Babson Entrepreneurs Win B.E.T.A. Challenge

BETA Winners
Listen

Noah Doris ’20 of Goba Tea, Vaidehi Tembhekar MBA’21 of Busy Boda, and Aakaanksh Pothukutchi ’13 of Dash Beyond are the winners of the 2020 B.E.T.A. (Babson Entrepreneurial Thought & Action®) Challenge.

More than $350,000 in cash and in-kind prizes was awarded during the April 16 virtual finale. The three winning ventures, led by Babson undergraduate, graduate, and alumni entrepreneurs, each won a grand prize of $20,000 plus​ “services-in-kind” donations from corporate sponsors.

Tembhekar also was awarded the $2,500 High Impact Female Founder Award for her big thinking, problem solving, and leadership. The Arist team, led by Ryan Laverty ‘20, was awarded the $2,500 Pivot for Impact Award. The Pivot for Impact Award was newly created this year to recognize the venture that, in a time of crisis, best demonstrated the uniquely Babson quality of thinking and acting entrepreneurially to pivot and deliver economic and social value. Both special awards were generously sponsored by David Ragins ’94.

A prize of $2,500 was awarded to the two other finalist ventures in each of the three competitions.

Meet the Winners

The Undergraduate Challenge award went to Goba Tea, led by Noah Doris ’20 and Byron D’Mello. Goba Tea is the first healthy and shelf-stable boba, created to address the negligible shelf life and high calories that define boba tea products currently available.

Vaidehi Tembhekar MBA’21 and Kenyan motorcycle taxi hailing app Busy Boda took home the Graduate Challenge award. Busy Boda both serves commuters and fills demand for couriers.

Alumni Challenge winner Dash Beyond, led by Aakaanksh Pothukutchi ’13, is an interactive career encyclopedia game that motivates high school students to explore at least 50 careers, 30 courses and 15 colleges before they finish the 11th grade.

“In times like these, we need entrepreneurial leaders who can pivot and problem solve. During the B.E.T.A. Challenge, we showcased a group of immensely talented Babson entrepreneurs who are taking action to move their ventures forward, overcoming obstacles, and driving impact,” said Debi Kleiman, executive director of The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson.

Bringing B.E.T.A. Online

This year’s B.E.T.A. Challenge was held entirely online for the first time. With the suspension of in-person classes and events due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Blank Center for Entrepreneurship team quickly pivoted to bring the entire experience online. Nearly 300 people watched this year’s finale.

“Bringing the entire B.E.T.A. Challenge online was a pivot in true ET&A fashion—it was amazing to experience how the entire Babson community rallied behind it and the entrepreneurs embraced it without missing a beat,” said Kleiman.

The nine finalists were chosen after the virtual Venture Expo two weeks ago. In a new twist on the classic expo format, each semifinalist pitched their venture and answered questions from the panel of judges.

The Blank Center team continues to bring its resources and programming online for Babson’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. This summer, it will offer Summer Catalyst, a 10-week virtual program that will build entrepreneurial skills and knowledge, provide resources, tools, and expert connections, and help entrepreneurs accelerate their business. Summer Catalyst shares many similarities with the Summer Venture Program and incorporates elements like Hot Seat, office hours, and dedicated advisors, but will be delivered online.

Posted in Community

More from Community »

Latest Stories

Man and woman listen to a pitch
Lessons from the Heart of Babson’s Summer Venture Program   Each summer, Babson’s Summer Venture Program gives student founders the tools, mentorship, and momentum to accelerate their ventures. Meet four advisors who are helping shape the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders—one insight at a time.
By
July 22, 2025

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

Side-by-side screenshots of the moment caught on camera
When Scandal Strikes the C-Suite: What Two Babson Professors Say Companies Should Do  A viral Coldplay kiss cam moment involving a CEO and human resources leader at a tech startup rocked the company to its core. Babson management professors provided insight into how ventures can survive a leadership scandal.
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.
July 21, 2025

Posted in Insights

Businesswoman practices deep breathing exercise at workplace desk
How Employees Navigate Mental Illness in the Workplace and What Employers Can Do to Help Emily Rosado-Solomon, an assistant professor at Babson, looks at how employees with mental illness handle their symptoms while at work, a topic that is understudied.
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.
July 17, 2025

Posted in Insights