News, Notes, and Nods: Undergraduates
1973
Roberto Santana ’73, managing partner of DTS LAW, LLC, was elected to the board of trustees of the Sociedad Española de Auxilio Mutuo y Beneficencia for a second three-year term to expire in December 2024. Auxilio Mutuo is Puerto Rico’s oldest and most prestigious medical institution and is a leader in cancer treatment; liver, kidney, pancreas, blood, and marrow transplants; orthopedics; and other medical specialties. It employs more than 2,100 people, including 715 doctors.
1974
Carlos M. Echeverría ’74, MBA’76 is enjoying semi-retired life with his family in Costa Rica. He has a weekly press column, participates in politics and sports, and occasionally offers his consulting services in Central America.
1979
Henry G. Brzycki ’79 published his book, Purpose and Possibilities: How to Transform Your Life, which, he wrote, “meets the needs of our time, and your own unique needs, just in time!” The book offers solutions to help you discover your higher purpose, find greater meaning in life, and see new possibilities for how to live a happy, healthy, and flourishing life. It is available on Amazon.
1981
Bob Kelly ’81 and a dozen other Babson graduates gathered to celebrate the life of their friend Dave Ryan ’81, who passed away October 28, 2020. The Legal Sea Foods gathering included Dave’s spouse, Laura, and his children, Paige and Matthew, as well as Gary Newcomb ’81, Tom Morganstern ’81, Marti Crompton Johnson ’82, MBA’91, Jeff Johnson ’82, MBA’92, Chris Grant ’81, Kelly, Lori Sullivan ’82, Jeffrey Hutchins ’82, Peggy Kelley Davis ’81, Sam Davis ’80, Steve Rogers ’80, and Lynne Nolan ’81. “What a wonderful tribute to one of the truly special ones! God bless Dave,” Kelly wrote.
1986
Alexander von Cramm ’86 completed his quest to summit the highest mountain on each of the seven continents on December 16, 2021. “I successfully completed my seventh summit and stood on top of Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica,” von Cramm said, reflecting on his final climb. “It was an amazing experience traveling the world and accomplishing something that less than 500 people have done. But the journey continues.”
1990
Steve DeBiasi ’90 has been appointed chief executive officer of Curi Advisory, Curi’s recently launched business unit designed to help independent physicians and practice leaders protect, optimize, and grow their businesses. “I’m truly honored to be joining the team,” DeBiasi said. “The healthcare space continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and medical practices need thoughtful, solution-oriented partners who can help them address those changing needs.”
Shaun McMahon ’90, the CEO and founder of Illuminate, a Boston-based custom clinical sales-training firm for the life services industry, joined the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. The organization is dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancement for all LGBT people. “Encouraging inclusivity in the workplace and supporting diverse communities is personally important to me, and these objectives are fundamental to Illuminate’s mission and work culture as well,” McMahon said.
1999
Charles Gaudet ’99 was named one of the Top 20 Business & Finance Experts You Should Be Following in 2022 by Grit Daily, an online news source on millennial and Gen Z startups that cited Gaudet’s work as an in-demand sales coach for small to mid-sized companies. He also was profiled about his consulting company, Predictable Profits, in an article by International Business Times titled “How Charles Gaudet Became the Go-To Business Coach for 7 and 8 Figure Entrepreneurs.”
2000
Fabi Arevalo ’00 recently joined the multinational footwear company Wolverine Worldwide as vice president of finance. Arevalo leads finance functions for both Sperry and Keds, two brands owned by Wolverine Worldwide. Arevalo said she is thrilled to be back in Boston after living in Seattle, San Francisco, and Santiago, Chile, while working for Nordstrom and Levi Strauss & Co.
Yan Katz ’00 was designated a Five Star Wealth Manager by the Bulfinch Group. The award is given annually to an elite group of wealth managers who are selected from a pool of up to 3,000 registered financial services professionals. Katz also was named an Executive Club qualifier by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. Executive Club is one of the highest honors annually awarded by Guardian to financial professionals who demonstrate outstanding service and dedication to their clients.
2002
Eric Brown ’02 was appointed to the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden board of trustees, with a mission to expand the reach of client services through the use of technology and provide care opportunities to historically underserved populations. Brown is the founder of It’s Possible Media, a marketing, technology, product, and business company. He lives in Harvard, Massachusetts, with his wife, Elizabeth, and their three children.
Eric Roberge ’02 and his wife, Kali, are thrilled to welcome their daughter, Thalia Grace, into the family. Thalia was born on October 2, 2021, weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces. “Arriving in less than an hour after her parents made it to the hospital, she wasted no time in making her presence known—and in stealing the hearts of her whole family,” Roberge said. Roberge, CFP and founder of Beyond Your Hammock, also was recently named to the ThinkAdvisor LUMINARIES Class of 2021, members of which are recognized for the dynamic and inclusive ways they drive the financial planning industry forward.
2005
Dennis Noll ’05 married Myles Harris on March 16, 2019, in Palm Springs, California, at a Mid-Century Modern Bank. He wrote, “Guests were treated to sunset cocktails outside, and dinner, dancing, and drag inside. I am so fortunate that so many of my supportive Babson friends could attend, including best man Mike Restivo ’05 and groomsman Matt Chiasson ’07.” Other guests included Kelsey Tracewski ’06, Chris Colli ’05, Kim (Nguyen) Colli ’05, Bill Fioretti ’65, Jen (Sanchez) Restivo ’05, Whitney (Robbins) Griffin ’05, Betsy Campbell ’05, Anh-Dao (Nguyen) Kefor ’05, Lindsay (Sherry) Burke ’05, Doug Griffin MBA’09, Jimmy Burke ’05, Pam Burns ’85, and Gregg Burns ’86.
2008
Nick Ariens ’08 has been promoted to executive vice president of the newly created Americas region of AriensCo, a manufacturer of lawn mowers, snow blowers, and other outdoor power equipment based in Wisconsin. Ariens has been with the company for 12 years. As the EVP, he will be responsible for all facets of business in the region, including sales and marketing, product engineering, operations, supply chain, human resources, and finance.
Sarah Sukumaran ’08 launched Lilith NYC, a Queens, New York-based footwear brand “for women, femmes, and all underrepresented folks in the sneaker world. Lilith NYC is about embracing our feminine energy and recognizing one’s agency to show up as they wish,” Sukumaran said. She was previously director of product at Nike.
2010
Jillian Vaillancourt ’10 opened a new recruitment firm named VCourt Recruitment in March after spending more than a decade in recruitment and staffing. Vaillancourt aims to connect top talent to contract and permanent positions with great companies. “Simply put, we put the best with the best,” Vaillancourt said.
Mark Bollman ’10: See 2011, below.
2011
Alyssa (Sullivan) Bollman ’11 wrote, “Mark Bollman ’10 and I met at a party at Babson in 2008. Two years later, our friendship blossomed into something more, and we were engaged in 2018. We rescheduled our 2020 wedding to 2021 in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. We were lucky enough to have 14 Babson alumni at our celebration and many supporting us from afar. From left to right: Jake Enyeart ’11, Jeff Croteau ’10, George Miller ’14, Joe Graves ’11, Mike Remy ’11, Ben Weinstein ’11, MS’11, Sarah (Switlik) Brooks ’11, Sara Chizek ’10, Ben Pugliares ’10, Cole Mercer ’10, Chris Jacobs ’10, Alex Brooks ’11, Scott Kern ’11, and Jason Melton ’12. We are so grateful to Babson for bringing us together and for the lifelong friendships we share!”
Jeffrey Browne ’11 is a financial advisor with Merrill in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, where he advises senior executives, entrepreneurs, and multigenerational families. He was recently ranked 32nd in the country on the 2021 Forbes/Shook America’s Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors list. Browne also was listed on the Forbes Best in State Wealth Advisors list, where he ranked 18th in the state of New Jersey.
2014
Bianca D’Alessio ’14, a real estate broker, was featured on the reality TV show “Selling the Hamptons,” which began streaming on Discovery+ in January. When D’Alessio isn’t on reality TV, she manages $10 billion in pipeline and active new development sales inventory for Nest Seekers Development Marketing.
Jaclyn LaCavalla ’14 married Graham Quisenberry ’16 on July 17, 2021, in Arlington, Vermont. Joining the celebration were many Babson friends, including Kevin Dachos ’15, Carter Dowd ’16, Tess Rubega ’14, Mari Hackett ’14, Sarah Whitaker ’14, Amanda Cioffi ’14, Mauricio Palazzi ’14, Abby Thorsgaard ’14, Max Barber ’17, Cristina Fernandez ’14, Leanne Tremblay ’16, Sam Barber ’16, Tatum Alkier ’18, Carter Walsh ’15, Patrick Meany ’15, Chris Roan ’16, Jack Barber ’16, and Joseph Lorusso ’15.
2016
Graham Quisenberry ’16: See 2014, above.
Ben Smith ’16 launched Goal House NYC, a fully furnished communal home in Brooklyn, New York, that had nearly 100 renters, and helped expand Tribe Coliving, a communal-living space in San Francisco that offers flexible rent and seeks to cultivate a community. As the adopted son of two fathers, Smith is a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ and nontraditional families. “My journey has been focused on co-living and community building,” he wrote. “I believe co-living and communal homes will only continue to become more important in a post-pandemic world.”
Shatiek Gatlin ’16 married Shakiyah Copening on October 3, 2021, in Carle Place, New York, surrounded by family and friends, including several Babson alumni, board members, faculty, and staff.
2017
Joanna Benadrete ’17 founded Days Off Bites, mood-boosting, superfood chocolate snacks that are vegan, nondairy, organic, and free of GMOs and refined sugar. “I was on a quest to discover what makes people live happier, healthier lives,” she wrote. “I saw a problem with the way the food, healthcare, and agricultural systems work, and I wanted to change them for the better.” Before launching her company, Benadrete worked in venture capital, investing in the health and food-tech industries.
Sam Bohmiller ’17 has earned the designation of Wealth Management Certified Professional, putting him in an “elite group of professionals” at The Bulfinch Group, a personal wealth management firm in Needham, Massachusetts.
MORE NEWS, NOTES, AND NODS FROM THE SUMMER 2022 ISSUE:
Graduates » In Memoriam »
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