Len Green, Vanilla Beane Inducted into Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs

President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA'92, PhD and longtime Babson College faculty member Len Green
Listen

In a ceremony ripe with emotional moments and themes of entrepreneurial leadership, beloved and longtime faculty member Leonard Green (ADE 2021) and Bené Millinery & Bridal Supply hat shop owner Vanilla Beane (ADE 2021) were officially inducted into Babson College’s Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs®.

Since its inception in 1978, just shy of when Beane opened her hat shop that still exists today in Washington, D.C., the ADE has inducted more than 100 internationally renowned entrepreneurial leaders who have contributed significantly to the development of free enterprise worldwide.

Green is a CPA, MBA, and entrepreneur-chairman and founder of The Green Group, a tax and financial services consulting firm. As a Babson College professor, he has taught more than 1,500 students, many of whom have taken his popular course The Ultimate Entrepreneurial Challenge, where budding entrepreneurial leaders go head to head with real-world experiences.

“To me, to be entrepreneurial, you have to be hard working, and have pride and passion in what you’re doing,” Green said. “I consider this one of the greatest honors. … Hopefully, my story will inspire others to strive for greatness, just as the previous honorees have inspired me.”

Bené Millinery & Bridal Supply hat owner Vanilla Beane (ADE 2021)
Bené Millinery & Bridal Supply hat shop owner Vanilla Beane (ADE 2021)

Beane’s hats have adorned the heads of such luminaries as the late Dorothy Height, former president of the National Council for Negro Women, and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser. Though Bené Millinery sells hats made by other designers, each custom-made hat is designed by Beane herself. No two are exactly the same.

“I’m blessed. You’ve got to keep pushing, it takes hard work to get where you’re going, nothing comes easy,” Beane said in a prerecorded video before her granddaughter, Jeni Hansen, accepted the honor on her behalf. “The best advice my teacher ever gave me was, ‘love many, trust few, learn to paddle your own canoe.'”

President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD described Green and Beane as trailblazers we seek to emulate.

“Both have not only made a lasting impact on their industries,” he said, “but they have also influenced and inspired others who have followed in their footsteps.”

Posted in Community

More from  »

Latest Stories

Warren Buffett
Buffett Retires: Babson Professors Highlight Lessons from a Historic Transition Warren Buffett’s retirement is more than a milestone, Babson thought leaders say. It’s also a masterclass in thoughtful succession and cultural continuity.
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 30, 2025

Posted in Community, Insights

Zainabou Thiam ’28 sits at a table selling products to waiting customers
Paying Homage to One’s Ancestors Through Entrepreneurship Zainabou Thiam ’28 was raised in the values of Senegal. With the help of Babson, she’s growing her venture, Sunu Body, an African-inspired skin care and wellness brand.
By
John Crawford
Senior Journalist
John Crawford
A writer for Babson Thought & Action and the Babson Magazine, John Crawford has been telling the College’s entrepreneurial story for more than 15 years. Assignments for Babson have taken him from Rwanda to El Salvador, from the sweet-smelling factory of a Pennsylvania candy maker, to the stately Atlanta headquarters of an NFL owner, to the bustling office of a New York City fashion designer. Beyond his work for Babson, he has written articles and essays for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Notre Dame Magazine, The Good Men Project, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter, @crawfordwriter, where he tweets about climate change.
May 29, 2025

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

The champion tennis players pose for a photo with their trophies alongside their coaches
Repeat Champs: Babson’s Doubles Team Nets Second Tennis National Title Olivia Soffer ’25 and Matia Cristiani ’26 captured their second consecutive NCAA Division III doubles national championship in women’s tennis.
By
May 28, 2025

Posted in Community