-stage, technology-driven ventures that are making a positive difference in the world, examines the power of private investment to generate well-being and address problems related to social and wealth inequity.

Cameron McKenzie ’07, MBA’12 was recently selected to be a board member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

McKenzie, founder and CEO of the financial services company McKenzie & Associates, is the first person from Puerto Rico to join the ICC’s executive board. “I am deeply honored and humbled to be named to the executive board of the International Chamber of Commerce,” McKenzie said. “This is not only a personal milestone but a testament to the potential and capabilities of Puerto Rico on the global stage.” McKenzie formerly served as the recent chairman of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce and the honorary consul of Japan in Puerto Rico.

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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CONNECTIONS

NEWSNOTESANDNODS

34

favorite College tradition brought alumni, parents, students, faculty, and BACK TO This staff Together Under the Tent to enjoy great company, good food, and some friendly BABSON competition, and to create lifelong memories with friends—old and new.

BABSON MAGAZINE / WINTER 2023–2024

2023 VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP AWARDS During Global Entrepreneurship Week, Babson College honored the alumni and friends who have risen to serve the community at the 2023 Volunteer Awards celebration. Babson offers heartfelt congratulations to the winners: Cruickshank Alumni Leadership Award

» Alexandra DiIeso Piccirilli ’94 The Richard J. Snyder Distinguished Service to the College Award

» Adam M. Sachs ’93 The Distinguished Recent Alumni Award

» Sam Stepan Beqaj ’20 The Distinguished Recent Alumni Award

» Mark A. Irwin ’13 The Joseph R. Weintraub Award for Distinguished Faculty/Administrator Service

» Gustavo Trindade MBA’17 The John H. Muller Jr. Parent Leadership Award

» Ingrid Prasatya P’19 ’20, GAB

2000

Leslie Scales ’00 is the new executive director of Voice of the Faithful, a worldwide nonprofit organization of Catholics seeking greater lay participation in church governance. Scales formerly served as president of The International Leadership Institute for Women Inc. and executive director of the New England Affordable Housing Management Association.

2003

Yan Katz ’00, co-founder of HUB Wealth Strategies, has been named an Executive Club qualifier by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian). Executive Club is one of the highest honors annually awarded by Guardian to financial professionals who demonstrate outstanding service and dedication to their clients.

Warren Baker ’03 and Tony Romano ’03, co-founders of LDA Capital based in Los Angeles, have joined with the well-known Chearavanont family of Thailand to form a new fund to invest in high-growth Southeast Asian companies. Named the new CPFam-LDA Asia Growth Fund, it aims to level the playing field for middle-market businesses looking to grow and compete on a global level. The partners are targeting capital commitments of about $2 billion over the next 12 to 18 months.

2019

Kyle Lawson ’19 and Rachel Pardue ’19 decided to sell their Babson-born software company, Lou, and join forces with Totango Inc., a composable customer success platform. Lawson and Pardue created Lou in 2018, hoping to make navigating new computer programs easier. Pardue came up with the idea during a visit with her grandmother, who wanted help posting “Happy Birthday” on someone’s Facebook page.

Pardue, now director of product management at Totango, announced the acquisition in June. “We’ve been on an incredible journey full of ups and downs, but mainly ups,” Pardue wrote. “None of this would have been possible without our amazing team, users, and customers.”

2022

Samantha Azu ’22 recently returned to campus to welcome fellow Ghanaian Paul Ninson, a photographer, director, and curator. Ninson, who also founded a nonprofit visual education center in Ghana

Ashlee Chung ’05 and Ryan Matsumoto held a wedding celebration on July 30 at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. From left to right: Fei Xue ’05, Kit Yan ’06, Becky Soon ’07, Chung, Matsumoto, Nikki Nguyen Tengan ’04, Andrea Fang ’04, and Brian Simeone.

called the Dikan Center, met with Babson President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD and taught part of a Babson photography course during his visit. Azu, a former B.E.T.A. (Babson Entrepreneurial Thought & Action®) Challenge contestant who started a drive-in theater and a library in Ghana, took Ninson on a tour of Babson’s Wellesley campus. “The visit reminded me of the magic of Babson, and with all that Paul has managed to achieve in his life, the life and community at Babson inspired him so much,” Azu wrote.

2023

Brett Bogner ’23, has become the marketing director at Keytos, a Boston-based cybersecurity startup pushing for passwordless authentication. Bogner, who started in June, said Keytos is “a company heavily intertwined with Babson.” The company was co-created by another Babson alumnus, Marcos Flegmann ’12, a rugby player who died in 2020.

Flegmann helped create Keytos with his brother, Igal Flegmann, with the goal of helping organizations improve their security in a stress-free way.

Sebastian Paredes ’23 recently started a business called Interlix Outsourcing, which provides vetted, top-tier virtual assistants and software developers from Latin America. Sheikha Al-Otaibi ’25, a cofounder who serves as the head of sales, said the company handles the entire recruiting and staffing process for any business with outsourcing needs.

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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GRADUATE 2010

Joshua Moritz MBA’10 was appointed full-time lecturer at the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, a part of the City University of New York. Moritz will teach marketing and applied statistics. Moritz also is an adjunct assistant professor at the New York University School of Professional Studies and the NYU Tandon School of Engineering.

2018

Stephen Hunnewell MBA’18 is the new vice president for strategic initiatives at Premise Data Corporation, a leading provider of data and analytics solutions. In his new role, Hunnewell will lead efforts to develop and execute strategic initiatives, including expanding global reach, designing new, previously unrealized audiences and market insight solutions, and building partnerships with key stakeholders.

Ruben Hillar MBA’98 started an online apparel company called Polyglo Tees. Hillar hopes to transform “apparel into communication tools” by featuring questions in different languages on the totes, T-shirts, and sweatshirts he sells.

“The goal is to create chance encounters among people who share something, be it a language or their love for anime.

Through our merchandise, we hope to create connections, even if brief, and encourage people to share with each other something about themselves,” Hillar wrote on the company’s website, polyglotees.com.

Katherine Babson Jr. MBA’77, H’99 has published her second book, Pippi Rocks, which tells the tale of her black Lab, Pippi, through the dog’s point of view.

Illustrated by fellow alumna Katherine K. Macdonald MBA’99, the stories of the rambunctious, spirited young dog are based on the inscriptions chiseled into the Babson Boulders in Gloucester, Massachusetts, a project undertaken by Pippi’s relative and Babson’s founder, Roger Babson. The mottos—“Work,” “Never Try, Never Win,” and others—reflect both Roger’s business philosophy and Pippi’s antics. Pippi Rocks is available at the Babson College Bookstore and Amazon.

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John-Paul Vachon MBA’14 has joined Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation as deputy director of equity.

Bernie Lee MBA’99, won the National Pickleball Championship this summer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as part of the 2023 National Senior Games. Lee emerged as the winner after more than 1,500 pickleball players faced off in singles and doubles events during the daylong competition July 16. “I’m tremendously thankful to take home the gold and the 2023 national championship,” Lee said.

Ted Kirby MBA’19 married Terra Frederick on May 27 in Salisbury, Massachusetts. The newlyweds were surrounded by fellow Babson graduates, including Gianna Liu MBA’19, Asini Wijewardane MBA’19, Vasudha Sarawgi MBA’19, and Manasa Chidananda Murthy MBA’19.

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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David James MBA’18 recently co-wrote It’s Time for Strategic Scheduling: How to Design Smarter K–12 Schedules That Are Great for Students, Staff, and the Budget. The book, which was co-written with Nathan Levenson and published in July, is described as a practical, accessible guide for school and district leaders.

“In many ways, my journey writing this book began when I studied business administration at Babson,” James said. “What I learned then has very much informed my work in the K–12 education sector.”

Andre Husada MSEL’20 opened a second location of HOLEO, a miniature golf course located in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Husada co-founded HOLEO with Rexanders Gautama MSEL’20. The first location, which also provides different selfieready rooms for players to snap pictures and share on social media, is so popular that they opened another. “We’re Babson built, and we’re proud of it,” Husada said.

Joy Yongjing Zhu MBA’22 opened Poke OLi, a restaurant serving Hawaiian-style poke bowls, in New Haven, Connecticut, in July. Zhu sought to make her business environmentally friendly by using 100% compostable packaging, and she hopes to expand the business soon. “I’m in the process of growing my restaurant into a chain,” Zhu said.

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GOT NEWS? ALUMNI NEWS is in demand!

To accommodate news and photos from as many alumni as possible, please limit entries and photo captions to 50 words or less.

INMEMORIAM

Rishabh Pincha MSF’23 started working as a senior financial analyst at Wilson Financial Advisors in Oxford, Massachusetts.

Allyn C. Woodward Jr. ’63, P’88 ’93, of Wellesley, Massachusetts, died Aug. 17. He served Babson in a multitude of ways, including as a College Advisory Board emeritus and as a member of the Babson Corporation, Graduate and Executive Education Advisory Board, and Board of Overseers.

David Cary Hayward ’50, of Lititz, Pennsylvania, Aug. 15 Richard Joseph Birmingham ’51, of Warren, New Jersey, Oct. 30, 2021 Richard E. Lucas ’51, P’10, of Wellesley, Massachusetts, Sept. 3 John Richmond Walker ’52, of Amherst, Massachusetts, June 24 Albert George Morhart Jr. ’55, of Beaver, Pennsylvania, June 17 William Milan McEvilly ’56, of Statesville, North Carolina, March 29, 2022 Ricardo Uribe ’56, of Medellin, Colombia, Oct. 11, 2022 Joseph M. Rotondo ’59, of Freeport, Maine, July 12 Errol Joel Delott ’60, of Cheshire, Connecticut, June 15

Babson Magazine has two requirements for Alumni News photos: The submitting alum must be in the photo, and the image must be at least 4 x 6 inches at 300 dpi—no digital alterations, please. We can’t promise that all submitted photos will run, but we’ll include as many as possible. Submit your latest news to the Alumni News Editor at babson.edu/nods.

Edward Eugene Richardson III ’60, of Westborough, Massachusetts, June 11 Lawrence Palmer Kimball ’61, MBA’65, of Bartlett, New Hampshire, July 8 Joseph David LoBello ’61, of Dallas, Texas, Aug. 18 Arthur Maurice Cohan ’62, of Marblehead, Massachusetts, Oct. 19, 2022 Robert Ira Chitel ’63, of Old Tappen, New Jersey, July 26 John Richard Gregory ’63, of Marshfield, Massachusetts, June 9 Joel Tarlow Lazarus ’64, P’94, of Plantation, Florida, June 16 Robert J. White Jr. ’64, of Live Oak, Florida, June 15 Richard Ramsey Dailey ’65, of Halifax, Massachusetts, July 17, 2021 Louis Salemy MBA’66, of New Providence, New Jersey, Aug. 16 Donald R. West MBA’66, of Bedford, Texas, Aug. 5 Peter Sutherland Olson ’67, of Groton, Massachusetts, July 22 Stephen Paul Chalmers MBA’67, of Philadelphia, Mississippi, Feb. 13

Gary Stephan Klerman ’68, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, October 2022 Daniel Carleton Wright ’70, of Medfield, Massachusetts, Aug. 13 Arthur F. Handel MBA’70, of Stoughton, Massachusetts, Aug. 16, 2020 Bruce Edward Oman ’72, of Mandeville, Louisiana, July 16 Mark Stuart Bedrick ’73, P’05, of Windham, New Hampshire, Feb. 2, 2021 David Alan Katseff MBA’73, of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, July 25 Retired Col. Walter Francis Piff Jr. MBA’73, of Clearwater, Florida, June 16 Oliver Thompson Campbell Jr. ’74, of Lusby, Maryland, June 19 William B. Ahearn ’76, of Norwell, Massachusetts, Aug. 10 John Brunnock ’76, MBA’79, of Randolph, Massachusetts, June 2 George Carlton Lind MBA’76, of Concord, North Carolina, June 4 Fredda Lynn Rago ’77, of Wethersfield, Connecticut, April 8, 2021 Baron Manning Hartley ’78, of Boston, Massachusetts, Aug. 27

Lee E. Coldwell ’79, of Tampa, Florida, July 5 Douglas Mark Hermance ’80, of Houston, Texas, June 13 Michael Alton Reynolds ’80, of Dover, Massachusetts, July 19 Michael P. Clancy ’81, P’24, of Boston, Massachusetts, Aug. 11 David J. Simm MBA’81, of Westfield, Massachusetts, July 6 Weston Osbourne Graves ’84, P’11, of Marblehead, Massachusetts, July 7 Thomas L. Dwyer MBA’86, of Scituate, Massachusetts, June 13 Marra M. Lochiatto MBA’91, of Duxbury, Massachusetts, June 30 Chris John Stakutis MBA’93, of Daytona Beach, Florida, Aug. 22 James P. Kaufman MBA’98, of West Boylston, Massachusetts, June 26 John Andrew Edward-Corbett ’05, of Newport, Rhode Island, March 13 Emily Claire Aksak ’09, of Huntington, New York, June 5 Suraj Utkarshbhai Patel MBA’16, of Vadodara, India, June 12 Eduardo Andres Basauri ’23, of Middletown, Connecticut, June 6

WINTER 2023–2024 / BABSON MAGAZINE

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ENTREPRENEURIALLEADERSHIPINACTION

Building Relationships in the Workplace

A look at entrepreneurial leaders shaped by their Babson College experience.

CHLOE SAMAHA ’25 AIMS TO HELP COMPANIES CREATE PEOPLE-FIRST CULTURES

C

hloe Samaha ’25 is just beginning her career as an entrepreneur, but she’s already mastering a key aspect of entrepreneurial leadership: the importance of people and relationships.

Specifically, she is intrigued by the ways that companies with virtual or hybrid arrangements—which offer colleagues fewer opportunities to chat by the water cooler—have altered workplace relationships. She began reading about topics including the Great Resignation, “quiet quitting,” and what matters to Gen Z and millennial employees. “If we don’t feel that we are providing value or that (co-workers) care about us as people, if we don’t have community in the workplace,” Samaha asks, “what’s keeping us there?”

Seeing that this was a problem in need of solutions, she began brainstorming tools to help company leaders build community. Samaha, a Natalie Taylor Scholar with a concentration in technology and entrepreneurship, started developing a mobile app called BOND. The app generates a daily bonding activity that allows colleagues to get to know each other. “It could be a question, a quiz, or a challenge, and you have a certain amount of time to respond,” Samaha says. The activities are simple and fun: Name the coolest thing you’ve done in the last year. What was your silliest fear as a child? What’s the next road trip you want to take?

Given Samaha’s emphasis on

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relationships, it’s little surprise that she chose to live in eTower, Babson’s living and learning community for entrepreneurs, where she serves as president. eTower has been key to BOND’s development. For example, a fellow eTower resident introduced Samaha to Brian Cho, a software developer and student at the University of Toronto, who became BOND’s co-founder.

Through Babson’s Summer Venture Program, Samaha spent some intense days at the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship last July, building a fully coded version of BOND and preparing to release it on the App Store. “It really gave me a taste of what it’s going to look like being Chloe Samaha ’25, who participated in Babson’s Summer Venture a full-time founder after Program, is trying to help build communities in a hybrid world. college,” Samaha says.

The app is now in the hands of evolve and is catching on, with multiple beta testers, including eTower residents large companies interested in sharing and alumni, plus startups and BOND with their employees. corporate firms; their feedback has led “I want team leaders to use BOND to the addition of game elements to the because they genuinely want to build app to encourage friendly competition, a culture that is people-first,” Samaha such as a leader board and engagement says, “and because they believe that the meter. Teams that spend time getting strength of the company is the people to know each other rack up points and working there.” can win prizes. The app continues to — Erin O’Donnell

PHOTO: NIC CZARNECKI

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JOIN US FOR THE WORLD’S PREMIER ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT FEBRUARY 22–24

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babson.edu/bcw SHAPING THE NEW TOMORROW: ENTREPRENEURS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE Babson Connect Worldwide 2024 celebrates the foresight of entrepreneurs from around the world—leaders who anticipate change and new possibilities, and respond with lasting global impact for a more prosperous and sustainable “New Tomorrow.”

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS Nikhil Kamath Co-Founder, Zerodha | Gruhas | True Beacon

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION: ALL ACCESS PASS

Nanette Medved-Po ’98 Founder and Executive Chairperson, HOPE and PCX groups

Until December 31, 2023: $800 After January 1, 2024: $1,000

Anuj Maheshwari Head of Agri-Food, Temasek