Author: John Crawford

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.

Dylan Amaswache ’27 takes a selfie with students sitting at tables behind him
A Salute to Service: How Babson Students Give Back to the Community The arrival of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday in which many people perform community service, makes for an opportune moment to examine the longstanding tradition of giving back at Babson.
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.
January 16, 2026

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

airplane cabin
Takeoffs and Turbulence: A Babson Professor Examines the State of the Airline Industry With a lifetime of experience and expertise in the airline industry, Babson Professor Dennis Mathaisel considers the business health and ongoing headaches of air travel today.
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.
January 12, 2026

Posted in Insights

Gustavo Augusto Kopp de Lima ’28 stands next to a sign for the COP 30 climate change conference
A Babson Student Builds a Cycling Startup and Lands at COP 30  After a scary bike accident, Gustavo Augusto Kopp de Lima ’28 founded JoinBike, a platform seeking to connect cyclists in his native Brazil. Kopp recently spoke at the COP 30 climate change conference.
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.
January 7, 2026

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

two people hold hands
The Web of Humanity: How a Babson Alumnus’ Foundation Transforms Lives Around the World Joe Hoffman ’75 founded the KNL Foundation to help the disadvantaged. As an entrepreneurial leader, he brings together those with “open hearts” to make a difference.
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.
December 19, 2025

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

Chicken sandwich
The Rise of Chicken, the Decline of Pizza Hut, and Other Franchising Trends Ab Igram MBA’96, of Babson’s Tariq Farid Franchise Institute, surveys the state of franchising. From the familiar names to the up-and-coming ventures, he talks chicken, sandwiches, and, uh, pet waste scooping.
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.
December 9, 2025

Posted in Insights

A portrait shot of Jamie Siminoff ’99, H’21
The Biggest Miss in “Shark Tank” History: Ring Founder Jamie Siminoff ’99, H’21 Looks Back At a fireside chat, Jamie Siminoff ’99, H’21 spoke of his “Shark Tank” appearance, which didn’t end in a deal but gave his fledgling company critical exposure. Without it, he says, “Ring would not exist.”
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.
November 24, 2025

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

Jamie Siminoff ’99, H’21 (left) and Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD stand on stage
Shaq, a Snowstorm Ride, and Other Entrepreneurial Tales from Ring Founder Jamie Siminoff ’99, H’21 In a fireside chat with Babson President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD, Jamie Siminoff ’99, H’21 spoke of building Ring and the hard work of entrepreneurship.
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.
November 18, 2025

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

Sitting at a table, a Babson student talks with two attendees of the AI Innovators Bootcamp
A Tech Bootcamp: Babson Trains Small Businesses on AI Babson’s AI Innovators Bootcamp offers small businesses a one-day dive into artificial intelligence, showing how it can foster innovation and improve how they run their organizations.
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.
November 12, 2025

Posted in Insights

Krish Khemlani serves pick-up orders to students at Roger's Pub
The Food Network of Babson Food is the focus of many student and alumni entrepreneurs from Babson. Together, they form a loose community of startups and more established ventures seeking to fill bellies and grow their businesses. That food community is fostered with guidance and a helping hand by Babson College Dining.
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.
November 10, 2025

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Outcomes

Nadia Liu Spellman ’04 poses for a photo at her restaurant
The Culinary Connections Among Babson’s Alumni Babson food entrepreneurs remain connected to the College in assorted ways, by catering events, supplying the dining hall with products, participating in Dinner in Green, and pursuing partnerships with Babson College Dining
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.
November 10, 2025

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Outcomes