Arthur Blank, H’98, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, was inducted into the National Football Foundation Leadership Hall of Fame in January. The event was held at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, with Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed among those in attendance. Arthur was the 10th inductee into the Hall of Fame, which recognizes leadership qualities and success.
Bob Begin, reports Wicked Local Lexington, has spent more than 20 years researching the history of the USS Quincy, a Navy cruiser lost in the Guadalcanal offensive during World War II. In January, Bob recounted the Quincy’s story at the Cary Memorial Library in Lexington, Mass., in a presentation hosted by the Lexington Veterans Association.
Brian Barefoot, H’09, P’01, made a “significant” contribution to the Northshire Bookstore’s Open Mind scholarship fund, reports the Manchester (Vt.) Journal in a Jan. 28 article, “Donors Increase Open Mind Scholarship Tenfold.” The former Babson president, along with fellow Vermont resident Tony Whaling, made it possible for the scholarship to support three Vermont students chosen through an essay contest.
Dennis daRosa was profiled by the Vineyard Gazette in a Jan. 25 feature titled “When Printing Is the Family Business, That’s All She Wrote.” The story describes his work as vice president and coowner of daRosa’s-Martha’s Vineyard Printing, based in Oak Bluffs, Mass. It also reports that the family-owned business, started by Dennis’ father in 1935, prints everything from town reports to ferry tickets.
Mark Lipton emails, “My recent book, Mean Men, launched in early September. It has been creating a stir, given the news of our president and some other entrepreneurial personalities whom I’ve featured (Harvey Weinstein, Lance Armstrong, Dov Charney, Trump, and a host of others).” Such men, the book argues, have built their careers on being mean, and we pay a price as a society. Mark is a graduate professor of management at the New School in New York City. He has long served as an adviser to Fortune 500 corporations, think tanks, philanthropic organizations, not-for-profits, and startups.
John Kent has been named head coach of the boys varsity lacrosse program at Monomoy Regional High School in Harwich, Mass., the Cape Cod Times reported in December. John was previously assistant varsity coach and head JV coach at Foxborough (Mass.) High School.
Maria Serpentino, P’05, emails, “I’m looking forward to seeing our classmates at our 40th Reunion in September! We have lots of memories from our years together at Babson, and it’ll be nice to reminisce and catch up on what everyone is doing. I still have my stained-glass business in Needham, but my husband, Roberto, and I try to spend as much time as possible on our trawler cruising from New England to Florida and the Bahamas.”
Steve Feinstein was profiled on the website CGMA.org in its “Meet our CGMAs” column. Steve, a Chartered Global Management Accountant, a CPA, and CFO for Conceptual Mind-Works in San Antonio, Texas, was dubbed “The Crooning CPA” for his work as half of Fein Tuned, a musical duo comprising Steve and wife Kathy. Fein Tuned performs throughout South Texas at wineries, coffee shops, restaurants, farmers markets, and private parties. Steve emails, “Follow your passion. If your passion is numbers, go after it and have fun with it; if your passion is music, go after it and have fun with it.”
Robert Blumenfeld emails that he received the inaugural Thomas Farrell Memorial Award from The M&A Advisor. The award recognizes an individual deemed by his or her peers to have made the year’s most generous contribution to the advancement of the mergers and acquisitions industry. Bobby serves as the executive director of the Association for Corporate Growth’s New York chapter. The award was presented to him at a November gala at the Metropolitan Club in New York.
Duncan Donahue principal of the Donahue Realty Group and vice president and broker with Keller Williams Realty International, has joined Noticed (formerly The Expert Network), an invitation-only brandmanagement service for professionals.
Aaron Walton played a key part in placing a Lexus LC prominently in the blockbuster movie Black Panther. As reported in Black Enterprise and elsewhere, Walton Isaacson, the ad agency co-founded by Aaron, works with the carmaker to help the brand connect with black consumers. Early in the movie’s production phase, Aaron met with executives from Marvel Studios and saw an opportunity for Lexus. Walton Isaacson also produced a Black Panther Super Bowl ad for Lexus.
Christine Bailey Laidman emails, “My husband, Dave, and I have started Engage Wellness Systems, based in Dover, Mass. We’ve identified Infinity massage chairs and InBody body composition analyzers as the premier products in their respective fields. We’re selling these products to corporate wellness programs, fitness facilities, and sports teams, among others. Our daughter, Devon, is a senior at Union College and son Bailey is a freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill. We are definitely engaged in where life is taking us!”
Brad Drury (back row, second from left) emails, “Alpha Kappa Psi is back! More than 80 alumni and current Gamma Nu brothers gathered on campus for a lively time of fellowship and fun in early November. Twenty-odd brothers enjoyed a raucous game of Frisbee golf (we had to teach the current brothers what we were doing). Later that evening, we met in Olin Hall for food, drink, foosball, and a 1986 Chuck and Helen video, as well as a slide show.”
From left, Trustee Bruce Herring; Patrick Gregory, managing director of the Stephen D. Cutler Center for Investments and Finance; Stephen Cutler, MBA’61, trustee emeritus; Marla Capozzi, MBA’96, Board of Trustees chair; and Joel Shulman, P’12, ’14, ’20, professor of entrepreneurship, were among those on hand at the New York Stock Exchange in November to celebrate the launch of Joel’s Entrepreneur 30 exchange-traded fund. Bruce emails, “It was incredible to participate in this event, which saw the intersection of three things I am passionate about: investing, entrepreneurship, and Babson. I am thrilled for Joel and was honored to be part of this successful day.”
Karl Ferguson has joined the Espanola Valley (N.M.) Humane Society as deputy director. In this role, he will work to provide strategic direction and oversight to the organization. He has spent many years in fundraising for humanitarian causes, most recently serving as COO and CFO of the St. Vincent Hospital Foundation in Santa Fe.
Vicente Carvajal: See Betsy Powell, MBA’76.
Scott Couto joined Columbia Threadneedle Investments, the global asset management group of Ameriprise Financial, in the role of head of North America. Scott has worked in the investment industry for more than 27 years. Previously, he was president of Fidelity Institutional Asset Management. In his new position, he also joins the executive team of Ameriprise Financial.
Richelieu Dennis a Babson trustee, sold his personal-care product company, Sundial Brands, to Unilever in November. Forbes reports that, as part of the deal, Sundial and Unilever are creating the New Voices Fund to empower female entrepreneurs of color. Richelieu was also in the news in January, when he bought Essence magazine from Time Inc.
Michael Dennehy has served as town administrator for Milton, Mass., since 2016. In January, the town’s board of selectmen voted unanimously to extend his contract, reports The Patriot Ledger in a Jan. 10 article. Prior to taking on the town administrator job, Michael spent two decades working for the city of Boston, most recently as commissioner of the Public Works Department.
Kristine Ball has been named to the board of directors of Forty Seven, a clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing the next generation of cancer treatments. Kristine is senior vice president of corporate strategy and CFO of Menlo Therapeutics of Redwood City, Calif. She also serves on the board of the National Kidney Foundation’s Northern California chapter.
David Glow and Susan Verde Glow ’95, MBA’01, visited the skating rink at Rockefeller Center with their daughters, Sabrina (left) and Cassie (right). Susan emails, “We reside in Tampa, Fla., but were visiting clients in New York for our daughters’ professional voice-over business, Glow Girls Kid Voiceover. Glow Girls specializes in kids’ voice-over for animation, cartoons, network promos, toys, and commercials. Clients include Disney, Nick Jr., Cartoon Network, Universal Kids, Fisher-Price, and Sesame Street. Please visit the website to learn more. We would love to connect on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, too!”
Bob Mullaney has been appointed president and CEO of RG Barry, a Pickerington, Ohio, developer and marketer of footwear and accessories whose brands include Dearfoams and Foot Petals. Previously, Bob served as president and COO of Shoes.com and, before that, as president of the Americas for The Rockport Co.
Dianne Gauthier has been named executive director of Women’s Empowerment through Cape Area Networking (WE CAN), a women’s advocacy group based in Harwich Port, Mass. Dianne previously served as a development consultant with Lower Cape Outreach Council and also has worked with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. A Cape Cod native who grew up in California, she started her career as an instructional designer and trainer with Bell Atlantic.
Finna Huang was named to Indonesia Tatler’s list of the “Top 50 Most Powerful and Inspirational People in Indonesia” in February. Finna was recognized for founding the Jakarta Women and Children Clinic, which provides gynecological and pediatric services.
Alvaro Pena: See Betsy Powell, MBA’76.
Vanessa Wood is co-founder of the International Gifted Consortium (IGC), a research center for the highly and profoundly gifted. She was interviewed in February by Education News about the history and goals of the IGC and the needs of gifted children.
Alberto Perlman is co-founder and CEO of Zumba, the Latin-dance inspired fitness brand. He was interviewed by Inc. magazine for a story titled “Zumba Co-Founder: Here’s When You Should Leave the Money on the Table,” describing Zumba’s success and how it became a “global phenomenon.” Zumba, the story notes, is practiced by 15 million people around the world.
Juan Salas-Romer is president of NHR Group, a real-estate development and property management firm in New Haven, Conn. He and NHR partner Noel Petra were profiled by the New Haven Independent in a Feb. 9 article, “New Builder Revives Riverfront Dream.” The story reports that the firm plans to renovate three existing buildings and construct a fourth on the banks of the Quinnipiac River to house apartments, a cafe, and retail outlets.
Jamie Siminoff, founder of video-doorbell company Ring, sold the business to Amazon for a reported $1 billion. Jamie was recognized as a Babson Rising Star in 2016. Ring is intended to help reduce crime and provide affordable security.
Leticia Stallworth (MBA’13): See Dexter Williams, MBA’98.
Amanda Bricault is the owner of a day-of-wedding coordination company, Breathe Easy Events, based in New Hampshire. Mandy helps execute the final details of her clients’ weddings, working to guarantee that everything goes smoothly. She emails, “The last thing a couple should worry about on their wedding day is whether all is going as planned. It’s rewarding to take away that stress, so they can relax and not have to think about anything other than marrying the love of their life.”
Bill Sherman (MBA’12): See Jessica Chang, MBA’12.
Sonia Guzman is the founder of Carson Life, which provides more than 50 products for hair, beauty, health, and sports nutrition; the products are customized for Hispanic men, women, and families. She launched Carson Life after identifying a need in the marketplace for personal-care products aimed at the Hispanic community. The products are sold at Walmart, Walgreens, and elsewhere.
Eric Roberge was interviewed by ThinkAdvisor on how to work with younger customers for a Dec. 14 article, “Warning to Veteran Advisors: Your Old Model Won’t Cut It With Millennials.” Eric, a certified financial planner, specializes in clients in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. In 2013, he started Beyond Your Hammock, a financial-planning firm helping young professionals design and implement financial strategies.
Shivani Gupta emails, “I am working to bring modern Ayurveda to the world and bring Ayurveda to the forefront as a health modality. My line of supplements, Fusionary Formulas, is designed to bring ancient Ayurvedic healing properties into the modern age. Our all-natural formulas help reduce pain and stiffness, inflammation, carb cravings, anxiety and stress, chronic joint pain, and much more in a balanced, natural way. They are a powerful preventive we should all take every day.”
James Mamary (MBA’13): See Melissa Mamary ’04.
Katrina Majkut is an artist whose work has been shown around the country, including in a solo show at Babson in 2016. This year, she will take part in exhibitions at the University of Maine at Farmington; at Future Tenant in Pittsburgh; and at Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pa. In March, her work appeared at the Spring/Break Art Show with The Untitled Space gallery in New York City.
Melissa Mamary and husband James Mamary ’03, MBA’13, have launched Crooked Oak, a craft distillery. Melissa emails, “Along with James’ brother, Jonathan, we have created our Rockland, Mass., business from the ground up. James handcrafts all of our spirits from start to finish. Crooked Oak’s Barrel Reserve Gin and Barrel Reserve Vodka are available for purchase in several Boston-area locations. Each bottle is hand-labeled, and our gin won a silver medal in the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition.”
Bob Weisse emails, “As chief investment officer of Heritage Financial Services in Westwood, Mass., I take pride in our portfolio management approach and the comprehensive financial planning services we provide to our clients. Heritage has received accolades from the likes of Forbes, Barron’s, and Bloomberg. In 2017, Charles Schwab recognized us with the Best-In-Business Impact Award. This prestigious award is given to a single firm, using Schwab’s criteria of excellence in the business of independent financial advice.”
Erica Barry was inducted into the Austin Prep Athletic Hall of Fame in April. At the Reading, Mass., preparatory school, Erica was a four-year varsity softball player and was named a two-time All-Scholastic by both the Boston Herald and The Boston Globe. Later, she played softball at Babson for four years.
Patrick Cahill emails, “I launched #twiceasnice Recruiting in August 2017, seeing an opportunity to apply the efficiencies of my company—beep! Directed—to an industry ripe for change. In January, #twiceasnice celebrated the signing of our 40th client in just four months. With a process that allows us to charge less than half the national average and provide six times the industry norm guarantee, we’ll continue this trajectory of growth and help drive down the cost of recruiting.” Patrick is shown with wife Olga Brik ’08 and their daughter, Sloan.
Kit Yan: See Mark Gagliardi, MBA’17.
Pavel Khodorkovsky and Connell McGill ’08 are the founders of Enertiv, which uses data and analytics to enhance building operations in commercial real-estate portfolios. In January, Enertiv closed a $4.25 million funding round, including an investment by VC firm Fifth Wall.
Reagan Pollack (left) emails, “In November, I was invited to the New York Stock Exchange closing bell ceremony to celebrate the IPO of the new exchange-traded fund Entrepreneur 30, launched by entrepreneurship professor Joel Shulman (right), P’12, ’14, ’20, founder and managing director of Entrepreneur-Shares. It was an honor to celebrate Joel’s amazing work and participate in this first-class event. We were joined by Babson trustee Bruce Herring ’87 and Board of Trustees chair Marla Capozzi, MBA’96, among others.”
Ralph Saturne (MBA’12): See Jessica Chang, MBA’12.
Maja Stevanovich emails, “I am the executive vice president, client service and strategy, at Mungo Creative Group, a full-service marketing agency with clients such as American Express, Quicken, and Reebok. About six months ago, I convinced our CEO that we needed a Midwest office in addition to our NYC headquarters and that the perfect place for it was Milwaukee. The city is going through a renaissance of startups. If alums are interested in employment opportunities or partnering with us on their next project, I’d love to hear from them (maja@mungocreativegroup.com).”
Jesse Levin and his business, Tactivate, were featured in a Dec. 1 Forbes article, “Meet the ‘Expeditionary Entrepreneur’ Helping Puerto Rico Recover by Rebuilding Small Businesses.” Tactivate unites the expertise of military special operations veterans and disaster-response communities to help solve challenges and aid recovery efforts in areas hit by disasters.
Connell McGill: See Pavel Khodorkovsky ’07.
Nikki Stier Justice recently was promoted to COO at Good Deed Entertainment, an independent studio. Nikki emails, “I will oversee financing, production, distribution, corporate branding, and operations. Despite this being our first year as a distributor, we were nominated for an Academy Award [in the animated feature category] for our ground-breaking film, Loving Vincent. GDE continues to grow in the independent film space with the goal of supplying character-driven content to underserved audiences.”
Back row from left, Marissa Ferber, Eric Yang, Shueb Ahmed, Jodi Brauer, MS’09, Mila Doddi, and Malvin Hoxhallari, and, in front, Will Sparks met up at the annual holiday alumni party at the Houndstooth Pub in New York City. Marissa emails, “It was great to kick off the holidays with Babson classmates. We all enjoyed toasting the season together.”
Nicole Dagesse, MS’10 (right), emails, “More than two years ago, I co-founded MyStryde, Boston’s first treadmill studio, with Rebecca Skudder (left). Our first studio, in Boston’s North End, opened in January 2016. The studio has become a hub for runners and non-runners interested in training for a 5K, half-marathon, or full marathon. There are three signature classes—endurance, stryde (speed), and power stryde (boot camp)—that ensure everyone gets the workout they need. Imagine spinning, but with treadmills. We also recently partnered with Forte, which allows our classes to be streamed across the country for anyone to take.”
Pichon Duplan, MS’11 (left), emails, “Fast Forward is a socialimpact organization that helps students accelerate their careers. It was started by me and Tucker Matheson (right) to address the fact that four out of five college students are graduating without jobs. Since launching in November 2016, we have helped more than 1,000 students through interactive events, content, and workshops and have distributed more than 2,000 copies of our book, Fast Forward: What Is Your College Degree Worth? Fast Forward is expanding its role to help even more students get job experience in 2018.”
Andrew Kitzenberg is founder and CEO of Boston-based OnHand, which makes and markets tech accessories designed for students. He emails, “OnHand is launching a really cool new product. It’s a wireless charging station for all your devices, coupled with a slim smart wallet. It also has a place for your Apple Watch charger, enabling you to organize your devices and keep them powered.” Andrew launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund the new product, which the company announced in March.
Cross-country alumni (front, from left) Jordan Bray, Jake Williams ’13, Marina Capalbo ’15, Kim Dvorak ’16, Vin Framularo ’03; (back, from left) J.D. Greenfield ’17, Chris Pierce ’13, MS’13, Nate Kolman ’14, Matt Walsh ’07, Brian Hickey ’15, Brian deLeon ’14, and Amy Warner ’17 turned out for the NEWMAC championships at Boston’s Franklin Park in October. Jordan emails, “It was great to be able to cheer on the men’s and women’s cross-country teams with fellow alumni. It was a humid fall day, which added some challenges for the Beavers. But reminiscing with friends old and new reminds us that the journey is often more important than the result.”
Kristina Hurley Benoit was inducted into the Shrewsbury (Mass.) High School Athletic Hall of Fame in November. Kristina was a first-ballot hall of famer who excelled in three sports in high school. She went on to play soccer, basketball, and lacrosse at Babson.
Enrico Palmerino reports that botkeeper, the automated bookkeeping company he founded, is “growing quite a bit. We have doubled and will soon triple our head count. We just finished raising $4.5 million from notable investors, such as Ignition and 500 Startups. That was awesome. And we just opened our office in the Philippines.” Austin Epperson ’14, botkeeper’s director of global operations, oversaw the build-out of the Philippines office.
Allen Austin has been promoted to cash management and administrative officer, municipal banking, at the Bank of Greene County, based in Catskill, N.Y. Allen joined the bank in 2014 as part of a management training program.
From left, Isaac Sredni ’75, Carlos Gontovnik ’75, Ralph Levy ’89, Jonatan Lustgarten, MBA’15, Gerri Randlett, managing director of Babson’s Alumni and Friends Network, Julian Coymat, MBA’15, Julian Jattin, Remberto Andres Vilaro ’09, and Alvaro Pena ’96 attended an alumni dinner in Barranquilla, Colombia, in November. Julian Jattin emails, “I was invited to the event by Alvaro Pena, who leads the Alumni Club in Colombia. It was great to hear what’s going on at Babson and see how the school has created such an amazing alumni network. Babson has truly mastered the art of building a sustainable community.”
P.T. Donato was featured in a Jan. 24 Boston Globe article, “Together, Wellesley Remains on Target.” P.T., who played hockey at Babson, is in his second year coaching the Wellesley High School girls hockey program, which was highlighted in the article.
Austin Epperson: See Enrico Palmerino ’11.
George Genco: See Dexter Williams, MBA’98.
Eric Muli was featured in a Dec. 14 article, “How I Started My Company, Lipa Later,” on the Daily Nation website. Lipa Later is a product of Odyssey Capital, which Eric founded in 2015. Lipa Later, Eric explains, is intended to help young people in Kenya purchase electronic devices such as phones and computers; customers deemed creditworthy can borrow the devices and make monthly payments toward their purchases.
Yousef Al-Humaidhi: See Shiva Kashalkar, MBA’11.
Diana Yuan is co-founder and COO of indico, a software startup that recently announced $4 million in new equity seed funding led by Osage Venture Partners.
Sam Barber is president of Cultivate Holdings, which runs the first medical marijuana dispensary in Worcester County, Mass. A Dec. 5 Worcester Telegram & Gazette story reported that the 23,000-squarefoot former tool and die shop, located in Leicester, features marijuana cultivation, processing, and dispensing all under one roof.
Emily Levy and Maria del Mar Gomez: See Shiva Kashalkar, MBA’11.
Stephen Cutler: See Bruce Herring ’87.
Jerry Rafaniello emails, “We made it back for our 50th Reunion last September. MBA’67 classmates and spouses, seated from left, are Karen Coulter, Marie Ann LaBrie, Althea Corsini, P’03, Tonia Moran, Marilyn Sanford, and Larry Sanford. Standing from left are Warren Coulter, Marcus Moran, Bob La Brie, Russell Corsini, P’03, Linda Foley, Tom Foley, Steve Morison, Anne Stunzi Morison, Carroll Rafaniello, and Jerry Rafaniello. We enjoyed a luncheon at President Healey’s residence and dinner at the Corsinis’ on Friday. We also got together for an early dinner at the Babson Executive Conference Center on Saturday. We’re looking forward to the Babson Centennial in 2019!”
Frank Clegg was featured in a Dec. 22 article, “Can a Christmas Gift Change a Life?,” in the Fall River, Mass., Herald News. Frank is the founder of Frank Clegg Leatherworks, a Fall River maker of fine leather goods; the gift in question was a set of leather-working tools that Frank received while in college.
Gary Laabs emails that he is on his third career. After being drafted in 1966, he spent 20 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. Gary was then vice president, human resources, at Utz Quality Foods in Hanover, Pa., for 20 years. He writes, “While at Utz, I participated in short-term overseas medical missions as a helper. I always wanted to do more. When I realized that through a program at our local community college I could be an RN in two years, I went for it. I plan to be on a medical mission to Madagascar in July.”
Betsy Powell, P’01 (center), visited Bogota, Colombia, in January, en route to Iquitos, Peru, for a river cruise through the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve with husband David. In Bogota, she connected with Alvaro Pena ’96 (left), president of the Alumni Club of Colombia, and Vicente Carvajal ’91 (right), the club’s former president. Betsy and Vicente are both members of the College’s Global Advisory Board. Betsy emails, “I enjoyed discovering Bogota with Babson’s leading lights in Colombia!”
Jim Harrison retired last year after 45 years working in sales and product marketing in the electronics and technology industries. His former employers included Fujitsu and ITT. After spending the past 20 years in San Jose, Calif., Jim and his wife, Bette, have relocated to Orange County in Southern California. He emails, “Retirement is a beach!”
Tom Raffio emails, “Along with my co-author Annabel Beerel, I published a book on mindfulness in January, titled Mindfulness: A Better Me; A Better You; A Better World. This is a down-to-earth, practical guide for leaders, managers, and families. It explains what mindfulness is and how to build it into the culture at work and home. It’s filled with stories, case studies, and examples that show how to begin or deepen one’s own practice of mindfulness or assist others in beginning theirs.”
Carolyn Clancy was inducted in March into the Chelmsford (Mass.) High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame, reports the Lowell Sun. The newspaper notes that Carolyn serves as executive vice president and head of the broker-dealer segment at Fidelity Investments. She also serves on the boards of Assumption College and the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston.
Scott Sanborn has joined Harbor One Bank, based in Brockton, Mass., as senior vice president of commercial lending. Previously, Scott worked at Fleet Bank and Santander (formerly known as Sovereign Bank). Most recently, he served as regional vice president at TD Bank.
Dennis Renaud has been named CEO of Panduit, a maker of physical, electrical, and network infrastructure products based in Tinley Park, Ill. Dennis has had a career in sales, marketing, engineering, product management, and business unit leadership and has lived in the U.S. and Japan.
Marty Middelmann emails, “I’m enjoying life here in Franklin, Mass., with my wife, Patricia, and two daughters, Catherine and Lizzie. In 2018, I will be riding in my 10th Pan-Mass Challenge ride. I ride in honor and in memory of family and friends who have battled cancer, including Babson classmate Amie Shapiro White, MBA’95, who lost her battle in 2016. To date I have raised just over $58,000 for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In 2018, I hope to raise another $10,000. If you would like to help me reach that goal, you can do so at PMC.org.”
Marla Capozzi: See Bruce Herring ’87.
Kevin Gregoire joined Blackbaud in April as group president, overseeing the company’s Enterprise Marketing Group for North America. Kevin has had more than 20 years’ experience in the software industry, most recently at Fiserv, a provider of financial services technology products. Blackbaud, a cloud software company headquartered in Charleston, S.C., specializes in fundraising products, such as the Raiser’s Edge, for nonprofits.
Stephanie Elia was one of three women profiled in an article,“Women Business Owners in the Attleboro Area Prove That Being Boss Is Not Just a Man’s Job,” that ran in The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro, Mass. The newspaper reports that Stephanie is the owner of Elia Business Services, specializing in bookkeeping and online accounting services.
Clifford Rust was appointed chief financial and administrative officer at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in September, reports the Boston Business Journal. Before joining the museum, Clifford served as CFO and director of administration at Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society. He also sang with the H+H Chorus for many years.
From left, George Genco ’14; Carol Hacker, of Babson’s Alumni and Friends Network; Leticia Stallworth ’99, MBA’13; and Dexter Williams, were among the alumni who met at McGee’s Pub in New York City before a performance of “Sing Along: The Music of Stevie Wonder” at Carnegie Hall in December. The gathering was organized by Babson’s Black Affinity Network. Dexter emails, “It’s always fun to get together with old and new Babson friends.”
Jade Butay was named director of Hawaii’s Department of Transportation in October, reports the Honolulu Star Advertiser. Jade has been deputy director since 2015 and previously served as deputy director for the state’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
Jeffrey Drucker has been named chair of the board of directors of Hebrew SeniorLife, a major provider of senior health care and living communities in New England. Jeff has been a volunteer leader at HSL for 18 years, including stints as chair of the development committee, a member of the finance committee, and president of the Friends of HSL. Jeff emails, “As a third-generation volunteer for Hebrew SeniorLife, I know how important this organization is to so many families. I’m incredibly proud to take on this role and look forward to helping HSL innovate senior care and increase philanthropic support.”
Juan Alfonso has been named president and CEO of the Light Rail Manila Corp., reported the Philippine News Agency in December. Juan previously served as COO of AboitizPower.
Susan Verde Glow (’95): See David Glow ’93.
Gloria Kolb is CEO of the startup Elidah, a maker of a device that treats stress urinary incontinence in women. Hartford Business Journal reported in January that Elidah received both a National Science Foundation grant and a Department of Defense contract to further develop its technology. Each award is worth $150,000.
Colleen Langevin has been named chief marketing officer of Epicor Software, an Austin, Texas, provider of industry-specific enterprise software serving manufacturing, distribution, retail, and service-industry customers. Previously, Colleen was CMO for CleaResult, where she led the company’s go-to-market strategy.
Guy Van Meter has joined Adimab of Lebanon, N.H., as senior director, head of business development. Adimab is a biotechnology company that develops therapeutic human antibodies. Guy previously served in a business-development role at Pfizer.
David Lockhart has been named president of Boston-based Gemini Transportation Underwriters, a W.R. Berkley company. He joined Gemini as a senior vice president in 2014 and was promoted to executive vice president in 2017. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the property and casualty insurance industry.
Christopher Messina is part of a newly formed cross-functional leadership team at John Hancock Retirement Plan Services. Chris is responsible for helping to develop strategic partnerships with intermediaries and new clients dedicated to the large-plan market. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the retirement-services industry.
Kris Schumacher emails, “I have been actively involved in growing a number of good food startups through my holding company, Traverse Food. One of our portfolio companies is Nextdoorganics, which delivers local farm-raised produce directly to customers from D.C. to Boston. Currently, I am running a crowdfunding effort for Nextdoorganics to help local New York farms and to relaunch the company’s popular customized produce subscription service, as well as develop new products and create events that support local farms.” Kris is shown at Nextdoorganics’ Brooklyn location.
Eric Warasta has joined Moody, Lynn & Lieberson as principal and portfolio manager. Founded in 1989, Moody, Lynn & Lieberson is an employee-owned investment firm based in Boston, serving individuals, families, and institutions.
Josh Halpern, a beer-industry veteran, was named chief sales officer for North American Breweries, based in Rochester, N.Y. Josh previously served as vice president of the small format channel in the U.S. for Anheuser-Busch InBev. North American Breweries’ portfolio includes Genesee, Magic Hat Brewing, and Portland Brewing, among others.
Tim McKinnon was chosen as a Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree in 2017. Tim was given the accolade for his impact as CEO of Sonian, his contributions to conservation, and his positive impact on the Greater Boston community. Tim also had a successful exit as CEO when Barracuda Networks acquired Sonian, a provider of public cloud archiving and business insights, in the fourth quarter of 2017. Tim emails, “I’m currently taking some welldeserved time off before jumping into my next company.”
Vic Pierni has been named CFO of Boston-based ViralGains, developer of a digital video advertising platform based. Vic previously served as CFO of Global Capacity, Verivo Software, and Macgregor and has held senior roles at KPMG.
Scarlet Batchelor emails, “Last summer, I made the transition from corporate ‘intrapreneur’ to true entrepreneur. After eight-plus years at New Balance, I’m focusing on the fitness industry from a different angle. My startup, Coeo Fitness, is a disruptive network that brings together the fitness community through the heart of it all: the instructor. It’s been thrilling to be at Babson as part of the Women Innovating Now (WIN) Lab accelerator, an astounding support network for the first year of Coeo’s launch. You can follow Coeo on Instagram @coeo_fitness.”
Kati Sigel is the executive director of Three Squares New England, a hunger-relief nonprofit that believes local hunger can be addressed through awareness and collaboration. The group’s signature fundraising event, Ride For Food, is held each September in Dedham, Mass., and mobilizes many members of the Babson community. Kati emails, “We have sought out students and alumni from Babson at multiple levels. The school’s enterprising and philanthropic spirit brings us back every year to recruit and collaborate.”
Priya Sapra has been named COO and chief product officer of Shyft Analytics, a data and analytics cloud platform for life sciences headquartered in Boston. Priya joined Shyft in 2012 and has served in a number of leadership roles with the firm. Previously, she was head of analytics for Phreesia, a health-care technology company.
Saskia Foley is CEO and president of Radius, maker of the Radius Original toothbrush. Saskia was featured in a Jan. 17 BXP Magazine article, “From Everyday to Extraordinary.” The story reports that Radius, based in Kutztown, Pa., was co-founded by Saskia’s father, who believed that even a quotidian product like a toothbrush could be improved. Today, the Radius toothbrush is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Design Museum, and the firm offers products ranging from organic toothpaste to vegan dental floss.
Francisco Viana emails, “I recently received from the legislative assembly of the state of Parana in Brazil an ‘honorable mention,’ recognizing my dedication to the development of our state capital. Through my real estate development company, VistaCorp Empreendimentos Imobiliarios, we’ve built 800 apartments in recent years at a fair price. Many are the first homes for people here in the South Region of Brazil.”
William Aubuchon, CEO of Aubuchon Hardware, was profiled in a Jan. 22 Worcester Business Journal article, “Creating a Hardware Empire in a Post-Amazon World.” The story describes William’s efforts to grow and sustain a bricks-and-mortar chain in a retail climate dominated by big-box stores and online sellers. The firm, with 105 stores throughout the Northeast, was founded by William’s great-grandfather.
Jodi Brauer (’09): See Marissa Ferber ’09.
Karan Checker emails, “I co-founded Spurr Proximity, a machine-learning startup in the field of indoor-location tracking and retail analytics and marketing. We have a patent pending indoor-tracking algorithm, which is our key differentiator. We’re reaching out to large-format retailers who want to bridge the gap between offline and online shopping, in what is also referred to as the omnichannel approach.”
Nicole Dagesse (’10): See entry in Ungrads 2010.
Seth Burstein is co-founder of Trade Show Internet, a provider of event Wi-Fi and connectivity tools. TSI recently announced an expansion of its products and services, now offering multishow packages for its 4G Internet Kit, enhanced performance for its 4G Mega Internet Kit, and concierge on-site delivery and setup in cities across North America. Seth emails, “Between TSI and being a proud dad to three little girls, I’m staying pretty busy.”
Pichon Duplan (’10): See entry in Undergrad 2010
Shiva Kashalkar is the founder of a subscription-based toy-rental service, Green Pinata Toys, that was one of two Babson businesses featured on Meet the Drapers, a new TV show starring Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper and his family. Described as a “kinder, gentler Shark Tank,” the show also featured Mighty Well, a line of medical accessories founded by Emily Levy ’16, Yousef Al-Humaidhi ’15, and Maria del Mar Gomez ’16.
Jessica Chang (center), emails, “The Class of 2012 One-Year MBAs had our own wonderful five-year reunion get-together at The Hawthorne in Boston in November. Our international peers couldn’t make it, but we had people from Connecticut, New York, and Atlanta join. The reunion was sponsored by LobstahBox, which I co-founded in 2015. We ship fresh Maine lobster feasts all across the continental U.S.” Front, from left, are Jared Harris, Jeff Hart, Jessica Chang, Stephanie O’Brien, Jason Aurori, and Josh Kantor. Back, from left, are Brett Rosequist, Ralph Saturne ’07, Drew Scott, Phil McMannis, Alex Sherk, Bill Sherman ’01, and Naveen Venkataraman.
Brian Pachtman has been named to the board of the Bedford County (Pa.) Development Association, reported Pennsylvania Business Central in February. He is vice president of Reed, Wertz and Roadman, a Bedford insurance agency. Brian was previously founder and CEO at Ruya Sports in Boulder, Colo.
James Mamary (’03): See Melissa Mamary ’04.
Chris Pierce (’13): See Jordan Bray ’11.
Steven Stavrou (far right) emails, “I believe strongly in economic opportunity and entrepreneurial capital as peace-building mechanisms. We created a model for conflict regions and applied it to the island of Cyprus, launching CyprusInno last year with the goal of creating a startup ecosystem. Although Cyprus has long been divided between a Turkish-Cypriot (Muslim) north and a Greek-Cypriot (Christian) south, it could become a model for peace, stability, and co-existence in the Middle East. CyprusInno is the first bi-zonal, intercommunal digital platform, connecting Cypriot entrepreneurs, startups, and innovators. This photo was taken at our business mixer, held at the Home for Cooperation in the UN-controlled buffer zone.”
Julian Coymat and Jonatan Lustgarten: See Julian Jattin ’12.
Garrett Lyons has joined DigitasLBi as manager, data and analysis. Previously, Garrett was senior manager, marketing insights and analytics, in Babson’s marketing department. He emails, “I’m excited to take on the challenge of leading a team and applying my analytics skills to new industries and clients.”
Palak Shah is CEO of Ekaya, an Indian fashion brand that highlights sophisticated Banarasi textiles. The Hindu newspaper reports that Ekaya was asked to work with 15 international designers for a show during Paris’ fashion week, providing fabrics for a collection of couture wedding gowns.
Mark Gagliardi is producing Interstate, a musical written by Kit Yan ’06 and Melissa Li. Interstate is described as an “Asian-American pop rock poetry musical” that highlights the intersectional struggles of trans, queer, and Asian people. Mark is raising money to support the show through a crowdfunding campaign on Chuffed.org. He emails, “I’m looking for you. We’re proud to announce our entry into the prestigious 2018 New York Musical Festival, and we will need all the help we can get. Feel free to reach out if you want to learn more.”
Nicole Lakin is founder and CEO of BarnManager, a company that makes software designed to support managers of horse barns and stables. She was featured in a Dec. 14 article in horse magazine Sidelines, headlined “Nicole Lakin’s Unpredictable Path In Life,” which described Nicole’s winding journey from competitive equestrian to entrepreneur.
From left, Allen Zhang and Chloris Yang, both MS’17, along with Nathan Nie, are the creators of the Thero Magic Mug, which cools hot coffee to the “perfect drinking temperature” in minutes and keeps it there for several hours. Allen emails, “We completed a successful Kickstarter campaign for our first product and are currently working on fulfilling those preorders. We are really excited to have started the manufacturing of our first batch of products, and Chloris has been in China visiting the factories and performing quality control. Our next step is to find more channels to sell through once we have inventory.”
Even when facing challenges, Howard Brown ’88 remains determined to move forward, devoted to his family and the Babson community and dedicated to inspiring fellow alumni and current students to …
This winter, Babson alumni and friends gathered near and far to address environmental concerns, volunteer in their communities, share ideas, honor diversity, and enjoy one another’s company. From the Puerto Rico Summit, where alumni discussed such topics as local disaster recovery efforts and investment opportunities, to an Alumni Social in Salt Lake City, people in the Babson community continue to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to one another and the wider world.—Jillian Erdos, associate director, advancement communications
More than 70 local entrepreneurs and business leaders met at the Puerto Rico Summit in January. Attendees included (from left) Tony Larrea ’88; Wilma Miranda ’89, co-president of the Alumni Club of Puerto Rico; Marisa Shariatdoust of the Alumni and Friends Network; and Gustavo Diaz ’17.
This January, the Alumni Club of Salt Lake City hosted a social. Attendees included (front row from left) Kavita Patel, MBA’07, Dallan Manscill, MBA’17, Karen Modtland ’91, and Kirsten Henderson, MBA’95, P’20; (back row from left) Lauren Joyce, MBA’03, Christian Volmar, MBA’07, Forrest Landy ’17, Caleb Manscill, MBA’14, John Mecham, MBA’07, Paul Proctor, MBA’13, and Justin Kinner, MBA’11.
As part of Babson’s fifth annual Day of Service, held in five U.S. cities throughout February, alumni and friends volunteered at the Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Free Store in Charlotte, N.C.
The 20th Black Affinity Conference was held on campus this February. Attendees included (from left) Sadie Burton-Goss, chief diversity and inclusion officer at Babson; Frederick Opie, professor of history and foodways; Antoine Melay, adjunct lecturer of management; and Tina Opie, assistant professor of management. Tina, Erin Martinovich, and Jeffery Perry ’87 were honored with Black Affinity Achievement Awards.
The third annual Babson India Symposium was held in March on the Wellesley campus. Pictured here with President Kerry Healey (left) are prominent Indian actor Anupam Kher (center) and accomplished five-time CEO and entrepreneur Harsha Agadi.
Colleen Carr ’12 and Rob Chapruet ’13 were married on Sept. 30 in Providence, R.I. Colleen emails, “We had 41 Babson alumni there to celebrate with us, including bridesmaids Michelle Black ’12, MS’12, Wendy Glickenhouse ’12, Charlotte Margel ’13, and Alexa Untermann ’12, and groomsmen Garek Berard ’13, Greg DeWitt ’13, Kyle Fitzpatrick ’11, and Scott Worth ’13.”
Adam Pacelli ’07 emails, “I married Brittany Allen on Aug. 26 in Gloucester, Mass., at the Beauport Hotel. Several alumni shared the celebration.” Back, from left, are Todd Stupell ’06, Eric Miller ’06, Jenna Kochen ’09, Jason Reuben ’07, John Holden ’07, the groom and bride, Tina Papadopoulos Bode ’09, Preston Lin ’08, Richard Bottner ’07, Nathaniel Taylor ’07, and Kate Adamson ’07; front, from left, are Gautam Gupta ’07 and groomsmen Ricky Rosemarin ’07, Zach Bouzan-Kaloustian ’07, and Eric Yale ’07.
Julie Reeves ’07 and Brian Ahearn were married on Nov. 20 at the Wailea Golf Club in Maui, Hawaii. Babson alumni in attendance included (from left, flanking the bride and groom) Kipp Visi ’07, Luis Restrepo ’07, Emma Eigenberg ’07, Wyn Zurowski Ismert ’07, Dianalee Dupree ’07, and Robert Dupree ’05.
Nikki Lamson ’13 and Weston Schack were married on Oct. 7 at The Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, Calif. The wedding party included Kelsey Bronski ’14, in the back, second from right.
Ryan Andrews ’13 and Mallory Laurendeau were wed on Sept. 23 at Castle Hill Inn in Newport, R.I. Many alumni came to cheer them on, including Steve Albano, Sean Cleary, Samantha Cooper, Meg Flaherty, Mike Martinez, Joe Nixon, and Joe Young, all ’12; Mike Duffy, Chris Griffin, Bill Hocking, and Ryan Walsh, all ’13; Brian Besinger, Brendan Collins, and Kyle Lyon, all ’14; Kate Murphy ’15; and Kristen Ferola ’16.
Alexander Thoma ’04 and Alessandra Biffiger were married in the snow-covered mountains of St. Moritz, Switzerland, over the weekend of Dec. 8 to 10. Joining the groom and bride (center) were Babson friends from all over the world, including (from left) Johann Thorarinsson ’02, Andre Terrail ’03, Sham Ehsani ’03, Tankut Eker ’02, Heinrich Becker ’02, Cornelius Becker ’03, Pierre-Emmanuel Meyer ’03, and Jonathan Abittan ’02.
John Thompson ’12 married Kimberly Dowling on Sept. 23 in Chilmark, Mass. A number of Babson friends turned out for the island wedding, including, from left, Ry Yennie ’11, James Spang ’12, Kevin Sayet ’12, Jason Melton ’12, Bastian Sagild ’12, Michael Guerrero ’12, Will Jurith ’12, Ray Sarno ’12, and Emilio Siman ’12, all hoisting the groom, center.
Richard Bishop, P’86, of Westwood, Mass., died Nov. 27. He served as the College’s director of strategic projects and received the Walter Carpenter Prize in 1997. Survivors include daughter Ann Bishop Andrew ’86, P’14, ’18.
William Wrenn of Sandwich, Mass., died Dec. 23. He worked in career counseling at Babson and received the Walter Carpenter Prize in 1987.
Robert Brower ’48 of Henrico, Va., died Feb. 20. A veteran who served in World War II, earning a Bronze Star and the French Legion of Honour, he had a long career in building supply sales.
David Donnan ’49 of Watkinsville, Ga., died Feb. 7. He was an Army veteran who served in Europe during WWII.
Robert Parker ’49 of Chatham, Mass., died Nov. 17. He worked as director of purchasing at Carter’s for more than 30 years.
Bernard Rassat ’49 of North Ridgeville, Ohio, died Oct. 29. An Army veteran who served in WWII, he was a longtime Sherwin-Williams employee.
George Rhetts ’49 of Marion, Ind., died Dec. 16. He served with the Army Corps of Engineers during WWII and worked in management at RCA for 37 years.
Robert Hove ’50 of Pasadena, Calif., died Dec. 15. A Navy veteran who served in WWII, he had a career in the building-materials industry.
William Lawry ’50 of Fairfield, Maine, died Nov. 27. He served in the Navy during WWII and operated the Burgess & Lawry insurance agency for many years.
Gordon Cremers ’52 of Minneapolis died Jan. 13. He launched numerous business ventures, including Cremers Interiors and Woodlands of Livonia.
Joseph Gaber ’56 of Charlotte, N.C., died Dec. 9. After graduating from Babson, he managed the family business, Gaber’s Cleaners.
Donald Heath ’56 of East Longmeadow, Mass., died Jan. 24. He worked for many years in the field of petroleum marketing before becoming a public-school teacher.
Richard August ’57 of Enfield, Conn., died Jan. 8. He served in the Air National Guard and worked in the automotive-parts industry, starting his own business in 1975.
Richard Buckley ’58 of Avon, Conn., died Nov. 18. A veteran who served in Korea, he founded Buckley Realtors and served as its president for nearly 40 years.
Michael Dansker ’58 of Palo Alto, Calif., died Aug. 25.
Alfred Purcell, MBA’58, of Haverhill, Mass., and Wolfeboro, N.H., died Jan. 28. He served in the Army during the Korean War and worked for more than 30 years for Cincinnati Milacron, retiring as president of the Heald Division.
Richard Elwell ’59 of Belleview, Fla., died Oct. 30. An Army veteran who served in the Korean War, he worked for 40 years in the property and casualty insurance industry.
Donald Larsen ’60 of Fairfield, Conn., died Feb. 3. He worked as a specifications engineer for Handy & Harman for more than 30 years.
Kenneth Fulton ’64, MBA’66, of Cumberland, R.I., died Feb. 7. A member of the Navy Reserve, he served three tours of duty aboard the USS Intrepid and worked for more than 30 years in materials management for high-tech companies.
Andrew Kain ’65 of Hoschton, Ga., died Dec. 1. He worked in the insurance industry and served as vice president of the Willis Corroon Aerospace office in Atlanta.
Guy Jaques-Dalcroze ’66 of Geneva died Dec. 20. He had a long career as a stockbroker.
Leslie Dearborn ’67 of Nashua, N.H., died Nov. 21. He worked in sales for New England Lab of Woburn, Mass., before retiring in 2011. Survivors include his brother, Alan Dearborn ’72.
Daniel Dooley, MBA’67, of Melbourne, Fla., died Nov. 16.
Paul Sandler ’68 of Framingham, Mass., died April 15, 2017.
John Shea, MBA’68, of Portland, Maine, died Jan. 31. A Navy veteran, he worked as a civil engineer for Polaroid.
Richard Morneau ’70 of Pawtucket, R.I., and Falmouth, Mass., died Feb. 10. He served in the Marine Corps Reserve and was a partner in the law firm Morneau & Murphy.
David Rubenstein, MBA’72, of Fairfield, Conn., died Feb. 6.
Charles Hutchings ’74 of Atlanta died Feb. 16. He spent his career as a financial-industry consultant and in software sales.
Paul Quirk, MBA’74, of Punta Gorda, Fla., died Jan. 1. He served in the Army and was an electrical engineer.
Vincent Gaughan, MBA’75, of Moscow died Jan. 11. He served as assistant district attorney for Erie County, N.Y., worked as a licensed stockbroker, and was involved in developing Turkmenistan’s first golf course at the time of his death.
Mark Santos ’75 of Barnstable, Mass., died Feb. 17. He worked as a provider of financial services. Survivors include son Cameron Santos ’18.
Barry Clapp, MBA’76, of Shrewsbury, Mass., died Nov. 16. He served as president and CEO of Centage, a maker of budgeting software.
Stuart Gladstein ’76 of Los Angeles died Jan. 26. He worked in investigative and forensic accounting, forming the Gladstein Ardizzone Forensic Accountants firm.
Edward Burns, MBA’78, of Wakefield, Mass., died Nov. 18.
Fredrick Valles ’80 of Middleton, Mass., died Feb. 16. He worked for the MBTA for several years.
Charles Sullivan, MBA’83, of Newport, R.I., died Dec. 9. He worked in banking and wealth management, most recently as senior vice president at TD Bank.
Lawrence Doyle ’90 of South Weymouth, Mass., died Feb. 8. He worked for State Street Bank for more than 27 years, most recently serving as vice president, business architecture, for State Street Investment Manager Services.
Jorge Lach, MBA ’95, of Lexington, Mass., died Jan. 20. He had a long career as a hardware engineer and held more than half a dozen patents.
Paul Donovan, MBA’97, of Andover, Mass., died Dec. 27. He spent his career at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, becoming senior vice president of enterprise services in 2015.
Keith Geneva ’00 of Solon, Ohio, died on Jan. 9. He was most recently CFO of Serenova, a tech firm based in Austin, Texas.
Eric Flaum ’07 of Chicago died Dec. 31.
Felix Santos ’16 of San Juan, Puerto Rico, died Jan. 12. Survivors include his father, Felix Santos ’78.
