News, Notes, and Nods: Undergraduates
1959
Larry Fitzmaurice ’59 moved to Bluffton, South Carolina, after living most of his life in Wellesley, Massachusetts. “It is an adjustment, but I am assimilating well,” he wrote. “What I do miss are my New England friends, civic activities, and my personal involvement with various Babson volunteer activities.” Fitzmaurice was thrilled to read about one of those New England friends recently. “I enjoyed the summer issue of Babson Magazine, and particularly the piece about Donna Stoddard, a former Wellesley friend and neighbor.”
1974
Carlos M. Echeverría ’74, MBA’76 moved to Costa Rica and reports that he is active physically and mentally and is writing a lot for the local media and attending radio and TV events.
1977
Craig R. Benson ’77, H’03, who serves on the Babson Board of Trustees, welcomed a new granddaughter, Ava Michelle, who was born May 19.
1982
Kenneth G. Romanzi ’82 was appointed chairman of the Moonstone Nutrition board of directors in August. Moonstone Nutrition is a Pittsburgh-based kidney health nutraceutical company. Romanzi, who serves on the Babson Board of Trustees, is the former president, CEO, and director of B&G Foods, a $2 billion public food company; and a pioneer who led entrepreneurial ventures at companies such as Ocean Spray, Earthbound Farm Organics (Danone/WhiteWave), Nabisco, Cadbury Schweppes, Balducci’s, and Naked Juice. Salim Rayes, president and CEO of Moonstone Nutrition, said Romanzi’s “appointment comes at a pivotal moment as our company continues to grow and create a new kidney health category at retail. Ken’s deep experience and leadership in building brands through superior marketing and innovation will be invaluable to our company.”
1987
Michael Crosby ’87, P’12 ’22: See 2022, in Graduate news.
1988
Peter B. Cosco ’88 sold his advisory firm, 4Forces Group, LLC, on July 18 to independent investment firm Isos Capital Management. Cosco will stay on as managing director at Isos, overseeing the advisory process and supporting the firm’s core investment business. Isos Capital, located in Westport, Connecticut, has established itself as an independent investment firm focused on the global media, entertainment, sports, and technology industries. Cosco founded 4Forces Group after a career as a media industry executive, building a reputation as a change agent helping companies grow through strategic planning and finding operational efficiencies. “In my experience, post-merger success is realized not only through strategic synergies, but by having a clear cultural alignment,” Cosco said. “The partnership between Isos Capital and 4Forces Group has both in spades, and I couldn’t be happier to join the team.”
1993
Audrey Klebanow ’93 married William McGann ’93 on May 12 in Park City, Utah. The couple has five children, as well as four dogs, seven alpacas, three donkeys, chickens, ducks, and goats. Fellow classmate Stephen Paquelet ’93 attended the wedding celebration.
1998
Jonathan Cignetti ’98 and Pat Cutter ’01, both former Babson baseball players, coached their sons together in the Hingham (Massachusetts) Little League majors division in the 2022 season. The two 12-year-old boys, who played for the Pirates, wrapped up their last Little League season in mid-June. Cignetti has been coaching his son since 2015, and Cutter moved to Hingham a few years ago, according to Jonathan’s wife, Erin Cignetti ’99. “It was fun to see them coaching together after I watched them play baseball together more than 20 years ago,” Erin Cignetti wrote.
Dina (Kassis) Gray ’98 opened a new behavioral health business in January 2021 aimed at helping autistic children and adults gain more independence. Gray’s new company, ABA Helps, provides home-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for children and adults affected by autism and other related conditions. ABA therapy is a type of interpersonal therapy used to treat issues with communication, motor skills, and behavioral disorders. Gray, the founder and CEO, launched ABA Helps with a mission to impact the lives of many individuals affected by autism and to help them acquire adaptive skills in homes, schools, and communities. “I am so thrilled with all our accomplishments and proud of our talented clinical team, who is committed to delivering high-quality care to the families we serve,” Gray said.
1999
Erin Cignetti ’99: See 1998, above.
Charles Gaudet ’99 recently was named one of Disrupt Magazine’s 15 Top Business Coaches Crushing 2022. Gaudet is listed along with well-known leadership coaches such as Tony Robbins, Grant Cardone, Marshall Goldsmith, and others. Gaudet also was named in the Los Angeles Tribune’s list of Top 13 Business Experts to Follow in a Recession.
Fernando Morales ’99 had an impromptu Babson meet-up while at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, located in Mallorca, Spain. He was dropping off his two sons for their first day at tennis camp when he struck up a conversation with two other parents, and he soon learned that they were Babson alumni, too. “The Babson network is strong all over the world,” Morales wrote, pointing out that he is from Panama, May Lim ’03 is from Hong Kong, and David Fernandez Neila MBA’05 is from Spain.
2001
Pat Cutter ’01: See 1998, above.
2003
May Lim ’03: See 1999, above.
2010
Tahira Adatia ’10 was listed in Deloitte Canada’s 2022 partner class in July. Employees in the group, according to Deloitte Canada’s announcement, are “dedicated professionals who have clearly demonstrated that they possess the skills, dedication, and motivation to grow their careers and help our organization flourish in the years ahead.” The new partner class reflects hard-earned recognition for leaders who have demonstrated outstanding performances and brought Deloitte’s shared values and purpose to life. According to Deloitte, Adatia “is honored and thrilled to accomplish this significant career milestone which, in addition to hard work, would not have been achieved without her mentors, advocates, and sponsors guiding and championing her throughout the process.”
2012
Carolyn Crosby Lavin ’12 and Thomas Lavin ’12: See 2022, in Graduate news.
Miguel Vázquez Jr. ’12 was recently listed as one of the Hartford Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty in 2022. Vázquez made the list due to his work as a senior development manager at Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), where he is leading the fundraising efforts for the New England region. Vázquez’s board leadership with Prospanica, and his community involvement through his church were other reasons he made the list.
2014
Ben Kravitz ’14 married Allison Windsor ’16 on August 5. While at Babson, Kravitz played hockey and Windsor played lacrosse. The pair was surrounded by several former Babson teammates and college friends at the summer ceremony.
Mauricio Palazzi ’14 married Abby Thorsgaard ’14 on March 14 in a Miami ceremony that occurred 10 years to the day after the couple first started dating as Babson sophomores. “We’ve been dreaming of being in Babson Magazine since we got engaged,” Thorsgaard wrote. Her best friend, Sarah Whitaker ’14, was not only partially responsible for Thorsgaard’s decision to attend Babson, but Whitaker also introduced the bride to her husband-to-be on orientation day in 2010. The couple started dating two years later when Thorsgaard joined Palazzi and his two friends, Brett Rosen ’14 and Alex Packer ’14, on a skiing day trip to Cannon Mountain. Palazzi proposed on the same mountain in 2019. “Sarah was my maid of honor, and Brett and Alex were both Mauricio’s groomsmen,” Thorsgaard wrote. “I just wanted to share the photo and the story and say how happy we all are to have met at Babson—so thankful for the lifelong friendships and connections we made there!”
2015
Jon Dainesi ’15 married Ella Overholt ’15 on June 4 at the Snowpine Lodge in Alta, Utah. More than 20 Babson alumni attended the wedding. From left to right: Kyle Bissell ’17, Anton Pronichenko ’17, Nick DeMartino ’15, Kyle Morrisey ’13, Taylor Welsh ’16, Alex Prentice ’15, Billy Affsa ’15, Katie Hunt ’15, Graham Anderson ’15, Dainesi (groom), Overholt (bride), Phil Turpin ’15, Christian Gordon ’14, Jared Silber ’15, Ryan Diplock ’15, Somia Farid Silber ’15, Victoria McKay ’15, Carter Dowd ’16, Danielle Brasher ’15, and Kate Began ’15.
Olivia Karow ’15 married Aaron Pomeroy ’15 on April 30 at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, New York. They were joined by 30 Babson alumni, Karow said.
2016
Allison Windsor ’16: See 2014, above.
2017
Jordan Shamir ’17 announced that a new company she co-founded, BotNot, is in the pre-seed round. Merchants can install BotNot on their website and use it to identify bots abusing coupon codes or returns. BotNot also helps identify a company’s real customers as opposed to bots, giving companies better data to use for marketing. “Knowing your consumers allows you to build a successful brand that your consumers love,” the BotNot website reads.
2022
Kaity Goodwin ’22 recently started as the fourth Take the Lead Fellow for the Boston Red Sox in August. Goodwin will work with the community relations department and spend four weeks with other local sports organizations, including the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Pride, New England Patriots, and the New England Revolution. The Take the Lead program was created by city and state officials along with local professional sports teams to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels in Boston-area professional sports. Goodwin, who had served as Babson’s mascot, Biz E. Beaver, said she looks forward to being able to create a positive impact in her new role.
Anna Nickerson ’22 attended a 10-day educational trip to Israel in July as part of a Jewish National Fund program called the Caravan for Democracy Student Leadership Mission. The trip is a fully subsidized educational program for student leaders who have never been to Israel. The participants visited historic locations such as the Holocaust museum in Israel and met figures such as Rami Nazzal, a Palestinian journalist working for Time magazine who lives in East Jerusalem. “I had an absolutely amazing experience,” wrote Nickerson of the trip.
MORE NEWS, NOTES, AND NODS FROM THE WINTER 2022–2023 ISSUE:
Graduates » In Memoriam »
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