News, Notes, and Nods: Graduates

1972 

C. M. “Rip” Cunningham Jr. MBA’72 recently published a book, Where the Acorn Falls, that details his childhood in the 1950s in suburban Boston. “It was a great time to grow older,” Cunningham said. “We grew up later.” The book is available at torchflamebooks.com. 

1986

Michael O’Neill MBA’86 recently received an award for excellence in urban education leadership in honor of his work as a councilor on the Boston School Committee for the past 15 years. O’Neill, executive vice president at the digital advertising agency Zozimus, received the award from the Council of Great City Schools, a national nonprofit that represents the top 78 urban public K–12 school districts in the country. The organization awarded O’Neill the annual Green-Garner Award for Excellence in Urban Education Leadership in October. 

1988 

Tom Raffio MBA’88, president and CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, recently published his fourth book, Stories from the Starting Line. Raffio and his wife, Ellen, interviewed more than 60 runners, including Olympic gold medalists, Boston Marathon winners, Mount Washington Road Race champions, weekend warriors, and everyone in between. They compiled the runners’ varied stories to provide insight as to why they love running. 

1991

Irene Stern Frielich MBA’91 published a memoir detailing her father’s escape to Holland to survive the Holocaust and her quest decades later to retrace his steps. The book, Shattered Stars, Healing Hearts: Unraveling My Father’s Holocaust Survival Story, is available on Amazon.

2005

Sheetal Acharya MBA’05 was recently named chief of staff to the chief strategy and external affairs officer at National Grid. The role encompasses serving as an advisor to the SEA leadership team and focuses on operations and engagement. She also is the executive sponsor for the Women in Networks Employee Resource Group.  

2010

Brent Earlewine MBA’10 released his book, Executive Edge: The Martial Arts Blueprint for Executives. Earlewine taps into his 35-year journey to attain Master Level in the martial arts to highlight lessons on leadership, personal development, and long-term goal attainment in the book, which is available on Amazon. 

Luis F. Rojas MBA’10 and his teammates won a charity golf tournament while competing as Team Babson on Oct. 16. The highly publicized competition was held in Mexico City and organized by the International Alumni Association of Mexico, an association of MBA schools in Mexico. All tournament proceeds went to FUNED, a nonprofit organization that provides financial support to Mexican students who want to earn a graduate degree outside of Mexico. 

2017

Bernardt J. Vogel MBA’17, the first venture capitalist from Nicaragua, was nominated as a 2023 National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) rising star. He currently serves as a senior associate at VU Venture Partners and holds the role of venture analyst at New World Angels, showcasing his deep commitment to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He also writes about tech and VC in his Substack newsletter, Curious Compass, with more than 7,000 subscribers. 

2023 

Rodrigo Cavenecia MBA’23 was recently appointed to the board of Dranoff 2 Piano, a nonprofit focused on music and the arts.

Shivam Lohiya MBA’23 recently launched LilacMosaic Technologies Pvt Ltd, a company looking to redefine the way wedding planners curate and organize weddings around the world. The company, founded by Lohiya and employing six people, will use cutting-edge technology to make wedding planning more efficient, enjoyable, and personalized. “My time at Babson College provided us with the foundation and inspiration to embark on this entrepreneurial journey,” Lohiya said. 

MORE NEWS, NOTES, AND NODS FROM THE SPRING 2024 ISSUE:
Undergraduates »     In Memoriam »

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