Frank & Eileen? Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership

? Gratitude in Action: Celebrating Our Inspiring Community ? As part of our 25th Anniversary Blog Series, we want to take a moment to express our profound gratitude for the Frank & Eileen? Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership community. For 25 years, this incredible community has empowered women to lead, innovate, and create lasting impact—thank you for being part of this remarkable journey!

Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers - GCEC Centers awards announcement! We are so proud to share that Babson College is a winner of the GCEC Center of #EntrepreneurialLeadership Award, that the Frank & Eileen? Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership is the recipient of highly commended awards for Excellence in Specialty #EntrepreneurshipEducation and Exceptional Contributions in Entrepreneurship Research, and that The Kerry Murphy Healey Center for Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship Associate Director Michele Bernier is a 2024 Graduate of the Center Leader Certification Program! #GCEC2024

?? Celebrating Excellence at GCEC 2024! ?? Babson College proudly hosted this year’s Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers - GCEC, bringing together leading minds to explore and celebrate the transformative impact of entrepreneurship education worldwide. We are thrilled to announce that the Frank & Eileen? Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership received two prestigious awards: ?? Exceptional Contributions in Entrepreneurship Research ?? Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Education The Black Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (BWEL) program, which empowers Black women entrepreneurs to overcome systemic challenges in starting and scaling their businesses, has been honored for its transformative impact on advancing equity in entrepreneurship. Our Diana International Research Institute (DIRI) has been recognized with an award for celebrating its continued interdisciplinary research, global collaborations, and impactful initiatives that advance the scholarly field of women's entrepreneurship. A huge congratulations to our incredible research team, Dr. Candida Brush and Sarah Grillo! Their impactful presentation, "Advancing Women in Entrepreneurial Leadership: Bridging Research with Application", highlighted our commitment to driving change through cutting-edge insights and practical implementation. GCEC continues to lead the charge in fostering collaboration and innovation among university-based entrepreneurship centers, and we are honored to be recognized for our contributions. Together, let’s keep shaping the future of entrepreneurial education and leadership! #GCEC2024 #BabsonProud #EntrepreneurialLeadership #WomensLeadership #FrankAndEileenCWEL

?? How has women's entrepreneurship changed over the past 25 years? ?? Dr. Williams and Dr. Elam will share their insights as we launch the GEM Women’s Entrepreneurship Report. ?? Secure your spot and be part of this global conversation: https://lnkd.in/ezfGtC3F

Last night, the Frank & Eileen? Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership hosted the 12th annual Disruption Dinner. This year’s theme, “Shattering the Glass Ceiling: One Digit at a Time,” highlighted sectors of the finance industry where women have historically been underrepresented in leadership roles. The event featured a keynote speech by Ruzanna Queenan, CFA, MBA ’13, founder of Queenvest LLC, a wealth management firm dedicated to transforming how ambitious entrepreneurs achieve personal financial freedom. Following her inspiring address, Mrs. Queenan joined a panel moderated by Dr. Shakenna K. Williams. The panel included industry experts in finance, venture capital, and alternative start-up funding. Our distinguished guests included Allison Byers, founder of Scroobius and a pioneer in equitable capital distribution, and Modjossorica (Rica) Elysee, a tech entrepreneur and founder of BeautyLynk, known for her expertise in alternative financing and start-up funding. The panel was rounded out by Babson notables Ab Igram, MBA ’96, Executive Director of the Tariq Farid Franchising Institute and experienced venture capitalist, and Stephen Martiros, ’83 MBA ’85 P’21 ’21, founder of Kindros and a finance industry expert. The event was well-attended by members of the Babson community, including undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty, alumni, and external partners. The Marla Capozzi room was filled to capacity as attendees enjoyed a light meal, an informative speaker program, and the opportunity to network with our esteemed panelists.

?? Wondering what the Diana International Research Conference is all about? Hear directly from last year’s attendees about the impact our conference had on their research and collaborations. Our Diana International Research Institute (DIRI) continues to be a leading authority on women's entrepreneurship. ?? 2025 Dates: July 1-4 ?? Location: The University of Auckland Business School - Aotearoa Centre for Enterprising Women ??More Info: https://lnkd.in/e-eq2v_w #DIRC2025

??What happens when fashion, AI, and entrepreneurship unite? Femme Fatale Boston III - An unforgettable evening that brought innovation and style to the forefront.?? The program kicked off with a story of entrepreneurial success by Mary Lou Andre, Founder of Dressing Well, followed by a dynamic panel discussion on the role of Generative AI in the fashion industry, featuring expert insights from Dr. Caroline Daniels, Director of Babson’s Fashion Entrepreneurial Initiative, and Jay Calderin, Founder of Boston Fashion Week. The panel was expertly moderated by Karen Holmes Ward of WCVB-TV, delving into AI’s impact on fashion innovation and sustainability. The evening concluded with a vibrant fashion showcase, where Babson student leaders and Boston women leaders took to the runway in designs from Sara Campbell and emerging talent from the Boston School of Fashion Design, Maria Irfan and Galia Bermudez. Femme Fatale Boston III perfectly captured the intersection of creativity, business, and technology. We look forward to the exciting future ahead! Gratitude to Femme Fatale Boston's Founder, Violet Wittig, and to Nancy Nager for their incredible collaboration. #FemmeFataleBoston #InnovationInFashion #GenerativeAI #Entrepreneurship #BabsonCollege #BostonFashion #WomenInLeadership #AIInFashion #CreativityAndLeadership

We are only eight days away from the F&E CWEL annual Disruption Dinner. Each year, this event showcases the experiences of accomplished women leaders in a common industry who are acting boldly to break barriers, blaze trails, and launch movements that change industries, organizations, and communities around the world. Hear from our powerhouse keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and private wealth manager Ruzanna Queenan, CFA, MBA '13 and distinguished panelists Allison Byers, Modjossorica (Rica) Elysee, Ab Igram MBA '96, and Stephen Martiros '83 MBA'85 P'21 '21, moderated by F&E CWEL Executive Director, Dr. Shakenna K. Williams '94. This event is open to all Babson students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends. You don't want to miss the insights from these finance industry experts; register today: https://cvent.me/yDLQ3q

?? Welcome, Dr. Diana Hechavarria! We are pleased to introduce Dr. Hechavarria, who has joined Babson College as a Professor of Entrepreneurship. As a respected scholar, she ranked among the top 2% of cited authors on women’s entrepreneurship from 2020 to 2022 and serves on the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor U.S. team. “I look forward to advancing thought leadership on women’s entrepreneurship with the Diana International Research Institute (DIRI). Our goal is to impact policy through research.” Welcome to Babson, Dr. Hechavarria - we look forward to working with you! Read more here ??: https://heyor.ca/ruDaVf #WomensEntrepreneurship #DIRI #Collaboration #Research #Entrepreneurship #BabsonCollege