Babson Connect Worldwide Unites Entrepreneurial Leaders in Brazil
Babson College’s global network of alumni and friends has long been a differentiating factor for the community. Alumni regularly start businesses with their peers and are quick to offer professional support to current students and recent graduates—either in the form of a job offer or career advice.
Those connections play an important role in enhancing the College’s reputation. The engagement of the alumni network is a significant reason Babson was ranked the No. 1 alumni network by LinkedIn.
For nearly 200 members of the Babson community, that connectedness was on full display at Babson Connect Worldwide 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Babson Connect Worldwide, or BCW as it’s more commonly known, serves as the College’s premier global entrepreneurship summit for alumni and friends. Since its inception more than a decade ago, BCW has convened global entrepreneurial leaders from around the world in bustling locales such as Tuscany, Singapore, and Dubai. This year’s gathering marked a returned to Latin America for the first time since the inaugural conference was held in Cartagena, Colombia, in 2015.
Like BCWs past, conference goers were greeted with a well-curated experience that blended professional and executive education sessions, cultural immersion, networking, and a breadth of inspiring panelists and keynote speakers. Treks to iconic spots such as the Christ the Redeemer statue, overlooking a city of nearly 7 million, immersed conference goers into Rio’s charm and history.
The tour of the larger-than-life statue served as a fitting kickoff for a conference centered on global connections and innovation. In 2007, Christ the Redeemer was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Constructed by engineers, artists, and sculptors of Brazilian, French, Polish, and Romanian descent, the statue is the embodiment of global collaboration and innovation—core tenets of BCW and Babson’s approach to entrepreneurship education.
“Entrepreneurial leadership develops over time—through experience, collaboration, and continued learning,” said Babson President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD. “We see that leadership reflected across this region and throughout our Babson community here in Brazil.”
Right at Home in Brazil
More than 1,350 Babson alumni call Latin America home, with 250 from Brazil. This academic year, more than 300 students were enrolled in the College from across Latin America, including 55 from Brazil.
“These numbers reflect the growing role this region plays in the global entrepreneurial ecosystem—and make Rio a meaningful place for this year’s gathering,” Spinelli said. “Brazil is a country shaped by creativity, resilience, and ambition. The carioca spirit—the ingenuity and adaptability that define this region—captures the mindset Babson seeks to cultivate in entrepreneurial leaders.”
In his welcome address to kick off BCW, Spinelli took a moment to acknowledge the work of his predecessor, Kerry Murphy Healey, the 13th president of Babson College who first launched BCW in 2015. The moment of gratitude and recognition served as a harbinger for the remainder of the conference.
Between panels and in networking sessions, conference attendees carried the energy from each discussion throughout the halls of the Copacabana Palace. Conversations across generations and experiences centered on sustainability, family business legacy planning, AI in entrepreneurship, and building and sustaining a global brand.
Liel Miranda, CEO of Alpargatas, ensured the Babson community came away from the conference well equipped with inspiration and a noteworthy reminder of their time in Brazil. Alpargatas manufactures the iconic Havaianas flip flops, a ubiquitous footwear found across the country and around the world. Following his keynote discussion, Miranda informed the audience that they’d all be receiving a custom pair of BCW-branded Havaianas.
“The brand needs to stand for something universal,” Miranda said. “The power of the brand must always be a differentiator for what you are.”
Moments of Recognition
The waning moments of BCW brought back a familiarity to the way the conference started—with moments of recognition of impact. During the closing program, members of Babson’s community of alumni and friends were presented with awards recognizing their impact and commitment to the College.
Bettina Beckhoff de Longinotti-Buitoni P’11 ’14 ’19 was presented with the John H. Muller Jr. Parent Leadership Award for her work on the Global Advisory Board and the Babson Connect Worldwide Advisory Board, which was responsible for bringing BCW to Brazil.
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In collaboration with Maison Camus, the 2026 Babson-Camus Global Family Entrepreneurship Award was presented to the Luksic Family for its dedication to entrepreneurship, global engagement, and social responsibility across Latin America.
As the conference came to a close, BCW had one last surprise in store for attendees—a sneak peek at where the globe-trotting conference will be held in 2027. Next year, BCW will land in India, a country with deep ties to the Babson community. To date, more than 2,300 alumni have come from India, with more than 1,000 currently living in the country.
Following the conference, Babson was recognized by the Associação Comercial do Rio de Janeiro for bringing Babson Connect Worldwide to Rio. The award, named in honor of the Baron of Mauá, one of Brazil’s most visionary entrepreneurs and a pioneer of industrialization, represents a legacy of innovation and impact.
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