« Babson Thought & Action

Entrepreneurial Leadership

The world needs entrepreneurial leaders to solve complex challenges that have persisted for decades or longer, as well as future ones we can’t even envision yet. Entrepreneurial leadership is both a skill set and a mindset, and entrepreneurial leaders impact businesses, organizations, and society because they put people first and manage in a relational way. Here, we illustrate the impact of entrepreneurial leadership through inspiring and uplifting stories from the Babson community and beyond.

Matthew Mottola
The Corporate Entrepreneur: Matthew Mottola at Microsoft Matthew Mottola MS’17 is obsessed with fixing both the way we work, and the way we feel about our work. He used his make-it-happen mindset to tackle this problem at Microsoft.
By
April 9, 2019

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

2026-05-24 03:51:36
Michael Ioffe of Arist
Michael Ioffe’s Conversation Became a World-Changing Idea A series of conversations with students in Yemen left Michael Ioffe ’21 with an idea—that text messages could be used to bridge the digital learning access gap.
By
April 8, 2019

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

2026-05-08 21:35:51
Cheryl Kiser
Pursuing Purpose and Profit The leader of Babson’s Lewis Institute, Cheryl Kiser, believes companies can both make money and make a difference.
By
April 4, 2019

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

2026-05-24 00:39:40
Shay Jaffar
Shay Gaafar MBA’19 — A Brand Born at Babson Shay Gaafar MBA’19 came to Babson to dive into the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Two years later, she’s leaving with her own brand.
By
April 1, 2019

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

2026-05-08 21:35:51
Babson BETA Challenge Winners
B.E.T.A. Challenge Winners: Where Are They Now? What happens after you win the B.E.T.A. Challenge? WIth this year’s Venture Expo and Finale nearing, The Blank Center caught up with past winners for updates on their businesses.
By
March 28, 2019

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

2026-05-23 13:21:31
Rachel Pardue, co-founder of LOU
"I Walked In And Knew, These Are My People" As a young entrepreneur, Rachel Pardue ’19, co-founder of LOU, often felt like the odd one out—until she found her home at Babson.
By
March 28, 2019

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

2026-05-24 00:39:40
Maternova
From Commander to Student to Fellow to CEO As graduation approached for Prakash Veenam MBA ’18, he took advantage of a summer fellowship offered through the Leonard A. Schlesinger Fund for Global Healthcare Entrepreneurship. That fellowship paved the way for Veenam to become CEO just three months later.
By
March 20, 2019

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

2026-05-17 17:46:01
Julia Dean
CREATEing a Lasting Impact Julia Dean ’19 didn’t come to Babson for business. She came for the liberal arts, and is leaving behind a legacy of creative problem solving.
By
March 18, 2019

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

2026-05-18 16:15:11
Marla Capozzi
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Marla Capozzi, Urges Students to Never Stop Learning Fundamentally, academia and business are two very different industries. Babson student Jess Chartier ’20 sat down with Babson Board of Trustees Chair Marla Capozzi MBA’96 to discuss the differences and similarities of leading a college and a management consulting firm at the same time.
By
March 8, 2019

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

2026-05-19 14:49:41
Melissa Denizard
Storytelling for Social Justice in Flint and Beyond Melissa Denizard ’20 fell in love with filmmaking in high school. Her latest project? A documentary on Flint, Michigan’s water crisis.
By
February 20, 2019

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

2026-05-25 19:07:57