Summer 2020

Virtual Seminars Keep the Babson Community Connected

Listen

As the pandemic shifted student learning to an online environment, it was just as critical to keep the entire Babson community connected and learning from one another.

“The pandemic has impacted our students in so many ways, and our alumni really stepped up to help them. But we knew our alumni and larger Babson community also would be impacted by the economic repercussions,” said Gerri Randlett, assistant vice president of alumni engagement and annual giving. “It was important that we develop innovative ways for alumni to gain insight from experts about how to respond during this crisis, and to learn from and help each other.”

Through BabsonDiscover, Babson Connect: Online, and other virtual learning symposiums, the College has covered topics ranging from crisis management and food sustainability to investing for retirement and how the pandemic has impacted professional sports.

More than 4,000 alumni, parents, students, and friends of Babson have taken part in more than 70 online seminars and roundtables that tackle today’s unique challenges, such as “How 2 Be a Resilient Entrepreneur” and “The Ripple Effect of COVID-19 on Women.”

Many are moderated by experts from Babson centers and institutes, while others have included special alumni guests and other professionals. Most seminars include a nominal fee of $5 or $10, which helps students most impacted by the pandemic, through the Emergency Fund. All are free for Babson students, faculty, and staff.

Visit babson.edu/alumni to explore new seminars, events, and panels that are added weekly to the events calendar.

Check out a couple of popular Babson Connect examples:

Babson Connect: Disruption, Ripple Effect, and Recovery from COVID-19

The Babson Connect: Online series launched in May with guests Jim Yong Kim, MD, PhD (above left), vice chairman and partner of Global Infrastructure Partners; and Michael Milken (above center), chairman of the Milken Institute. Drawing from their combined experience with global investments, macroeconomics, healthcare research, and public health policy, they explored interventions and opportunities to move us from disruption to recovery. The online event was moderated by Claire-Cecile Pierre, MD (above right), executive director of Babson’s new Kerry Murphy Healey Center for Global Healthcare Entrepreneurship.

Watch Babson Connect: Disruption, Ripple Effect, and Recovery from COVID-19 »


Babson Connect: Game On! How an Entrepreneurial Mindset Will Shape Our Return to Professional Sports

In June, “Game on! How an Entrepreneurial Mindset Will Shape Our Return to Professional Sports” featured Phillip J. Castellini ’92 (above left), president and COO of the Cincinnati Reds; Chris Zimmerman MBA’83 (above center), president and CEO of business operations/alternate governor for the St. Louis Blues; and Nigel Travis (above right), chairman and co-owner of Leyton Orient Football Club. The sports executives shared how their teams have responded to the pandemic and what the future may hold for professional sports.

Watch Babson Connect: Game On! How an Entrepreneurial Mindset Will Shape Our Return to Professional Sports »

Posted in Community

More from Babson Magazine »

Latest Stories

Jamie Siminoff ’99, H’21 (left) and Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD stand on stage
Shaq, a Snowstorm Ride, and Other Entrepreneurial Tales from Ring Founder Jamie Siminoff ’99, H’21 In a fireside chat with Babson President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD, Jamie Siminoff ’99, H’21 spoke of building Ring and the hard work of entrepreneurship.
By
John Crawford
Senior Journalist
John Crawford
A writer for Babson Thought & Action and the Babson Magazine, John Crawford has been telling the College’s entrepreneurial story for more than 15 years. Assignments for Babson have taken him from Rwanda to El Salvador, from the sweet-smelling factory of a Pennsylvania candy maker, to the stately Atlanta headquarters of an NFL owner, to the bustling office of a New York City fashion designer. Beyond his work for Babson, he has written articles and essays for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Notre Dame Magazine, The Good Men Project, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter, @crawfordwriter, where he tweets about climate change.
November 18, 2025

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

The Babson team poses for a group photo
Babson Field Hockey Team Returns to NCAA Division III Final Four  The Babson College field hockey team is returning to the Final Four of the NCAA Division III tournament for the second time in three years and the third time in program history. 
By
November 17, 2025

Posted in Community

Aerial view of the Babson campus
Inside the Blank School’s Eight Centers and Institutes With its world-class centers and institutes, the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership continues to expand its impact and influence. Here’s a look at the Blank School’s seven centers and institutes.
By
November 17, 2025

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership