How Babson Is Reimagining Sales Education—and Launching Careers Along the Way
Babson Professor of Sales and Marketing Vincent “Vini” Onyemah wanted to provide students with real-world experience amid live sales settings when he created his hands-on sales class that debuted last spring.
By the end of the semester, however, Christian Bazzano ’25 and Jolie Rojik ’25 had earned more than polished skills and a good grade. Both were hired by Allego, the Boston-based sales enablement company that hosted them, only weeks after the class ended. Their story is one of many that will be celebrated at an upcoming Sales Leadership Summit on Sept. 17 at Babson’s Knight Auditorium.
Allego co-founder and President Mark Magnacca ’91, who will keynote this year’s summit, said the hires show exactly why Babson’s approach to sales education works.
“Students are coming in with entrepreneurial drive, practicing in real-world scenarios, and succeeding,” Magnacca said. “In Jolie’s case, she closed her first deal just weeks into her new role. That’s the kind of outcome that proves Babson’s model.”
Magnacca added that Babson students brought the same growth mindset that fuels successful entrepreneurs to Allego, which was co-founded by Magnacca and fellow Babson alumnus Yuchun Lee MBA’96.
“There’s a genuine affection among Babson alumni to help the next generation succeed,” Magnacca said. “But students have to do the work. Jolie did that. Christian did that. They showed up on time, did the practice, and set themselves apart.”
A New Era for Sales at Babson
The experiential class is part of a larger effort led by Onyemah, who spent more than 15 years advocating to add an undergraduate sales concentration at Babson.
It wasn’t easy. When Onyemah first introduced sales as a single elective, many students still envisioned sales stereotypes such as hard-charging closers in windowless boiler rooms, underhanded pressure tactics on used-car lots, or cringe-worthy forced friendships at the fictional paper company, Dunder Mifflin. Over time, though, he reframed the subject, highlighting the importance of sales for every entrepreneur.
“I wanted students to understand that sales is everywhere—whether you’re pitching an investor, applying for a job, or persuading a friend, you’re selling,” Onyemah said.
As demand grew, Babson expanded from one course to six offerings across the undergraduate and graduate programs. In spring 2024, his years of advocacy paid off when Babson officially approved sales as a concentration, effective last fall.
To Onyemah, the moment was transformative because of the work that it took to get there. “I had to take my own medicine,” he said. “Every ‘no’ I heard along the way just meant ‘not over.’ I kept listening, adapting, and selling the vision until we got to yes.”
The new concentration quickly attracted students eager to apply sales skills to consulting, entrepreneurship, finance, and beyond. Classes, such as the professional sales practicum, allowed students to shadow executives on live sales calls, debrief in real time, and learn directly from practicing professionals.
Building Careers and Community
The impact of Onyemah’s work extends beyond internships and jobs. The inaugural Sales Leadership Summit in 2024 drew more than 200 attendees, including alumni who hadn’t been back to campus in decades.
Their enthusiasm has fueled new partnerships, a course on AI-enabled sales, and even a monthly “Sales Soiree,” where students earn a seat at the dinner table with industry leaders by pitching themselves in short videos.
During the upcoming summit, Magnacca plans to highlight how sales has shifted from pitching to consulting, particularly in the age of AI and digital tools.
“In 2025, the best salespeople don’t look anything like the old stereotype,” he said. “They’re trusted advisors. They listen, they personalize, and they bring real value. That’s what Babson is preparing its students to do.”
For Onyemah, the events are steppingstones toward an even bigger vision: an institute for entrepreneurial sales leadership at Babson.
“This summit is about more than celebration,” Onyemah said. “It’s about building a community around sales that will elevate our students, our alumni, and the companies they work with.”
With students already turning coursework into careers, the summit will showcase how Babson is reimagining sales as both a discipline and a life skill.
“Sales is the oxygen of entrepreneurship,” Onyemah said. “With this summit, and with partners like Allego, Babson is preparing students to excel not only in their first jobs, but in every venture and negotiation they’ll take on throughout their careers.”
Latest Stories
Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Insights, Outcomes
Posted in Community
