An Artist and an Entrepreneur

LaShonda Cooks
Listen

The daughter of an art teacher, Dallas native LaShonda Cooks ’10 always had an interest in the arts.

When it came to selecting a college, she wasn’t set on pursuing art as a career, but knew she wanted to look beyond her hometown. “I stumbled across a Babson brochure as a high school senior. That brochure and its suggestion that I may qualify for a scholarship was life-altering,” she said. “Ultimately, receiving a full-tuition Enrico Scholarship made Babson a no-brainer, but its unique focus on entrepreneurship, intimate campus, and endless opportunities made it one of the best decisions I’ve made.”

While at Babson, Cooks was active in theater, on the student newspaper, and spent her free time in the ceramics studio. After graduating, her love for art transitioned to painting.

In 2015, she reconnected with fellow Babson alum, Jamaal Eversley ’10, which led to them holding a joint art exhibit—Coming of Age—at Hollister Gallery during Back to Babson weekend 2017.

“Exhibiting was an out-of-body experience. I’m still pinching myself,” she said. “While studying at Babson, I sometimes felt out of place. The arts helped me find my niche and were so therapeutic for me. Showing my body of work in Hollister to fellow alumni and current students was the greatest reassurance that everything works out in the end. … I had found my calling, largely thanks to my time exploring at Babson.”

They worked together again for the 2018 Black Affinity Conference and they have current plans for a possible 2020 collaboration during their 10-year reunion. We spoke with Cooks about her journey to a career in the arts, and her favorite Babson moments.

What Is Your Favorite Babson Memory?

Playing Tina Turner in a production of “The Wedding Singer” with The Babson Players. I loved my crazy wig and prepped by listening to “Proud Mary” before every performance. I participated in the spring musical every year during my time at Babson. Finishing up my Babson career being an incarnation of Tina senior year was so rewarding.

How Can Artists Benefit from an Entrepreneurial Mindset?

Artists are entrepreneurs. We do it all. We create the product, we market and sell it. Last year, I pitched my plans for a series of workshops and an exhibit to a city grant committee. I felt at home because Babson and its countless pitches had prepared me for it. I put together a PowerPoint with photos showing my previous experiences, workshops, and projections. I talked about my target market at the locations selected. I walked them through the budget. Most importantly, I was able to communicate my request—help me do what I am already doing. It worked.

How Has Being a Member of the Babson Community Helped Impact Your Career?

Babson is incredible: Its network, its access, and its mentality of exploration have helped me carve an unconventional but fulfilling path across multiple industries and disciplines. The entrepreneurial mindset and audacity to ask why or why not has given me success in the nonprofit sector, as a reporter for a small newspaper, as an insurance adjuster, and in my life as an artist.

Why Does the World Need More Leaders with an Entrepreneurial Mindset?

The world needs leaders who know that numbers and metrics are great tools, but not the gospel truth: Entrepreneurs know how to find the story behind the numbers and thus are more adept and adaptive to ever-changing environments.

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

More from Entrepreneurial Leadership »

Latest Stories

Farrah Narkiewicz and Rob Major sit and talk at Trim Dining Hall
The Regular Crowd Shuffles In: Lunchtime at Trim  Trim Dining Hall may be a key part of everyday life for many Babson students, but a slew of faculty and staff members also make it part of their daily routine. At lunchtime, they file into the dining hall, seeking food and camaraderie.
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.
September 4, 2025

Posted in Community

Babson Study Reveals the Power of Customer Kindness New Babson-funded research shows that customer kindness can boost employee satisfaction, reduce turnover, and spark a cycle of positivity in service industries.
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.
September 3, 2025

Posted in Community, Insights

Three photos in a side-by-side collage depict Michael Kopelman coaching, Brady Anderson in action, and the doubles team celebrating
Courting Success: How Babson Tennis Teams Transformed into National Powerhouses With championships and top-tier recruiting classes, Babson Director of Tennis Michael Kopelman has overseen the transformation of the men’s and women’s programs into national powerhouses.
By
Scott Dietz
Writer
Scott Dietz
Scott Dietz is Babson College's Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications. Dietz is responsible for the department's internal and external communications, including branding, campus engagement, marketing, social media, sponsorships and website management. Additional duties consist of event coverage, facilitation of interview requests, media pitching, video content, writing and editing. Before Babson, Dietz spent 13-plus years at fellow NEWMAC institution Wheaton College, worked for the NFL, New England Patriots, and in the media relations department with the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. A native of South Park, PA, Dietz began his sports information career at Westminster College.
September 2, 2025

Posted in Community