News, Notes + Nods

Michael Bayer was among those named “CFO of the Year” by Boston Business Journal. Michael serves as CFO of iZotope, a maker of audio technology based in Cambridge, Mass. He also serves as an adjunct lecturer in finance at Babson.

Malik Fernando was interviewed by Forbes for a May 31 article, “From Ethical Teas to a Culturally Conscious Luxe Hospitality Brand in Sri Lanka.” Malik’s family tea business, Dilmah, branched out into hospitality with Resplendent Ceylon, a group of three luxury hotel properties in Sri Lanka, as detailed in the Forbes interview.

Patrice Thiry is chairman and CEO of ProwebCE, which offers a range of products for works councils in France. Works councils provide social and cultural activities for a company’s employees and are mandated in France for companies with more than 50 employees. Patrice emails, “I just sold my company to Edenred, one of the top 60 French companies, operating in 45 countries.” Edenred specializes in prepaid corporate services.

Christopher Nicotra emails, “This summer I had the opportunity to visit classmate Vinod Bakshani in Montreal. I also traveled to Silicon Valley and visited classmates Cassidy Morgan and Sameer Patel. After 20 years working with my family, I recently sold my share in our family firm, Olympia Holdings, and took the opportunity to travel with my son. I’ve started a new venture, Apollo Investment and RE Holdings. I look forward to growing this firm for the next 20 years of my life.”

Abby Fabiaschi penned a piece for The Washington Post over the summer. The July 31 article describes Abby’s experience with a serious illness and the parenting lessons she drew from it. Abby is the co-founder of Empower Her Network, a nonprofit that supports survivors of human trafficking, and is the author of the novel I Liked My Life. Visit abbyfabiaschi.com.

Doug Kopcso has been named interim head football coach at Needham High School, reports a July 25 Boston Herald article.

Caitlin Laman was featured in an Aug. 14 article, “7 Women Shaking Up Chicago’s Cocktail Scene,” on the website Make It Better. Caitlin is the beverage director at Ace Hotel in Chicago.

Rebecca Soon has been named deputy director of Honolulu’s Department of Community Services, reports a June 4 Honolulu Star Advertiser article.

Jaime Gaudet has been named director of school improvement planning for the Catholic Schools Office of the Archdiocese of Boston. Previously, Jaime served as director of admissions at Marian High School in Framingham, Mass.

Jenny Sargent serves as an associate director at Arabella Advisors in Chicago. She emails, “At Arabella, I work as part of a team to provide fiscal sponsorship and incubation services to a range of charitable initiatives. We partner with donors, grassroots organizers, and other leaders in the nonprofit world to launch and manage initiatives that enable them to focus on their mission while we execute their legal, financial, and operational framework. On a daily basis, I get to help push forward social change in the areas of gun-violence prevention and juvenile justice, among other issues.”

Dinesh Wadhwani was among those named to Worcester Business Journal’s list of the 50 most influential people in the central Massachusetts economy. Dinesh is the founder and CEO of ThinkLite, a maker of energy-saving LED light bulbs.

Tavishi Kanoria was featured in a July 25 Vogue India post, “Brides, Here’s Your One-Stop Shopping Destination in Kolkata,” profiling her upscale Kolkata fashion boutique, Citrine. Tavishi launched the shop with her mother in 2016.

Jack Grover and Ryan Carnevale ’13 launched Grove Bags, a Cleveland-based firm that creates storage products for cannabis, in 2016. Jack and Ryan were profiled in an Aug. 24 Cleveland Magazine article, “Grove Bags is Making Green from the Cannabis Industry.” Grove Bags, reports the magazine, makes everything from gram bags to 55-gallon drum liners.

Avika Shah and Nilomi Mehta are both “ambassadors” for Sheroes, a women’s community platform that offers support, resources, and opportunities for users. Avika and Nilomi were profiled on the site in August, describing their work and their goals for Sheroes. Avika is a senior financial services consultant at EY, and Nilomi is a senior advisory associate at KPMG, focusing on capital markets.

Tan Kabra, founder and CEO of LaunchByte, was featured in a July 5 article, “Five Innovative Tech Companies Working with LaunchByte,” on website Built In Boston. LaunchByte is a Boston-based investment firm specializing in early-stage ventures. Among the ventures receiving funding from LaunchByte are dating app BondApp and music booking platform Gigabit Live.

Nick Tasiopoulos organized a hockey fundraiser in August in honor of Weymouth (Mass.) police officer Michael Chesna and bystander Vera Adams, both killed in a July 15 shooting, reports an Aug. 21 article in The Enterprise newspaper of Brockton, Mass. The article notes that tickets to the event, held in Kingston, Mass., sold out in less than a week.

Robert Quirk: See Grad News, 2009.

John Floegel and Ryan Arena are both playing professional baseball with the Santa Fe (N.M.) Fuego of the Pecos League. John made his pitching debut in July, striking out six batters over five innings to pick up the win.

Ryan Gouveia will play minor league professional hockey in France in the upcoming season, playing forward for the Neuilly-sur-Marne Bisons, just outside of Paris.

Jack Pini has joined business-consulting firm Exceptional Leaders International, of Boston, in the role of senior advisor. Previously, Jack served as managing director, principal gifts and strategic initiatives, at Bentley University.

Bob Waddick was sworn in as Waltham (Mass.) city clerk in July, reports website Framingham Source in a July 24 article. The story notes that Bob was sworn in by his sister, Framingham city clerk Valerie Mulvey, and that the two are reportedly the only brother-sister city clerks in Massachusetts.

Andrew Frawley has joined V12 Data as CEO. V12 is an omnichannel data and marketing firm based in Tampa, Fla., and Matawan, N.J. Andrew was previously CEO of Epsilon.

Terry Becker is vice president and financial planning officer for Rockland Trust, a Rockland, Mass., bank. Before joining Rockland Trust, Terry served as estate and financial planning analyst for Fiduciary Trust.

Rebecca Bozadjian has joined Tighe & Bond, an engineering and environmental consulting firm based in Westwood, Mass., in the role of director of marketing and communications. Becky has served as a volunteer in CLTP, Babson’s developmental coaching program for undergraduates, since 2015.

Robert Hilliard is CIO at Academic Partnerships, a Dallas-based higher-education online service provider. Previously, Rob was with Laureate Education.

Jeffery Farley has been appointed vice president of global sales operations for Pegasystems, a customer-engagement software company based in Cambridge, Mass. Previously, Jeff was global business finance leader for worldwide sales and services at Red Hat.

Russell Deuell has joined Heatworks of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., as a program manager. Heatworks is a developer and provider of innovative water-heating technologies. Russell previously worked at Intel for more than a decade.

Adam Rudikoff emails, “I have recently moved my financial advisory practice to the Ameriprise Financial platform and successfully merged operations with two other advisors. Leveraging the tools and technology Ameriprise offers, as well as the added efficiencies of the merger, we offer comprehensive advice, risk mitigation, and investment management services to 1,000-plus clients, managing more than $150 million in total assets. We are steadfast, however, in our focus on maintaining individual relationships and our understanding that every client is our most important one. I can be reached at adam.rudikoff@ampf.com.”

Allan Telio has joined Nexamp, a provider of solar energy products based in Boston. Allan will serve as senior vice president of community solar. He has held leadership roles at a number of energy and tech companies.

Marco Valsecchi has been appointed country manager and managing director for the Adecco Group India, the Bangalore outpost of the temp staffing firm. Marco has been with the Adecco Group India since 2017, serving initially as CFO.

Tim Olcott emails, “In 2009, I teamed up with two former colleagues in the genomics space to start a clinical sequencing business. One year ago, we shut that business down, and we used our expertise and resources to found a cannabis science company called Medicinal Genomics. We are among the first companies to sequence the cannabis genome and have built many DNA-based assay applications around it. We support the cannabis-safety testing industry, sell genetic screening tools for cultivators, and sequence cannabis strains for growers.”

Mike Salguero, who launched meat-delivery service ButcherBox in 2015, has started a new endeavor with a few fellow Babson grads. SmoothieBox delivers ready-to-blend frozen smoothie pouches and packets of collagen protein. Available in three flavors, the healthy, protein-packed beverages can be reconstituted in minutes. Mike emails, “Babson grads have been the backbone of this launch. Evadne Cokeh, MBA’17, Felipe Martinez Hamilton, MBA’17, Robert Quirk ’17, and Kyle Alexander ’18 have been working with me to turn a small company into a large frozen-food platform.”

Karim El-Gamal was among those named to Worcester Business Journal’s list of the 50 most influential people in the central Massachusetts economy. Karim is a co-founder and co-owner of the Rail Trail Flatbread Company, New City Microcreamery, and modern speakeasy Less Than Greater Than, all in Hudson, Mass.

Tyler Murphy ’13, MS’13: See Undergrad News, 2013.

Alex (Balise) McEwen emails, “My husband, Trevor, and I welcomed a baby boy into our family. Connor James McEwen arrived on June 26.”

Evadne Cokeh and Felipe Martinez Hamilton: See Mike Salguero MBA’09.

Nicole Lakin is the founder and CEO of BarnManager, a cloud-based platform for barn managers and owners to manage their horses, employees, clients, and businesses. BarnManager recently joined forces with three other equine technology companies to support one another and better serve the equestrian industry. Nicole emails, “A huge influence for this collaboration was my experience at Babson and a craving for the entrepreneurial community that I had there.”

Juan Giraldo was interviewed by Boston Voyager about his startup, Waku. Waku is a beverage brewed from herbs and flowers grown in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. The Boston-area business was launched while Juan was at Babson and participated in the 2017 Summer Venture Program.

Ravish Majithia is co-founder of Magnomer, a firm that develops magnetic coatings for plastics, allowing them to be easily sorted in recycling plants. Ravish and Magnomer were profiled on the AmericanInno website in a July 12 article, “Sorting Plastic for Recycling is Key but Tricky. MassChallenge Startup Magnomer Can Help.” Magnomer is a finalist in this year’s MassChallenge, an accelerator and competition for startups.

Connections

On a beautiful September weekend, Babson alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends came together to reconnect at Back to Babson. The weekend included traditional highlights such as class parties, fun family activities at the Tent, sporting events, and Cocktails with Coaches. Babson proudly celebrated its extraordinary volunteers and held the annual Alumni Entrepreneur Awards ceremony, in which the Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fame inductee and recipients of the Rising Star award were honored. The Babson community saw all the exciting changes on campus, including ongoing work at the Babson Recreation and Athletics Center, the new Centennial Park, which will become the home of the Babson Globe, and the Babson Commons at Horn Library. Bob Weissman ’64, H’94, P’87, ’90, and wife Jan, P’87, ’90, along with their extended family, were on campus as President Kerry Healey honored their generosity and commitment to Babson during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly completed Weissman Foundry. —Jillian Erdos, associate director, advancement communications

As part of the Back to Babson weekend festivities, Lawrence Ward, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, hosted the Babson Black Affinity Network Family Reunion at his home. Outgoing president and founder of the Black Affinity Network, Leticia Stallworth ’99, MBA’13, was honored.

Photo: Justin Knight

Babson celebrated its many dedicated volunteers at the Leadership Brunch and presented Volunteer Leadership Awards to several deserving members of the community. Pictured here are (back row, from left) Joseph Weintraub, professor of management; Debra Thompson, P’21; Howard Brown ’88; President Kerry Healey; Dustan Bonnin, MBA’08; Patrick Baird ’11; (front row, from left) trustee emeritus Richard Snyder ’60, H’94, P’93, ’01; Babson Board of Trustees chair Marla Capozzi, MBA’96; senior lecturer Dawna Dewire, P’08, ’13, ’17; Felipe Venegas, MBA’03; and Alexandra Piccirilli ’94, president, Babson Alumni Association.

Babson honored Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fame inductee (far left) Richelieu Dennis ’91, trustee. He is founder, CEO, and executive chairman of Sundial Brands, as well as founder and chair of Essence Ventures. Babson also recognized Rising Star award winners Chinmoy Mishra (second from left) and Dhairya Gupta (fourth from left), both MBA’08, co-founders of AllizHealth, and (second from right) Dandan Zhu ’09, founder of Dandan Global. Joining them were President Healey (third from left) and Debi Kleiman (far right), executive director of the Blank Center.

In August, Babson welcomed international parents at an early-arrival reception. Enjoying the reception (from left) are Juliana and Carlos Mendes, P’22, along with Mario Mello, P’22, and Graziela Dassoler, P’22.

See more photos from Back to Babson at www.babson.edu/celebrations.

Frederic Alper of Boston died Aug. 9. He was a lecturer at Babson and served as president and chair of food brokerage firm Morris Alper.

William Lawler of Marlborough, Mass., died June 16. A longtime associate professor at Babson, he also held various other positions, including associate dean of the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business. He received the College’s Walter Carpenter prize in 2003.

Elizabeth Tuominen of Easton, Mass., died July 27. She worked in financial services at Babson and was earning her MBA.

Gerald Marion ’47 of Westbrook, Mass., died May 26. He served in the Navy during WWII and later worked for Metropolitan Life Insurance.

Richard Dates ’49 of Murrells Inlet, S.C., died Jan. 16.

Homer Redmond ’49 of Hudson, Ohio, died July 1. He served in the Navy and ran the H.A. Redmond Co. with his brother.

Richard Rogers ’50 of Old Lyme, Conn., died July 14. He served in the Marine Corps and spent his career working on the business side of the fashion industry.

Otis Page ’52 of Santa Clara, Calif., died April 18. He began his career with IBM and later co-founded Shugart Associates.

Lawrence Satell ’52 of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., died Sept. 13, 2017. He was an Army veteran who served in the Korean War.

Jefferson Vander Wolk ’53 of Gulf Stream, Fla., and Osterville, Mass., died on June 14. He served in the Air Force and was the author of The Workplace Where Everyone Wins.

Rodney Boynton ’55 of Exeter, N.H., died June 1. He served in the Air Force and had a long career as a computer analyst.

Joseph Constant ’56 of South Russell, Ohio, died on July 18. He served in the Army during the Korean War and later founded Computer Information Corp.

Edward Karas ’59 of Norwalk, Conn., died June 30. An Army veteran, he owned and operated Floor Covering Warehouse, his family’s business, until he retired.

Tucker Miller ’59 of Brookline, Mass., and Lyndeboro, N.H., died Aug. 1. He was president of his class at Babson and became a certified property manager, working in the family business, Clifford V. Miller.

Leslie Bond ’60 of Ayer, Mass., died July 10. After serving in the Army, he became a golf pro at Wellesley Country Club.

Max Pachl, MBA ’60, of Springfield, Mo., died Sept. 4, 2017. An Army veteran, he served in WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He later pursued careers in business, education, and real estate.

John Russell ’63 of Longmeadow, Mass., died Aug. 24. He served in the Navy, worked as a senior buyer in Pratt & Whitney’s purchasing department, and later became a substance abuse counselor.

David Tracht ’63 of Salem, Mass., died July 26. He worked for the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind for 41 years and was chair of the Salem Commission on Disabilities. Survivors include daughter Ashley Tracht McHarrie ’07.

Robert Kane ’65 of Kennebunkport, Maine, died July 12. He ran James F. Kane Insurance in Lowell, Mass., for many years and worked in real estate, among other endeavors.

Kenneth Patrick, MBA’68, of Plymouth, Mass., died July 1. He served in the Navy Reserve and worked in the tech industry.

William Yeo ’68 of Amesbury, Mass., died Aug. 14. Until retiring in 2006, he was owner and president of Yeo Chevrolet Volkswagen. Survivors include daughters Jennifer Yeo ’00 and Sara Parisi ’02, MBA’09.

James Loew, MBA’70, of Salem, N.H., died June 12. He served in the Army Reserve and worked for several firms, including Borden Chemical and Arthur Andersen.

Carl Swanson, MBA’70, of Marstons Mills, Mass., died July 2. He served in the Army during WWII and worked as a certified public accountant for more than 50 years.

Pate Rawak ’71 of Levittown, Pa., died Aug. 10. He worked for Airstream, maker of travel trailers, for more than 30 years.

Anthony Cardillo, MBA’72, of Wayland, Mass., died May 27. An Army veteran, he worked on missile and anti-missile programs at General Dynamics and Sylvania/GTE.

George Cody ’72 of Franklin, Mass., died Aug. 12. A lifelong Franklin resident, he was a member of the town’s fire department for 34 years.

Ira Carlin ’73 of Pompano Beach, Fla., died May 22.

David Fierke ’73 of Tampa, Fla., died May 25. He had a long career in finance, joining the Florida Department of Financial Services in 2006.

Cheryl Fraser ’73 of Mokena, Ill., died June 13. She worked in market development research for McDonald’s and Burger King, and later launched her own market research company.

John Haines ’73 of Dayville, Conn., died April 10. He owned and operated Friendly Spirits in Danielson, Conn., for 45 years.

Charles Monroe, MBA’74, of Scottsdale, Ariz., died May 19.

Paul Bentley ’75 of Kennewick, Wash., died Nov. 21, 2017. He was a former resident of Seward, Alaska, and worked as an auditor for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Stephen Wood ’75 of Green Bay, Wis., died May 29. He was a Navy veteran.

Thomas Gladstone ’78 of Greenwich, Conn., died July 23. He worked in the family business, Arco Publishing, and in real estate.

Stephen Meyers ’83 of Jaffrey, N.H., died July 15. He founded SCM Associates and Granite Lists, a list management company.

Mark Tanny, MBA’86, of Brownsville, Vt., died June 4. He worked at Ivek Corp., which he later purchased.

John Nelson, MBA’87, of Venice, Fla., died Aug. 9. He was a fund accountant for HarbourVest Partners, a Boston private equity firm.

Frank Taubner ’96 of Stamford, Conn., died July 17. He had a law practice in White Plains, N.Y.

Michael Furey ’97 of Long Beach, N.Y., died July 31. He worked as a stockbroker at Goldis Financial Group.

Lesley DeMaio Duffy ’99 of Chicago died July 15. A varsity athlete at Babson, she worked in marketing and media in Boston, London, and Chicago.

Marcello Gentile, MBA’05, of Sandwich, Mass., died July 3. He formerly resided in Newton, Mass.

Patrick Doherty ’12 of Arlington, Mass., and San Diego, Calif., died July 16. He played baseball at Babson and studied finance.

Daniel Gero, MBA’13, of Plainville, Mass., died Aug. 23. He was an Army veteran who served in Iraq, and he worked as a financial analyst for Oracle.

Guy Horgan ’14 of Portsmouth, N.H., died Aug. 6. He worked at Opendoor, a San Francisco real estate startup.