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.
Rick Blackshaw ’85,Kanayoliseh Onwudiegwu ’28, and Jolie Wyatt ’26
Jolie Wyatt ’26 likes to hear from others who have been there.
As a young entrepreneur rolling through the exhilarating yet exhausting process of building a venture, she relishes talking to people with deep business experience, people who have faced obstacles and trod the same road she’s on now.
“I learn best through other people’s experiences,” Wyatt says. “For me, conversations like that are everything, especially when you’re in my position, trying to bring others on board with what can sound like a crazy idea.”
Wyatt’s “crazy idea” is If the Shoe Fits, a venture aiming to address the lack of proper-fitting women’s footwear by creating custom-fit shoes with 3-D foot scans. Recently, she had the opportunity to connect with Rick Blackshaw ’85, who has spent a career in the shoe industry. Brands he has led as an executive (HeyDude, Sperry, Keds, Chuck Taylor) have sold more than a half a billion pairs of sneakers.
“Through all of that experience, you learn what works in the market. You learn lessons when you won and, more likely, when you lost.” — Rick Blackshaw ’85
From left to right: Jolie Wyatt ’26,Rick Blackshaw ’85, and Kanayoliseh Onwudiegwu ’28
From left to right: Jolie Wyatt ’26, Rick Blackshaw ’85, and Kanayoliseh Onwudiegwu ’28
Babson students and young alumni often reach out to Blackshaw, seeking his advice on the shoe industry and consumer products. He’s happy to share what he knows. “Through all of that experience, you learn what works in the market,” he says. “You learn lessons when you won and, more likely, when you lost.”
Currently the co-founder of Stoke Shoes, which promises “powerful footwear for all-American guys,” Blackshaw believes he also benefits from these conversations. “I love it. It benefits me knowing what’s in their minds and hearts,” he says. “The younger generation is there to ground you in what’s current.”
Through the years, he has recruited a bunch of Babson graduates for his companies. “They are always the best performers,” he says. “They are great teammates, great networkers, great problem solvers.”
Besides Wyatt, another Babson entrepreneur Blackshaw has mentored is Kanayoliseh Onwudiegwu ’28, the founder of Sole-Running, which is creating a running shoe that allows for the replacement of worn-out soles. “It’s absolutely critical for me to talk with mentors like Rick,” Onwudiegwu says. “I’m a first-time founder in a complex, capital-intensive industry, and I can’t afford to learn everything through my own mistakes.”
Blackshaw was encouraging but didn’t sugarcoat the challenges that Onwudiegwu may encounter. “It felt like talking to someone who respects what I’m trying to do and wants to see me grow,” Onwudiegwu says. Wyatt agrees. “Rick really embodies the Babson spirit,” she says. “He is generous with his time and genuinely wants to help however he can.”
For his part, Blackshaw was impressed by the two student entrepreneurs and their ideas. “They are a decade ahead of where I was when I got out of Babson. They have an idea in their head and heart that is unique and has a point of difference,” he says. “Regardless of how their brands and projects turn out, they are going to shine if they want to be in the footwear business.”
Babson Alumni Are…
The Babson alumni network is the strongest in the nation because of the unique bonds that connect them. In the Spring issue of Babson Magazine, we highlight nine examples that illustrate the varied types of relationships. Click the photos below to read each one.
