News, Notes, and Nods: Undergraduates
1957
Richard L. Kozacko ’57, a media broker, was recently featured on a panel of experts discussing investments in broadcast media. The seminar, presented by the Radio/Television Business Report, was held November 13 at the Harvard Club in New York City. Kozacko has been operating as a media broker, specializing in the appraisal and sale of media properties, since 1967. He opened his own business, Kozacko Media Services, in 1985.
1977 / 1978
Six members of Babson’s first women’s basketball team formed in 1974 were honored over the course of a weekend in November as the College celebrated the 50th anniversary of women’s basketball. The players—(from left to right) Marion Browning ’77, Kathy McCann O’Brien ’78, Adrienne Halsey Wald ’78, Sue Jackson Fitzgerald ’78, Helen Ruff Copeland ’78, and Maria Serpentino ’78, P’05—were honored with an in-game presentation, a postgame reception, and brunch with the current women’s basketball team.
1987
Joy Gustafson Weintz ’87 recently joined the Americares Board of Directors, a nonprofit health-focused relief and development organization. A longtime supporter of the organization, Weintz said she is deeply committed to advancing Americares’ mission of saving lives and improving health for people affected by poverty or disaster.
1989
John Millier ’89 (second from left) is the treasurer of Hope Laugh Play (HLP), which hosts onsite LEGO Build Events at hospitals, camps, and schools for children facing illnesses, disabilities, or other life challenges, serving about 1,000 children in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta each year. Len Iglar P’28 (third from left) recently connected with Millier about getting involved with HLP, and he and his team at Iglar Asset Management (IAM) have volunteered with HLP at the Arthur Blank Children’s Hospital in Atlanta. IAM also has covered the costs for all HLP events in Atlanta in 2025. Iglar praised the incredible impact that Millier is making through his work with HLP.
1992
Kara Connolly Diehl ’92, founder of a scripture-inspired jewelry company named Gracelets, was recently featured on “The 700 Club” on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), which reaches 159 countries and airs in 85 languages. Diehl’s business, which she started in 2012 from her dining room table, donates a portion of proceeds to fight sex trafficking. Gracelets now ships to more than 14 countries. “I’ve always had a passion for jewelry, and it felt like a natural fit to combine my love for design with sharing God’s love,” Diehl said. “Being featured on CBN’s ‘The 700 Club’ was an amazing opportunity to share globally.”
1995
Juan Santa Cruz ’95, founder of a highly exclusive trio of restaurants called Casa Cruz, returned to Babson in February to speak with students about his life and career. Cruz has opened exclusive Casa Cruz restaurants in Buenos Aires, London, and, most recently, New York. He spoke to students at eTower about his journey—from attending Babson and working in private equity to eventually launching several restaurants across the globe.
1999
Greg Toskos ’99: See 2024 (below).
2000
Yan J. Katz ’00, managing partner of HUB Wealth Strategies, has been named as a President’s Council qualifier by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian). President’s Council, one of the highest honors Guardian gives, is awarded annually to financial professionals who demonstrate outstanding service and dedication to their clients. The prestigious milestone comes as Katz celebrates 15 years at HUB Wealth Strategies. “I’m honored to be recognized with this prestigious designation as it is my passion to always put my clients at the center of the conversation, and help them reach their unique goals and aspirations,” Katz wrote. “Being named to the Guardian President’s Council is not something I take lightly; it is a true honor to be included with this remarkable group of elite financial professionals.”
2001
Rodrigo Albir ’01 and his work as an interior designer at Studio RODA in Miami were featured in ELLE Décor magazine. The November issue published an article about a three-bedroom apartment in a Miami highrise designed by Albir and his studio. Albir designed the 5,000-square-foot apartment with elements of disco-era glamour, incorporating mirrors, shimmering metallics, and occasional pops of retro color.
Ashley Korizis ’01 and several other Babson alumni from the Charlotte, North Carolina, area reunited for a New Year’s celebration. More than a dozen former Babson students gathered at Legion Brewing in West Charlotte to catch up with friends and ring in the new year. Korizis wrote that the alumni community in Charlotte has been growing as recent graduates and retirees relocate to the area. The group plans to meet again in June as part of Babson’s summer reception series. Pictured (from left): Joel Odeniyi MBA’24, Devin Collins ’02, Paul Baker ’80, Susan Baker ’83, Harrison Le ’24, Henning Brieger ’24, Luca Antonacci ’23, Korizis, Prabhat Adhikari MBA’02, Faith Hickey ’92, MBA’99, James Zarokostas ’98, Wendy O’Brien ’82, Tricia Radford Roark MBA’10, and David Mathai ’23.
Michael Sarlanis ’01: See 2024 (below)
2005
Kreg Pearless ’05: See 2024 (below)
2012
Anjali Merchant Majithia ’12 (center) was recently featured, along with her father, Viren Merchant (left), and sister, Radhika Ambani (right), on the cover of Entrepreneur India magazine. Majithia was featured in the article as she and her sister are about to take over Encore Healthcare, a company focusing on pharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing. “I am thankful for my years at Babson as they were formative in helping me navigate and grow in the business world,” Majithia wrote.
2014
Alex Deeb ’14, co-founder of the education video service ClassHook, announced that the company has been acquired by ClickView, an Australian educational technology company. Deeb and ClassHook co-founder Joyce Ang ’14 launched the platform to provide teachers with short video clips from popular movies and TV shows, helping them capture students’ attention and connect daily lessons to pop culture. With the acquisition, ClassHook, already used by K–12 educators in more than 25,000 schools, will reach even more classrooms, Deeb said. “ClickView’s mission aligns perfectly with ClassHook’s—making learning more relevant and engaging for students. I’m excited about the opportunities ahead to support more classrooms across the U.S. and reimagine how educators use video,” Deeb wrote.
Elena (Ruan) Visovsky ’14, MSA’14 married Frank Visovsky on July 15, 2023, at La Bella Vista in Waterbury, Connecticut. The couple were joined by many friends and loved ones they met while attending Babson. Pictured (from left): Madeline Pickering ’14, Ina Kao ’16, Sam Gabales ’18, Chelsea Cates-Rollins ’18, Nina Sufrin ’14, MBA’22, Zach Sufrin ’15, Nicole Letti ’14, Matt Caron ’14, Frank Visovsky, Elena Visovsky, Natalie Barba Padilla ’14, Paula Chrestka ’14, Eni Bashllari ’14, Shawn Koid ’14, Olivia Pomeroy ’15, Aaron Pomeroy ’15, Michael Kowaguchi-Guiness ’13, and Sarina Kowaguchi-Guiness ’13 (with Aria Kowaguchi-Guiness).
2015
Brianna San Diego ’15 and Glenn Anderson ’15 were married September 27 in San Francisco. Many Babson alumni joined the celebration, including Lisa Wang ’17, Simon Shi ’15, Helen Voloshin ’15, Jessica Santiago ’15, Somia Farid Silber ’15, Jared Silber ’15, Connor DeFiore ’15, Samantha Donovan ’15, Ramone Doyley ’15, Sanjay Dasari ’15, Alan D’Adamo ’15, Yousef Al-Humaidhi ’15, Michael Diamond ’15, Rolando Chinchilla ’15, Patrick Bagley ’15, Joseph LaGrasso ’15, Kyle Tagen ’15, Matthew Wei ’15, David Miller ’15, Kendall Valencia ’16, Kseniya Topdjian ’15, Joshua Noble ’15, Angela Price ’16, and Alicia Wilde ’16.
Evan Shirley ’15 and Lorraine Shirley ’17 were married September 14 in Oceanside, California. Many of their Babson classmates attended the celebration, including Anna Ivashko ’11 MBA’20, Christianne Kinder Cancellieri ’15, Glenn Anderson ’15, Brianna San Diego Anderson ’15, Dominick Tocci ’15, Alan D’Adamo ’15, Jay Ruvane ’15, Andrew Lepine ’15, Rolando Chinchilla ’15, Lana Le Tanna ’16, and Rushab Tanna ’13.
Purin Waranimman ’15 and Thu Tran ’15 celebrated their wedding in Phuket, Thailand, on Nov. 9. The couple met during their first year at Babson in 2011 while taking the College’s signature entrepreneurship class, Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship. Many of their Babson friends and classmates also attended the ceremony. Back row, standing, from left: Vipada Vongsiridej ’14, Pavadee Jitngamplang ’14, Soozin Kang ’15, Jia Jun Teo ’15, Agnes Wong ’15, Natalie Barba ’15, Chris Minor ’14, Florenza Phung Minor ’14, Tran, Waranimman, Paris Waranimman ’15, Daniel Shaffer ’15, Jared Silber ’15, Somia Farid Silber ’15, Lisa Wang ’17, and Christopher Maddox ’17. Front row, kneeling, from left: Hung Chung Lau ’15, Kris Supavatanakul ’15, Louis Kim ’15, Carmen Ho Gall ’15, Jae Chung ’15, Vivek Dodani ’17, An Truong ’16, and Simon Shi ’15.
2017
Lorraine Shirley ’17: See 2015 (above).
2018
Adolfo Olloqui ’18 recently was featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Ecuador as co-founder of new messaging software company called Sendo. Olloqui, who serves as CEO of Sendo, began the company in Ecuador and has plans to expand to Panama, Mexico, and Honduras.
2020
Nicholas Bourdon ’20, co-founder of Reef Arches, a concrete marine structure meant to slow beach erosion and restore ocean habitats, stands next to one of the arches his company installed off Palm Bay, Florida. Bourdon (left) and Reef Arches co-founder Parker Hedrick (right) installed their patented technology arch along the shoreline at the Marine Resources Council headquarters in Palm Bay.
Li Li ’20, who owns Pain Relief Therapy clinic in Boston, recently traveled to Antarctica and brought a little bit of Babson with her. Once on the icy continent, Li made sure to don a Babson hat and plant a flag highlighting the Babson-born brand ReviMo. Li has been serving as an advisor for ReviMo, a mobility device company founded by Aleksandr Malashchenko MBA’24, since 2023. “What a humbling experience,” Li wrote about the trip. “The ReviMo flag not only landed but was flying high on the Antarctica continent, signifying the goal of creating unlimited opportunities for everyone.”
2022
Anna Dibble ’22 is working in Stockholm as head of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing for Alight, a Swedish solar developer. She also was featured recently in a Financial Times article discussing the differences in ESG investing in Europe and America.
2024
Pallavi Jain ’24, who recently began working at UBS Global Wealth Management (GWM) as a GPT analyst, attended an award-winning evening that prominently featured many Babson alumni. The GWM annual Field Leadership Meeting, held Jan. 16 in Boca Raton, Florida, culminated with an award night to celebrate the top managers in North America. The event was hosted by Greg Toskos ’99, managing director and head of global financial sponsors at GWM. Michael Sarlanis ’01 was named the New York International Market Executive winner. Also in attendance was Kreg Pearless ’05, market director of the Boston Private Wealth Office. Pictured (from left): Pearless, Toskos, Jain, and Sarlanis.
MORE NEWS, NOTES, AND NODS FROM THE SPRING 2025 ISSUE:
Graduates » In Memoriam »
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