A Crash Course in Leadership and Management
As a nation, India is in the midst of a journey to become one of the most powerful economies in the world. To the leaders of Babson College’s India Symposium, led in part by co-chair of operations and technology Poojitha Shetty ’20, it’s their goal to showcase how far the country has come, and the work that’s left to be done.
This conference is one of several student-run forums governed entirely by Babson College graduate students. Pulling off these major events is a crash course in leadership, collaboration, and management.
“A Great Responsibility”
Titled “Road to a $5 Trillion Economy,” the India Symposium will bring speakers from the Babson College alumni and forum leadership team’s personal networks to convey what India’s economy can add to the world, how it can improve the lives of its 1.3 billion residents, and the progress India is making for the future of its country.
Shetty got involved for the chance to learn from others.
“It seemed like I would be able to lead great minds with different experiences, and understand the action process of operations,” she said.
Her responsibilities as co-chair of operations and technology include ensuring the effortless flow of speakers before and during the event. “It’s about creating an experience,” she said.
As a member of the forum’s leadership team, she has learned the skill of collaboration and gained a more well-rounded understanding of deadlines.
“It’s a great responsibility,” she added, expressing how the experience has provided the team with opportunities to learn from mistakes. “Even though we are students, we are also professionals.”
Shetty hopes attendees walk away with a strong perception of the state of Indian economy.
“Even if you don’t learn everything from every industry, there’s something you can pick up from business leaders,” she said.
Highlighting Positive Outcomes in Difficult Times
Like India, many Latin American countries are in a state of uncertainty.
Isabel O Dogherty MBA’20 is co-President of the Babson Latam club, and is one of a number of students responsible for helping to showcase the region’s positive narratives at the Babson Latin American Forum, Success Stories in Latin America, held on March 6 at Winn Auditorium.
O Dogherty has long been passionate about event planning and organization, and has found that identifying the right team members and roles has been indispensable in the production of the event.
“Trusting the team to do their jobs is fundamental,” she said. “We’re lucky to have an incredible group of people working in the club.”
This year’s Latin American Forum speakers hail from diverse backgrounds. They are leaders of industries from tourism to alcoholic beverages to banking. O Dogherty hopes this distinct panel inspires attendees and gives them the chance to learn about dynamic and developing Latin American businesses.
“In our point of view, it is key to understand the different regions and how they work in order to be successful in a global and connected world like the one we live in right now,” she said. “It is an interesting time to hear firsthand the opinions and insights of leaders of a region that is going through a historic time of change and uncertainty.”
Entrepreneurship in the Future of Sustainability
The 14th annual student-run Babson Sustainability Forum is scheduled for April 10, and will demonstrate how entrepreneurs are taking action toward a more sustainable society.
This year’s forum will feature Greg Boxer, co-founder and CFO of Flywheel Energy, and Amy Hall, Eileen Fisher’s vice president of social consciousness. More than 20 additional speakers and hundreds of attendees are expected.
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