Summer Venture Showcase Concludes 10-Week Boston Accelerator

Meagan Priest MS'19 and Oscar Flores MS'19 presenting Dottie
Listen

According to Arist, learning should be as simple as one text a day.

And Zapp! wants to change the way we look at coins. Pun intended.

What do these startups, and others like Hoamsy and Yad, have in common?

They just concluded a renowned summer accelerator program with Babson’s Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship.

Summer Venture Showcase

Last year, the Blank Center worked with more than 320 entrepreneurs who represent 275 businesses, awarded them with over $120,000 in funding, and held more than 100 resourceful and engaging events.

Continuing with this momentum, the Blank Center recently hosted its Summer Venture Showcase—a signature event at which student startups present their progress after a highly competitive, and intense, 10-week accelerator Summer Venture Program (SVP).

In its 11th iteration, the program welcomed 13 startups, including 26 full-time entrepreneurs. Once again, participants enjoyed the benefits of having the program in Boston—a move that was made three years ago to ensure students were embedded in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem all summer long.

“These entrepreneurs worked incredibly hard, building out their products, talking with customers, and developing their go-to-market strategies,” said Debi Kleiman, executive director of the Blank Center. “The Showcase event is the culmination of all this hard work and their chance to tell their stories of what they accomplished and what they will do next.”

At the kickoff of the event, Kleiman thanked a handful of sponsors, including many alumni and their businesses: Anthony R. Chiasson ’95, Kevin A. Colleran ’03, H’15, the Molson Family Foundation (Geoffrey Molson MBA’96), ACE & Company (Adam Said ’04 and Sherif El-Halwagy ’06), and Chicken & Rice Guys (Ian So ’08 and Jaemin Lee ’08), as well as Citizens Bank, Goodwin, and WeWork.

Unique to sponsorships this year were: the SVP Fellows Program, which, thanks to ACE & Company, allowed four entrepreneurs to be relieved of the stresses of living expenses during the program; a total of 350 meals donated by Chicken & Rice Guys; and dedicated office space at a sought-after WeWork Boston location.

SVP teams also spent many days working out of the unique, first-floor coworking space at Babson Boston.

At the Showcase, Babson’s new director of SVP and founding general partner of Sherbrooke Capital LLC, Bob Stringer, introduced the startups and reminded us of the hard work and passion that goes in to being an entrepreneur.

“Keep in mind the journey that these Babson entrepreneurs have made,” said Stringer. “This is a diverse group of impressive, enthusiastic young professionals who are about to share with you their visions for solving thorny problems and make a dent in the universe in the process.”

Alumnus, serial entrepreneur, and investor Matt Coffin ’90 also joined the event for a fireside chat. There, he advised entrepreneurs on the one characteristic he sees as the most crucial to securing investment: grit.

“I’m looking for a level of grit and determination,” he said. “In the face of tough odds.”

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

More from Community »

Latest Stories

Students and friends celebrate and hug after winning the competition
‘Moos’ and Ahhs: Babson AI Showcase Draws Rave Reviews A high-tech solution from two MSEL students to improve monitoring herds of cows wins the top prize at the first Babson College AI Showcase, hosted by the C. Dean Metropoulos Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship.
By
Eric Beato
Editor / Writer
Eric Beato
Eric Beato is the Editor of Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. A native of Chicago and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Eric has worked as an editor and writer at newspapers across the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times and Boston Herald. Eric joined Babson College in 2019 after working as the communications director for a private educational travel company and as the managing editor of six regional sports publications.
May 9, 2025

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

A woman stood next to a Babson student during her visit to class.
Don’t Wait to Be Ready: UX Pioneer Karen Clark Cole on Graduation and Embracing Uncertainty Tech visionary Karen Clark Cole prepares to deliver the Commencement address at Babson’s graduate ceremony, sharing advice on impact, uncertainty, and starting without fear.
By
Hillary Chabot
Writer
Hillary Chabot
Hillary Chabot is a writer for Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. An award-winning journalist, she is known for her insightful reporting and dedication to detailed storytelling. With a career spanning over two decades, she has covered a wide range of topics, from presidential campaigns and government policy to neighborhood issues and investigative series. As a reporter for The Boston Herald, Hillary earned a reputation for tenacity and integrity. Her work at Babson College fuels her passions—to learn something new every day and conduct thoughtful, empathic interviews. She’s thrilled to be at Babson College, where students, faculty, staff members and classes provide compelling copy daily.
May 8, 2025

Posted in Community

Heidy Magaña talking to someone at an event in Knight Auditorium
Class of 2025: How This First-Gen Student Created a Community First-generation student Heidy Magaña ’25 has spent her time at Babson building a community and growing the support available to other first-generation students.
By
Melissa Savignano
Writer
Melissa Savignano
Melissa Savignano, a content marketing manager at Babson College, has worked in higher education for almost a decade, where she tells authentic, compelling campus and community stories. Before Babson, she managed communications for Boston University’s largest college, the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. She previously worked in client relations, helping brands of various sizes launch content marketing strategies and storytelling initiatives. When not at work, you will find her in the city of Boston, probably at the movie theater.
May 7, 2025

Posted in Community