Employment, Salary, and One Big Pivot: A Look at Career Outcomes for Babson’s MBA Class of 2025

At the age of 30, Aymbré Paige MBA’25 found her career at a crossroads. 

For about a decade, she worked in the fitness industry in a variety of roles, starting as a personal trainer and eventually handling strategy and operations for fitness centers. The journey had been rewarding, but yet, it felt at an end. 

“I love the fitness industry, but I felt like there was a natural ceiling,” Paige says. “It wasn’t something that spoke to me anymore.” 

But what would she do next? Paige didn’t know. That was the scary part. Ultimately, she decided to go to business school, and that’s when she came upon Babson College. “As soon as I spoke to admissions at Babson, I thought, ‘This is where I need to be,’ ” she says. 

With Babson’s critical help, Paige has come to thrive in a new industry: venture capital. She serves as a limited partner and associate at Mendoza Ventures, an early-stage and growth venture fund based in Boston. “It’s a testament to the doors that Babson opened up for me,” Paige says. 

Paige is just one of the many members of the MBA Class of 2025 who are prospering post-graduation and seeing strong career outcomes. Of those seeking employment, 80% of the Full-Time MBA class had a job within six months of graduation.* The recent grads also are embracing the entrepreneurial spirit, with 16% of the class working on their own venture.

For those landing in the U.S. after graduation, they’re earning a median starting salary of $110,000.** Graduates also received an average signing bonus of $22,389. 

Those stellar numbers are indicative of the learning and support that Paige and her classmates received at Babson. Paige remembers thinking how helpful professors and staff were to her, as if the entire campus was in her corner as she embarked on a new career. “I never felt so supported in an academic setting,” she says. “Everyone is invested in your success.” 

Finding a New Career 

Members of the MBA Class of 2025 found employment in a wide range of industries: tech, real estate, financial services, health care, manufacturing, consulting, hospitality, and beyond.  

At first, Paige thought she might go into marketing, but she kept an open mind to other career possibilities. She considered business school her “period of exploration.” With that mindset, she tried to talk to as many people as possible and said yes to any opportunity that presented itself. 

That’s why, when an opportunity came to do a fellowship at Mendoza, Paige decided to do it, even though venture capital wasn’t an industry she had much experience with. A mere three days into the fellowship, three days spent meeting with founders with great ideas, she was hooked. “This is where I want to be,” she realized. 

Paige found the entrepreneurs inspiring. Mendoza invests in tech companies focused on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and fintech. “When I started the fellowship, I was pumped to learn about the founders in this space. You see the problems they are trying to solve. That is the most exciting part,” Paige says. “Being around people who are super smart and who are trying to solve problems in a meaningful way is really, really cool.” 

The fellowship ultimately led to a position at Mendoza. Paige brought with her an extensive background in sales, operations, strategy, and relationship management, and Babson connected Paige with professors who could help fill in the gaps in her skills that she would need for her new role. “Academic services was so helpful,” she says. 

The Entrepreneurial Spirit 

When Paige worked in the fitness industry, she admits her days could feel tedious, like she was checking off boxes. Now with Mendoza, she feels more ownership and autonomy in her work. When she looks at her jam-packed calendar, she sees decisions to be made and problems to be solved. “It doesn’t feel tedious,” she says. “It feels really, really exciting.” 

She enjoys the relationship building she does in her work, bringing together funders and founders at networking events that aren’t solely about handshakes and drinks. “It is all about relationships,” she says. “It’s not just another networking event. This is a room where everyone can help each other. This is how change gets made.” 

Recently recognized by Startup Boston as a Black leader shaping the startup scene in Greater Boston and New England, Paige is also proud of Mendoza’s commitment to diversity in a field that often isn’t. About 90% of Mendoza’s portfolio is ventures led by immigrants, people of color, and women. “The people who are funded should look like the rest of the country,” Paige says. 

“I never felt so supported in an academic setting. Everyone is invested in your success.”
Aymbré Paige MBA’25, limited partner and associate at Mendoza Ventures

Besides her work at Mendoza, Paige is the executive director of The Secret Society of Black Creatives, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers. Paige first came to the organization as a Babson Board Fellow, a program that places MBA students and alumni as nonvoting members of nonprofit boards, and was asked to stay on once her fellowship ended. 

Among other things, Paige is helping the nonprofit to bring on new members, apply for development grants, and find financial solvency. She’s hoping to make sure the “organization is around for a long time.” 

Paige remembers when she first toured Babson, before becoming a student. “One of the things that really stood out to me was that everyone was really driven and had great ideas of what they wanted to do,” she says. “I felt that entrepreneurial spirit on campus.” 

Today, as one of the successful members of the MBA Class of 2025, that spirit surrounds her, too. 

* Based on 88% of the MBA Class of 2025 reporting. 

** Based on 62% of the MBA Class of 2025 reporting.