Six Final Lessons from the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership for the Class of 2026

May 19, 2026

Graduates wearing their stoles stand while placing their hands over their hearts

Graduates from the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College were celebrated at a Commencement ceremony last week. (Photo: Nic Czarnecki/Babson College)

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Before they crossed the Babson College Commencement stage, more than 70 graduates from the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership and its eight centers and institutes were honored last week at its Cord and Stole Ceremony. The annual ceremony recognizes scholars and student leaders whose Babson experiences were shaped by the Blank School’s programs, communities, and commitment to entrepreneurial leadership.

At the Blank School, entrepreneurial leadership focuses on building and solving problems, without losing sight of values-based leadership. That idea was at the center of the ceremony, where graduates reflected on the people, classes, and moments that shaped their time at Babson—and the kind of leaders they hope to become next.

They left with stoles, cords, bracelets, and something less visible but more lasting: a few final Blank School lessons to carry forward. Here are six of them:

Be the Kind of Leader People Remember

The message from Blank School CEO Donna Levin to graduates focused on entrepreneurial leadership as something deeply human. Quoting Maya Angelou, she reminded them: “It is not just about what you do, but how you make people feel along the way—whether you listen, create space, and help others feel capable, included, and seen.”

There Is No Such Thing as a Perfect Presentation

Julia Ahn ’26 reflected on Adjunct Lecturer and Speech Center Director Sharon Sinnott, who taught them in Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship, as well as Business Presentation, that mistakes are part of learning.

“She always reminded us that there is no such thing as a perfect speech or perfect presentation,” Ahn said. “It’s OK to make mistakes, because mistakes are where you grow—not where you fail.”

All of the graduate pose for a giant group photo — More than 70 graduates from the Blank School and its eight centers and institutes were honored at its Cord and Stole Ceremony. (Photo: Nic Czarnecki/Babson College)

Go Above and Beyond

In the Ultimate Entrepreneurial Challenge, taught by entrepreneurship professor Len Green, Vanessa Bravo Gomez MSF’26 learned that ordinary rarely stands out.

“If you do a boring pitch like everyone else, you’re not going to get anywhere,” Gomez said. “You have to go above and beyond and be creative to get somewhere.”

Creativity Can Begin with Inspiration

Shallu Shaw P’26 shared a lesson she heard the evening before in a class with her daughter, Ridhima Shaw MBA’26, that changed how she thinks about creativity.

“To be creative, you don’t always have to think completely out of the box,” Shaw said. “You can look around, find inspiration, and imitate judiciously.”

Start With the Facts

In Associate Professor Gaurab Bhardwaj’s class, Andreina Silva MBA’26 learned to “start with the exhibits.”

“In every case, there is the narrative, and then there are the facts,” Silva said. “If you start with the facts, you get a better view of what is truly happening.”

Come Home to Yourself

The final lesson came as a gift from the Blank School. Presented by Taryn Miller-Stevens, associate director at the Blank School, the aventurine bracelet symbolizes adventure, optimism, abundance, and practical enthusiasm—serving as an ongoing reminder for graduates to lead with values wherever they go next.

“When things feel hard or unfamiliar, this bracelet is a reminder to breathe,” Miller-Stevens said. “Hold your heart. Come home to yourself.”

The moment reminded graduates that leadership begins within and that they can always return to themselves, the Blank School, and their Babson family.