Helping Hands: Alumni Support Enhances Babson Students’ Experiences
Babson College alumni graduate with much more than a degree from one of the very best colleges in the country.
They graduate with a collection of experiences—ups and downs, classes and camaraderie, memories and moments—that prepare and embolden them for the future as entrepreneurial leaders.
Those experiences are fueled by more than just their tuition and room and board or even their scholarships. In many cases, they are possible only because of the helping hands of those who went before them.
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“Without philanthropy, Babson wouldn’t be Babson, period. End of conversation,” says Gerri Randlett, the assistant vice president for alumni engagement and annual giving. “Babson does a lot with its tuition money. We have incredible faculty, we have an incredible (campus), lots of resources for our students, but those extra things really make Babson.
“The things that make Babson so unique, and why Babson is constantly excelling, and why Babson is No. 2 (in The Wall Street Journal rankings), it’s because of all these extras that we can do, because of our incredibly generous community.”
Here are just three examples of the experiences that enrich students’ professional and personal development that are supported by the generosity of alumni and friends of the College.
Sandler Family Professional Attire Program
Sheikha Al-Otaibi ’25 needed a blazer.
The co-founder of Interlix Staffing was preparing for a conference in New York City, as well as internship interviews, and she needed another professional look.
“I was constantly working to be able to sustain myself and not let a lack of means hold me back from taking an opportunity,” Al-Otaibi said. “Your first impression is your most important, and having a good presentation of yourself is so important. You need to look the part to secure the role.”
She turned to the Sandler Family Professional Attire Program,, which provides support for students who need clothing for professional purposes such as job interviews, presentations, and networking events. The program began in late 2023 and already has benefited about 150 students. Applicants receive stipends they can spend where they want, or they are directed to the program’s attire partner, My Career Closet, which pairs them with a stylist and helps them pick out the right clothing.
“Students have shared with us that they have entered rooms and spaces where they don’t feel like they belong because of what they’re wearing,” says Ann McAdam Griffin, director of the Hoffman Family Undergraduate Center for Career Development. “Having appropriate professional attire really helps students feel confident about their skills and abilities and that they belong in whatever space it is that they are entering.”
With a background in fashion, Al-Otaibi knew exactly what she wanted and found a navy blue blazer with gold buttons and a pair of black leather ballet flats on sale at Zara. The classic pieces would be versatile and useful for different types of professional settings.
“It was super impactful, especially as I was heading to New York City. When you’re going into offices and meeting with potential clients, it is so important to put your best foot forward,” says Al-Otaibi, who still wears the blazer. “It made me feel so much more confident at the event. Going to the store and buying it, and then going to the conference and feeling my sharpest was a great experience.
“The Professional Attire Program is such an amazing opportunity that I don’t think a lot of other colleges even think about—down to what you’re going to wear,” she adds. “We focus so much on just getting the opportunity, but we don’t realize how important it is to be able to dress well without having to drop a couple hundred dollars. Babson doesn’t want you to worry about that extra little stuff that just means so much to the other person on the other side.”
The Gerri Randlett Got Your Back Fund
Andres Posada ’09 needed a hand.
As a sophomore, Posada and his girlfriend found out they were expecting a baby. Priorities quickly changed, and he found himself trying to graduate as soon as possible while juggling the responsibilities of being a young father. He reached out to Randlett, his class dean at the time, and she went beyond his expectations, helping him get the most of his Babson experience while taking care of his new family.
One of his best friends, Phil Coleman ’09, needed a different kind of support to succeed at Babson. “Gerri went above and beyond in her role as dean,” Coleman says of Randlett, who became a lifelong friend of theirs. “She didn’t just help us with course selection, study abroad, or accessibility services—she was a true thought partner who helped us navigate and get the most out of our Babson experience.”
Those experiences inspired them to create the Gerri Randlett Got Your Back Fund, which provides support for unexpected needs that students may encounter.
Randlett says the fund is unique because it is available for students and alumni, noting one alumnus had reached out on behalf of an alumna whose house was destroyed in a fire. Insurance would cover the damage, but the family needed immediate help with food, clothing, and other necessities.
“We want to make sure we have people’s backs,” Randlett says. For example, the Got Your Back Fund also has provided money for temporary housing, emergency room co-pays, winter clothing, transportation back to campus, and a plane ticket home to visit a sick father. The fund also has allowed students to participate in the Youth Entrepreneurship Program to teach entrepreneurship in Tanzania.
One of the most special Got Your Back moments occurred this past year. A student and his girlfriend were expecting a child, and they had figured out how to cover all of their expected expenses except for one: They needed a safe car to transport their baby. So, they applied to the fund and received money for a down payment.
It was a similar situation to the one Posada encountered years ago when he reached out to Randlett, inspiring the creation of the fund. Last October, Posada was on campus and arranged to meet the student. “He’s gotten really involved in this young man’s life to make sure that he continues to have a job that he needs, and the things that his family needs,” Randlett says. “It is such a full-circle moment.”
B.E.T.A. Challenge
Ily Kynion Coulibaly MSBA’25 needed an opportunity.
A native of Cote d’Ivoire, the largest cocoa producer in the world, Coulibaly founded KYN, a sustainable skincare startup that uses upcycled cocoa byproducts to manufacture cosmetics intended to cure skin conditions such as acne, hyperpigmentation, eczema, and dark spots.
Like many Babson entrepreneurs looking to grow their venture, she entered the B.E.T.A. (Babson Entrepreneurial Thought & Action®) Challenge—the signature pitch competition of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship that is funded through generous support from the community, including alumni donations.
Coulibaly was hoping to gain valuable feedback on her company and, hopefully, some prize winnings to fuel her growth. She earned way more than she expected, winning the $25,000 grand prize in the graduate track and two special awards, collecting a total of $42,500.
“The B.E.T.A. Challenge was definitely a game-changer for both me and my company,” she says. “This allows us to do a lot of revolutionary things, sourcing new ingredients and materials, acquiring manpower, and promoting the company to a bigger scale.”
Coulibaly has big aspirations for KYN, hoping to redefine what sustainability and inclusivity are in the beauty industry, producing healthy natural cosmetics, and helping people with skin conditions, especially for women of color. “I want my business to be known worldwide three to five years from now,” she says. “I want people to know KYN the same way they know the big beauty brands like L’Oréal. That’s what I want.
“Without the generosity of the B.E.T.A. Challenge donors, I would not be here today,” Coulibaly says. “The B.E.T.A Challenge was probably my best experience here at Babson.”
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