Angelakis Family Gift Advances Entrepreneurship Education and Leadership

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Christine ’86 and Michael Angelakis ’86 are giving a $6.8 million gift to Babson College, the top-ranked college in entrepreneurship education and leadership, as it celebrates its Centennial.

The gift, which brings their contributions during the last five years to more than $7.5 million, includes $1 million for financial aid through the Angelakis Family Endowed Scholarship Fund and $5.8 million in unrestricted support that the College’s leadership can apply toward Babson’s highest priorities.

“Christine and Michael’s generosity and leadership has had an incredible impact on the Babson community,” said President Kerry Healey. “Their belief in the power of entrepreneurship and commitment to Babson’s faculty and students is unwavering, and we are so grateful for their continued support.”

“We are extremely grateful for Christine and Michael’s commitment and have benefited from their extraordinary leadership at the College for many years. Their philanthropic decision  sends a very strong message to our community of students and faculty about the future of the College as we enter our next century.” said Board of Trustees Chair Marla M. Cappozi MBA’96.

Babson strives to bring the most diverse and talented students from around the world to its programs and to help them emerge as thoughtful entrepreneurial leaders with a truly global experience.

Support for scholarships and financial aid plays a crucial role in providing access to the Babson experience. Last year, Babson awarded more than $37 million in financial aid to undergraduates and met 100 percent of demonstrated need for first-year students.

“We hope that by increasing our gift to the Angelakis Family Endowed Scholarship Fund, we can assist in the effort to expand diversity on campus and enable future generations of talented leaders to benefit from the incredible Babson experience,” said Christine Angelakis.

While gifts dedicated to specific priorities are vital, unrestricted support is among the most powerful because funds can be applied to advance new initiatives or programs that might otherwise have to move forward on a longer or slower timetable.

“Since both Christine and I have served on Babson’s Board of Trustees, we are acutely aware of the need for unrestricted support and the tremendous impact such resources can have to accelerate initiatives that improve the lives of Babson’s faculty and students,” said Michael Angelakis.

Christine Angelakis currently serves on the Babson Board of Trustees and received the College’s Wallace P. Mors Award in 1997. She is also an overseer and campaign co-chair at the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia.

Michael Angelakis had previously served on the Babson Board of Trustees. He is chairman and CEO of Atairos Group, an independent private company focused on supporting growth-oriented businesses across a range of industries.

The couple have three children and live in Pennsylvania.

Babson founded the academic discipline of entrepreneurship. The College was the first to truly understand that entrepreneurship is the most powerful force for creating positive change in the world. For more than two decades, Babson has been ranked as the top school for entrepreneurship education.

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