From the President: The Power of Community and Collaboration
We often are told the myth of the lonely entrepreneur, the inspired person working by themself in the garage, chasing an ambitious, audacious idea alone. Certainly, there are countless examples of successful entrepreneurs pursuing their ventures on their own, but it is even more rewarding to have trusted colleagues, supporters, and collaborators by your side.
At Babson College, no entrepreneur goes it alone. Every undergraduate student begins their journey with Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME), in which they work with a team of their peers to develop, launch, and manage a real venture. All students, undergraduate and graduate, also engage with our renowned centers and institutes, as well as The Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership, to learn together and to support and develop their ideas and ventures.
Nowhere is the power of community and collaboration more evident than at eTower, the College’s first living-learning community. For 20 years now, eTower has been providing a community and a home to student entrepreneurs at Babson. It is an inspirational place where young entrepreneurs support each other, exchange ideas, and imagine the future together. Read more about the impact of eTower in the cover story of this issue.
Embracing the example of eTower, we recently launched the Entrepreneurial Leadership Village at Babson. The ELV is a place—both physical and virtual—where the Babson community, extended ecosystem, and people around the world come together to learn, collaborate, and take action. It’s a place where both aspiring and established entrepreneurial leaders create and unlock opportunities and apply the mindsets, principles, and tools of entrepreneurial leadership.
Entrepreneurs thrive and great companies are scaled in such supportive environments. The Babson community also is united within our expanding network of more than 43,000 alumni. It was rewarding to see so many of our accomplished alumni at Back to Babson weekend in October. We reconnected and reminisced, we celebrated our successes and milestones, and we toasted our future endeavors together.
Back to Babson is the latest reminder of what we’re capable of accomplishing when we come together as a community, as One Babson, to lead change, solve global problems, and create lasting value across business and society.
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