Rising Star

Matthew J. Kidd, Esq. ’89, whose Boston law firm handles personal injury, employment, and bankruptcy matters, has been recognized for his expertise by a number of publications, including the American Bar Association Journal and Fast Company magazine. In addition, Super Lawyers magazine nominated him as a Rising Star.

Baubles, Bangles, and Beads

Lucy Figueroa ’22 joined the Boston Women’s Market to grow her business, Beads by Lucy. BU News Service featured the first marketplace for her jewelry and bags in Jamaica Plain. “If Boston Women’s Market didn’t exist, I don’t know where I would be selling because I have no idea how to do any of this,” Figueroa said in the article.

Inspirational Style

Thrive Global spoke with Malvika Sheth ’19 about her career journey, including her fashion blog. “I hope to empower other driven women to embrace fashion as a creative outlet, so that they get up, dress up, and feel confident enough to achieve even their wildest dreams,” she told the lifestyle website.

Palak Shah MBA’16

Cut from a Different Cloth

An article in The New Indian Express explored the collaboration between Ekaya Banaras, a company founded by Palak Shah MBA’16, and Indian designer Masaba Gupta. Shah, who has done designer collaborations before, was quoted as saying, “The reason we collaborate is to experiment and bring about a change in the way Indian textiles are engineered and worked on.”

Simone Aptekman ’15, MBA’16

A Model Life

The life of a model may seem like nonstop glamour, but Simone Aptekman ’15, MBA’16 knows there’s another side. Aptekman, a working model, spoke with TheFashionSpot.com about co-creating the Model’s Bill of Rights to protect models’ legal rights regarding contracts, payment, and work environment. “I believe it is a very timely and relevant movement,” she said in the article.

Mayura Davda-Shah MS’16

Fishing for Sustainability

Vogue India featured Mayura Davda-Shah MS’16 in an article on eco-friendly fabric. Davda-Shah uses sustainable fish skin leather for her Mayu collection of luxury accessories. Alternative leathers, she said in the article, “are certainly offering the next big wave of innovative, sustainable material options for new-age design houses like ours.”

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Craig Kimbrel (left) expressed appreciation for being able to work out with Babson coaches and players during the season, including Matt Noone P’23, head coach of Babson’s baseball program (right).

Two Babson head coaches, Jon Anderson ’75, with men’s soccer, and Stephen Brennan, with men’s basketball, both won their 400th games. Anderson was the seventh active coach and 20th in Division III history to reach the mark, and Brennan recorded the same achievement in his 24th season as head coach.

Four student-athletes taught high school students in Tanzania the basics of Entrepreneurial Thought & Action as part of the Babson Entrepreneurial Leadership Academies: Elizabeth D’Agostino ’21, Katie Gademsky ’20, Austin Mankouski ’20, and Emily Smith ’21.

After concluding her career as the most decorated player in the history of Babson College field hockey, Ashley Tango ’19 attended a U.S. Developmental Team tryout January 20–22 in Lancaster, Pa. A three-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-America selection, Tango was the lone Division III player selected to participate in the trial with the developmental squad.

The Babson Department of Athletics and Recreation partnered with Special Olympics Massachusetts for a regional basketball tournament and community basketball games. Babson student-athletes, coaches, and staff volunteered as announcers, referees, scorekeepers, and time keepers.

Under the direction of head coach Eric Neely, Babson women’s volleyball put together a historic season that included the program’s first national ranking and NCAA regional championship. One of eight teams to advance to the national quarterfinal round, the Beavers captured their third conference tournament championship since 2014 while qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

Photo: Matthew Niederhauser

Shakespeare has been reinvented for the digital age with Hamlet 360: Thy Father’s Spirit, a modern film version of the play in the emerging technology of virtual reality. Directed by Steven Maler, the founding artistic director of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, the hourlong film (available on the website of Boston public media station WGBH) had preliminary rehearsals at Babson’s Knight Auditorium. “This has never been done before,” says Maler. “This has been one of the most challenging and mind-bending projects I have ever worked on.”

Cecily (Cis) McClatchy Glavin, H’97
Photo: Patti Glavin O’Mara

Cecily (Cis) McClatchy Glavin, H’97, wife of Babson College’s ninth president William Glavin, H’99, died unexpectedly February 4, age 85. Cis was involved with many charitable organizations and served on various boards, including The American School in London, The American School in London Foundation, and New York City-based Lighthouse Guild and Elder Craftsman. She also was instrumental in raising funds and helping to design the Glavin Family Chapel on the Babson campus. Cis received an honorary doctorate degree from Babson in 1997 and was the undergraduate class Commencement speaker the same year. She is survived by her husband and 41 family members.

Carson Drake ’21

Drake took to these subjects while growing up in Lawrence, Kansas. “My interest in history and politics came from my dad,” she says. “He always watched the news or the History Channel, and I would watch with him. That led to my involvement in student government in middle school and high school.”

This past summer, Drake’s interests took her all the way to Washington, D.C. After completing her first year at Babson, the student-athlete, who plays midfielder on the women’s soccer team, served as an intern for Rep. Lynn Jenkins, the congresswoman for Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District.

Drake found the internship through a post on Facebook. “I applied on a whim, not expecting to be offered the position,” she says. “But when they extended the offer, I gladly accepted.” Drake’s many duties included researching and recommending legislation for Jenkins to co-sponsor, answering questions from constituents about the congresswoman’s policies, and giving tours of the U.S. Capitol. “It was a good way to get a feel for the day-to-day operations of the U.S. legislative system,” Drake says.

One of Drake’s favorite experiences during the internship was attending a lecture series featuring three prominent government leaders: Linda McMahon, administrator of the Small Business Administration; Alexander Acosta, secretary of labor; and Rep. Steve Scalise, House majority whip. Before coming to Washington, Drake didn’t realize how much her business education would help her during the internship. “Having a background in business, I was able to understand business legislation and tax policy, as well as the implications on both small businesses and large corporations,” she says.

Drake is just finishing her second season on the women’s soccer team, and she’s a Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Scholar and a member of Chi Omega as well. She first heard about Babson through a family friend’s son, Tanner Click ’16, who was a goalie on the men’s soccer team. She did her research and decided Babson was a fit. Drake appreciates the College’s emphasis on liberal arts. “I’ve taken business law, rhetoric, and astronomy,” she says. “These courses forced me to think outside the box. When I took business law, I determined I had a knack for law, but if I had only taken accounting and finance, I would have never realized that.”

Drake is leaning toward a concentration in legal studies or historical and political studies. Post graduation, she envisions running for office at the local or federal level. “I believe that through politics I can make a positive impact on many people’s lives,” she says, “while doing something I love.” —Scott Dietz, associate athletics director

Illustration: Oivind Hovland

Study abroad. That’s the number-one piece of advice I can give. I went on the Arcadia in Rome program, and while there, I also traveled to Lisbon, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, and many cities in Italy. Every city and country I visited, not only did I learn a new culture and perspective, but I also gained valuable insights into who I am as a student and person. In those three months, I learned more about myself than I have in my entire life. College is a fast-paced world, and I got caught up in doing too many things. Being abroad allowed me just to slow down, enjoy time alone, and truly appreciate what really matters. —My-Linh DeBonis ’19

Find people and environments where you can be yourself. For me that was Babson Dance Ensemble. I’ve danced my entire life, and it’s one of my greatest passions. The people I met through BDE are now some of my best friends and biggest inspirations, not only in terms of dance, but professionally and academically.

Also, take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Don’t be afraid to try new things. One of my favorite experiences at Babson was when I went on an elective abroad to Argentina and Uruguay during spring break. I didn’t know anyone going on the program, and I was very much out of my comfort zone. But I was able to make new friends and meet people whom I otherwise wouldn’t have. —Camille Jones ’19

A lot of times people come to Babson and say, I’ve got to get a 4.0 GPA. I got caught up in it, too. But it’s not worth the stress. I realized that college is more about the people you meet and the experiences you have. These things matter more. Your GPA only tells 10 percent of the story. There will always be someone with a higher GPA than you. Your experiences are what define you.

So value your time here, and focus on Babson holistically. Look for community, which sometimes can be difficult to find. Seek people with similar interests and bring them together. I was blessed to be a Posse Scholar, and I also took the initiative and headed the Muslim Student Association, helping to build it into a vibrant community. —Mahd Sharif ’19

My biggest tip for the incoming class: Get on Google Calendar and plan your life on it. The calendar helps me figure out my busy days and keeps me sane. My second tip is to make sure you’re passionate about everything you commit yourself to. My schedule is jam-packed, but I love everything I do.

Organizations like Habitat for Humanity, the admissions office , and my sorority, Chi Omega, are a few of the wonderful things that have made Babson feel like home to me. I also love attending performances by the Babson Dance Ensemble, the Rocket Pitches a cappella group, and the Students Against Gravity improv group. I even play on the women’s club ice hockey team. It makes me happy to take advantage of all the wonderful experiences that Babson offers. —Abi Cohen ’19

Photo: Tom Kates
Keith Rollag, Murata Dean of the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business

For seven years, he worked at Procter & Gamble.  After graduating with a degree in chemical engineering, Rollag took a job in product development. “I spent several years designing Pampers baby diapers. If you had told me that as a college student, I would have said there’s no way. But actually it was a fascinating product and a competitive industry.” After a few years, Rollag was looking for a more entrepreneurial endeavor within the company, so he transferred to its R&D division in Japan. “I got my passport, started taking some Japanese lessons, and six months later took my first trip out of the country to move to Japan. I spent almost five years there as a product development manager and then as a technical training manager.”

His Ph.D. is in industrial engineering with a focus on leadership.  “I was interested in leadership, because I found that in technology development, the technology is often the easy part. It was leading, influencing others, and making changes that was the hard part. So I was at Stanford for about six years, and I focused specifically on newcomers and how you bring them into organizations.”

In the next few years, he sees big changes in graduate education.  “It’s changed a lot already in terms of what people are looking for in their education, but it’s going to change so much more. The newer generation of prospective students wants something that’s—in the words of David Abdow, the dean of Executive and Enterprise Education— just in time, just enough, and just for me.” Babson will remain what Rollag calls “high touch,” meaning it will continue to value strong interactions among faculty, staff, and students. But the College also plans to rethink the structure of its MBA, with a smaller core and more electives, and it will expand offerings of smaller, less expensive credentials such as certificates. “This will make it easier for us to adjust our portfolio and learning experiences to match market demands. We’re also giving students the flexibility to tailor their learning experience to their goals and life constraints.”

Education is not just about information anymore, says Rollag.  “A lot of what people went to business school for before is now obtainable through two clicks on Google. There are countless articles and videos on leadership and business and entrepreneurship. I was at an HR conference, and a speaker said that by 2030, you’d better be out of the credential-selling business, or you won’t be here. People come to Babson to solve a professional development challenge, whether they want to be promoted or change careers or start a business. And we help them solve the challenges they are dealing with today. We don’t just provide information. We provide professional and business development solutions to individuals and organizations.”—Donna Coco

“During the year, we will share important new research, advance our strategic goals related to family enterprises and women entrepreneurs, and create social and economic value around the world,” says President Kerry Healey. “We will both honor our past and leverage this historic moment to prepare Babson for its next century.”

Among those preparations is the transformation of Babson’s main campus through four major projects: the recently dedicated Weissman Foundry and the Babson Recreation and Athletics Center, the Babson Commons at Horn Library, and Centennial Park, all three of which will be completed in 2019.

This fall, members of the College community nominated their most memorable Babson people, moments, and places for inclusion in the Babson100, a list to be revealed and celebrated in 2019.

The first major Centennial event is a February 8 fireside chat with President Healey and six of her predecessors, followed by a President’s Gala for students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Also, mark your calendar for the September 18-22 Centennial Celebration, which will bring three signature events together on campus: Babson Connect: Worldwide; the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs; and Back to Babson.

Visit www.babson.edu/centennial to learn more.—Andy Tiedemann

Photo: Bruce T. Martin

The new Weissman Foundry, which gives Babson, Olin, and Wellesley college students a space to build, collaborate, and explore ideas, is now open.

The 10,000-square-foot studio offers a range of workspaces for making anything from furniture to food, machines to movies. Access to hand tools, digital fabrication equipment, robotics, virtual- and augmented-reality technology, and more will be provided to students. Located on Map Hill Drive and named for Babson trustee Robert Weissman ’64, H’94, P’87, ’90, and his wife, Jan Weissman, P’87, ’90, the Foundry is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it available to students to work—and get feedback from others—whenever inspiration strikes.

“The goal is to create a place where creativity and inspiration can not only happen, but be taught and learned and implemented into ideas for all three schools,” explains Janos Stone, the new Foundry’s manager of innovation and design spaces.

Stone is no stranger to hands-on creativity. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Stone is a designer and sculptor whose work has been shown in New York City and internationally. He has taught design at the university level and founded or co-founded three companies, all built around “helping people use their inherent creativity to create a better environment or products for themselves,” he says. He is currently launching a fourth company, which makes kids’ minimalist playhouses constructed of corrugated plastic using “thick origami” techniques. Stone plans to use the same principles to create privacy screens in crowded refugee camps.

Soon after he was hired in the summer, Stone set to work hiring an equal number of students from Babson, Olin, and Wellesley to staff the foundry. He calls these employees “scouts,” with the idea that they support Foundry visitors in their creative processes. The goal is to ensure that the Foundry has a “nurturing, exploratory environment” that frees people to think in fresh ways.

Photo: Bruce T. Martin

Stone and the scouts gather at 5:30 on Monday evenings for regular meetings called “campfires.” “Those meetings are open to anybody, including faculty and students from any of the three schools,” Stone explains. The campfires give all a chance to discuss current and future projects or propose new programs and events.

Stone is encouraging Foundry users to think like artists and push boundaries. “That’s going to make better entrepreneurs,” Stone says. “The end result is people who are more creative in their thinking, who can develop better business models and better solutions, and who can take what they’re working on and make it more functional and valuable.”—Erin O’Donnell is a freelance writer in Milwaukee.