And the Finalists Are …

Arist
Listen

Nearly 80 startups within the Babson community applied. Twelve semifinalists were named. And, now, three finalists have been chosen to compete for upward of $100,000 at Babson’s biggest pitch competition yet.

Babson ePitch: Second Century Challenge

On September 20, we will welcome to the stage:

The competition will take place during Babson Connect: Worldwide, one of three signature events that make up Babson’s upcoming Centennial Celebration, September 18–22, 2019.

These entrepreneurs plan to pitch, and hopefully win over, a panel of well-known judges, including: Jamie Siminoff ’99, CEO and chief inventor of Ring; Tim Chae, general partner, 500 Startups; Diane Hessan, founder and chairman of C Space, Fred Kiang ’70, MBA’75, H’19, founder of Sunrise Duty Free; Alicia Castillo Holley MBA’96, founder and CEO of Wealthing Institute and member of Sand Hill Angels, and Edward Marram, entrepreneur and senior lecturer at Babson.

The concept took off in late 2018 as Babson planned for its Centennial year events, and tapped into eTower—the College’s student-led, entrepreneurial powerhouse of a living-learning community.

Founded in 2001, eTower houses some of the most dedicated student entrepreneurs to ideate, take action, and learn from one another’s ventures.

“We were super interested in this idea from the start,” said Sumukh Setty ’21, current eTower president and CEO of TILE. “To be involved in something of this caliber, during Babson’s biggest and most exciting year yet … this is an unmatched opportunity in terms of visibility, access, and experience.”

Students, alumni, parents, faculty, and staff were all eligible to apply. A panel of eight judges reviewed 78 applications, representing companies of various stages, sizes, and industries from around the world. Of the 12 semifinalists chosen, 75 percent had a woman on the founding team.

Babson ePitch will be hosted at Babson’s Wellesley, Massachusetts, campus, in the brand new Babson Recreation and Athletics Complex, on Friday, September 20, at 2:30 p.m. EST. The competition will follow the Young Entrepreneur Panel: “Swimming with The Sharks”—where four alumni will share their experiences in pitching their ideas on ABC’s “Shark Tank.”

Posted in Community

More from Community »

Latest Stories

Wearing Babson-branded hard hats, nine people gather to break ground ceremonially
Babson Breaks Ground on New Executive Lodge and Conference Center Babson College trustees, leaders, and dignitaries celebrated the beginning of construction of the new Executive Lodge and Conference Center with a formal groundbreaking ceremony last week.
By
October 28, 2025

Posted in Community

Composite of four headshots of the new trustees
Four New Members Join the Babson Board of Trustees Rebecca Shaghalian Larkin ’91, Shikhar Malhotra ’04, Sheikha Al-Otaibi ’25, and Patty Pytlik ’11, MBA’25 have been elected to the Babson Board of Trustees.
By
October 27, 2025

Posted in Community

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