Insights

Babson faculty and leadership are intellectuals, practicing entrepreneurs, lawyers, artists, engineers, and more, but most importantly, they are educators. Harness their relevant, practical research and consulting and executive experience to make informed strategic decisions in your organization and professional life.

Male college student meets with campus counselor
Here’s How Colleges Can Better Support Students’ Well-Being to Improve Their Success College students are reporting lower rates of depressive symptoms and anxiety for the third year in a row, but the mental health crisis is far from over, writes Babson College’s Ryan Travia for The Conversation.
By
December 10, 2025

Posted in Insights

Chicken sandwich
The Rise of Chicken, the Decline of Pizza Hut, and Other Franchising Trends Ab Igram MBA’96, of Babson’s Tariq Farid Franchise Institute, surveys the state of franchising. From the familiar names to the up-and-coming ventures, he talks chicken, sandwiches, and, uh, pet waste scooping.
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.
December 9, 2025

Posted in Insights

An Amazon returns drop-off desk at a Kohl's store
Retailers Are Quietly Changing Their Return Policies—Here’s Why You Should Be on the Lookout As the holiday shopping season heats up, so do returns. They might seem simple and easy, but retailers are changing their policies. Here’s what you need to know this shopping season, writes Professor Lauren Beitelspacher for The Conversation.
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November 27, 2025

Posted in Insights

Sitting at a table, a Babson student talks with two attendees of the AI Innovators Bootcamp
A Tech Bootcamp: Babson Trains Small Businesses on AI Babson’s AI Innovators Bootcamp offers small businesses a one-day dive into artificial intelligence, showing how it can foster innovation and improve how they run their organizations.
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.
November 12, 2025

Posted in Insights

Two women speak in front of an audience
How Can the Healthcare Industry Innovate? Here’s What Babson Experts Say Two leaders of the Kerry Murphy Healey Center for Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship reflect on a discussion about the need for entrepreneurial leadership in the healthcare industry.
By
Eric Beato
Editor / Writer
Eric Beato
Eric Beato is the Editor of Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. A native of Chicago and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Eric has worked as an editor and writer at newspapers across the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times and Boston Herald. Eric joined Babson College in 2019 after working as the communications director for a private educational travel company and as the managing editor of six regional sports publications.
November 10, 2025

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership, Insights

Babson students congregate in Babson Commons
Would You Work 72 Hours a Week? Here’s What Babson Students Say From burnout to ambition, Babson students debate the idea of working 12 hours a day, six days a week taking hold at some tech companies in Silicon Valley.
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.
November 5, 2025

Posted in Insights

Babson students learning financial literacy.
The Credit Habit: Babson Finance Students on Gen Z’s Growing Reliance on 'Buy Now, Pay Later' From Coachella tickets to Taco Bell, “Buy Now, Pay Later” is a growing generational habit. Babson’s financiers of the future warn that without financial literacy, it can turn into costly dependence.
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.
October 24, 2025

Posted in Insights

Students walk on Babson's sunny campus.
Leading the Way: Babson Wellness Chief Elevates Well-Being Priorities in Higher Education Ryan Travia, associate vice president for student success at Babson, issues a call to embrace well-being as central to student success in an upcoming book that offers a road map to leadership in student health.
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.
October 8, 2025

Posted in Community, Insights

A woman points to a presentation in a meeting
Why Analytical Thinking Is the Cornerstone of Strategic Business Decisions Business decisions are rarely simple. Analytical thinking is critical for leaders to identify and navigate the options in front of an organization, so it’s important to develop analytical thinking skills in order to make smart decisions.
By
October 7, 2025

Posted in Insights

a row of electricity meters
The Price of Power: What’s Driving Rising Electricity Rates? Electricity rates have been steadily increasing. Ryan Davies, a Babson professor of finance, unpacks the many reasons for that, including the massive data centers popping up across the country.
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.
September 30, 2025

Posted in Insights