Connecting Continents: How Babson’s President Builds Bridges Around the World
Most days start with a cup of black tea. Decaf English breakfast to be exact. No matter the change in time zone or the traffic clearing the most recent arrival gate he has passed through, Babson College President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD knows how to light up the room—often with a fresh cup in his hand.
Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore. New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai. Tuscany, Belfast, London.
These are just some of the cities around the world in recent years where Spinelli has proudly shared the story of Babson’s successful approach to entrepreneurship education with anyone willing to listen. From his former students to prospective families, he knows how to connect with anyone interested in Babson and entrepreneurship.
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And, as the waving flags surrounding Kerry Murphy Healey Park at the center of campus suggest, there are Babson fans in every corner of the world.
“Babson’s global communities are already strong,” said Anjali Wali ’09, senior director of alumni engagement at Babson. “But the momentum generated from President Spinelli’s international travels goes a long way in making them stronger and more connected.”
Wali has accompanied Spinelli on several international trips, coordinating intimate gatherings in alumni homes and large-scale strategic presentations to donors and friends. His updates vary but almost always include recent rankings and recognitions and the positive progress of fundraising campaigns that support critical infrastructure and services such as student scholarships, faculty term chairs, and new and innovative campus spaces.
Importantly, he always makes sure that alumni, students, donors, and friends feel every bit a part of the College’s success.
“It’s an exciting time to be a member of this community,” Spinelli shared with a roomful of alumni at the Alumni Club of Japan’s annual meeting. “Our ascension as a leader beyond entrepreneurship education is made possible by the engagement, leadership, and success of our alumni across the globe.”
That ascension refers to Babson’s recent rise in The Wall Street Journal’s Best Colleges in the United States report, which ranked Babson in the top 10 for three consecutive years and No. 2 in the country for the past two years. These new recognitions, Spinelli asserts, signal that Babson has ascended to a new leadership position beyond entrepreneurship education, serving as a model for colleges and universities.
Deep Commitment and Connection
Spinelli’s thirst for tea does not preclude him from immersing himself in local flavors or traditions. He has taken part in a Kagami-Biraki sake barrel opening ceremony to celebrate good fortune and health with alumni in Tokyo. He talked global entrepreneurship with alumni over a traditional Chinese banquet in Shanghai. And, he dined in the homes of alumni while traveling across India, hearing their personal stories about how Babson changed their lives.
During a weeklong visit to India, Spinelli split time between alumni gatherings, meetings with business leaders, and speaking on panels and delivering keynote addresses on the value of entrepreneurship education.
“In India, President Spinelli identified so deeply with the country’s commitment to education,” Wali said. “Our alumni there were honored by his recognition of this core belief and are eager to see how Babson could be a part of more educational journeys for students from the region.”
Spinelli’s own Babson experiences prior to assuming the role of president in 2019 position him well to connect across a spectrum of audiences. His Babson affiliations include MBA alumnus, entrepreneurship professor, chair of the Entrepreneurship Division, vice provost, and director of The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship—all lending unique perspectives to his advocacy for entrepreneurship education around the world.
Most recently, that global advocacy brought Spinelli to Northern Ireland, where he was presented with the inaugural Ireland-USA Bridge-Builder Award for his longtime support of entrepreneurship education and economic development in the region. The award, which celebrates trailblazers who have strengthened entrepreneurial and business relationships between Ireland and the United States, offered recognition for Spinelli’s longtime connection to Northern Ireland.
In 1993, he visited the campus of Ulster University while working on his doctorate, where he would later become a visiting professor. In 2016, he returned to the university to receive an honorary Doctor of Letters degree.
Higher Education Ambassador
In 2024, Babson hosted Ulster’s 25@25 leadership initiative on campus for an immersive weeklong residential program. The cohort, comprised of Ulster alumni from varying industries across Northern Ireland, clearly felt the impact of Babson’s Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® framework.
“I was amazed to see most of the Ulster University alumni who took part in the program last year in Wellesley come to the event just to support President Spinelli and to thank him for the lifechanging experience,” said Kevin Sullivan, Babson’s vice president of strategic corporate relations and engagement who accompanied Spinelli on the visit. “I can think of no better higher education ambassador as effective and impactful as President Spinelli.”
“Our ascension as a leader beyond entrepreneurship education is made possible by the engagement, leadership, and success of our alumni across the globe.”
President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD
Spinelli’s stay in the United Kingdom concluded with a keynote address at AICON, the largest AI conference in Northern Ireland. Fittingly, the address explored how an entrepreneurial approach to AI in higher education can create lasting solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. The moment provided a perfect opportunity to shift the focus back to Babson and its success transforming entrepreneurship education.
In March, Spinelli will bring his enthusiasm for entrepreneurship to a new arena—Latin America. The next Babson Connect Worldwide (BCW) will be hosted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 26–28, 2026.
“Babson Connect Worldwide is a vital component in our global effort to support and inspire entrepreneurial leaders to impact communities everywhere,” said Spinelli. “I’m grateful that BCW can bring Babson alumni and friends together in Brazil from around the world to reconnect and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit.”
For Spinelli, Rio de Janeiro represents far more than another stamp in his passport. It grants another opportunity to inspire, and learn from, Babson’s global network of 46,000 alumni and entrepreneurs.
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