Winter 2024–2025

A Milestone Moment for Babson ELevates Campaign

Students hold a large check mark to celebrate Make Your Mark
Listen

By almost any metric, Babson College continues to elevate its reputation, its ranking, and its leadership throughout higher education. The recent No. 2 Best College in the United States ranking by The Wall Street Journal is just the latest statistical evidence of Babson’s ascendancy. 

The success is easily attributable, according to President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD. “We’re Number 2 because of you,” he says often to the Babson community. 


BABSON MAGAZINE: Read the complete Winter 2024–2025 issue.


One of the most tangible metrics, of course, is the ongoing success of the Babson ELevates campaign, which passed a significant milestone this fall—$600 million, double its original goal. 

The Centennial Campaign launched publicly in 2019 as the largest capital campaign in Babson’s history with a goal of $300 million to commemorate the College’s Centennial. The campaign surpassed its elevated goal of $500 million last year, when it was rebranded as the Babson ELevates campaign—with a capital “EL” to emphasize the College’s expertise in entrepreneurial leadership—with a new ambitious goal of $750 million. 

Spinelli shared the news of passing the $600 million with the Babson community. 

Graphic displaying numbers from the ELevates campaign
(Click to enlarge)

“Babson is an assertively aspirational community,” he wrote. “We educate entrepreneurial leaders who impact communities everywhere by creating social and economic value. Our alumni, governance members, students, faculty, staff, and friends continue to endorse our mission in many ways, including their generous philanthropy.” 

Edward Chiu, the Governor Craig R. Benson Endowed Executive Vice President for Advancement, also attributes the milestone to Babson’s people. 

“The ongoing success of the campaign is a tribute to the entire Babson community,” Chiu says. “And, everyone—alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents, and friends—has contributed to help support the College’s strategic initiatives and drive its success.  

“We’ve truly seen the Babson community come together in unprecedented ways.” 

For example, Make Your Mark, the College’s biggest fundraising day of the year, illustrates the scope of the community’s support. This fall, a record number of 2,581 donors contributed during the event, including more than 100 faculty donors, more than 180 staff donors, and hundreds of current students, in addition to scores of supportive alumni. 

“It takes the fullness of a community to achieve such success,” said Spinelli, thanking the community, specifically Chiu and Trustee Craig Benson ’77, H’03, the vice chair of the board. “Their leadership plays an extraordinary role in our success.” 

The campaign’s impact is widespread and felt throughout the community, including increased scholarships for students, additional term chairs for faculty members, and impressive new facilities that have reshaped the campus. 

Specifically, major transformational gifts continue to advance the campaign’s key initiatives: expanding the College’s expertise in entrepreneurial leadership, launching its position in technology entrepreneurship, and embracing lifelong learning opportunities for alumni, companies, and families. 

Generous support from Arthur M. Blank ’63, H’98 and the Blank Family Foundation for The Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and from Bruce Herring ’87, P’19 and family for the Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village have provided for the creation of the College’s hubs of entrepreneurial leadership.

The collective power of the community throughout the campaign—including thousands of volunteers—has supported and driven the College’s strategy to develop entrepreneurial leaders impacting communities everywhere.

“In a world filled with angst and trepidation,” Spinelli says, “Babson is a beacon of great education, intellectual growth, and remains the birthplace of tomorrow’s entrepreneurial leaders.”

2024 Volunteer Leadership Awards 

During Global Entrepreneurship Week, Babson College honored the alumni and friends who have risen to serve the community at the 2024 Volunteer Leadership Awards celebration. Babson offers heartfelt congratulations to the winners: 

  • Cruickshank Alumni Leadership Award — Joseph Winn MBA’74, P’15, Trustee Emeritus 
  • Richard J. Snyder Distinguished Service to the College Award — Eric Walgreen ’97, P’28 
  • Distinguished Recent Alumni Award — Bianca D’Alessio ’14 and Kaity Goodwin ’22 
  • John H. Muller Jr. Parent Leadership Award — Jack Diamond P’20 ’24 
  • Joseph R. Weintraub Alumni Award for Distinguished Faculty/Administrator Service — Farrah Narkiewicz 
  • Adelaide Van Winkle Friend of the College Award — Carmella Kletjian, Global Advisory Board and Kristina Nowak-Bunce 
  • In addition, Ken Jasper ’82, Lucho Noboa MBA’94, P’21, and the Babson Real Estate Career Affinity Group were honored for their outstanding service to Babson.

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

More from Babson Magazine »

Latest Stories

Warren Buffett
Buffett Retires: Babson Professors Highlight Lessons from a Historic Transition Warren Buffett’s retirement is more than a milestone, Babson thought leaders say. It’s also a masterclass in thoughtful succession and cultural continuity.
By
Hillary Chabot
Writer
Hillary Chabot
Hillary Chabot is a writer for Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. An award-winning journalist, she is known for her insightful reporting and dedication to detailed storytelling. With a career spanning over two decades, she has covered a wide range of topics, from presidential campaigns and government policy to neighborhood issues and investigative series. As a reporter for The Boston Herald, Hillary earned a reputation for tenacity and integrity. Her work at Babson College fuels her passions—to learn something new every day and conduct thoughtful, empathic interviews. She’s thrilled to be at Babson College, where students, faculty, staff members and classes provide compelling copy daily.
May 30, 2025

Posted in Community, Insights

Zainabou Thiam ’28 sits at a table selling products to waiting customers
Paying Homage to One’s Ancestors Through Entrepreneurship Zainabou Thiam ’28 was raised in the values of Senegal. With the help of Babson, she’s growing her venture, Sunu Body, an African-inspired skin care and wellness brand.
By
John Crawford
Senior Journalist
John Crawford
A writer for Babson Thought & Action and the Babson Magazine, John Crawford has been telling the College’s entrepreneurial story for more than 15 years. Assignments for Babson have taken him from Rwanda to El Salvador, from the sweet-smelling factory of a Pennsylvania candy maker, to the stately Atlanta headquarters of an NFL owner, to the bustling office of a New York City fashion designer. Beyond his work for Babson, he has written articles and essays for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Notre Dame Magazine, The Good Men Project, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter, @crawfordwriter, where he tweets about climate change.
May 29, 2025

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

The champion tennis players pose for a photo with their trophies alongside their coaches
Repeat Champs: Babson’s Doubles Team Nets Second Tennis National Title Olivia Soffer ’25 and Matia Cristiani ’26 captured their second consecutive NCAA Division III doubles national championship in women’s tennis.
By
May 28, 2025

Posted in Community