Photo: Joe Nadel

From left, Candida Brush, F.W. Olin Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and vice provost of global entrepreneurial leadership; Sheila Lirio Marcelo, founder, chairwoman, and CEO of Care .com; Stephen Kaufer, co-founder, president, and CEO of TripAdvisor; Kerry Healey, president; and Debi Kleiman, executive director of The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs ceremony

Photo: Paige Brown

From left, Neda Meghnot Litvak, MBA’87, P’20; Carolina Fernandez, P’14; and Ejaz and Femina Ali, P’12, gather at the President’s Society Reception. Carolina and Femina are Babson overseers.

Photo: Joe Nadel

President Kerry Healey cuts the ribbon at the opening ceremony for the new Babson campus at 100 High Street in downtown Boston.

Photo: Paige Brown

Robert Weissman ’64, H’94, P’87, ’90, trustee and founder of the Weissman Scholarship program at Babson, speaks at the Scholarship Luncheon.

Ricciardelli is a partner at MDD Forensic Accountants, a firm that specializes in valuations and quantifying economic damages. Whether testifying in court cases with millions of dollars at stake or negotiating tense settlements, Ricciardelli relies on the discipline he learned on the lacrosse field to stay composed. “You have to be mentally strong and keep your emotions out of it,” he says. He recalls a game against Bowdoin College during his senior year, playing at home in front of a big crowd on Founder’s Day, down by three goals in the fourth quarter. “We told each other, let’s not panic,” says Ricciardelli. “Then we got a goal, and then another, and another. Confidence is contagious, and we won the game.”

Growing up in neighboring Needham in the 1970s, Ricciardelli switched from high school baseball to lacrosse. But the sport was not yet widely popular, so he didn’t think about playing in college. He also had not seriously considered Babson, because it was so close to home. After a campus tour and a call from the lacrosse coach, however, he made his choice. Ricciardelli concentrated in accounting and quickly learned that student-athletes must be savvy time managers. “Playing lacrosse made me a better student in the classroom,” he says, “because I knew that I had to stay focused.”

In his sophomore season, Ricciardelli says the Beavers’ 7-4 record made them the most improved lacrosse team in New England. In 1979, his senior year, the team won the league with a 12-2 record and went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The friendships he forged among teammates remain some of his closest. “These are guys I know I can still call on if I am ever in a jam,” he says. The friends gather each year for golf outings and social events, with lacrosse a strong bond that holds them together. “I could make a call tomorrow and have 10 old guys on the field, ready to go,” Ricciardelli says with a laugh.

Ricciardelli was thrilled when his oldest son, Ryan ’09, MS’14, enrolled at Babson. After applying to several schools and choosing Babson, Ryan told his father, “It makes sense for me to go to the best business school.” At Babson, Ryan also concentrated in accounting while playing rugby, one of several club teams with devoted members and the same type of camaraderie that Glenn enjoys with his lacrosse teammates.

Ricciardelli’s business success off the lacrosse field has inspired him to use his time and expertise to give back in meaningful ways. He volunteers for Junior Achievement, recently speaking to a class of fourth-graders about financial literacy. Several years ago, he became a director and treasurer of Birthday Wishes, a charity that provides birthday parties for children living in homeless shelters in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. “We bring the cake, the presents, the games, everything,” he says. “Seeing the joy we bring to these kids and their families— it’s an organization that makes the world a better place.”

Ricciardelli’s philanthropic contributions to Babson are designated for the accounting program and the lacrosse team, both of which shaped his life. He is proud to help provide a Babson education, along with the benefits of sports and competition, to young student-athletes. “I’ve been so blessed,” he says, “and I am grateful to be able to share my good fortune with others.”—Jeff Stupakevich, manager, advancement communications