News, Notes + Nods

On April 13, the Babson community gathered in Knight Auditorium for an evening of “Celebrating Achievements in Entrepreneurial Thought and Action.” During the gala, the College inducted Eric Johnson ’72, P’08, owner of Baldwin Richardson Foods, into the Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. Established in 2008, the Hall of Fame celebrates alumni who have distinguished themselves in myriad entrepreneurial endeavors, recognizing their accomplishments in creating economic and social value. Since 2010, the Hall of Fame ceremony also has recognized Rising Stars, entrepreneurs who have founded or co-founded businesses that are less than 10 years old and are making an impact. As part of the celebration, The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship announced the winners of its Babson Entrepreneurial Thought and Action (BETA) Challenge, which awards entrepreneurs who have taken action to achieve major milestones in their businesses. —Lindsay Magoon, associate director, advancement communications

Trustee Eric Johnson ’72, P’08 (center), the 2016 Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fame honoree, poses with President Kerry Healey (left) and Vice Provost Candida Brush, P’14. Johnson is owner, president, and CEO of Baldwin Richardson Foods, one of the largest African-American owned businesses in the food industry.

The 2016 Rising Stars are (from left): Alex Debelov ’10 of Virool; Savitha Sridharan, MBA’14, of Orora Global; Alex Moazed ’10 of Applico; and Jamie Siminoff ’99 of Ring.

“Celebrating Achievements in Entrepreneurial Thought and Action” was held in Knight Auditorium and welcomed alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the College.

The night concluded with the announcement of the 2016 BETA Challenge winners, including (from left) Fernanda de Velasco and Joan Segura Oyamburu, MBA’17, of Play Business; Kiran Kashalkar, MBA’15, and Shiva Kashalkar, MBA’11, of Green Pinata; and Emily Levy ’16, Maria del Mar Gomez ’16, Julianne Carlin ’17, and Yousef Al-Humaidhi ’15 of PICCPerfect.