News, Notes + Nods

Enrique Turegano (MBA’86) emails, “I retired at the end of November. During my career, I have served as vice president for some of the top Hispanic marketing agencies, worked on the client side, been an entrepreneur and business owner, consulted, volunteered, and been an industry commentator. I will be moving to Spain but will continue to consult for some key clients and pitch new opportunities. I will be coming back to California every few months.”

Aaron Walton is co-founder of Walton Isaacson, an advertising agency with offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City. He was interviewed for a Sept. 23 article, “Fashion Forward CEO Aaron Walton on Diversity Driving Innovation,” on NBCNews.com. In the article, Aaron discusses the value of cultural diversity as well as gender and sexual diversity in his industry.

Scott Aldsworth has been named chief revenue officer and partner of The Bowdoin Group, a North American recruiting firm headquartered in Waltham, Mass. He assumed this newly created role to direct the company’s client-facing team and its go-to-market strategy in the company’s three practice areas: health care, technology, and financial services. He also is on the board of uAspire, an organization that helps young people obtain financial information and resources for college. Before joining The Bowdoin Group, Scott was vice president of sales for Radius.

Eddie Gallagher emails, “I read an article in the Aug. 5 issue of Improper Bostonian about Max Perry ’19, who started Beantown Blankets, which sells warm, waterproof blankets. For each one sold, one is donated to the homeless. So I and more than 20 alumni from the late 1990s to 2000 were raising money for Homes for Families, and we invited Max to speak at our fundraiser. Together we raised over $30K. It was a great night to be a Babson alum.”

Jamie Siminoff and Polina Raygorodskaya ’08 were among Entrepreneur.com’s “25 Inspiring Entrepreneurs Under 40 Who Are Creating the Next Big Thing.” Jamie is founder and chief inventor of Ring video doorbell, and Polina is CEO of Wanderu, a search platform for bus and train travel.

Sameer Malhotra, co-owner of Cafe Spice, a retail and food-service company, was featured in an article, “Cafe Spice: An Indian Family’s Spice Legacy,” on TheEpochTimes.com. Sameer runs his family’s Indian food business from a manufacturing facility in New Windsor, N.Y.

Heather (Webster) Pidgeon has joined the Boston office of Genuine, a full-service digital agency, to head up an expanding team as vice president of media. Prior to joining the company, Heather held positions in other marketing agencies, including iProspect. She is active with Babson, serving as a student coach in the Coaching for Leadership and Teamwork Program.

John Saunders is founder of Saunders Machine Works, a CNC (computer numeric control) machine shop that creates prototypes and projects, in Zanesville, Ohio. On Oct. 18, ZanesvilleTimesRecorder.com ran an article, “YouTube Star Paying It Forward with Knowledge,” about the videos that John produces for his YouTube channel, NYC CNC. The videos spotlight products that John makes and demonstrate various skills, such as metalworking, machining, and fabrication.

David Yarus was highlighted in an Oct. 7 article, “JSwipe Right: Fall in Love with the Revolutionary Founder David Yarus,” on Forward.com. JSwipe is a dating app for Jewish millennials. David and his co-founders launched JSwipe in 2014, and it is now part of Spark Networks, which owns JDate and other dating apps.

Joseph Lekach was featured in an Oct. 26 article, “Company May Open Medical Marijuana Dispensary in West Roxbury,” in the Allston- Brighton edition of WickedLocal.com. As an adviser to and representative for his father’s nonprofit organization, Massachusetts Patient Foundation, Joseph is trying to establish a medical marijuana dispensary in West Roxbury and elsewhere in the state.

Chris Queitsch co-founded OfficeRock.com, a Dubai, United Arab Emirates-based office supplier, in 2012. He emails, “OfficeRock.com, which supplies offices and businesses throughout the Middle East, was named No. 30 in the ‘50 Most Promising UAE Startups’ list in the October issue of Forbes Middle East. We currently are migrating to become a business-to-business marketplace, with features such as e-procurement and shopping on credit. We are very excited for this development, as it has huge potential for us to grow.”

Anthony Wimperis was promoted to supervisor in the tax department of Dworken, Hillman, LaMorte & Sterczala, an accounting and business consulting firm in Shelton, Conn. A member of the firm since 2010, he provides tax-compliance services to clients in real estate development, investment portfolio management, and manufacturing, as well as family-owned and entrepreneurial businesses. He now supervises and trains the firm’s staff.

Vrinda Jatia was profiled in an Oct. 6 article, “Entrepreneur Vrinda Jatia on Cakesmiths and Making Haute Cuisine Accessible to All,” on YourStory.com. She launched Cakesmiths, which sources, stocks, and sells high-quality baking supplies online, in 2014. The company, based in Mumbai, also recently opened Wisk by Cakesmiths, a pastry school.

Sanjay Dasari appeared in an Oct. 3 article, “SunnyBee’s Cool Way to Sell Fruits and Veggies,” on The HinduBusinessLine.com. Sanjay’s company, WayCool Foods and Products, which he co-founded in 2015, sells 85 percent of its fresh produce through its chain of SunnyBee stores in Chennai, India. The company also sells produce through customized trucks that travel to large office complexes and gated communities.

Emily Proos is CEO of Northborough, Mass.-based Bluewire Audio, which she co-founded with her father, Andy Proos. Bluewire Audio is developing speakers that can be attached to a hat or visor for listening to audio during exercise or other activities. The company recently teamed up with Springfield Spring, a manufacturer of precision spring and wire components, to produce several parts for a redesigned speaker prototype.

Kripa Shroff (MS’17) emails, “In January 2016, my brother, Aniket Shroff ’17, and I founded our first business, Brattleboro Inn, under which we own the Comfort Inn and Suites franchise in Brattleboro, Vt. That same year, we founded our second entrepreneurial venture, EsyPos.com. EsyPos manufactures and sells computer accessories such as wireless thermal printers, bar code scanners, and cash drawers. We now are working on creating POS software that could revolutionize the hospitality industry.”

Phyllis Ginzler, a Republican Maine state representative, was re-elected on November 8. She represents Maine District 69, comprising the towns of Bridgton, Denmark, and Harrison. Prior to entering public service, Phyllis was a sales executive at Hewlett-Packard, as well as a middle school teacher.

Lisa Drapkin was featured in an Oct. 21 article on WickedLocal.com, “Just-A-Start Elects Four Board Members,” after being chosen to join the board of Just-A-Start, a community-development corporation in Cambridge, Mass. Lisa, who has worked in real estate in Cambridge for more than 20 years, also is an active member of the Federal Club of the Human Rights Campaign and previously served on the board of MassEquality, gaining experience in nonprofit oversight.

Ann Whittaker, co-founder and vice president of people and culture at Rethink Robotics, was interviewed for The Huffington Post’s business blog. The Oct. 10 article highlights Ann’s leadership style, which she describes as “nurturing, encouraging, and cheering people on” so they can “feel safe expressing their authentic selves.” Boston-based Rethink Robotics designs and builds smart, collaborative robots that can operate next to people in a range of manufacturing, research, and education environments.

Paula Dewiyanti was profiled in an Oct. 13 article, “Young at Art: Indonesia’s New Breed of Patrons Give Emerging Artists a Boost,” on ChannelNewsAsia.com. Paula has collected about 50 pieces of art since 2006, most of it by contemporary Indonesian artists, while also working in her family’s car dealership business and launching Loev, a line of leather handbags, with her sisters.

Marie Presti, a real estate broker, has launched The Presti Group in Newton, Mass. Marie emails, “The firm is the culmination of my 15 years in real estate. During my real estate career, I’ve generated a loyal following, a solid brand for myself, and a broad referral base. The Presti Group specializes in luxury homes, rehabilitations, multifamilies, and condominiums in the Boston area. We also help clients seeking to downsize.” Marie is president-elect of the Greater Boston Association of Realtors, part of the National Association of Realtors.

Rob Freeman was profiled in an Aug. 22 article on TheRidgefield Press.com, “Library Welcomes New Members.” A resident of Ridgefield, Conn., Rob has joined the board of directors of the Ridgefield Library. He is a vice president with Venbrook Insurance Services. Previously, Rob was founder and CEO of Green Buildings Online, a provider of e-learning and online training for employees of global institutions and Fortune 500 companies.

Stephen Webber (’92): See Undergrads.

Gerry Caron was named chief product officer of Cambridge, Mass.-based iZotope, a company that creates tools for audio production. His passion for music and audio technology is part of what drew him to work with iZotope. Previously he held positions at Bose, iRobot, and General Electric. Most recently he was vice president of innovation and product management at Otter Products. Gerry has 10 U.S. patents in industries ranging from acoustics to sporting goods.

Gautam Gupta: See Rob Hunter, MBA’14.

Iva Toudjarska recently joined Halloran Consulting Group, a national consultancy in the life sciences, as a principal consultant, helping the company expand its regulatory guidance and clinical development leadership. She will help perform in-depth and timely due diligence to inform strategic decision making. Her experience includes consulting to startups and pharmaceutical clients at Putnam Associates. She also was a founding employee of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.

Rob Hunter and Evan Lodge, co-founders of HigherMe, a web-based job site aimed at millennials, have raised $1.5 million in a seed round. October articles in TechCrunch.com and BostInno.co detail the pair’s success, along with co-founder Jef Chedeville, in securing funding from angel investors around the country, among them Babson overseer and NatureBox co-founder Gautam Gupta, MBA’07.

Dan Edmonson recently founded Dronegenuity, an aerial photography and mapping firm in Hudson, Mass. Since the FAA revised its regulations governing the use of unmanned aerial systems, anyone who passes the FAA’s aeronautical knowledge exam may fly a drone commercially. “The rule change has increased the supply of potential pilots but hasn’t yet led to broad price decreases. We’re here to change that,” says Dan, who is Dronegenuity’s CEO.

Bryanne Leeming wrote an article for LinkedIn Pulse about starting her business, JumpSmart, while she was at Babson. In “Launching a Startup in School Is All About Commitment,” which appeared on Oct. 19, Bryanne describes how a dedication to time, hard work, and resiliency helped her launch JumpSmart, which builds products that combine physical activity with STEM education to expose children to coding.

Jennifer Pierre, MS’16, was featured in an Oct. 12 DNAIndia.com article, “Dolls for Little Men,” about her new toy company, Melanites. The biracial, African-American, Indian, and Caribbean dolls—or action pals, as Jennifer has marketed them—look like their target audience: boys of color. Rather than creating macho action figures, Jennifer designed the dolls to be thinkers, doers, makers, and performers. Shipments are due early this year.

Celebrations

The Babson community came together this past fall to celebrate a variety of occasions and individuals. At a ceremony in November, the College inducted Sheila Lirio Marcelo of Care.com and Stephen Kaufer of TripAdvisor into the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs. Established in 1978, the ADE recognizes business visionaries who create economic and social value through the development of free enterprise. Also in November, the Babson community and local officials gathered to commemorate the opening of the new Boston campus at 100 High Street. The 9,000-square-foot space will host graduate-level courses, special programming, and networking events. In October, the President’s Society Reception was held at the InterContinental Boston, honoring the philanthropic leadership and steadfast commitment of Babson’s most generous donors. The Scholarship Luncheon, held in the Webster Center, also took place in October. The event brings together scholarship recipients and the donors who have invested in their future success.—Jeff Stupakevich, manager, advancement communications

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.

Robert Keyes ’40 of Greeley, Colo., died Feb. 20, 2016. A veteran of the Navy, he held many positions in the grain and feed industry.

Houghton Trott ’46 of Phippsburg, Maine, died April 28. He served in the Navy and worked in the lumber and ski industries.

Frederic Hamilton ’48, H’98, of Denver died Sept. 30. An Air Force veteran, he and his brother, Ferris Hamilton ’50, who predeceased him, founded Hamilton Brothers Oil. Frederic later started The Hamilton Companies, an investment firm. Survivors include his son, Frederic Hamilton, MBA’82.

George Ingham ’49 of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., died Dec. 19, 2015. He worked for General Motors for 38 years.

John Sokel ’49 of Wayland and New Seabury, Mass., died Nov. 25. A World War II veteran, he was a CPA and president of Penn Culvert.

William Collins ’50 of Springfield, Mass., died Oct. 18. He served in the Army during the Korean War and worked in sales and management for Axa Equitable Life Insurance.

Robert Sundeen ’51 of Manchester, N.H., died Oct. 5. He served in the Army during World War II and later owned and operated Sundeen Lumber

Jonas Kisber ’53 of Jackson, Tenn., died Nov. 2. After serving in the Army during the Korean War, he joined his family’s business, Kisber’s Department Stores. He also held roles in local and state government.

Robert Moore ’53 of Ilion, N.Y., died Sept. 9. He served in the Army Air Forces during World War II and retired in 1983 from Remington Arms, where he had worked in the finance and personnel departments.

Wallace Soule ’54 of Farmingdale, Maine, died Aug. 24. A veteran, he worked for Maine National Bank for 30 years and was appointed director of the Maine State Lottery in 1987.

John Faherty, MBA’55, of Hagerstown, Md., died Nov. 24. He served in the Army during the Korean War and had a long career in the aviation industry. After he retired, he focused on community service.

Lawrence Cohen ’57 of Brookline, Mass., died Nov. 3. He served in the Air National Guard and worked for Polaroid until his retirement in 2000.

William Horwitch ’57 of Northbrook, Ill., died in February 2016.

Clyde Claus, MBA’58, of Barnstable, Mass., died. An Army veteran, he was executive vice president and senior managing director of trusts and investments at FirsTier Bank.

Kenneth Rice, MBA’58, of Indianapolis died Oct. 23. An Army veteran, he worked for more than 30 years in banking and retired as a senior vice president at National City Bank.

Michael Woodworth ’58 of Terre Haute, Ind., died Oct. 1. He was a veteran of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Army National Guard units, and he retired from Columbia House in 1994.

Robert Fitzgerald, MBA’59, of Newton, Mass., died Oct. 5. He was president of Harbor National Bank in Boston.

Raymond Florence ’59, of York, Pa., died July 25. He served in the Air Force and worked at Cole Steel, BorgWarner, and Computer Ease Associates in York.

Robert Clark ’60 of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and Stuart, Fla., died Nov. 9. He served in the Marines during the Korean War and spent his career with Procter & Gamble.

Thomas Cummings, MBA’61, of Sudbury, Mass., died Oct. 5. An Army veteran, he became an attorney in 1977.

Fuller Duncan ’62 of Kingston, Jamaica, died Nov. 14. He owned and operated Jamaica Pre-Mix, a concrete and aggregate company.

Stephen Goldstein ’63 of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., died July 12.

Ronald Marinaro ’63 of Bradley Beach, N.J., died Oct. 26. A veteran of the Air National Guard, he worked at IBM for more than 25 years.

Jeffrey Wolfe ’69 of Spring Township, Pa., died Sept. 4.

James Rogers, MBA’70, of The Villages, Fla., died July 1. He was a retired financial analyst in the life-insurance industry.

Norman Beauchamp, MBA’71, of St. Johns, Mich., died Sept. 16. A CPA, he worked with computer systems in the state’s auditor general’s office.

Francis Haegeman ’71 of Brooksville, Fla., died Sept. 13. An Army veteran, he retired as a cost accountant for computer-manufacturing companies.

Philip Therrien ’71 of Manchester, N.H., died Nov. 21. He was a deputy sheriff of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and served in the New Hampshire State Police Auxiliary.

Paul Yanuskiewicz ’73 of Stoughton, Mass., died Oct. 21. An insurance replacement specialist, he worked at Insurers World/Home Entertainment Distributors for 30 years.

David “Garry” Garrison, MBA’74, of Cascade, Colo., died Oct. 15. After serving in the Army for 20 years, he retired in 1983 and became a CPA.

Brian Long, MBA’74, of Hyannis, Mass., died Oct. 28. An Army veteran, he retired as a vice president of Fidelity Management.

Bruce Anderson ’75 of Falmouth, Mass., died Nov. 22. He worked in real estate and home construction for more than 40 years.

Maynard Moyer, MBA’75, of Hingham, Mass., died Oct. 22. An Air Force veteran, he had a 40-year career at General Electric. Survivors include his daughter, Carol Slicklen ’84.

George Dibble, MBA’76, of Williamsburg, Va., died Oct. 6. He retired as a colonel in the Army.

Benjamin Palleiko, MBA’76, of Newbury, N.H., and Westborough, Mass., died Nov. 12. An engineer, he retired from the MIT Technology Licensing Office in 2012.

Philip Clark, MBA’78, of Falmouth, Mass., died Sept. 28. He worked in technology sales.

William Mobilia ’81 of Salem, N.H., died Aug. 17. He worked at The MEG Companies in Londonderry.

Daniel Collins ’83 of Falmouth, Mass., died Oct. 8.

William Harris, MBA’84, of Falmouth, Mass., died Oct. 11. He worked in telecommunications sales for 40 years and later in property management.

Carol Henry, MBA’84, of Harrisville, R.I., died Sept. 1. She was a senior financial analyst when she retired in 2011.

Beth Murphy, MBA’95, of Portland, Maine, died Oct. 13. She was treasurer and vice president at her family’s Wellesley business, F. Diehl & Son, where she had worked for 20 years.