News, Notes, and Nods: Undergraduates
1974
Several Babson alumni—(from left) Christian Iantosca ’00, Paul Iantosca ’74, P’00, Paul Natalizio ’84, Chuck Hajjar ’86, P’25, Peter Roberti ’86, and Richard Hajjar ’25—attended the Tomorrow Nite Gala, a fundraising event for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital held March 1 in Boston. The event, which raised more than $1 million, was chaired by Chuck Hajjar’s wife, Anne, who has served as the chair of the event for more than 25 years. Chuck Hajjar has served on the board of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for more than 20 years.
1977
Charlie Nulsen ’79, Dave Sherry ’77, and Bob Charney ’78 (from left to right) got together April 30 at Little Moir’s Food Shack in Jupiter Beach, Florida, for a four-hour lunch, where the friends relived great Babson memories. Particularly beloved were their experiences playing Babson lacrosse, and their time spent at Coleman Hall and the Theta Chi fraternity.
1978
Susan Hutchinson ’78 co-presented a dynamic, interdisciplinary wellness retreat in May at the campus of Middlesex Community College in Bedford, Massachusetts. The event included activities such as a nature trail exploration, yoga-based relaxation, introduction to Japanese floral design, and a creative writing session.
Bob Charney ’78: See 1977, above.
1979
Charlie Nulsen ’79: See 1977, above.
1980
Jon F Weber ’80, MBA’81, who opened a boutique firm advising those who have lent money to companies that are restructuring, recently co-wrote “Journey from Creditor to Private Equity Investor.” The article, published in the March issue of the Journal of Corporate Renewal, describes the challenges creditors face when they inherit companies, and offers advice to lenders in similar circumstances.
1983
Bill Knittle ’83 retired at the end of June after 22 years in the newspaper business and 20 years in education. He spent the past 14 years as the principal of Rowe Elementary School in Rowe, Massachusetts. Knittle plans to continue working in education in some form, while also enjoying time to kayak, read, and learn to play the mandolin.
Enrique Turégano ’83, MBA’85 writes, “When I left California in 2017 after 31 years in the advertising industry, I thought I was retiring. But come to think of it what I have done, and NEEDED to do (thus my early retirement), was change jobs from ad executive to caretaker. I moved to Spain to take care of my 94-year-old mother who suffers from dementia. Not one regret. And she’s doing fine. Regards to my Babson (#2!) friends.”
1984
Paul Natalizio ’84: See 1974 above.
Chantal Polsonetti ’84 hosted several of her fellow Babson alumni to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in March while wearing some Babson green. From left to right: Carolyn Brzezinski ’81, Lori Sullivan ’82, Roberta (Mullen) Murphy ’83, Marti (Crompton) Johnson ’82, MBA’91, Vivian (Markoulakis) Kreig ’82, Linda MacDonald ’82, Polsonetti, Wendy (Shepherd) O’Brien ’82, Maura Walker ’80, Tina (Uhtenwoldt) Oppici ’83, Amy Cohen, Susan (Chambault) Baker ’82, and Veronica (Grant) Alger ’82. Other alumni attendees included Paul Baker ’80, Bill Downing ’80, and Jeff Johnson ’83, MBA’92.
1986
Chuck Hajjar ’86, P’25: See 1974 above.
Sheilagh Hamill McNeil ’86 celebrated an annual trip to Cancun, Mexico, with several of her fellow Babson classmates in April. McNeil said the trip furthered “our bond of 43 years of friendship with great conversation, good food, and pickleball.” From left: McNeil, Carolyn Fox Mula ’86, Lisa Haskins ’86, Gerri Nathan Russo ’86, Kaylee Dodge Murphy ’86, Maryellen Papelian ’86, Marianne Citro Flayhan ’86, and Linda Lackey ’86.
Peter Roberti ’86 joined the Bally’s Corporation as regional vice president of finance responsible for the Rhode Island properties. Also, see 1974 above.
1992
Bill Chisholm ’92 wanted to clarify for his fellow Beavers that he is not the new owner of the Boston Celtics. However, he wrote, “I’m enjoying life as an executive recruiter with Hewlett Packard Enterprise.” A different Bill Chisholm, who co-founded the Symphony Technology Group, purchased the Boston Celtics for $6.1 billion in March.
1995
David Cohen ’95, as CEO of the nonprofit therapy provider Doc Wayne Youth Services in Boston, is partnering with the Boston Red Sox and four local nonprofits in a program to “Changeup the Conversation” about mental health. Doc Wayne services use sports and play to support mental health and offers group and individual therapy sessions for kids and adults. The new Changeup the Conversation program, which will last one season, was officially announced May 7 at Fenway Park. Doc Wayne also was granted $100,000 in May as part of Morgan Stanley’s Children’s Mental Health Innovation Awards. The program aims to seed fund transformative mental healthcare solutions for children across the nation. In addition to receiving the funding, each winning organization receives training from industry professionals and builds connections with other nonprofits and potential funders in the space.
2000
Christian Iantosca ’00: See 1974 above.
Ben Montano ’00 was hired last year by The Loyal Subjects toy company to be its senior vice president and general manager. The company won the prestigious Toy of the Year Award in March for a 12-inch Rainbow Brite Doll celebrating the character’s 40th anniversary in 2024. The brand seeks to tap into nostalgia and create new fans of beloved toys such as Rainbow Brite and other classic characters.
2002
Greg Berard ’02 and Dan Rashba MBA’12 were recently tapped to lead a newly formed tech investment company created by H.I.G. Capital, a leading global alternative investment firm with $69 billion of capital under management. Mainline Information Systems LLC, an existing H.I.G. portfolio company where Rashba served as CFO, acquired Converge Technology Solutions Corp. Berard, who formerly served as CEO of Converge, now serves as CEO of the new company, Pellera Technologies, and Rashba serves as its CFO. Also, on the merger, Josh Weinman ’11 served as the principal from H.I.G.
2005
Theresa Conroy ’05 was named senior vice president, commercial banking relationship manager at Boston-based Eastern Bank. Conroy, who brings 20 years of commercial and industrial lending experience to regional and middle market companies, most recently served as senior relationship manager at the Middle Market Division at Needham Bank. “It is a pleasure to welcome Theresa Conroy to Eastern Bank’s Commercial Banking team,” said Greg Buscone, executive vice president and chief commercial banking officer of Eastern Bank. “She takes the time to understand the needs of her clients, is strongly committed to excellent customer relationships and analytical skills, and brings a strong commitment to our local community, and we look forward to her contributions.”
2006
Colleen E. Heidinger ’06, president of the startup accelerator 43North, recently was selected as a 2025 Kauffman Fellow. The respected two-year leadership development program aims to accelerate the development and success of venture investors by providing them with education, networking opportunities, and mentorship. Originally from Buffalo, Heidinger is the first Kauffman Fellow selected from Western New York, and she hopes the opportunity will help further revitalize regional and economic growth in the area.
2011
Josh Weinman ’11: See 2002, above.
2015
Max Petre ’17 and Deena Mele ’15 married on August 30 in Ravello, Italy, surrounded by several Babson alumni, some of whom served in the wedding party. The wedding date was almost 10 years to the day that the couple first met in Babson’s Campus Mail Center on the second floor of Reynolds Campus Center. Nikolai Markin ’17 officiated the wedding, and Ana Sofia Nolfo ’15 and Matthew Batista ’17 were in the bridal party. Also in attendance was Mele’s mentor, Babson Arts and Humanities Professor Elizabeth Swanson P’19, the Joyce H’22 and Andy Mandell ’61 Endowed Professor. Back row, left to right: Batista, Christian Fleming ’15, Rupam Gupta ’17, Markin, Petre, William Bermant ’17, Joao Marcelo Leao, Brenna Mulhern ’15, and Swanson. Front row, left to right: Marcelle Goldberg ’19, Tanushree Gupta ’16, Carmen Gall (Ho) ’15, Cheyenne Dean-Fleming ’17, Mele, Nolfo, and Cheska Mauban ’15.
2016
Harry Gray ’16 and Brett Ender ’17 recently launched Noble Origins, a digestion-friendly protein powder with additional essential nutrients. The pair connected while they were both training for the Ironman contest and started talking about the issues surrounding the food industry. The duo left their corporate jobs and launched a podcast, Meat Mafia, meant to address the biggest problems in our food system and have since recorded 400 episodes.
2017
Brett Ender ’17: See 2016, above.
Joey Flannery ’17, Babson men’s basketball associate head coach, was selected for induction into the Small College Basketball (SCB) Hall of Fame in May. Flannery was among 12 players, coaches, and contributors chosen by the SCB Hall of Fame Committee for this year’s induction. The SCB Hall of Fame ceremony will be held October 31 in Lakeland, Florida. Flannery, the most decorated player in program history, was a two-time National Association of Basketball Coaches Division III Player of the Year and capped his career by earning D3hoops.com Player of the Year honors after helping lead Babson to the NCAA Division III national championship in 2017. He also was inducted into the Babson Athletics Hall of Fame last year.
Max Petre ’17: See 2015, above.
2021
MaiLinh Ho ’21 (center in red), co-founder of Gateway, a company that accelerates onboarding and training, said the company recently won a competitive pitch event at Georgetown University. “The recognition reinforces the impact of our work in transforming onboarding and training efficiency—helping companies accelerate workforce productivity and drive real business results,” Ho said.
Matilda Kocaj ’21, who was an All-American rugby player for Babson Women’s Rugby Football Club, is starring for the New York Exiles in the first women’s professional rugby league in the United States. In her second year at Babson, Kocaj helped the Beavers emerge from the New England Wide 7s Conference as champions, which led to a national title bid for a team that began playing 7s only a year prior. In that same season, Kocaj was named an all-conference selection. Kocaj was inducted into Babson Women’s Rugby Hall of Fame in 2024.
2023
Skylar Jackenthal ’23 launched a new podcast, Good Grief: Life After Loss, created to support young people navigating grief and mental health challenges. The show is inspired by the loss of her older brother, Sam, and her work with a nonprofit Jackenthal co-founded in her brother’s honor, Live Like Sam. According to Jackenthal, the show explores the realities of grief, resilience, and healing, especially among youth. The first episode launched May 15. More information about the podcast can be found at the Good Grief Instagram account.
Synchronized ice skater Elissa Kempisty ’23, who worked at Babson’s Office of Experiential Learning after graduation, joined Les Suprêmes synchronized national skating team of Canada in May. Les Suprêmes, a renowned synchronized skating organization, is based at CPA Saint-Léonard in Montreal. The new job reunites Kempisty, who learned to skate at the age of 6 and formerly served as a member of the U.S.-based team the Haydenettes, with synchronized skating, which is a lifelong passion. She moved to Montreal in May.
2025
Richard Hajjar ’25: See 1974 above.
MORE NEWS, NOTES, AND NODS FROM THE SUMMER 2025 ISSUE:
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