Babson Magazine Winter 2024–2025

WINTER 2024–2025

No. 2 in the Nation: A Look Behind a Stellar Ranking

In the larger scope of business and management education, entrepreneurship can be considered a relatively new academic discipline. Though the American postwar social and economic climate of the mid-20th century was ripe for new businesses and product innovations, the study of entrepreneurship was only beginning to be seen as a viable scholarly pursuit.

In its infancy, entrepreneurship education was only offered at a handful of colleges and universities across the country. Though—to the bene t of business and society—that was soon to change.

The latter half of the 20th century saw academics and business professionals alike beginning to recognize the unprecedented value of entrepreneurship education. Each decade from the 1960s through the millennium saw new entrepreneurship courses, majors, academic centers, and thought-leadership institutes emerge on college campuses.

Even as entrepreneurship as an academic discipline grew, many continued to question if entrepreneurial skill sets could be taught. Some posited that the traits that make an entrepreneur—the ability to relentlessly iterate and see no obstacle as too daunting

to overcome—were inherent in some but not attainable by all.

At Babson, we never believed that to be the case. In 1967, we began to offer entrepreneurship as a course for graduate students. The late 1970s saw Babson launch undergraduate entrepreneurship programs and establish our rst Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs®

Our early adoption of entrepreneurship education, all rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit of our founder and rst president, Roger Babson, has yielded unprecedented results. This is most clearly exempli ed by our historic ranking as the No. 2 best college in the United States by The Wall Street Journal

This issue of Babson Magazine illustrates how our milestone Wall Street Journal recognition is a testament to the impressive outcomes our students and more than 45,000 alumni achieve around the world. Added focus on graduation rates, graduate salaries, and campus diversity are reasons why we serve as a model leader across higher education.

New campus spaces such as our Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village and thought-leadership resources in the C. Dean Metropoulos Institute for Technology and Entrepreneurship ensure that Babson is equipped to inspire the next generation of learners and leaders.

The successes of our community—and its impact on creating economic and social value around the world—convince me that entrepreneurs will continue to lead the way.

Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD

FEATURES

10 No. 2 College in America? Here’s Why The ranking reflects graduates poised for success.

16 An Inside Look at the HELV

What happens at the innovative campus landmark.

22 Good Fellows

Babson Board Fellows program creates social value.

DEPARTMENTS

2 Babson and Beyond

Patrick Clarke ’09 invests in marine conservation. 22

The latest news and updates from campus.

8 Office Hours

Kristi Girdharry explores writing with robots.

9 People of Babson

CIO Patty Patria on leading in technology and AI.

26 Athletics

Rise of club sports provides more opportunities.

28 Advancement Spotlight

Babson ELevates campaign hits milestone moment.

32 News, Notes, and Nods

Undergraduate, Graduate, In Memoriam

40 Entrepreneurial Leadership in Action

BABSON MAGAZINE STAFF / Vol. 91, 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, Bryan Lipiner, Francis Ma, Erin O’Donnell, Thecla Ree, Mali Reimer, Melissa Savignano, Wendy Schoenfeld

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Nic Czarnecki

MULTIMEDIA TEAM Christopher Brown, Paul DeWolf, Maggie McGinnis, Adam Pearlman

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 Czarzecki from Babson’s ranking celebration

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 2024 by Babson College. Editorial office: Babson Park, MA 02457-0310. Send address corrections to advancement_services@babson.edu, or call +781-239-4044.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BABSON AND BE Y OND

EMPOWERING THE FUTURE at the C. Dean Metropoulos Institute for Technology and Entrepreneurship

It is clear that AI is critical to the future of business and society.

—

Babson College set its sights on the future with the launch of the C. Dean Metropoulos Institute for Technology and Entrepreneurship, an initiative designed to integrate cutting-edge technology with the College’s renowned entrepreneurial and business education.

The institute, made possible by a generous gift from C. Dean Metropoulos ’67, MBA’68, aims to equip students with an essential blend of technical skills and entrepreneurial mindset required to lead in an increasingly AI-driven world.

“It is clear that AI is critical to the future of business and society,” Metropoulos said in an interview following the institute’s dedication ceremony in September at Babson Commons, where he was accompanied by his wife, Marianne.

Part of the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership, the Metropoulos Institute represents Babson’s continued leadership in technology-driven entrepreneurship, including The Generator, the College’s interdisciplinary AI lab.

“The C. Dean Metropoulos Institute for Technology and Entrepreneurship definitively elevates the groundwork that our talented faculty and staff have developed in the realm of technological

innovation and AI,” Babson President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD said. “The Metropoulos Institute will open new doors for so many at Babson and will become a global resource for the fusing of technology and entrepreneurship.”

For Metropoulos, the institute is the culmination of a lifelong connection to Babson. He previously served as a trustee of the College and in 2017 was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs®

“Babson engaged me from the start, and in that engagement, it got me very interested in business and finance,” Metropoulos said, noting that Babson’s entrepreneurial focus gave him the confidence to succeed in business.

His vision for the new institute reflects that journey—equipping students not only with entrepreneurial drive but also with a firm grasp of business acumen, a combination Metropoulos believes is essential for tech-savvy innovators.

“We want to provide programs for brilliant young tech people, giving them the business skills they need to turn successful innovations into successful businesses,” Metropoulos said. “It’s that critical balance that will define the future.” — Hillary Chabot

PHOTO: LAURIE SWOPE

Read more about the Metropoulos Institute:

C. Dean Metropoulos ’67, MBA’68

New Office and Initiatives to Support FIRST-GEN STUDENTS

Walk by Park Manor North, and you may notice a new face. That’s because Michael Prinkey, Babson’s first manager of FirstGeneration Student Success, and the newly launched First-Generation Student Success office are quickly becoming pillars on campus.

Prinkey, who started his role in September, is part of the Babson team spearheading the campus’ new FirstGeneration Student Success initiatives, the biggest of which is the new office. A first-generation college student himself, Prinkey has a resume that includes over a decade working in mentorship in nonprofits and higher education.

Over 20% of the undergraduate Class of 2028 identifies as first-generation. As he draws on his personal and professional experience to help steer this new office, his goal is to keep the needs of the Babson first-generation population at the forefront.

“A big hurdle I felt myself as a firstgeneration, low-income student was a sense of shame when a lot of my peers were not asking for these resources,” he said. “I want to make sure we build a system where students don’t feel shame

about looking for support. I want someone to look back and say I maybe didn’t have the same privilege as my peers, but I had people to help me succeed.”

As the office takes form, Prinkey is excited to see how it will evolve, especially with a team of students helping to bring the office’s vision to life. His team will support the student-run Semillas Society, and aims to provide mentorship, professional development, community building, and emotional support resources for students.

“Our goal is to be a centralized

resource for first-generation students and create a campuswide strategy,” Prinkey said. “We know a lot of offices and student groups are doing first-generation work at Babson. My job is not to take that away from them or to manage those efforts but to create a centralized communication system, so students always have access to resources and know where to find them and to fill in some of those missing pieces. I also want to provide a private setting where students can have the space to have necessary, safe conversations.”

— Melissa Savignano

EMBRACING AI: New Tools and Opportunities for Students

is empowering its students with new AI-driven tools and opportunities.

The College has introduced the MathBot, developed jointly with Microsoft’s Azure Services and Terawe, to support student learning across various academic backgrounds. The MathBot pairs academic material with generative AI capabilities to streamline the learning process, meet the unique needs of each individual student through customized learning pace and style, and provide opportunities for future learning by offering additional online resources.

Babson also has committed $250,000 in AI-focused student grants to provide additional financial support to explore innovative AI solutions.

Up to 250 students will be granted $1,000 each, after application and approval, to meet these needs. All students also will be granted access to various generative AI models that will help build innovative solutions for real-world problems, and they will have access to Microsoft Copilot, further enhancing their educational experience.

Plus, a new Foundations of AI badge is being offered to all students courtesy of the C. Dean Metropoulos Institute for Technology and Entrepreneurship. The complimentary badge will be awarded to students who demonstrate an understanding of and experience with the challenges and opportunities of AI with an entrepreneurial mindset. The digital credential, which students can pursue at their own pace, can be displayed on students’ resumes and LinkedIn profiles to highlight their proficiency.

“Babson College has a long history of embracing new and innovative approaches to the entrepreneurial process that has positioned us as the flagship institution for entrepreneurship education,” President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD said. “Our community’s embrace of generative AI provides the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders with important access to crucial resources and emerging technologies.”

Babson

Michael Prinkey started in September as Babson’s first manager of First-Generation Student Success.

MEET THE NEW DEANS: Focusing on faculty and students

Two longtime campus leaders have taken over new roles this year, as Donna Stoddard P’21 has been appointed the dean of faculty, and Caitlin Capozzi has been appointed vice president for learner success and dean of campus life.

Donna Stoddard P’21 believes in the personal touch. She has been a Babson faculty member for nearly 30 years, and through those decades in the classroom, she has found joy in teaching and in interacting with students.

Students always have questions, and sometimes those questions extend beyond the day’s lesson. They may want guidance, about their potential career, about their path in life, and that’s where the personal touch is so critical.

“My hope here is that every student should have a faculty mentor, someone they can talk to,” said Stoddard, a professor of information technology management. That relationship, between a professor and a young person about to set off into their adult life, can be a meaningful one. “A faculty member can change the trajectory of a student’s life,” Stoddard said. “The faculty can make all the difference.”

Stoddard was named the dean of faculty at Babson. It’s an important role. The focus of Stoddard’s new job is in the very title itself: the faculty. She will be an advisor, supporter, and cheerleader for Babson’s more than 200 full- and part-time faculty members. “It is all about the faculty and how I can enable their success,” Stoddard said. “It is a lot of interactions with the faculty, understanding their needs and where we’re headed as a college and the faculty’s role in that.”

The dean of faculty position is just the latest leadership role that Stoddard has taken on at Babson. Previously, she served as associate dean of faculty, chair of the Operations and Information Management Division, and faculty mentor to a cohort of Posse Scholars, an experience she found particularly rewarding. Stoddard also is a Babson mom—her son, Alvie Stoddard, graduated from the College in 2021.

Through all these many roles and experiences, Stoddard has enjoyed the company of her campus colleagues and admired their commitment to students. “My colleagues are what make Babson special,” she said. “I have worked with so many faculty and staff that work hard to make a difference to our students, and because of that, they are endeared to me.”

Caitlin Capozzi loves to walk around Babson at the beginning of the school year. As the weather begins to turn from summer to fall, students once again fill campus with their familiar energy.

“They are talking of their summers and their internships,” said the longtime campus leader whose work revolves around student life. “They are coming back rested and energized and optimistic for what the year has ahead.”

Capozzi is in her 14th academic year at Babson, but this year is a bit different, as she assumed a new role as vice president for learner success and dean of campus life. In this key post, she leads the student-focused division known as Learner Success and Campus Life, overseeing many of the activities and services that make up student life on campus, from the arts to athletics to housing to clubs to counseling.

If something happens outside of the classroom, there’s a good chance that Capozzi and her team will be involved. “It encompasses a lot of the programs, resources, and community building of campus that is outside the classroom but is designed to complement what happens in the classroom,” she said.

Formerly the dean of students, Capozzi worked closely with her division’s last leader, Lawrence P. Ward, who left Babson in the summer to become the president of the University of Hartford. “He left this place better than he found it,” she said. “I absolutely want to continue the momentum that Larry built.”

A notable focus for Capozzi and her team will be the Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village (HELV), which made its much anticipated opening this fall. Capozzi calls the living and learning community a “collider space.”

With its classrooms and coffee house, HELV is a place for students to socialize and run into people they know, much like Horn, Trim Dining Hall, and Reynolds Campus Center. “Having those social spaces to collide and share ideas is important,” Capozzi said. — John Crawford

GOING GREENER: Student Engagement Keys Sustainability Effort

Across every step of Babson’s lush, 370-acre Wellesley campus, every corner of its 18 residence halls and 11 special institutes and centers, and in every savory, locally sourced bite in the dining hall, Babson is buzzing with ecofriendly initiatives.

From waste-reduction programs to electric car charging stations, Babson’s students, staff, and faculty continue to find innovative ways to go green. And, Leila Lamoureux MBA’18, Babson’s director of sustainability and campus utilization, is weaving those environmental enterprises into a cohesive sustainability plan.

“We need to bring all the great things we are already doing together into a cohesive narrative,” Lamoureux explained. “We need to dig into all of these initiatives and ultimately use them to shape our sustainability strategy moving forward.”

It’s all part of a strategic approach to survey sustainability efforts around the College, engage all parts of the

community, and craft a far-reaching plan to enhance the College’s existing efforts and elevate future sustainability plans.

“The role is really about bringing people together from across campus to identify what we’re doing and what we should be doing in terms of sustainability,” Lamoureux said.

Student engagement is key to Babson’s sustainability mission. The annual Sustainability Fair, run entirely by students, showcases sustainability initiatives and practices in collaboration with community partners. And, the Sustainability Intern Program connects students with campus stakeholders and the local Wellesley and Needham communities.

Through the Institute for Social

Innovation, students also can participate in initiatives such as a “Slash the Trash” challenge to reduce waste on campus and a “Dark Dorm Challenge” to conserve energy.

Lamoureux said one of the most rewarding aspects of her role has been interacting with Babson’s enthusiastic students. “They’re in it to win it,” she said. “Even when tasked with activities like reviewing reports or identifying sustainability trends, they take it on with enthusiasm.” — Hillary Chabot

GEM U.S. REPORT: Young Entrepreneurs Drive ‘Bright Future’

For 25 years, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) has analyzed the state of entrepreneurial activity in the United States and worldwide. This year’s milestone GEM national report highlights a gem for the future of entrepreneurship.

For the second consecutive year, young entrepreneurs are starting businesses, and planning to start businesses, at higher rates than older generations, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2023–2024 United States Report released by Babson College.

The latest GEM report, which polled 2,000 U.S. adults in the summer of 2023, highlights a continuation of last year’s surge in Total

Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) being driven by young entrepreneurs. TEA measures the percentage of adults actively engaged in starting or running a new business.

The youngest age group of entrepreneurs surveyed—18- to 24-year-olds—showed the highest rates of entrepreneurial activity and entrepreneurial intentions, according to the latest data in the new GEM U.S. report. Nearly one-fourth of those surveyed (24%) are currently entrepreneurs, and 21% are intending to start a business in the next three years. Previous GEM reports consistently found that the highest TEA was among the 25–34 or 35–44 age groups.

Young entrepreneurs (18–34 years) also

were more likely to prioritize sustainability (61% vs. 47%) and take steps to minimize environmental impact (66% vs. 44%) and maximize social impact (55% vs. 36%) than older entrepreneurs (35–65 years).

“With an increase in young adult entrepreneurship, along with their focus on social and environmental impact, this year’s GEM findings indicate a bright future for entrepreneurship,” said Donna Kelley P’24, GEM U.S. team co-leader and the Frederic C. Hamilton Professor of Free Enterprise Studies and professor of entrepreneurship at Babson.

“Young people, with their energy and creative ideas, can be a major force in driving positive change that benefits people and the planet.”

The annual student-run Sustainability Fair, which showcases initiatives and practices across campus, helps bring people together to advance Babson’s sustainability mission.

New Honors Celebrate Babson’s CULTURE OF CAREER PREPAREDNESS

Late in the summer, 125 Babson faculty and staff members received an email. “Thank you for being a career champion,” read the email’s subject line.

The message came from Babson’s Hoffman Family Undergraduate Center for Career Development (CCD). As part of its survey of graduating seniors, CCD asked who helped them prepare for and pursue their post-graduation plans. Graduates named 125 people, representing a wide swath of faculty and staff, and CCD emailed to thank them all.

It demonstrates how single-minded the Babson community is in supporting students’ futures. “It’s the whole ecosystem at Babson that is preparing students,” said Ann McAdam Griffin, CCD’s director.

Babson’s strength in career development has drawn recent

accolades. The Wall Street Journal, which named Babson the second best college in America (Page 10), also ranked the institution No. 2 for Career Preparation.

Babson received another honor, as Handshake, a popular career development platform utilized by students to search for jobs and internships, gave the College a Career Spark Award, which celebrates the top college and university career centers. Handshake evaluated more than 1,500 such centers, and only 35, or about 2%, received the honor.

That’s a distinguished recognition for McAdam Griffin and her CCD colleagues, including a team of 14 people, a number that has doubled in the last 18 months. “To do career services in the Babson community, where it is so valued, is such a privilege,” she said. — John Crawford

EXCELLENCE HONORED with Faculty Awards

Eleven Babson faculty members were honored by their colleagues with prestigious College awards for their excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service:

DEAN’S AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

Undergraduate Teaching Award

Bojan Amovic, associate professor of practice

Graduate Teaching Award

Nada Hashmi, assistant professor BEE Teaching Award

Wendy Murphy, professor

Part-time Faculty Teaching Award

Sharon Sinnott, adjunct lecturer College-wide Teaching Award

Angela Randolph, associate professor

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

Multidimensional Scholar Award

Mary Pinard, professor Senior Scholar Award

Gina O’Connor, professor Practice Scholar Award

Tina Opie, associate professor

SERVICE AWARDS

MEET GRACIE

She is a playful go-getter who’s friendly, outgoing, and—like any good entrepreneur—eager to help solve any problem that comes her way. Meet Gracie, a Goldador who has joined the Babson Public Safety Department as a community resource dog, joining Roger, the golden retriever who has served Babson since 2021. “She just loves people,” Officer Nashley Gonzalez said. Named after the wife of College founder Roger Babson, Gracie plays a crucial role in mental health support and community engagement.

Kristi Girdharry, associate teaching professor

Michele Kerrigan, associate professor of practice

Jessica Simon, associate professor of practice

College Earns Nine CASE Awards

Babson received more recognition for its marketing successes by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Led by Babson Magazine and the College Marketing department, Babson earned nine Best of CASE District I Awards.

Babson Magazine received five awards, including overall alumni/interest magazine for four-year colleges, cover design of the Summer 2023 issue, and three feature writing awards.

College Marketing also received two awards for its social media efforts (online advertising and student video) and one for promotional video. Babson also was honored for the Athletics Donor Report FY23 in the fundraising reports category, in a collaboration between Advancement and Athletics.

How a Writing Professor Embraces AI

Kristi Girdharry explores the complexities, ethics, and opportunities of artificial intelligence

Since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, Associate Teaching Professor Kristi Girdharry has become a pivotal gure in introducing and navigating the complexities of AI-powered tools within Babson’s classrooms and beyond.

Now, Girdharry is preparing for one of her most anticipated projects— an upcoming course, Writing with Robots: Authenticity, Ethics, and AI, which launches this spring. The class invites students to explore a variety of genres, writing both with and without AI, while grappling with the ethical implications of using such tools. “It’s a space for students to critically engage with AI and think deeply about what it means to be a writer and learner in today’s world,” she explains.

While teachers already have the answers in most classes, Girdharry says, “In this class, there’s no answer. We have to work through it together. And that is challenging and dif cult, but I also really believe that’s where real learning happens.”

Girdharry, who also serves as the director of Babson’s Writing Center, began experimenting with generative AI shortly after ChatGPT was released. But despite early fears about the impact of generative AI on traditional forms of writing, she has always viewed the new technology as a unique opportunity.

“There was some stress about it, but I saw it as kind of a cool moment for us in the eld of writing to say, ‘We’ve been studying this for a long time, and we have ideas about how to adapt,’ ” she says.

Girdharry quickly embedded AI exercises into her courses. By spring 2023, she incorporated ChatGPT into

her Rhetoric of Social Media class, tasking students with using the tool to generate questions about musical artists.

The experiment revealed AI’s limitations, but also sparked valuable insights. In one notable instance, a student researching Nigerian artist Burna Boy found that the AI’s awed suggestions led her to explore forums on Nigerian Pidgin, a discovery that informed and deepened her project.

The moment, Girdharry notes, was a reminder of AI’s potential to open new pathways of knowledge when used critically.

Last fall, Erik Noyes, the Michael London ’92 and Stephen H. Kramer ’92 Term Chair in Entrepreneurship, asked Girdharry to lead the AI for Research & Writing research group at Babson’s AI lab, The Generator. The group helps Babson community members explore

AI’s implications across disciplines.

“We think about AI like a house with many doors,” Girdharry explains, “so we encourage faculty to enter through the door that makes sense to them—whether that’s AI for research, teaching, or entrepreneurship.”

These interdisciplinary efforts culminated in an AI teacher training program, now in its third iteration. Faculty from various departments share their experiences and challenges using AI in their classes.

Girdharry, who came to Babson in 2019 after a family visit to campus piqued her interest, says her work helping the Babson community adapt to AI has been unexpected, but deeply rewarding.

“I feel so grateful to be at the table,” Girdharry says. “It makes my work feel really meaningful.”

— Hillary Chabot

Associate Teaching Professor Kristi Girdharry leads the writing group at Babson’s AI lab, The Generator.

Small Talk with PAT TY PATRIA

Mere months after Patty Patria arrived at Babson as chief information officer in 2022, the world of technology shifted dramatically with the release of ChatGPT accelerating the AI revolution. With 22 years in higher education in information technology and an MBA from Suffolk University, Patria had seen a lot. But this was different. “That was a game-changer,” she says. Over the past two years, Patria and her Information Technology Services Department (ITSD) team have made major advancements to keep Babson ahead of the technological curve, especially on AI. Yet, amid the rapid developments, one thing hasn’t changed. “Everything that we do benefits students and benefits the next generation of learners,” she says.

What do you most enjoy about your role as CIO?

“I love it when I can take technology and improve the business process that people are doing to make their lives better. Maybe we leverage technology to automate a process that might be causing hundreds of hours of manual work, or leverage technology like we’re doing with AI to be innovative and creative to do things that we couldn’t do six or 12 months ago.”

Which ITSD advancements the past two years are you most proud of?

“We’ve built a strong, high-performing team that is able to adjust quickly to the changing need of the institution. We did a complete overhaul of infrastructure. We needed to do replacements of networks, servers, and classrooms. Moving to the cloud positioned us really well for all of the innovative things we’re now doing with AI. The other thing I’m really proud of is building a cloud-based data warehouse to help us with data-driven decision making.”

What role is Babson playing as a leader in technology?

“I speak with a lot of other higher ed CIOs, and Babson is one of the few places that has a comprehensive AI strategy that cuts across the academics, the student experience, and the administrative operations. From the academic perspective, faculty leading The Generator (Babson’s AI lab) are doing a fabulous job of engaging and training other faculty and infusing AI into the curriculum and course work. There’s a student AI club that has more than 400 students now. There’s a lot of cross-pollination going on in those environments, and the students are doing absolutely amazing things. And, we’ve got the desire here to achieve that holistic AI strategy at the highest level. That’s really special and unique. I think there’s very few places that have that.”

— Eric Beato

Babson Is the No. 2 College in America.

Here’s Why.

By John Crawford

Back in September, The Wall Street Journal ranked Babson the second best college in America.

The lofty ranking—thrilling and, ultimately, not surprising—reflects Babson’s well-rounded, well-prepared, and well-regarded graduates, who are poised for success in their lives and careers.

When it arrived, the news was exhilarating.

Back in September, The Wall Street Journal announced that it had ranked Babson as the second best college in America, a year after the publication had placed the institution 10th.

In the moment, such a high ranking in the upper echelon of higher education—right behind Princeton and in front of Stanford—may have sparked some surprise. Babson always has been an innovator and leader, as well as the top-ranked school for entrepreneurship for more than 30 years, but how could a small college, dedicated to business and entrepreneurial leadership, leapfrog some of the world’s most renowned institutions?

For the College community, the answer is simple. The lofty ranking is merely a well-earned recognition. Babson No. 2? De nitely.

“I have been here a long time, and the place has always been amazing,” says Gerri Randlett, who started at Babson in 1996 in the undergraduate admissions of ce and is now the assistant vice president of alumni engagement and annual giving. “The world has caught on to what I have known since 1996.”

The 2025 WSJ/College Pulse ranking of U.S. colleges focuses on how effective schools are in setting up their graduates for nancial success, something at which Babson has long excelled. The experiential, entrepreneurial, and multidisciplinary learning that happens at the College prepares students well for their careers and their lives.

“This remarkable milestone holds great signi cance and rightly places Babson College in exceptional company,” says Babson President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD. “It re ects how Babson builds entrepreneurial leaders, people who understand a diverse, highly dynamic environment, empowered to lead successful and impactful lives.”

That is exactly what has propelled Babson to its prominent place in higher education.

A Ranking with a Different Approach

The Babson community rejoiced in the announcement of the Journal ranking. The next morning, ttingly on Founder’s Day, a time to honor College founder Roger Babson, Spinelli grew emotional talking with Babson staff and faculty, saying that Roger would have been proud.

A few days later, a joyous celebration was held at the Babson World Globe. T-shirts were handed out. Banners were hung. Meanwhile, alumni around the world cheered news of the ranking. “People were so excited,” Randlett says. “We got emails. We got a ton of comments on social

PHOTO: NIC CZARNECKI

TOP 10 COLLEGES

media. We got texts. We got WhatsApp messages. There was a ton of pride.”

Of course, this is not the rst time Babson has found success in the rankings. For decades, U.S. News & World Report has ranked the College No. 1 for entrepreneurship education on both the undergraduate and MBA levels. Tumen Bayar is director of institutional research at Babson, and, among his other responsibilities, he supplies data to organizations conducting rankings.

Rankings remain a popular way for students (and their parents) to evaluate colleges, Bayar says, but considering the rising costs of higher education, the Journal ranking takes a different approach. Instead of considering some of the usual factors that go into rankings (student-faculty ratio, standardized test scores, spending per student), the Journal places a heavy emphasis on outcomes. “How much value are you getting from a college?” Bayar says.

Speci cally, 70% of an institution’s Journal score is composed of the value a school adds to the expected graduation rates and salaries of graduates and how long a degree takes to pay for itself. In all three, Babson received stellar marks, particularly in regard to its impact on earnings.

Additionally, 10% of the Journal ranking looks at diversity, another Babson strength. The nal 20% is composed of a survey asking students and young alumni about their college experience and how they learned and grew during their school years. Those survey results, Bayar says, reveal a group who are very satis ed with their time at Babson.

“(The survey) is an awesome re ection of all the work the Babson community does for students,” Bayar says. “Students feel like they learned something and feel satis ed with the College’s learning facilities. They feel like the College prepared them for a career. They feel like they can recommend Babson to friends. And they feel they have grown personally. It built their character.”

Starts with the Curriculum

Taken all together, the factors that go into the Journal ranking speak to how effective Babson is at achieving its core purpose: readying students for the future.

That effectiveness isn’t much of a surprise. Anecdotally through the years, Randlett has often heard from young alumni entering the workforce who felt one step ahead of their co-workers. “Our alumni have always felt that Babson has prepared them well for what’s next,” she says. “Our

alums have always valued the education they got here, and the faculty who have remained friends and mentors.”

So, how is the College able to do this? How is Babson able to consistently turn out such wellprepared and successful alumni that a prestigious ranking now recognizes the institution as the second best college in the country?

A major part of that answer comes down to the curriculum, which is broad and robust, full of learning and action, created and taught by worldclass faculty. “Students are moving through this curriculum that is hands-on applied work alongside an education that takes a deep dive into different disciplines and functions in the liberal arts,” says Wendy Murphy, professor of organizational behavior and the associate dean of the Undergraduate School. “That translates to hitting the ground running day one as professionals.”

One way to characterize Babson’s curriculum is that it is multidisciplinary. Students are taking half of their credits in the liberal arts, which gives them a strong foundation for their education. In one required course, Socio-Ecological Systems, two professors from different disciplines (one from the natural sciences, the other from the humanities

or social sciences) co-teach a course on integrated sustainability, giving their students a wide-angle, interdisciplinary approach to the subject.

Additionally, the curriculum exposes students to the gamut of business disciplines. That’s everything from accounting and nance to management and operations, and students learn the intertwined role that each of these elds plays in business.

This is exactly what happens in Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME). Students in the signature Babson class, which the Journal highlighted in its article on the rankings, spend the school year starting and managing a venture. In the process, they experience the various business disciplines rsthand. “We try to help them understand how everything ts together,” says Donna Stoddard P’21, Babson’s Dean of Faculty and a professor of information technology management. “What is marketing’s role? What is HR going to do? What about accounting?”

Experiential Learning, Diversity, and Entrepreneurship

FME also illustrates another hallmark of a Babson education: experiential learning. From the moment they step on campus, students are placed in the

experiential environment of FME. For their entire rst year at Babson, they are hurled into the world of business, confronting challenges and guring out solutions. A lot of growth happens in that year.

“We get to watch them develop,” Stoddard says. “They come in as high school seniors and leave as college sophomores.”

Beyond FME, Babson students have many other experiential opportunities to practice what they’re taught in class. To name a few, they can manage a portion of the College endowment through the Babson College Fund, address a business challenge with a team of student consultants in a Management Consulting Field Experience, and collaborate with an external organization in an Advanced Experiential course.

This is all tangible, real-life experience before students even graduate. “They are learning to collaborate and communicate,” Murphy says, “through team projects, partnerships with external companies, study-abroad experiences, and cocurricular clubs and activities that reinforce what they are learning in the classroom.”

The diverse environment at Babson also prepares students well for their post-graduation lives. “Diversity—it is the very fabric of who we are,” Murphy says. “We have always been a global school.” That diversity is re ected not only in the student body but also in the array of lessons and materials utilized in the classroom. “We create an environment where all voices are heard,” Murphy says. “Inclusion is a primary value of our faculty.”

In short, Babson is a place open to many

perspectives and backgrounds. “That helps students to better understand the world they live in,” Stoddard says. “It helps them when they get out into the real world.”

Finally, one can’t overlook entrepreneurship, the very lifeblood of Babson. Students are taught to nd opportunity, to learn from mistakes, to roll with uncertainty, to rally with others to get things done. “Those are the fundamentals of a Babson education,” Stoddard says.

Students are future entrepreneurial leaders, and that is an enviable thing to be in life, whether one starts a business or not.

A Community Behind Them

Given all their learning and experiences at Babson, students are more than ready for the job market. “They have deep experience with communication, teamwork, critical thinking,” says Ann McAdam Grif n, director of Babson’s Hoffman Family Undergraduate Center for Career Development (CCD). “These are the competencies that employers are looking for in early career hires.”

Students may be equipped with their Babson education, but CCD’s mission is providing whatever else is required for them to be successful in a job search. That means advising, planning recruiting events, holding workshops on topics such as resume writing, and supplying business clothes for students in need.

It is work that McAdam Grif n and her team are good at. When The Wall Street Journal named Babson the second best college

Students feel like they learned something and feel satisfied with the College’s learning facilities. They feel like the College prepared them for a career. They feel like they can recommend Babson to friends. And they feel they have grown personally. It built their character.”

— Tumen Bayar, director of institutional research at Babson

Additional WSJ/College Pulse rankings for Babson:

PREPARATION FOR CAREER

Colleges that scored highest for career preparation in a survey of their students and recent alumni.

in America, the publication also ranked the institution No. 2 for Career Preparation. “Whatever students need, we support them through their journey,” McAdam Grif n says.

She is quick to point out, however, that the work of career preparation goes beyond CCD. It involves everybody from professors giving advice to alumni providing a helpful connection. “It is the whole community,” McAdam Grif n says. “It is the faculty and staff, it is the

courses, it is the institutes, it is the alumni, and it is our employer partners.”

With the entire community of the No. 2 college in America behind them, students venture forth. Stoddard marvels at how far they’ve come and at how far they’ll go. “We offer so much to our students. They take advantage of it,” she says. “At graduation, you see them and wave and watch them head out for the next phase of their lives.”

BEST SALARIES

Colleges ranked in order of their impact on graduates’ salaries and how this relates to the cost of attending the college.

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Colleges that offer a great experience while attending, based on a survey of students and recent alumni.

PHOTO: NIC CZARNECKI

An Inside Look at theHELV

By John Crawford

PHOTOS: NIC CZARNECKI, EXCEPT LAST PHOTO ON RIGHT BY LINHAO JIANG ’26

The Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village, which opened this fall, is a defining addition to Babson’s campus. This is a look at the people of HELV, at the faculty, staff, and entrepreneurial leaders in the making who call this new campus landmark home.

Missy Lohnes ’28 is feeling a little anxious. Today is feasibility day in Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship, or as it’s commonly known, FME. In the signature College course, a requirement for all undergraduates, student teams spend a school year building and running a business.

In today’s class, the teams must present on the feasibility of their ventures. Much is at stake. Only the ventures deemed most promising will be allowed to continue. “I am so nervous,” Lohnes says. “I woke up an hour before my alarm went off. I was going over the script in my head.”

Before their 9:45 a.m. class, Lohnes and her teammates gather in a nook just outside their classroom. They’re all dressed in business attire. As ties are straightened and tightened, the team members touch up their presentation. Their business idea is for an educational card game focused on macroeconomics. Despite any lingering nerves, they’re feeling good about the venture. “We like our product,” Lohnes says, “and we know it’s feasible.”

Lohnes and her classmates are meeting in the Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village (HELV), a new defining addition to campus that opened this fall. The facility, located next to the

Babson Executive Conference Center, serves as a vibrant living and learning space and a hub for entrepreneurial leadership.

The HELV is a busy place. Students study here. And connect here. And eat here. And reside here. HELV is the largest residence hall on campus, with 280-plus residents, and it is the new home for FME. Every section of FME, all 18 of them this school year, meets in one of the HELV’s three state-of-the-art classrooms. The facility also encompasses a café, lounge, and interactive studio.

This is a look at the people of HELV, at the faculty, staff, and entrepreneurial leaders in the making who roam this new campus landmark.

The Morning Begins

At 8:25 a.m. on a recent Tuesday, another bustling day at the HELV is just beginning. Cynthia Santiago preps for the hours ahead at the Village Coffee House, where she’s a supervisor. Online orders are trickling in, but customers so far are scarce.

“It’s pretty quiet,” Santiago says.

The café is located near the entrance of the HELV, and as the day goes on, more and more people will stream past. Behind a case

at the counter, croissants, muffins, fruit cups, and egg sandwiches wait to be eaten. “Our banana bread is very popular,” Santiago says.

One customer sitting in the café at this hour is Sachiel Varada ’27. He has an exam in his 9:45 a.m. accounting class, and he came here to do some last-minute studying in the early morning calm.

He also came to eat a solid breakfast, wanting to be properly fueled for the test. “When I have something I want to be sharp for, I come here,” he says. In front of him rests a banana chocolate chip muffin, a fruit cup full of strawberries, and his goto drink order: a caffe latte with whole milk and an espresso shot. It’s a simple drink, which he prefers. “I like to get it everywhere,” he says. “It’s consistent.”

The HELV’s creation was made possible through the financial support of the Babson community. Its opening comes five years after the family foundation of Arthur M. Blank ’63, H’98 made a transformational $50 million gift to revolutionize the teaching of entrepreneurial leadership at Babson. A naming gift from Bruce Herring ’87, P’19 and Tricia Herring P’19 further

laid the foundation for the facility, and Martha DiMatteo Vorlicek ’81, H’23, Andrew DiMatteo ’84, Michael Lorber ’01, Jim Rullo MBA’85, Ronald Weiner ’66, H’22 and their families all provided support for HELV’s classrooms.

Beth Wynstra stands outside those classrooms as the 9:45 a.m. classes are about to start. HELV may be a hub for FME, but other courses use the rooms as well. An associate professor of English, Wynstra is teaching her Foundations of Critical Inquiry course here, and she praises the technology and flexible seating that the roomy, cutting-edge spaces offer. “It has been utterly wonderful to be in this space,” she says. “It is a gift I get to be here.”

After she’s finished teaching, she will conduct her office hours in the Village Coffee House.

PHOTOS: MARISSA LANGDON, NIC CZARNECKI

“What’s better than a breakfast sandwich and an office hour meeting?” she asks.

A Day for Presenting

FME courses are held throughout the day at the HELV. As one ends, others begin. At 9:45 a.m., professors Jessica Burkland and Alisa JnoCharles ’05, MBA’11 say good morning to the FME class they are co-teaching together. As they will in all the FME classes on this Tuesday, students are waiting to give their feasibility presentations. “Is everybody ready?” says Burkland, an assistant professor of practice in organizational behavior.

Student teams are given eight minutes to present and two minutes to answer questions, and those time limits are strict. A bell chimes when the minutes run out. One after another, student teams discuss their products. With their slides projected on multiple screens around the HELV classroom, they talk of market research and financials, competitors and suppliers, sustainability and their team dynamics. “This is a great space for these types of presentations,” Burkland says. “The technology is better, the acoustics are better.”

One team promises to revolutionize closet space for college students with a vertical hanger organizer. Another offers a vibrating bed pad as an alternative to a noisy wake-up alarm. In all, six

teams present, and after today, that number will be winnowed down to three.

At times, the student teams seem nervous. They blank on details. But the experience of presenting is a valuable one, says Jno-Charles, assistant professor of entrepreneurship. For one thing, students are learning to synthesize all their ideas and research into a succinct message for their peers. “What is the story being told?” she says. “How would you sell it?”

Presenting and pitching are also an integral part of life at Babson and beyond. Becoming confident and competent doing so is essential. “Everyone will have to give work presentations,” Jno-Charles says. “Research, synthesis, and communication. These are huge life skills.”

A New Standard

All this learning, all this growing and stumbling and getting back up again, is happening all the time at the HELV. The facility is representative of Babson’s leadership in entrepreneurship education, says President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD.

“We have enhanced the delivery system for entrepreneurship education. It now sets a whole new standard,” he says. “We have changed the game.” In the next few years, the College plans to continue building on to the HELV, with additional

classrooms, student living spaces, and a dining area. “We are only in phase one of this,” Spinelli says.

In the minutes before the 11:30 a.m. FME classes are set to begin, another student team huddles together to rehearse their feasibility presentation. At the moment, they’re fiddling with the presentation’s beginning, pondering the best way to start things off.

The students sit around a table in the interactive Global Outreach Studio, a high-tech space equipped to handle both in-person and virtual participation in meetings. “It’s going better,” Kate Henderson ’28 says. “We feel pretty good about our presentation.”

One member of the team, Amrit Rehal ’28, slips off to the hallway, where she practices her part of the presentation alone. Actually, she’s not completely by herself. She calls her father, working from home in Georgia, and runs through her portion as he watches. “I called hoping he wasn’t in a meeting,” she says. “He said it was good, but I need to talk a little slower.”

Rehal soon returns to the group, and they decide to run through the entire presentation once again. In the HELV, the hard work of entrepreneurship continues. 

PHOTOS: NIC CZARNECKI

Good Fellows

By Kara Baskin

Students and alumni in the Babson Board Fellows program create social value by serving as nonvoting members of nonprofit boards.

Babson students and alumni transform the business world with entrepreneurial leadership at the helm of established companies and bold startups. They also innovate behind the scenes, and the Babson Board Fellows program drives that capability.

The experiential program—one of the longest-running programs at the Institute for Social Innovation—places MBA students and alumni as nonvoting members of Boston-area nonprofit boards.

From September through May, fellows gain decision-making and mentorship experience while boards benefit from the entrepreneurial leadership and insights that Babson students are uniquely positioned to deliver to create social value in their communities.

Priceless Opportunity

When the Lenny Zakim Fund (LZF) wanted to elevate its grant-making capacity in September 2023, it partnered with Babson to work with Moris Castillo MBA’24. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, LZF deploys significant grants to grassroots organizations throughout eastern Massachusetts that confront social, racial, and economic injustice.

“Mo dove into the deep end with us, going on site visits and participating in staff meetings,” says Allison Picott, LZF executive director. “It wasn’t long into his tenure that the board and I saw how committed—and also, frankly, how delightful—he is.”

Castillo evaluated proposal applications

and personally visited prospective LZF grantee partner organizations. Evaluating potential funding recipients is an ambitious undertaking, because LZF’s applicants primarily focus on areas of fundamental and often heart-wrenching need, including food insecurity and civil rights advocacy.

But Castillo was in the unique position to make informed recommendations. The mission was personal as well as professional, because he arrived at Babson as an entrepreneurial success story himself. He came to the United States from Bogota, Colombia, as a teenager and rented a room for $300 per month while finishing high school. A mix of loans and odd jobs, from cafeteria work to sailing instruction, funded his undergraduate education. At Babson, he planned to hone his business skills in tech sales.

Advice from Associate Professor of Practice Leslie Charm ’64 inspired him to apply to the program.

“He told me: ‘It’s great that MBA students want to run their own companies, but being a part of boards is an important way to build a network and to understand your community,’ ” Castillo recalls.

Castillo was gratified to learn that many of LZF’s grantee partners were a few blocks from his Jamaica Plain home—and so close to his heart. At LZF, he supported funding for LGBTQIA networking groups to combat isolation; programs that teach prisoners

The Babson Board Fellows program is an opportunity to learn about the world outside your circle. ... I was lucky enough to have had lucky breaks—and now this is my opportunity to create lucky breaks for other people.

— Moris Castillo MBA’24

Allison Picott (left), executive director of the Lenny Zakim Fund, and Moris Castillo MBA’24

PHOTO: NIC CZARNECKI

agricultural skills to prepare for practicable work on release; and innercity after-school programs, which once made a lasting difference in his own life.

“Both of my parents worked. They were blue-collar people. As a kid, thank God for the Boys & Girls Club,” he says. “The Babson Board Fellows program was priceless because I had the opportunity to apply not only my academic and work experience but also my life experience. It hasn’t been easy to get where I am. I had people mentor me along the way, and it feels good to return the favor.”

In fact, Castillo was so dynamic that he secured a voting board membership after his fellowship tenure concluded. Picott was impressed by Castillo’s magnetism and ability to connect mission with monetary support.

“For companies, there’s value in bringing in a business leader who acts like and takes on the responsibility of a board member with an entrepreneurial mindset,” says Cheryl Kiser, founding executive director of the Institute for Social Innovation at Babson, which marked its 15th anniversary in November. “This is not an internship. Fellows are selected based on their capacity to add clear value to a social impact organization.”

A Different Level

This was the case at Roxbury-based youth development organization The BASE, where urban youth receive yearround athletic training coupled with college access support, access to health and nutrition services, and professional development opportunities.

Athletes and professional workforce developers Walter Weekes Jr. MBA’21 and Sarah Wilson MBA’17 were so successful at building The BASE’s career development program framework that they were invited back for a second-

year fellowship.

“Walter’s and Sarah’s previous experience working in the nonprofit sector with the population of young people that we serve brought a different level of commitment to the projects and the organization as a whole than was expected from the fellowship program, honestly,” says Chief Organization Officer Stephanie Monteiro-Merritt. “They were all in, hence the reason for a second fellowship term with The BASE. They became part of The BASE family.”

Weekes and Wilson had impressive experience in the nonprofit world and were also longtime athletes, bringing a multidimensional perspective to the organization. Weekes was a semiprofessional basketball player and had directed the Ready to Work program at the Boys & Girls Club of Boston. Now, he is the founder of Innovative Catalyst, a strategy and innovation consulting firm supporting businesses in their evolution.

Wilson played ice hockey as a Harvard University undergraduate and later handled outreach and recruitment at Year Up, the young-adult job-training organization, while earning her Babson MBA.

“When we came to The BASE, their workforce development needed support and development to create internships and cross-learning experiences. Everyone won’t be a professional athlete, but ideally, everyone will become a professional,” Weekes says. “We were able to come in as a pair of fresh eyes and fresh minds to support Stephanie as the chief organization officer to efficiently address gaps and make change within the organization.”

Reigniting Passion

Wilson also was gratified with the depth and intensity of the fellowship

role. She and Weekes were treated as influential members of the team, trusted and relied upon for true change.

“Walter and I both have an athletics and workforce development background. We were really able to bring that to The BASE—and we got really lucky, too,” Wilson says. “Not only did we have the experience to attend board meetings, but we also got a project and worked very closely with Stephanie to build this out, meeting once per week. I feel very fortunate.

“I love what they’re doing. They use athletics as a method to building pathways and creating more opportunity. Sports is a tool that’s used to do so many other things. That’s why they’re so interesting and why there is so much impact.”

Now, Wilson is the executive director at the MassHire Workforce Board for Franklin and Hampshire counties, matching job-seekers with careers throughout western Massachusetts. Wilson says the position reaffirmed her professional trajectory.

“The Babson Board Fellows program reignited the passion that I have for creating more opportunity, which was something I was really searching for,” she says. “It definitely redirected my path.”

And, for Castillo, the LZF board position helped him reconnect with a professional world beyond his dreams that also bolstered his sense of personal fulfillment.

“The Babson Board Fellows program is an opportunity to learn about the world outside your circle,” he says. “We’re so focused on what we’re doing on our own that we keep our heads down. I was lucky enough to have had lucky breaks—and now this is my opportunity to create lucky breaks for other people.” 

The Babson Board Fellows program reignited the passion that I have for creating more opportunity, which was something I was really searching for. It definitely redirected my path.

— Sarah Wilson MBA’17

PHOTO: NIC CZARNECKI

Walter Weekes Jr. MBA’21 (left); Stephanie Monteiro-Merritt, COO of The BASE (center); and Sarah Wilson MBA’17 (right)

WThe Rise of Club Sports

With 34 teams at its peak—ranging from equestrian and e-sports to pickleball and polo—the rapid expansion of club sports taps into students’ interests and creates more athletic opportunities.

hen adversity strikes and complex challenges are presented, Babson becomes reliant on its entrepreneurial leaders to respond. With Babson recreation and club sports speci cally, it took a pandemic to decimate the space and a group of Babson student leaders to reinvigorate it.

There were approximately 8–10 active club sports in spring 2023

and an explosion to 34 teams just one year later. For reference, Babson sponsors 23 varsity programs.

“If you’re a student here, you’re more than likely involved in a club sport,” says Babson Associate Director for Recreation and Wellness Robin Ducharme, who oversees the program. “We had north of 2,500 students last year with the 34 teams.”

Ducharme attributes the overnight rise of club sports’ popularity stems from the high intramurals interest. In fall 2021, a group of students came to her

requesting to play intramural basketball. They didn’t care that the semester was half over or a mask mandate was still in place. A four-week league was formed with 12 teams and 10–12 students on each squad.

The following spring when the mask mandate was lifted, other sports surfaced and the program took off from there. “One of the greatest things about Babson students is whenever you give them a roadblock, an issue, or a reason as to why something can’t happen, they nd other avenues,” Ducharme says. “They want to make it work. That’s their motto.”

as evidenced by the mass majority of teams competing against other schools. Those include baseball, basketball, boxing, cricket, equestrian, e-sports, ice hockey, lacrosse, pickleball, polo, rugby, soccer, squash, tennis, ultimate Frisbee, and volleyball.

Babson’s ambitious and determined student body goes hand in hand with elevating the club sports program as a whole. Having to meet a high level of criteria to attend Babson, students consider this part of their experience as play when dealing with schedules, referees, uniform purchases, branding, and more. “Club sports is a fun side project and they take it as serious as they take their schoolwork,” Ducharme says.

The escape and stress relief also can’t be overstated, as there has been much research done post-pandemic that speaks to how critically important student recreation is on a college campus. One study conducted by Michigan State University determined that offering recreational opportunities makes students 11% more likely to return to campus the following semester.

The sheer number of club sports at Babson is staggering, but the quality continues to rise alongside the quantity,

Additionally, Ducharme worked with Babson’s Of ce of Student Engagement to put more parameters in place to make club sports an even higher commitment, including starting as an intramural team rst, creating a creed, and presenting a proof of concept. Then there’s the Student Government Association sport club application process, which takes place twice in the fall and spring.

“The whole reason I was brought here was to build programming,” Ducharme says. “It’s probably the number one thing in my career that I absolutely love. I did not expect this at all.”

So, what’s the future of club sports at Babson?

If you’re a student here, you’re more than likely involved in a club sport.

— Robin Ducharme, associate director for recreation and wellness

— Scott Dietz

Ducharme envisions 30 competitive club sports with incredible alumni networks. “We want to continually bring alumni back to campus, have partnered events with campus folks like the (Campus Activities Board) tailgate, and more engagement,” she says. “We want people to buy into what it is they love and that staple that keeps them coming back.”

ADV ANCEMENT SPOTLIGHT

MOMENT

Surpassing $600 million, double its original goal, the Babson ELevates campaign continues to unite the community to support the College’s strategic initiatives.

By almost any metric, Babson College continues to elevate its reputation, its ranking, and its leadership throughout higher education.

The recent No. 2 Best College in the United States ranking by The Wall Street Journal is just the latest statistical evidence of Babson’s ascendancy.

The success is easily attributable, according to President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD. “We’re Number 2 because of you,” he says often to the Babson community.

One of the most tangible metrics, of course, is the ongoing success of the Babson ELevates campaign, which passed a signi cant milestone this fall— $600 million, double its original goal.

The Centennial Campaign launched publicly in 2019 as the largest capital campaign in Babson’s history with a goal of $300 million to commemorate the College’s Centennial. The campaign surpassed its elevated goal of $500 million last year, when it was rebranded as the Babson ELevates campaign— with a capital “EL” to emphasize the College’s expertise in entrepreneurial leadership—with a new ambitious goal of $750 million.

BABSON ELEVATES BY THE NUMBERS*

$217,326,264

Total committed to student support

192,631

Total number of gifts to campaign

$600M

TOTAL CAMPAIGN COMMITMENTS

39,504

Total donors to campaign

9,936

Total volunteers

3,193

Total campaign events held around the world

109 Countries represented by campaign contributions, in addition to all 50 states

Spinelli shared the news of passing the $600 million with the Babson community.

“Babson is an assertively aspirational community,” he wrote. “We educate entrepreneurial leaders who impact communities everywhere by creating social and economic value. Our alumni, governance members, students, faculty, staff, and friends continue to endorse our mission in many ways, including their generous philanthropy.”

Edward Chiu, the Governor Craig R. Benson Endowed Executive Vice President for Advancement, also attributes the milestone to Babson’s people.

“The ongoing success of the campaign is a tribute to the entire Babson community,” Chiu says. “And, everyone—alumni, faculty, staff,

2,581

Total number of

students, parents, and friends—has contributed to help support the College’s strategic initiatives and drive its success.

“We’ve truly seen the Babson community come together in unprecedented ways.”

For example, Make Your Mark, the College’s biggest fundraising day of the year, illustrates the scope of the community’s support. This fall, a record number of 2,581 donors contributed during the event, including more than 100 faculty donors, more than 180 staff donors, and hundreds of current students, in addition to scores of supportive alumni.

“It takes the fullness of a community to achieve such success,” said Spinelli, thanking the community, speci cally Chiu and Trustee Craig Benson ’77, H’03, the vice chair of the board. “Their

leadership plays an extraordinary role in our success.”

The campaign’s impact is widespread and felt throughout the community, including increased scholarships for students, additional term chairs for faculty members, and impressive new facilities that have reshaped the campus.

Speci cally, major transformational gifts continue to advance the campaign’s key initiatives: expanding the College’s expertise in entrepreneurial leadership, launching its position in technology entrepreneurship, and embracing lifelong learning opportunities for alumni, companies, and families.

Generous support from Arthur M. Blank ’63, H’98 and the Blank Family Foundation for The Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial

$562,700

Total amount of contributions during Make Your Mark 2024

Leadership, and from Bruce Herring ’87, P’19 and family for the Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village (see Page 16) have provided for the creation of the College’s hubs of entrepreneurial leadership.

The collective power of the community throughout the campaign—including thousands of volunteers—has supported and driven the College’s strategy to develop entrepreneurial leaders impacting communities everywhere.

“In a world lled with angst and trepidation,” Spinelli says, “Babson is a beacon of great education, intellectual growth, and remains the birthplace of tomorrow’s entrepreneurial leaders.”

WEISSMAN CIRCLE OF DISTINCTION

This distinguished group of the College’s most generous benefactors each have committed $1M or more in lifetime giving.

2024 VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP AWARDS

During Global Entrepreneurship Week, Babson College honored the alumni and friends who have risen to serve the community at the 2024 Volunteer Leadership Awards celebration. Babson offers heartfelt congratulations to the winners:

Cruickshank Alumni Leadership Award

Joseph Winn MBA’74, P’15, Trustee Emeritus

Richard J. Snyder Distinguished Service to the College Award

Eric Walgreen ’97, P’28

Distinguished Recent Alumni Award

Bianca D’Alessio ’14

Kaity Goodwin ’22

John H. Muller Jr. Parent Leadership Award

Jack Diamond P’20 ’24

Joseph R. Weintraub Alumni Award for Distinguished Faculty/Administrator Service

Farrah Narkiewicz

Adelaide Van Winkle Friend of the College Award

Carmella Kletjian, Global Advisory Board

Kristina Nowak-Bunce

In addition, Ken Jasper ’82, Lucho Noboa MBA’94, P’21, and the Babson Real Estate Career Affinity Group were honored for their outstanding service to Babson.

112

Total members of the Weissman Circle of Distinction of the members are new donors inducted in 2024

8

$595M

Total lifetime amount committed by Weissman Circle of Distinction members

NEWS NOTES AND NODS

UNDERGRADUATE

Tom Greensmith ’64 and Jan Weissman P’87 ’90, G’19 collaborated on a book project highlighting recollections of alumni on Babson’s growth in the 1960s, a formative decade in the College’s rise to the No. 1 school for entrepreneurship. The book, Babson Evolution, includes personal memories and stories of 11 graduates from the Classes of 1960, 1964, 1965, and 1966.

Mark Bentley ’65 and his wife, Dee, visited Santorini, Greece, on a trip to celebrate Mark’s retirement at the age of 80 and their 59th wedding anniversary. Bentley spent his last 18 years as executive director of a nonprofit, Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, which works to reduce America’s dependence on foreign transportation fuels.

Richard Renwick ’79 (left) recently partnered with Thaddeus Dziuba ’06 to create Trident Wealth Strategies, LLC. The new firm specializes in estate planning and tax mitigation services for the ultra-affluent and brings a combination of decades of industry experience with planned continuity. “As we often ask our clients to consider their financial goals over the course of the next 20–30 years, this partnership represents an evolution in our practice that paves the way for continuous delivery on our core promises,” Dziuba wrote.

1992

Michael London ’92, founder and CEO of the mental health and wellness company Uwill Inc., saw his company celebrated as the 2024 Inc. 5000 ranking’s fastest-growing private company in Massachusetts and the 27th fastest-growing company in the nation. Uwill Inc. serves more than 3 million students at 400plus colleges, including Babson. London, who serves on Babson’s

College Advisory Board, also recently expanded his company’s leadership team, hiring Asini Wijewardane MBA’19 to serve as managing director of UK Uwill Inc.

1999

Leticia D. Stallworth ’99, MBA’13 celebrated her 25th anniversary with Ameriprise Financial, the financial planning and advice firm. She also recently attended her 25th reunion at Babson.

Laura Sorgi ’90, P’24 and her husband, Kevin Concannon ’89, P’24, returned to campus in May to attend the graduation of their daughter Lea Concannon MSF’24 Lea’s sister, Helen, also was at the Commencement ceremony. “The campus looked amazing,” Sorgi wrote in an email about the visit.

Len Sheer ’96, P’27, a member of Babson’s College Advisory Board, celebrated his 50th birthday in August with his lifelong friends, many of whom he met while attending Babson. Front row (sitting, from left): George Anderson, Rahul Narang ’95, Michael Hawkes ’96, and Sheer. Back row (from left): Stephanie Herson, Tawna Rathe, Timothy Swift ’96, Jeff McLane ’96, Robert Lauria MBA’06, Nathaniel Sheer ’27, Brian Anderson ’96, MBA’04, Robert Russell ’96, Ron Sylvestri ’96, and Janine Covitz MBA’17

Somia Farid Silber ’15 has been announced as the CEO of Edible Brands, continuing her family’s legacy at the company after 25 years under the leadership of her father and founder, Tariq Farid P’15. In her new role, Silber, who served as Edible’s president the past two years, will oversee initiatives that target the next generation of consumers and grow Edible’s market presence through new product offerings and the launch of Edible’s new retail locations. Silber, who serves as a Babson trustee, also recently appeared on Season 2 of the Stars of Franchising, a leading podcast for franchising leadership presented by the Tariq Farid Franchise Institute at Babson.

Olivia (Sherry) Russell ’13 was married to Ryan Russell on June 8 at the Wellesley Country Club. From left: Zach Willner ’13, Keira (Yeager) Rijsemus ’13, Liz Pellegrini ’13, Ryan Russell, Olivia (Sherry) Russell, Trisha (Bakeman) Friend ’13, Jim Burke ’05, Lindsay Burke ’05, and Richard Schoenfeld MBA’75

Sean Harrington Jr. ’20 and Julia (Lawlor) Harrington ’21 were married on August 10 at the St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish in Newton, Massachusetts, and their reception was held at the InterContinental Hotel in Boston’s Seaport. The couple met in 2019 while attending Babson. Both were Babson student-athletes: Sean was captain of the baseball team, and Julia was a member of the women’s cross country and track & field teams. “We feel so lucky that our love story began at Babson,”Julia wrote. “We love Babson so much that we even rented the Babson Bus to transport our guests to and from the ceremony and the reception. We had many Babson faces at our wedding celebration.” Babson guests joining the couple included: Scarlet Broderick ’21, Henry Leake ’21, Grace Regan ’21, Georgia Salvatore ’21, Julia Realander ’21, Sara O’Connor ’21, Brendan Casey ’21, Ryan Black ’22, Jack Theriault ’20, Jake Oliger ’20, Cameron Rosa ’20, Brooke Stock ’20, Mike Nocchi ’20, MSEL’21, Terrence Ober ’89, and Matt Valente ’20

Troy Starrett ’14 and Nicole Fischer ’16 were married June 22 at the Belle Haven Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, surrounded by many Babson alumni, their families, and cherished friends. They met at Babson in 2013 while Starrett was on the hockey team and Fischer was on the tennis team. The officiant, Shayne Anderson ’14, was Starrett’s roommate at Babson. The maid of honor was Nicole’s sister, Courtney Fischer ’15

Phil Yudin ’15 and Annie (Schirm) Yudin ’17 were married June 22 at the Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby, Ohio, surrounded by many fellow Babson alumni, family, and friends. The two met at Babson almost 10 years ago at a Chi Omega and Delta Tau Delta event and have been together since. From left: Vaibhav Agarwal ’18, Alana Atchison ’17, Madi Klonsinski ’18, Leanne Barber ’16, Kristen Brown ’17, Drishti Chhabria ’17, Gabriela Beramendi ’17, Evan DeBiase ’14, Hanna Brinn ’20, Patrick Meany ’15, Brad Walker ’14, Erica Walker ’15, Max Hall MBA ’24, Annie (Schirm) Yudin, Annie Andrews ’16, Phil Yudin, Amir Ketabi ’14, Alexander Constantin ’14, Carter Walsh ’15, Richard Bonito ’14, Mathew Royce ’14, Sam Barber ’16, Aaron Shapiro ’14, and Walker Smith ’15

Tim Andrew ’19 and Blake Samper ’21 were married May 24 in Austin, Texas, surrounded by their friends and family. The two met when Andrew was directing a play and Samper auditioned. “We’ve been best friends ever since,” Andrew wrote. Many of those in attendance were Babson community members, such as Babson Associate Professor Beth Wynstra, who officiated the ceremony. Andrew’s parents, Ann (Bishop) Andrew ’86, P’14 ’19 and Shawn Andrew ’86, P’14 ’19, also had met at Babson in their first-year rhetoric class. “Babson has always been in our blood,” Andrew wrote. Andrew’s grandfather, Richard (Dick) Bishop P’86, G’14 ’19, worked at Babson as the director of public relations and was honored with the Walter H. Carpenter Prize for Exceptional Contributions to Babson College in 1997. Andrew’s sister, Meghan Andrew ’14, served as one of his best women. Front row from left: Ann (Bishop) Andrew, Joseph Haugen ’18, Blake Samper-Andrew, Tim Samper-Andrew, Erin Vogel ’21, Vicki Maler ’21, Kyla Christie ’22, and Kathleen Yorio ’20. Middle row from left: Leigh Singer ’19, Wynstra, Meghan Andrew, Shawn Andrew, Tom Cahaly ’21, Graham Erbs ’20, and Melissa McParland ’19. Back row from left: JD Ward MBA’90, Stacey Pinkerd MBA’94, and DJ Trerice ’21. In attendance but not pictured: Lilly Rubeck ’19, Bob Muscaro ’86, Gerald Filippone ’86, and Trish Fialli Filippone ’88

2023

Sabrina Al-Mayahi ’23 was accepted as one of 27 graduates from more than 5,000 international applicants to be part of Dubai Business Associates’ (DBA) 10th cohort. DBA is a fully funded program in which participants spend nine months in Dubai and will have learning and placement opportunities with the likes of Emirates Group, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, and PwC.

Abby Congel ’22, MSBA’23 and Will Congel ’22, MSBA’23 were married July 7 in upstate New York. Several Babson graduates from different classes such as 1989, 1991, 2022, and 2023 were on hand to help them celebrate.

GRADUATE 1982

Paul Chisholm MBA’82, a Babson trustee emeritus, was awarded the Vigor in Arduis Medal in recognition of his leadership and long-term service to Cathedral High School, located in Boston’s South End. Chisholm’s wife, Margaret, also was honored for the family’s philanthropic support at the school’s Adopt-a-Student Foundation Gala in October.

1988

John M. Thompson MBA’88 celebrated 20 years as the founder and president of PAR Solutions, a supply chain management consulting company located in Rhode Island. “My Babson MBA was a great asset to me as I consult to middle market and large global clients,” Thompson wrote. “I’ve learned a ton. It’s been a great ride.”

Debra Caplan MBA’95 recently was named a 2024 Commonwealth Heroine by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women for her efforts to keep Framingham and the greater area litter-free. Caplan is a founding member and current co-chair of Keep Framingham Beautiful. Members of the nonprofit take part in numerous cleanups, litter prevention education, recycling and waste reduction, and beautification of the city. Massachusetts State Rep. Priscila Sousa (D-Framingham) nominated Caplan for the honor, citing her invaluable efforts and extraordinary acts of service.

Bernard Lee MBA’99 (left) won the Massachusetts State Pickleball Championship along with Michele Tezduyar. The pair teamed to win mixed doubles in the 2024 Massachusetts Senior Games on September 22 in Westford, Massachusetts, competing in the youngest (45–54 years old) and highest skill level (advanced 4.0+) bracket in the tournament. Lee, who won the 2023 National Senior Games singles championship last July, is the head pickleball pro at Life Time Fitness Boston Metrowest.

A group of classmates who earned their MBAs in 1990 recently reunited for a seaside summer barbecue in Rye, New Hampshire. From left: Dave Bonner MBA’90, Dana Yerid MBA’90, David Luff MBA’90, Maria Carvajal MBA’90, Scott Chaudoin MBA’90, and Martha Amesbury MBA’90

Yoon-Hi King MBA’00 recently passed the American College certification of Retirement Income Certified Professional, an advanced designation for King, who is a financial advisor at The Bulfinch Group. This newer designation from the American College creates strategies for financial professionals focused on the needs of Americans reaching age 65 who need guidance in obtaining sustainable retirement income.

Melissa Erekson MBA’03 launched Clio & Associates to provide guidance to universities and nonprofits that want to build corporate partnerships.

2004

Jim Clark MBA’04 is celebrating his 10th year as chief financial officer of the Arthur J. Hurley Company, a family-owned business that distributes electrical wire and cable. Clark left his career in commercial banking to join the business.

2006

Julie Haase MBA’06 has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer of Liberty Mutual

Karen Bacon MBA’01, president of the financial planning firm Diversified Resources, LLC, recently celebrated the firm’s 40th anniversary and official opening of its recently renovated headquarters in Warwick, Rhode Island. Warwick Mayor Frank J. Picozzi attended the celebration, and Bacon presented a Founder’s Award to her father, George E. Wright, who started the company in 1983. From left: John Cerilli, associate advisor; Thomas J. Airozo, portfolio analyst; Bacon; George E. Wright, founder; Warwick Mayor Frank J. Picozzi; Sydney Bazarnick, client services representative; Christine M. West, principal and co-owner of KITE Architects; and Melissa Capuano, vice president.

Insurance, effective January 1, 2025. Liberty Mutual Insurance president and chief executive officer Tim Sweeney announced Haase’s promotion in July. The new post means Haase joins the company’s executive leadership team and will report to Sweeney. Haase, who began working at Liberty Mutual in 2002, is currently executive vice president, executive managing director, and chief operating officer of Liberty Mutual Investments, the globally invested, multi-strategy firm that

manages capital for Liberty Mutual.

2007

Adam Rudikoff MBA’07, a principal at Fairwinds Financial Management, manages more than $300 million in client assets serving more than 350 individuals and families in pursuit of their financial dreams. Providing comprehensive wealth management and financial planning services, Rudikoff and his team value every relationship and pride themselves on

providing not only superior technical advice but also superior client experience.

2013

Leticia D. Stallworth ’99, MBA’13: See Undergraduate, 1999.

2019

Asini Wijewardane MBA’19: See Undergraduate, 1992.

Charles Lyle MBA’13, vice president of marketing for Chattanooga Whiskey, wrote that the fastgrowing whiskey company was recently named in the 2024 Icons of Whiskey, as the craft producer of the year both globally and in America. The annual list is produced by the World Drinks Awards, which selects, rewards, and promotes the world’s best drinks.

Matt DePietro MBA’18 wrote a children’s book, From Pups to Grown Ups, that is available on Amazon, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble. The story follows a boy and his two dogs as they navigate life’s adventures together. Each book sold contributes to local animal shelters, supporting a shared love for dogs.

Shivam Lohiya MBA’24 recently became CEO at Innovher, a rapidly expanding accelerator in India. The company helps other ventures get started, and Lohiya is currently guiding 15-plus startups through the journey from pre-Series A to Series A. “By forging strategic partnerships with government entities and advisors, I am actively shaping the entrepreneurial landscape to elevate the significance of social entrepreneurship,” Lohiya wrote. “My unwavering mission is to position India as the premier hub for the startup ecosystem.”

Dayna (Hess) Arnone MBA’20 and Jonathan Arnone MBA’20 were married November 3, 2023, in Dripping Springs, Texas. Dayna met her husband during their MBA program, and they quickly bonded over a shared passion for business and entrepreneurship. The couple were so fond of their time at Babson that they named their dog Olin after the business school.

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IN MEMORIAM

Richard Gustafson ’51, of Mystic, Connecticut, Oct. 23

Todd Baldwin ’55, of Thornton, New Hampshire, Sept. 15

James Glaser ’55, of Des Moines, Iowa, Sept. 15

Neal Michael Keefe-Feldman MBA’58, of Beverly, Massachusetts, July 11

Peter David Hunter ’59, of Deephaven, Minnesota, Oct. 11

David B. Priest ’61, of Ayer, Massachusetts, Aug. 3

P. Newell Freeman Jr. ’62, of Greenfield, Massachusetts, Oct. 22

Robert Terry Snyder ’62, of Sharon, Massachusetts, Aug. 2

Stephen Allan Hawkins ’63, of Johns Island, South Carolina, Sept. 3

Eugene Paul Kelley ’63, of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, July 10

Thomas W. Cunnington MBA’63, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Oct. 16

Lee Douglas Thomson ’64, of Austin, Texas, Sept. 19

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.

Babson Magazine has two requirements for Alumni News photos: The submitting alum must be in the picture, and the image must be an original high-resolution photo 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

Robert William Horgan ’66, P’14, of Damariscotta, Maine, July 29

Jules Geoffrey Johnson ’67, of Manchester by the Sea, Massachusetts, Dec. 25, 2022

Edward J. Sparks ’68, of Martha’s Vinyard, Massachusetts, July 1

George Franklin Wilkins Jr. MBA’68, of Sherborn, Massachusetts, July 10

Towar Neave Vilas ’70, of Aurora, Ohio, July 31

George Emile Young Jr. MBA’72, of Westwood, Massachusetts, Aug. 8

Henry Herbert Applin Jr. MBA’73, of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, June 29

Vincent Anthony Restivo MBA’74, of Burlington, Massachusetts, Feb. 25, 2023

Bruce Carlisle Edenton III ’75, of Naples, Florida, July 20

Maurice L. Castonguay MBA’75, of Canton, Massachusetts, Oct. 2

Harold Putnam Hanna Jr. MBA’75, of Canton, Massachusetts, Aug. 15

Roderick Dean Haley ’76, of Manchester, New Hampshire, July 4

Donald Patrick Fabrizio MBA’76, of Newton, Massachusetts, July 26

Paul Edward Rogers MBA’76, of Falmouth, Massachusetts, July 21

Andre W. Courchesne MBA’77, of Peterborough, New Hampshire, July 31

David Francis Donnelly MBA’77, of Hillsborough, New Jersey, Aug. 6

David Yoder Gardner MBA’77, of Peachtree City, Georgia, May 13

Mary Jane Flower MBA’79, of Wayland, Massachusetts, Aug. 18, 2023

Robert Angelo Ghelfi MBA’79, of Falmouth, Massachusetts, July 29

William Albert Heskey MBA’79, of Northborough, Massachusetts, July 19

Mark A. Chickering ’80, of Millville, Massachusetts, Sept. 16

Thomas William Crosby Jr. MBA’80, of Natick, Massachusetts, Aug. 1

Bradford Cheney Surner MBA’80, of Salem, Massachusetts, Oct. 4

David Brian Murray ’82, MBA’10, of Norwalk, Connecticut, July 21

Peter J. Hemingway ’84, MBA’91, P’20 ’24, of Westford, Massachusetts, Sept. 18

Alexander R. Pegnato ’84, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, June 17

Timothy Richard Lucier ’85, of San Francisco, California, June 14

Trisha A. Gianatasio ’92, of Everett, Massachusetts, July 30

Christopher J. Hanson MBA’98, of Hanover, Massachusetts, Sept. 11

Cornelius Allen Bottomley Jr. MBA’00, of Hanover, Massachusetts, Sept. 13

Chan Mya Mya Zaw ’23, of Braintree, Massachusetts, Aug. 13

Arthur C. Gudikunst, of Newport News, Virginia, March 12

Ocean of Opportunity to Make a Difference

Cape Cod has been central to the life of Patrick Clarke ’09. “A lot of my best memories are there,” he says. Growing up, Clarke made regular visits with his family to East Falmouth on the Cape from their home in Rhode Island.

After graduating from Babson, Clarke spent 10 years working in nance in the Boston area. But what he really loved was introducing friends to the natural wonders of the Cape. “I’d show them my favorite outdoor spaces and the beaches,” he recalls, “or take them out on the boat, and show them clamming, lobstering, shing, all the stuff that you can do by the water.”

As a Babson grad, Clarke was always watching for potential entrepreneurial ventures. So, when he spotted a unisex bracelet made with cotton cord and a shhook clasp, he was inspired to create a similar bracelet with a clasp in the shape of Cape Cod. The resulting company, Cape Clasp, was a side venture for a while.

“It started as kind of an exercise in getting people outside,” he says. For example, he would tuck the bracelets in geocaches near trails on the Cape Cod National Seashore, sharing clues about their location via social media. Within a few years, Cape Clasp grew to the point that Clarke left his job at a corporate bond rm to work on the business full time.

Today, he describes Cape Clasp as “a purpose-driven brand that makes products that give back to ocean and marine life causes.” Available online and at dive shops and ocean resorts,

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

WITH PURPOSE-DRIVEN BRAND, PATRICK CLARKE ’09 INVESTS IN MARINE CONSERVATION

its products include bronze and silver jewelry that features sharks, sea turtles, and whales; cuff bracelets and sunglasses made of plastic litter harvested from the ocean; and limitededition apparel created in partnership with nonpro t organizations.

“Our marketing approach is to tell a really cool story of a nonpro t and the work they do,” Clarke says. For example, the Alvin Tracker Tee celebrates the 60th birthday of a submersible used by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, with a portion of pro ts going back to the institute. At least 15% of Cape Clasp’s pro ts go to ocean conservation efforts, and to date,

the company has donated more than $200,000 to nonpro ts such as the Cape Cod National Seashore and Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.

Clarke says his core customers are “eco-conscious ocean advocates.” Early on, they pushed him to adopt plasticfree packaging materials and led him to create pieces that are both recycled and recyclable.

One of the gifts of this career, Clarke says, is that the work means a lot to him. “I wasn’t super passionate about the corporate bond market,” he notes, with a smile. “But I really love getting up and working on this stuff every day.”

— Erin O’Donnell

With Cape Clasp and its “eco-conscious ocean advocates,” Patrick Clarke ’09 has created a brand that supports ocean and marine life causes, donating more than $200,000 to nonpro ts.

The Doctorate for Entrepreneurial Leaders

We are proud to announce the Doctor of Business Administration at Babson College, a program that leverages Babson’s depth of expertise in business education and proven approach to entrepreneurial leadership for experienced and rising business leaders. This degree develops applied research skills to empower leaders to solve today’s most pressing business problems and amplify their impact to the highest level.

What we have to offer as an education institution is increasingly what the world needs. The complexity of business challenges is increasing, and the pace is accelerating. Babson’s entrepreneurial approach is becoming more and more relevant and crucial for all kinds of business leaders.”

Sebastian Fixson Academic Faculty Director, DBA program; and Marla M. Capozzi MBA’96 Term Chair in Design Thinking, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Babson Park, MA 02457-0310

KEYNOTE SPEECHES featuring prominent entrepreneurial leaders sharing their insights and experiences.

INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS with premier Babson faculty to enhance practical business skills.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS on the latest business trends and challenges facing today’s industries.

EXTENSIVE NETWORKING opportunities to connect with Babson’s global community.

CULTURAL EXPERIENCES with exclusive tours of Tuscany’s renowned vineyards, art, and historical sites.