Babson is an LGBT Chamber of Commerce Ally

MA LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Listen

On Monday, September 24, Babson College became the first college or university to sponsor the new Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce at its official public launch.

This unique opportunity was championed by Babson’s Chief Administrative Officer Katherine Craven, well-known for her years of professional and personal commitment to education in the Greater Boston community.

The new charter’s mission is “to create an inclusive economic growth state by promoting opportunities among LGBT-owned and allied businesses, corporations, and professionals.”

It is an affiliate of the national LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

Held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the launch featured keynote speaker Governor Charlie Baker, corporate sponsors, and partners.

As a strategic partner, Babson will join Boston Pride, Pride in Our Workplace, The Boston Foundation, and others to educate, advocate, and collaborate around efforts that enable LGBT businesses to flourish.

At the launch, Babson was represented by Chair of the Babson Board of Trustees Marla Capozzi MBA’96, Chief Inclusive Excellence Officer Sadie Burton, Vice President for Programming and Community Outreach Jane C. Edmonds, Senior Director of Boston Campus Management Terry Marroquin, and alumni Mark Mettler ’83, Eileen Burkhardt Rivera ’98, Tom Boudon ’98, and Dan Wheelock MBA’15.

Babson College prides itself on its diversity and inclusion efforts, including ongoing programming designed specifically to ensure a community of inclusion where LGBTQ+ individuals feel welcome, affirmed, and supported.

Posted in Community

More from Community »

Latest Stories

Real estate developer and babson professors discuss inclusive excellence in business.
Just Start: How to Turn Inclusive Excellence into Entrepreneurial Activity At Babson’s Inclusive Excellence Summit, real estate developer Richard Taylor demonstrates how inclusion becomes a competitive advantage while impacting the community.
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.
November 20, 2025

Posted in Community

Donna Levin sits on stage with four other leaders from Babson
Exploring the Evolution of the Blank School: A Conversation with CEO Donna Levin  In a new Q&A, Donna Levin, CEO of the Blank School, reflects on how it evolved from a “startup within a college” into a campus-wide engine for ideas, collaboration, and purpose-driven leadership.
By
November 20, 2025

Posted in Community, 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