News, Notes, and Nods: Undergraduates
1953
Mario Vivado ’53, P’92 and his son, Marcelo Vivado ’92, met up in Costa Rica in February, reuniting, as the Babson graduates live on different continents. Mario lives in La Paz, Bolivia, and Marcelo lives in Prague, Czech Republic, where he works as a finance analyst for Honeywell.
1983
Jim Amos ’83 recently became chief operating officer at Scout 22, a full-service marketing and public relations agency based in Los Angeles that works with conscious capitalist, plant-based, and sustainable brands and organizations. “I wanted to find a focus for the last quarter of my career where I could leave a positive imprint on the planet,” Amos said of the new role. “It is deeply rewarding to be a part of the global sea change to solve the eco-crisis we face.”
BABSON MAGAZINE: Read the complete Winter 2023–2024 issue.
1992
Marcelo Vivado ’92: See Undergraduates, 1953
1993
Craig Braren ’93, P’27 and Pamela Tiley Braren ’94, P’27 are thrilled that their daughter, Ashley Braren ’27, began attending Babson this fall. The Brarens enjoyed their return to campus when they accompanied Ashley on move-in day, Pamela Braren wrote.
1994
Pamela Tiley Braren ’94, P’27: See Undergraduates, 1993
1996
Rodrigo Naranjo ’96, head of Babson’s alumni club in Venezuela, said a group of Venezuelan alumni gathered at a networking event in May. The group has had trouble meeting because of the pandemic and an ongoing social crisis that has prompted more than 7 million Venezuelans to leave the country. However, Babson graduates still living in Venezuela planned to meet again in November, Naranjo said. The Alumni Club of Venezuela is just one of many volunteer-led regional alumni groups across the world designed to foster community and engage Babson alumni through social media, networking, and social events. Pictured in the front row (from left): Naranjo, Vicente Davila MBA’86, and Eneko DeOrue MBA’88.
1999
Ambar Shrivastava ’99, MBA’05 launched CoverDoc.ai, an AI-powered research and writing assistant for job seekers. Shrivastava originally created the app as a cover letter writing tool but later expanded it to include research and interview preparation. Job seekers provide their professional information and receive a letter highlighting their unique qualifications. Shrivastava’s creation won Zapier’s 2023 No-Code Day Contest for the “No-Code Featuring AI” category in March.
2000
Yan Katz ’00, co-founder of HUB Wealth Strategies, has been named an Executive Club qualifier by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian). Executive Club is one of the highest honors annually awarded by Guardian to financial professionals who demonstrate outstanding service and dedication to their clients.
Ron Levin ’00 recently published Higher Purpose Venture Capital: Fifty Venture-Backed Startups that Are Uplifting Humanity Through Social and Financial Inclusion. The book, which details 50 early-stage, technology-driven ventures that are making a positive difference in the world, examines the power of private investment to generate well-being and address problems related to social and wealth inequity.
Leslie Scales ’00 is the new executive director of Voice of the Faithful, a worldwide nonprofit organization of Catholics seeking greater lay participation in church governance. Scales formerly served as president of The International Leadership Institute for Women Inc. and executive director of the New England Affordable Housing Management Association.
2001
Ashley Keenan Korizis ’01 and other Babson alumni met for an evening of fun September 14 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Korizis said Babson graduates of all ages have been steadily moving to Charlotte. Babson alumni in the area meet up every few months, Korizis wrote, and enjoy “welcoming newly relocated alumni to the ‘Queen City.’ ” Pictured (left to right) Alicia Giglio Charolle ’02, Korizis, Jeffery Goff MBA’22, unidentified alumnus, Troy Ramsarran ’20, Tim Ryan ’00, Petra Willig Cooper ’02, Beth Ziner ’04, Lauren Celli ’05, Devin Collins ’02, Andrew Blake MBA’02, Stephen Villa ’86, Maureen Magri Villa ’87, James Zarokostas ’98, and Scott Husselbee ’86.
2003
Warren Baker ’03 and Tony Romano ’03, co-founders of LDA Capital based in Los Angeles, have joined with the well-known Chearavanont family of Thailand to form a new fund to invest in high-growth Southeast Asian companies. Named the new CPFam-LDA Asia Growth Fund, it aims to level the playing field for middle-market businesses looking to grow and compete on a global level. The partners are targeting capital commitments of about $2 billion over the next 12 to 18 months.
2005
Ashlee Chung ’05 and Ryan Matsumoto held a wedding celebration on July 30 at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. From left to right: Fei Xue ’05, Kit Yan ’06, Becky Soon ’07, Chung, Matsumoto, Nikki Nguyen Tengan ’04, Andrea Fang ’04, and Brian Simeone.
2007
Cameron McKenzie ’07, MBA’12 was recently selected to be a board member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). McKenzie, founder and CEO of the financial services company McKenzie & Associates, is the first person from Puerto Rico to join the ICC’s executive board. “I am deeply honored and humbled to be named to the executive board of the International Chamber of Commerce,” McKenzie said. “This is not only a personal milestone but a testament to the potential and capabilities of Puerto Rico on the global stage.” McKenzie formerly served as the recent chairman of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce and the honorary consul of Japan in Puerto Rico.
2019
Kyle Lawson ’19 and Rachel Pardue ’19 decided to sell their Babson-born software company, Lou, and join forces with Totango Inc., a composable customer success platform. Lawson and Pardue created Lou in 2018, hoping to make navigating new computer programs easier. Pardue came up with the idea during a visit with her grandmother, who wanted help posting “Happy Birthday” on someone’s Facebook page. Pardue, now director of product management at Totango, announced the acquisition in June. “We’ve been on an incredible journey full of ups and downs, but mainly ups,” Pardue wrote. “None of this would have been possible without our amazing team, users, and customers.”
2022
Samantha Azu ’22 recently returned to campus to welcome fellow Ghanaian Paul Ninson, a photographer, director, and curator. Ninson, who also founded a nonprofit visual education center in Ghana called the Dikan Center, met with Babson President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD and taught part of a Babson photography course during his visit. Azu, a former B.E.T.A. (Babson Entrepreneurial Thought & Action®) Challenge contestant who started a drive-in theater and a library in Ghana, took Ninson on a tour of Babson’s Wellesley campus. “The visit reminded me of the magic of Babson, and with all that Paul has managed to achieve in his life, the life and community at Babson inspired him so much,” Azu wrote.
2023
Brett Bogner ’23, has become the marketing director at Keytos, a Boston-based cybersecurity startup pushing for password-less authentication. Bogner, who started in June, said Keytos is “a company heavily intertwined with Babson.” The company was co-created by another Babson alumnus, Marcos Flegmann ’12, a rugby player who died in 2020. Flegmann helped create Keytos with his brother, Igal Flegmann, with the goal of helping organizations improve their security in a stress-free way.
Sebastian Paredes ’23 recently started a business called Interlix Outsourcing, which provides vetted, top-tier virtual assistants and software developers from Latin America. Sheikha Al-Otaibi ’25, a co-founder who serves as the head of sales, said the company handles the entire recruiting and staffing process for any business with outsourcing needs.
MORE NEWS, NOTES, AND NODS FROM THE WINTER 2023–2024 ISSUE:
Graduates » In Memoriam »
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