One Day. All Access. Founders Summit 2019.

Babson is known around the world for an unrivaled experience in entrepreneurship education.

What may be a little less known? The many reasons why.

One of the most impactful components of Babson’s entrepreneurial backbone are its centers and institutes, dedicated to advancing the actions of its entrepreneurs of all kinds everywhere.

In partnership with various campus organizations, Babson’s centers and institutes—The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship, the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (CWEL), The Lewis Institute for Social Innovation, the Institute for Family Entrepreneurship (IFE), the Stephen D. Cutler Center for Finance and Investments, the Sorenson Center for the Arts, and the Weissman Foundry—are designed to provide students with real-life experience to put into practice what they learn in the classroom.

Each with their own host of programming, initiatives, and research, these hubs of student, alumni, faculty, and staff activity propel Babson’s mission forward—to educate entrepreneurial leaders around the world who create social and economic value simultaneously.

Convening at the Founders Summit

Several of those centers and institutes will come together on April 11 for the College’s first Founders Summit, an afternoon of ideas and inspiration for founders and builders of companies of all kinds.

During the summit’s lightning talk sessions, Babson’s centers will showcase their expertise in partnership with Babson alumni to share insights in entrepreneurship, finance, family business, social innovation, and more.

What’s on the Agenda?

How can families grow their businesses? Babson’s Institute for Family Entrepreneurship aims to shift the conversation to that of family entrepreneurship—how families act entrepreneurially, individually and together, across generations and time. In the IFE lightning talk, “Passing the Torch: When Entrepreneurship Becomes a Family Value,” Executive Director Lauri Union will explore how the Barber family—Dave Barber ’81, P’16 ’17, senior consultant and retired president and CEO of Barber Foods, Dorie Barber P’16 ’17, “MB” (Mainely Burgers) Mom, and their sons, Jack ’16 and Max ’17, co-founders of Mainely Burgers—has evolved its entrepreneurship from the more traditional model of growing an existing business to founding a startup.

Founders from all industries are entrepreneuring innovative ways to fuel and grow their companies. In CWEL’s lightning talk, “Thinking Outside the Box: Funding Sources Beyond VC,” director of global initiatives Shakenna K. Williams ’94 will moderate a panel of Babson alumni that includes: Danielle Babineau MBA’15, co-founder of Redemption Rock Brewing; Shiva Kashalkar MBA’11, founder of Green Piñata Toys; and Marisa MacClary MBA’99, co-founder of Artifact Health. They will share their funding objectives, successes, and lessons learned to secure the capital their companies require.

Looking to make the transition from entrepreneur to investor? The Cutler Center’s talk, “From Entrepreneur to Investor,” will help you make the switch. Catherine Friend White MBA’86, managing director, Golden Seeds, and Tim Chae, general partner, 500 Startups, will offer insights on their experiences, including how they made the move, the skills needed to make the move, and share advice for entrepreneurs and investors today.

Today, more than ever, values and purpose play a critical role in value creation. The Lewis Institute’s lightning talk, “Entrepreneurs Creating Economic and Social Value Simultaneously,” will feature a panel of purpose-driven entrepreneurs sharing why they do what they do, and how they engage with their customers and markets. Moderated by Executive Director Cheryl Kiser, the panel includes Tara Foley MBA’13, CEO and founder of Follain, and Rob Dalton MBA’14, co-founder of 88 Acres, both of whom are leading mission-driven brands that are making a difference in people’s lives.

B.E.T.A Challenge Finale

After the sessions, attendees will hear from successful serial entrepreneur Tim DeMello ’81, P’18.

The day will culminate with the finale of the B.E.T.A. Challenge—Babson’s premier new venture competition, where Babson entrepreneurs will pitch to win $300,000 in cash and prizes.

Posted in Community

Tagged Alumni, Entrepreneurship of All Kinds, Startups

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