Pranit Chand MSBA’24 and an Entrepreneurial Mindset for Global Good

As a product administrator at the International Rescue Committee, an organization that helps people in crisis zones throughout the world, Pranit Chand MSBA’24 applies his knowledge of data science and entrepreneurial leadership to address big global humanitarian issues.  

“I’ve always had this focus, this altruistic mindset: Do good, better, And, I want to keep technology and innovation at the heart of it,” says Chand, who completed an internship with the United Nations Development Program during his graduate program. “The reason why I got in was because of my experience with innovation and entrepreneurship at Babson. My hiring manager was really impressed by what I had to offer in terms of thinking about innovation and entrepreneurship.”  

In his current role helping those in crises, those skills are serving him, and his organization, well. 

“The value I bring is the entrepreneurial aspect of things,” he says. “I’m always thinking OK, how can we do this differently? How can we make it better?’ ”  

The Path to Babson 

Chand was first introduced to the idea of entrepreneurial leadership as an undergraduate student at Emerson College. In an entrepreneurship class during his junior year, he placed in the final pitch competition, and he went on to earn the Entrepreneur Spirit Award and complete a related summer program at MIT. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Economics, Data Science, Entrepreneurial Studies, he wasn’t sure if grad school was the path for him.  

An international student from Nepal, Chand believed that grad school was out of reach, “too expensive,” he thought. But then he came across an organization called Leadership Brainery, a collaborator of Babson College, with the mission to connect underrepresented students to master’s and doctoral degree programs. He applied and was awarded a presidential scholarship, easing the cost of tuition. Shortly after, he met Jacob Nyamu MSBA’23, then a Babson student, at a Leadership Brainery event and had a conversation that made him want to accept the offer right then—even before he’d visited campus. 

“It was by far one of the most difficult classes I’ve ever taken in my life. I absolutely loved it. Professor Stillwagon broke down the concepts and presented them to us in a way we could understand.”
Pranit Chand MSBA’24

“While I was talking to him, I found out that not only did he go to Babson, but he was in the same program that I got accepted into,” Chand says. “I remember him telling me that it is a great program and I’d have no regrets jumping into it. 

“Call it a sign from the universe, if you may,” he adds. “We ended up collaborating on a couple of projects later on, and I definitely have no regrets joining Babson!” 

Babson’s network offered Chand exactly the type of support and learning environment he needed to succeed. When he arrived on campus, he says, “I remember thinking to myself, I just feel so comfortable here. I feel like I’m home.”  

Challenged to Achieve 

Oftentimes at Babson, support comes with the push to challenge oneself. Chand recalls taking a class with Associate Professor Joshua Stillwagon, chair of the Economics Division. 

“It was by far one of the most difficult classes I’ve ever taken in my life. I absolutely loved it,” says Chand, who enjoyed the personalized attention in a section with only a half-dozen students. “Professor Stillwagon broke down the concepts and presented them to us in a way we could understand.”  

The learning was so comprehensive, he recalls thinking, “If I have to pivot and go into a PhD program, I would be more than prepared after taking this class.” 

The Babson faculty prepared Chand to handle complex concepts and encouraged him to continue pursuing an entrepreneurial approach to data science—and the staff of the Graduate Center for Career Development (CCD) taught him the value of mentorship, networking, and how to present himself.  

“I owe my career to grad CCD,” says Chand, who worked in the center as a writing coach and built lasting relationships with the colleagues and peers he met there. The coaching and support of the Grad CCD staff gave him the confidence and clarity to pursue his current career.  

Hacking the Hackathons 

Not all of Chand’s learning at Babson happened through formal coursework or mentorship, though. It was during his MSBA program that he also first started participating in hackathons. At first, he was looking for a way to add project experience to his resume.  What he found was so much more.  

Chand participated in a few of these competitions through Babson, as well as some hosted at other Boston-area universities. Often, the hackathons used real data and posed real problems for companies and organizations that the “hackers” worked to solve. He placed second in Babson’s Metropolitan Commercial Bank Hackathon and was a finalist in one of MIT’s competitions.  

“It’s the most exciting and challenging experience you’ll ever have. Put in the work, and it will change your life.”
Pranit Chand MSBA’24 on his advice to prospective students

Chand says hackathons taught him to think fast, work with diverse teams, and deliver real solutions. Through the experiences, he honed “that ability to iterate, to think through a problem, ideate, and come up with concepts in a very short period of time and present it,” he says. 

Beyond hackathons, Chand says he felt Babson encouraged him to engage with industry partners, companies, and other academic institutions by providing resources to attend conferences or networking events. 

“There was a push to not limit yourself,” says Chand, adding that Boston, to him, is the most “incredible academic ecosystem” he could ask for. 

Helping Others Discover Babson 

Since graduating from Babson, Chand says, he has stayed in touch with people he met in the program, at grad CCD, through the hackathons, and mentors he found on campus.  

Today, he has “convinced two or three people in my circle to apply” to the school, sharing with them the connections, curriculum, and supportive environment that awaits them.  

When prospective students ask him what to expect, he says, “It’s the most exciting and challenging experience you’ll ever have. Put in the work, and it will change your life.”