Connections
The inaugural Babson Connect: Worldwide event, an unprecedented opportunity for the global Babson community to gather and celebrate Entrepreneurship of All Kinds, took place April 24 to 26 in Cartagena, Colombia, a city offering stunning ocean views, gorgeous architecture, and rich culture. More than 200 Babson alumni, parents, and friends attended, participating in 11 panels and sessions presented by Babson faculty, local entrepreneurs, and members of the Global Advisory Board. Receptions were held at the beautiful homes of alumni and parents. At the awards gala, President Kerry Healey announced that Babson Connect: Worldwide 2016 will be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. —Lindsay Magoon, manager, alumni communications
On the first evening of the event, attendees were led through the streets of Cartagena by traditional drummers and dancers. Attendees then dined under the stars near the Baluarte de San Francisco Javier, a section of the historical wall built to protect the city.
At Saturday night’s awards gala, Jaime Gilinski (right), entrepreneurial banker, investor, and philanthropist, was inducted into Babson’s Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs. Catalina Escobar (center), president of the Juan Felipe Gomez Escobar Foundation, was awarded the first Community Changemaker Award from The Lewis Institute. Entrepreneur and trustee Carlos Mattos, MBA’76, P’17, received the inaugural Babson Connect: Worldwide 2015 Champion award.
On Sunday, attendees participated in the session “Leveraging the Babson Network for Global Enterprise” with Jeff Avallon ’06 (right), vice president of business development at IdeaPaint, and current student Martin Restrepo ’17 (left), whose company is working with IdeaPaint to distribute its products in Latin America. The session was moderated by President Healey.