The Skills, Network, and Mindset That Made My Babson MBA Pay Off

When I first woke up in a hospital bed after a severe accident in 2022, I had a fractured left arm, fractured ribs, a cracked nasal bone, and was facing possible brain surgery.

I had no idea my most difficult days were still ahead of me.

For the first two months, I couldn’t walk without support. I spent three months on forced bed rest, a frustrating experience that also became a time for soul-searching. I had accomplished so much, creating an aerospace startup then pivoting to keep my business alive during the pandemic. I realized that while passion had driven my venture so far, I needed something more—structured skills, a powerful network, and a strategic approach to scale my ambitions. That’s what ultimately led me to Babson College.

Three years later, after earning my Babson MBA, I am continuing to run my own business and starting in an exciting leadership role at Ateklo in Portland, Maine, where I work with deep-tech ventures—shaping ideas into viable companies and leading them toward market success.

The lessons I learned at Babson made this possible, and I believe they can help any graduate student stepping into their own entrepreneurial journey.

Lesson 1: Get Involved

From the day I arrived on campus, I decided I wouldn’t waste a moment. I visited every major location at Babson and immersed myself in the community. In my first semester alone, I joined four clubs—Global Entrepreneurial Leadership (supporting fundraising), the Babson Indian Club, the John E. and Alice L. Butler Launch Pad at the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Acceleration Club, where I served as head.

In my second year, I ran for Graduate Student Council president—and won. Leading across cultures, managing complex initiatives, and advocating for students became my daily work. Our biggest initiative was launching Engage, a one-stop communication portal for all graduate students. We also created a student committee to support the Graduate Center for Career Development, making career resources more accessible.

Lesson 2: Strengthen Your Foundation

In my first year, I focused heavily on academics—finance, strategy, and entrepreneurship fundamentals. That knowledge built my confidence to make smarter decisions, evaluate opportunities quickly, and move fast when the right ones appeared.

I took advantage of other opportunities to reflect—connecting with mentors who challenged my ideas through the Butler Launch Pad while serving as a mentor to young entrepreneurs through the Babson Academy‘s Youth Impact Lab.

Lesson 3: Keep Your Roots, Continue to Grow

Babson taught me that you don’t need to abandon your past ventures to succeed. I continued running my drone business remotely as I completed my MBA, applying Babson insights in real time. Balancing both taught me to prioritize, delegate, and lead effectively across distances.

At the Acceleration Club, where I served as vice president, I received additional insights into my own venture by assisting other startups as they moved through different growth stages, culminating in pitch competitions, where we helped founders access  $100,000 in investor support.

“Babson is more than just a business school—it’s an ecosystem where you can test, fail, iterate, and grow, surrounded by people who want to see you succeed.”
KV Yashwanth MBA’25

Lastly, I made connections wherever I could, inviting top schools like Harvard to pitch at Babson and securing strong investor interest for participants. I competed in many pitch competitions (winning one), and partnered with other schools’ student governments to create cross-campus networking events. That hard work not only earned me the Dean’s Leadership Award and $1,500 in pitch prizes, but it also got me invited to a key event headed by the leaders at Ateklo, where I now work.

Babson is more than just a business school—it’s an ecosystem where you can test, fail, iterate, and grow, surrounded by people who want to see you succeed. If I learned anything from my accident, it’s that life can change in a moment. But with the right mindset, community, and action, you can transform even the hardest challenges into the foundation for your biggest successes.

Posted in Outcomes

Tagged Advice, Alumni, Class of 2025, Graduate, Startups, Student Life, Entrepreneurship

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