Shawn is a senior at Babson College and has been working on an X-FME business www.MyZaics.com. He has just launched a myzaics application on Facebook. Shawn was the CEO of his FME business who donated $9,000 to the Boys and Girls club after just 12 weeks of operation. Shawn also contested in the Babson Case competition and led his team to second place.

Kevin is the Director of National Sales at Facebook, Inc and Babson College Alumnus.

Kevin Colleran has been involved in online and offline business for over 12 years. He was named the 2002 “North East College Entrepreneur of the Year” in the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards by The Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization and has been given the national “College Entrepreneur Of The Year” Award by the College Television Network and Duck Head clothing company. Colleran was honored as one of the top “Youth Entrepreneurs of the Year” by the National Congress for Community Economic Development as well as being awarded the “Student Business Initiative Award” by Babson College. In 2001 Kevin was recognized by Ernst & Young as an honorary “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” in their annual entrepreneur awards. Kevin also represented the United States in a multi-year Youth Employment Initiative in conjunction with the World Economic Forum, The United Nations, and the Synergos Institute.

Currently, Kevin is part of Facebook.com, a social directory for high school and college students which has grown to become the 7th largest website on the internet in terms of monthly pageviews. Kevin was the first Sales Executive at Facebook and currently focuses on advertiser relationships within the Entertainment, Travel, Beverage, Health and Beauty, and Automotive industries. Facebook is an online directory that connects people through social networks at colleges and universities. Facebook enables students to search for people at their school, find students who share similar interests or courses, look up friends of friends, network, and visualize their social network via photos. The international phenomenon has now grown to have nearly 80% of the US college market active on the site.

Beginning in 2004, Kevin was brought into Newark, New Jersey by a major philanthropist and given the task of creating nightlife in Newark by planning and opening various bars, restaurants, and clubs in the revitalized city. While working on this project, Colleran conceptualized, designed, and implemented GoNewarkU!, a series of more than 40 parties, concerts, and events in downtown Newark geared towards the 45,000 college students at Rutgers, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Seton Hall Law School, UMDNJ, and Essex County College.

In May 2002 Kevin began working in the music industry with senior executives of BMG Music International (parent of RCA, Arista, J, and Jive record labels) helping design programs to allow BMG to revolutionize the music industry in terms of improving the relationship between artists and record labels as well as trying to discover new technologies to allow record labels to avoid piracy. In July 2003 Kevin opened his New York consulting office to work with record labels including Arista Records in an effort to create strategic partnerships with corporations looking to use music in their marketing and promotional efforts. Kevin develops music sponsorships and marketing programs for clients such as Starbucks, 1-800Flowers, Princeton Review, US Air Force, LG Electronics and more utilizing his artist roster of Outkast, Pink, Santana, Avril, Dido, Sarah McLachlan, Usher, and others. Kevin has also been able to use his expertise of the music, entertainment, and sponsorship industries to become a consultant for a major nightclub and entertainment complex in Cancun Mexico.

While at Babson College, where he graduated in May 2003, Colleran founded the first undergraduate business incubator and launched several companies that he still runs today. Kevin is currently the co-CEO of BlabberForce Enterprises, Inc., a college marketing, promotions, and consulting firm which is the first undergraduate business coming out of Babson. BlabberForce is the parent company of ClubVibes Boston, one of the fastest growing nightlife entertainment portals in North America. Colleran’s business accomplishments helped him to make it to the final casting round of NBC’s ‘The Apprentice’ reality television show from a national applicant pool of over 215,000. Kevin used this experience to begin working with cast members from the entrepreneurial reality show show as well as exclusively managing cast members of “The Real Cancun”, New Line Cinema’s spring break reality movie which is credited as the first full length feature reality film.

Kevin has been interviewed by Newsweek, USA Today, Forbes, Inc., Yahoo Internet Life, Entrepreneur, ComputerWorld, and Ad Age magazines as well as being selected for the National WHO’S WHO in Executives and Professionals for the last six years.

in 2003, Kevin and 13 other award winning global student entrepreneurs wrote and published an entrepreneurial guidebook called “Student Entrepreneurs: 14 Undergraduate All-Stars Tell Their Stories” which features a chapter by Kevin called “Building A Personal Brand.” Also, Rob and Terry Adams have written a book on behalf of Entrepreneur Magazine featuring Kevin and other entrepreneurial teens called “How To Be A Teenage Millionaire” which offers business advice from Kevin as well as noted entrepreneurs Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Donald Trump, Jeff Bezos, Fred Deluca, Lillian Vernon and others.

Kevin is also the founder and President of PhotoMasteprieces.com. PhotoMasterpieces uses a patented high tech process to turn photographs into canvas oil paintings. The product has been featured on ABC, CBS, FOX, radio, newspapers, magazines, and was even named one of the Best Valentine’s Day Gifts of 2002 by NBC radio.

Colleran’s previous business ventures include Starting Page!, LiveService.com, and Cyber Marketing Solutions International. He was the Special Projects Director and member of the Board of Directors for NEATO, the do-it-yourself media labeling company with over $45 Million in sales and products available in more than 25,000 retail stores.

When not running his companies, Colleran has written articles for PLAYBOY.com and Collegiate Monthly 101 magazine covering entertainment and technology issues. He has been featured in many local and International newspapers, magazines, and online publications. He can also be heard on numerous syndicated radio shows. He is well known and respected among other entrepreneurs and even spent part of 2001 in Colorado shadowing entrepreneurial billionaire John Malone (TCI, AT&T, Liberty Media) through his daily business activities.

Kevin has become an expert in the field of college marketing and student entrepreneurship. He has received support from business leaders, congress people, and the media. He speaks regularly at conferences and summits around the world dealing with college and entrepreneurial issues.

Kevin also worked for Robb Peck McCooey Specialist Firm at the New York Stock Exchange as a specialist assistant and director of internet marketing at age 17 where he was one of the youngest persons working at the NYSE in recent history.

Kevin graduated from Babson College in May 2003 with Magna Cum Laude, Presidential Scholar, and Dean’s List honors.

Vanessa Kirsch is the President and Founder of New Profit Inc. Vanessa has more than 17 years of experience in developing innovative solutions to social problems and is widely recognized as a leading social entrepreneur. Her experience, combined with a trip around the world in 1995 when she met with other social entrepreneurs, citizen leaders, philanthropists, and political officials, led her to start New Profit.

Prior to launching New Profit, Vanessa founded and led two nonprofit organizations, Public Allies and the Women’s Information Network. Public Allies, a national youth service organization, grew to six cities under Vanessa’s leadership and was named by the Bush Administration as one of eight model national service programs in America, and by the Clinton Administration as an official AmeriCorps national service model. The Woman’s Information Network (WIN), an organization that provides support, training, and political access to young women, grew to a membership of 2000. Prior to launching these entrepreneurial organizations, Vanessa worked with Peter Hart of Peter D. Hart Research Associates, a polling firm, and played a key role in several projects including a study on young people’s civic attitudes. This study, combined with her experience as a convention manager and field coordinator for the Dukakis presidential campaign, led her to start Public Allies.

Vanessa has received numerous public service awards and recognition for her work. In 2005, Ernst & Young named Vanessa “Entrepreneur of the Year” in the category of Social Entrepreneurship, an award that recognizes the innovation, vision, and tenacity of New England’s top entrepreneurs. Vanessa also has been recognized by both Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report as a leader of her generation; by Forbes as one of 15 innovators who will reinvent the future; Harper’s Bazaar as one of 30 young women to be leaders in the 21st century; by Fast Company as “Who’s Fast 2000″; and by the Boston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40″ as one of the most promising leaders in Boston. Additionally, she was selected as one of the World Economic Forum’s Global Leaders for Tomorrow (GLT) for the year 2003. Currently, Vanessa serves on the Tufts Board of Overseers to the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, and on the Board of College Summit.

Vanessa is a graduate of Tufts University where she served as a TCU Senator and student member on the Board of Trustees and currently serves on the Alumni Council.

Vanessa lives in Brookline, Massachusetts with her husband, Alan Khazei, who is the founder of Be the Change, Inc., and their daughter.

Coming Soon

Coming Soon

Coming Soon

Coming Soon

Break-Out Sessions: 9:45AM - 11:00AM

Design is everything! Look at Apple. Have you ever wanted to design a product? Did you think THE BIG COMPANIES would crush you? These panelists know what it takes to turn ideas into products using design. They designed products in industries that most people would never think of entering–Shoes, Toothbrushes, and Shaving Cream. Meet these entrepreneurs who have taken their products to a whole new level–that is taking away market share from Fortune 500 companies. Learn what it takes to turn ideas into products TODAY that can compete with any big company in the world.

		Kevin Foley President & Founder Radius Toothbrush	Ruthie Davis Designer & Creator DAVIS by RUTHIE DAVIS Babson Alumnae

Break-Out Session 1: 9:45AM - 11:00AM

Design is everything! Look at Apple. Have you ever wanted to design a product? Did you think THE BIG COMPANIES would crush you? These panelists know what it takes to turn ideas into products using design. They designed products in industries that most people would never think of entering–Shoes, Toothbrushes, and Shaving Cream. Meet these entrepreneurs who have taken their products to a whole new level–that is taking away market share from Fortune 500 companies. Learn what it takes to turn ideas into products TODAY that can compete with any big company in the world.

		Kevin Foley President & Founder Radius Toothbrush	Ruthie Davis Designer & Creator DAVIS by RUTHIE DAVIS Babson Alumnae

Tina Kanter Moore is the Director of Fast Track Communications of the 2008 Babson Forum for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and is honored to have been asked to participate in such an inspirational event. Tina Moore is the Vice President of Development for POGAN Consulting and shares with the Babson community a lifetime of experience in retail.

Tina has grown through the ranks of the retail industry and has held a variety of management and executive positions since 1998, gaining experience in the fashion industry working with both soft and hard goods. She has extensive international experience which enhances her expertise in retail, sales management, operations and logistics/supply chain management.

Tina has launched and integrated a retail division at a classic catalogue and e-commerce firm, building the division from ground up. In addition, she has worked with diverse companies such as IKEA, Staples, Gap, and Williams Sonoma as well as several smaller development stage companies and has gained hands-on experience in real estate, store openings/closings, human resources, people development, sales management and ensuring corporate profitability. Tina has lived in several countries and speaks Danish, German, and English fluently.

Tina graduated from Davidson College in 1998 with a BA majoring in German and Sociology and is currently a 2010 Babson MBA Candidate in the Fast Track Program at Babson. She lives locally in the Boston area with her husband and two year old daughter.

Kevin was educated as an architect at one of the premier architectural schools in the world. The school was based on a vision of integrating self-disciple and innovation in all areas of life and was run by its own students. 

After graduating at the top of his class, Kevin took the skills he learned both inside and outside of the classroom at the Architectural Association in London, UK and applied them a series of recognized projects in the Caribbean. Seeking to tap into his more entrepreneurial side, Kevin and a fellow architect decided to stray from the beaten path and create their own destiny by moving to New York City and founding the RADIUS Toothbrush Corporation. Kevin set to work creating a brand for the company by focusing on the natural, boutique, and gift markets. 

As the company grew large enough to support in-house production, Kevin decided to again strike out on his own and relocate to a small farming community in Pennsylvania where he found a rundown feed mill to house the operations. Using his architectural skills to restore the mill to its original beauty, Kevin set up shop with his own injection molding, bristling and packaging machines.To support the daunting effort of learning the ins and outs of the plastics manufacturing business, Kevin commenced hiring local community members to join the Radius Family with the vision of helping grow a local business in a local way.

Twenty-five years later, Kevin is still President of RADIUS, running operations from the same restored feed mill. Kevin lives with his wife, Suze, in a 250 year old restored farmhouse surrounded by 60 acres of Pennsylvania farmland that Kevin turned into a Nature Preserve through the Pennsylvania-USDA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.

RADIUS® has a dedicated following of users including Sting, Cher, Whoopi Goldberg and many more.

SOURCE Toothbrush – replaceable head toothbrush with a handle that is made from recycled wood mixed with recycled post consumer plastic. Reversible for right or left hand. The replaceable head uses only 15% of the material of an ordinary toothbrush. The bristles radiate outwards towards the tips, allowing the head to be extremely small and allow increased dexterity in brushing in tight spaces. 

Mr. Neuenschwander is a Principle at H&G Capital Partners. Prior to joining H&G Capital Partners, Mr. Neuenschwander was a Principle at Sorenson Capital in Salt Lake City, UT and an Associate at Highland Capital Partners, a $1.8 billion venture capital fund based in Boston. At Highland Mr. Neuenschwander sourced, executed and managed investments. Mr. Neuenschwander was actively involved with many of Highland’s portfolio companies assisting them in strategic planning, sales management, and budgeting.

Prior to joining Highland, Mr. Neuenschwander was a member of the Communications, Media and Entertainment Investment Banking Group at Goldman Sachs. At Goldman Mr. Neuenschwander completed four M&A transactions, a $1.5 billion high-yield offering, an IPO and a $1 billion follow-on equity offering. Mr. Neuenschwander also worked at Trust Company of the West, a $90 billion Los Angeles based asset management firm, where he was involved analyzing investments for the Galileo Series of mutual funds.

Mr. Neuenschwander received a Masters of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a B.A. in Economics and B.S. in Psychology, summa cum laude, from Brigham Young University and was valedictorian

 
Bob Davis is a General Partner at Highland focusing primarily on digital media and the internet and has been with our team since 2001. He currently represents Highland on the boards of Going, Hangout Industries, NameMedia, Paragon Lake, Quattro Wireless and Turbineand previously served on the board of Fastclick (Nasdaq: FSTC) until its successful merger with ValueClick (Nasdaq: VCLK) and Quigo (acquired by AOL). Bob is the best-selling author of “Speed is Life: Street Smart Lessons from the Front Lines of Business (Currency).

Prior to joining Highland, Bob served as the Chief Executive Officer of Terra Lycos (TRLY) and was responsible for all aspects of the company’s business. Before the October 2000 combination of Terra and Lycos, Bob was the Founder of Lycos, Inc (LCOS) and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer since its inception in 1995. In just five years, Bob led Lycos from a start-up with $2 million in venture capital funding to a multi-billion dollar profitable business. Under his leadership, Lycos jumped from the fastest IPO in Nasdaq history, a mere nine months from inception to offering, to an esteemed member of the Nasdaq 100.

Bob has served on the boards of several public and private sector companies including John Hancock (JHFS), Ticketmaster (TCMS), Terra Lycos (TRLY), Lycos (LCOS) and Lycos Europe (LCY). He also serves as a Trustee for Children’s Hospital Trust Board, The Rivers School and also serves on the Board of Advisors for the Boston College Carroll School of Management and the Northeastern University School of Technological Entrepreneurship.

Bob has advised former President Clinton on matters relating to internet commerce and regulation and has addressed Congress, The United Nations, The National Press Corps and the U.S. Council of Foreign Relations on similar matters.

Education
Northeastern University, B.S.
Babson College, M.B.A.
Bentley College, Honorary Doctorate of Commercial Sciences
Northeastern University, Honorary Doctorate

Honors
Bob has been inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs and received the Massachusetts Interactive Media Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

I’m Frank Zenie.  I have  spent twenty-five years as an entrepreneur and Chief Executive, building innovative, market leading and profitable companies.  I served as President/CEO of Waters Associates (now Waters Corporation) 1969 through 1980 and co-founded Zymark Corporation in 1981, serving as its President/CEO through 1996.

I am currently an entrepreneurial coach, investor and director for a number of early-stage, technology-based companies - many healthcare related.  I also serve as Chairmans of VelQuest Corporation and Process Packaging & Control Corporation.  In addition, I am a trustee of The Zenie Foundation, a private foundation dedicated to education support for deserving students who are often unable to access traditional financial support.

My new book, StreetSmart Entrepreneuring, summarizes my entrepreneurial experiences and insights.  I intend to spend the next year or so sharing this material through university business schools entrepreneurial development organizations and private company consulting.  My goal is not to teach small business mechanics, but to develop awareness to entrepreneurial:

1. Principles          2. Passion         3. Practice

I began my formal teaching as  an MIT Sloan Senior Lecturer leading “Starting and Running a Successful Technology-based Company” and I’m  currently lecturing at several universities in addition to my corporate coaching and director roles.

I have a BS in Electrical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the University of Rhode Island.  I also have been extensively published in the trade magazines.

Heidi Neck is an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at Babson College.  She completed her Ph.D. in Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2001.  She holds a B.S. in Marketing from Louisiana State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder.  Her research interests include corporate entrepreneurship, radical innovation, and entrepreneurship education.  She has published numerous book chapters, research monographs, and refereed articles in such journals asJournal of Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice. 

Neck is on the faculty of the Price-Babson Symposium for Entrepreneurship Educators (SEE) and is the faculty director of the SEE reunion program, SEE+.  In addition, she is a co-PI on an NSF grant that has been used to develop the Babson-Olin Symposium for Engineering Educators (SyE3), which is designed to motivate engineering educators to participate in entrepreneurship education. She currently serves on the board of directors for the United States Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship.

At Babson, she teaches new venture creation classes at the undergraduate and graduate level and has been involved in several custom education programs for companies (such as EMC, Siemens, and Intel) and universities (Tecnologico de Monterrey, Guadalajara, and InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico) . She is currently working to build an Institute for Social Entrepreneurship at the College and she is offering a new course called Social Entrepreneurship by Design. 

In 2005 Neck was awarded Babson’s “Deans’ Award for Excellence in Teaching,” a peer nominated award that reflects innovation in integrated teaching. Most recently she was award the Appel Prize presented to individuals who bring “entrepreneurial vitality to academe in the true spirit of the Price-Babson SEE program.”

Education 
B.S., Louisiana State University 
M.B.A., Ph.D., University of Colorado at Boulder 

Expertise 
Entrepreneurship
  Corporate Entrepreneurship
  Entrepreneurship
  New Venture Creation
  Social/Not for Profit

Andrew Zacharakis is The John H. Muller, Jr. Chair in Entrepreneurship at Babson College, Wellesley, Mass.  He is the Director of the Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference and past president of the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management.  He is also a past chair of the Entrepreneurship Department at Babson College and a past Director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson.  His writings and research focus on two major areas of entrepreneurship: the venture capital decision-making process, and entrepreneurial growth strategies. 

Zacharakis is the author of five books, Entrepreneurship (with Bygrave), Entrepreneurship: The Engine of Growth Volume 2 (with Spinelli), The Portable MBA in Entrepreneurship, 3rd Edition(with Bygrave), Business Plans that Work (with Timmons and Spinelli) and How to Raise Capital(with Timmons and Spinelli).  His research has been published in numerous academic journals including: the Journal of Business Venturing; Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice; Journal of Private Equity Capital; International Trade Journal; Academy of Management Executive; Journal of Management; and Frontiers of Entrepreneurial Research.  Moreover, his article, “Differing perceptions of new venture failure: A matched exploratory study of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs” was selected as the best article published by Journal of Small Business Management in 1999. 

Professor Zacharakis has taught seminars at leading companies, including Intel, Met Life, and Lucent Technologies.  He has also taught executives worldwide in such countries as Costa Rica, Chile, China, Mexico, Australia, Turkey, Spain and Germany.

Christian Crews is the founder and president of CREWSCO, a boutique business development and marketing consulting company focused on innovative consumer products. CREWSCO’s market driven product development and agressive channel strategies has been the basis for its success in servicing its clients.

Christian has over 12 years experience in business development of both consumer products and ingredients.  He worked at Givaudan, the global leader in flavors and fragrance, where he was responsible for seeking and securing new opportunities for Givaudan Fragrances Consumer Products division in North America.   Christian developed and executed strategic plans with aggressive objectives resulting in double digit growth for his account portfolio.  Previously, he was Senior Trader and Regional Manager for a commodities company, ED&F Man Group, focused on sugar, molasses and alcohol in Mexico and Central America. 

Christian received his MBA in 2003 from Babson College’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Management and his BSBA in 1996 from Boston University’s School of Management.

Havell Rodrigues is with Venus Capital Management, Inc., an institutional money management firm focused on delivering superior risk-adjusted returns from Asia. As a senior vice president, Havell focuses on business development of the firm’s hedge funds, and the construction and portfolio management of several internally-funded proprietary hedge fund-of-funds. He has been instrumental in the firm’s growth in assets under management from $150 Million in 2005 to over $600 Million in 2008.

Prior to Venus he worked with Bodkin Design and Engineering, LLC, a firm focused on precision engineered optical products. At Bodkin he successfully handled business development, tripling the growth of the firm through its offerings of innovative, cutting edge, electro-optic solutions to the US military. His previous work experience spans a variety of industries including, alternative energy, risk management, alternative medicine, digital radiography and information technology in India and the US.

Havell earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Statistics with additional electives in Financial Economics and Econometrics at the University of Mumbai. He earned his MBA at Babson College, where he was selected for Babson’s Finance Immersion Program and served as Chairman of the Northeast Regional Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC). Havell is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) charterholder and a member of the Boston chapter of the Quantitative Work Alliance for Applied Finance, Education and Wisdom (QWAFAFEW).

Felipe M. Venegas, CFP, MBA
Commonwealth Planning Group
Partner
Direct: 617.526.9340

Felipe M. Venegas, CFP®, MBA has been building his financial planning practice since 1997. He works primarily with families and small businesses providing comprehensive, team based financial planning services. Felipe’s specialties include risk management and wealth accumulation planning. In satisfying his vision for his clients, Felipe builds his practice on a foundation of trust, integrity, exceptional service and long-term relationships.

Felipe graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in Economics and received his M.B.A. from Babson College. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, and has earned the Chartered Financial Consultant, and Chartered Life Underwriter designations. Currently enrolled at the American College, he plans to earn the Accredited Estate Planner and Certified Family Business Specialist designations.

A native of Nashua, New Hampshire, Felipe presently resides in Brookline, Massachusetts. He is an avid golfer and tri-athlete.

FoodShouldTasteGood™ was founded in 2005 by Pete Lescoe, a Babson MBA Alumni, with a mission to produce unique, great-tasting food using pure, wholesome ingredients. Based in Needham, Massachusetts, FoodShouldTasteGood™ corn tortilla chips are made with the natural flavor components baked into the chips, and are available in four distinctive flavors: Multigrain, Jalapeño, Olive, and Chocolate. Absolutely free of trans fats, cholesterol, and any artificial ingredients, FoodShouldTasteGood™ tortilla chips are sold in 6-7ounce bags nationally at Whole Foods Market, Costco, Roche Bros., locally in fine grocery and natural foods stores, and through the company website. For more information, visit  www.FoodShouldTasteGood.com.

Tom Szaky – Cofounder and CEO of TerraCycle, Inc. – who is recognized for being an “eco-capitalist.” His TerraCycle Plant Food (made from worm poop) is available at numerous retail outlets including Wal-mart, Whole Foods, as well as being named the most eco-friendly product in Home Depot. From his inner-city headquarters in Trenton, N.J., the company has now grown to three large facilities manufacturing here in North America more than 50 consumer products- including garbage cans made from crushed computers, hand bags made from energy bar wrappers and juice pouches, and the most eco-friendly binders and pencils. Their business plan is simple: recycle stuff that people either don’t value, or, in many cases give a negative value to, into usable products. The result is a brand that has been called the most eco-friendly in America - all while holding true to three simple brand principles: Better, Greener, and most importantly Cheaper.

Also see: Inc. Magazine article, CEO Magazine article and Philadelphia Inquirer article.

Inspiring, innovative, empowering and business-savvy are just a few of the words often used to describe Florine Mark, President and CEO of The WW Group, Inc., based in Farmington Hills, Michigan. For more than 30 years, Florine has used her knowledge, influence, energy and resources to help people help themselves.

Florine is the leading U.S. franchise holder of Weight Watchers International. The WW Group, Inc., an internationally recognized weight loss enterprise, had its humble beginnings as a family business created by Florine from the ground up. Her relatives were the first members, while Florine’s mother worked the telephones.

Success and growth quickly followed as Florine consistently acquired franchises throughout the Midwest, East Coast, Canada and Mexico. Some of these franchises were sold in 2003 in a lucrative deal to Weight Watchers International, but Florine retained all operations in her home state of Michigan, as well as in Northern Ontario, Canada.

A multi-faceted entrepreneur with a special eye toward empowering women, Florine employs a large number of women from various age groups and backgrounds in her Michigan and Canadian operations.

Her name is certainly synonymous with weight loss, but her work extends much farther than that. From her contributions to health and nutrition, women and cultural concerns, business and entrepreneurship, and charitable and community revitalization, Florine has left her mark regionally and on a national level.

She serves as an advisor, advocate and board member on approximately 35 committees and civic organizations, including The American Heart Association, Governor’s Council on Fitness, Detroit Institute for Children, Detroit Renaissance, , C200, Belle Isle Women’s Committee and the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan. She has also served on the boards of Seeds of Peace and the Detroit Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in the past.

Affiliated with some of the nation’s most prestigious institutions, Florine serves on The Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy’s School of Government where she works to globally advance women in leadership and public policy, and create solutions for public problems. Even more, Florine has ranked high in Crain’s Detroit Business Magazine Fittest CEO contest since 2003.

Florine’s empowering message on weight loss, self-esteem and self-growth put her in great demand as a speaker at business and health conferences, board meetings, medical facilities and educational institutions across the country. She hosts her own weekly morning radio show, “Remarkable Women,” on Magic 105.1 FM in Metro Detroit. She also is seen each week across the state on the highly popular “Ask Florine” segment on ABC’s local television station, WXYZ’s Action News.

Most recently, Florine fulfilled a life-long dream by seeing her first book published. “Talk to  the Mirror” is compelling and eye-opening. In it, Florine speaks from the heart about what it takes to triumph in all areas of life including family, career and relationships.

One cannot have such an active and fulfilling life without recognition. Florine’s career has  been filled with numerous accolades. In 2004, she became the first woman to be inducted in the National Management Associations Hall of Fame. Florine was also honored in 2003 with the Entrepreneurial Visionary Award from the Women’s Business Center in Washington, D.C. Crain’s Detroit Business named her one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Detroit in 2002, and she received the Euro-American Woman’s Council Artemis Award in Greece in 2000. Especially memorable for Florine was being honored in Monaco as one of STAR Group’s 50 Leading Female Entrepreneurs in the World in 1999. She also sits on the Michigan Governor’s council on Physical Fitness, and is a board member at Children’s Hospital of Detroit.

Florine delved into the political world in February of 2008, when she sat on a panel at the “Economic Solutions for America Summit” in Zainesville, Ohio. There, she was noted in media outlets all across the country for asking presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham-Clinton what she is going to do to help healthcare, weight control and disease prevention.

In April of 2008, Florine was chosen by Wayne State University’s School of Business as Michigan’s Executive of the Year. Mark, was also chosen as one of a select few Michiganians of the year by the Detroit News for making living in the state a richer experience with her good work in community and the example she sets.

Despite all the time she’s given in motivational speeches, entrepreneurial activities and humanitarian pursuits, Florine acknowledges that her most precious moments are devoted to her family to which she is utterly dedicated. She has five children and 23 grandchildren.

However, this all has been but a chapter in the life of Florine. She plans to continue her outreach to those most in need and share her story with many others. Florine also will continue to inspire, educate and motivate people to making a lifelong commitment to happiness and a healthy lifestyle. But most of all – to be the very best they can be!

Early in 2002, the Graduate Student Association recognized the importance of having a Forum that highlighted and reinforced Babson’s reputation for global leadership in Entrepreneurship. Christian Crews, Havell Rodrigues and Felipe Venegas represented the inaugural leadership team who took the initial idea and built a plan that resulted in the Babson Forum on Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Their vision was to put Babson College into the event circuit of the Boston area schools by creating an annual event commensurate with those sanctioned by many of the prominent business schools in the area that would attract a diverse group of Babson and non-Babson students and professionals, while continuing to strengthen the Babson brand.

The F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business’s talented student population located on the beautiful Wellesley campus drove the desire for this to be a student run event showcasing Olin Hall. Felipe M. Venegas, M’03 says, “From an academic perspective, the leadership role I played in the Forum on E&I represented the single greatest and most comprehensive learning experience I had during my two years as an MBA student. It was a real life application of all the various classes I had taken. And what was most fulfilling to me is how the Forum is also helping enhance the overall academic experience of each new leadership team while also strengthening the Babson brand.”

Given the College’s rich history in entrepreneurship and tradition of innovation made naming the event easy. Success would come right down to execution, so by leveraging the optimal combination of an ambitious team of students and the core of Babson’s brand, the Forum was well positioned to exceed their lofty vision.

With the support of the college and an incredibly committed and engaged team of twenty full time and evening MBA students, the Forum on Entrepreneurship and Innovation was born on October 25th 2002. The Forum’s content was headlined by Reebok’s founder Paul Fireman and Fidelity’s Teresa Hassara as the keynote speakers and over thirty panelists sitting on six distinct, industry-specific panels ranging in interests from biotech and renewable energy to consumer products marketing and internet strategies.

The Forum not only accomplished its goal but it exceeded initial expectations by attracting a diverse mix of over three hundred graduate students, alumni and professional attendees as well as national media.

Since the beginning, the core leadership team has remained committed to the Forum’s success through structured knowledge transfer, alumni advisory committees and a genuine willingness to help out each year as the new leadership teams took the helm. Christian, Havell and Felipe could not be any prouder of the legacy their team worked so hard to create and the subsequent teams’ success who have worked tirelessly to continually improve the Forum and strengthen the Babson brand.

Past Chairpersons:

Don Jones is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of POGAN Retail, LLC. As an executive with over 25 years in the retail industry, Don is an experienced leader. He has a proven track record in building retail concepts, expanding existing formats, and creating cross-functional collaborations to attain company goals.

His background includes store operations, real estate, human resources, vendor relationships, sourcing, buying, store planning and design, and distribution. He is widely respected throughout the private investment sector with a network that spans the country. He is results oriented, customer focused, strategic, global and entrepreneurial. A passionate presenter, Don leads others to their own success as is evident in the teams he has developed and mentored.

Don’s career in the retail industry has been both extensive and exciting. His former titles include Senior Vice President of Stores and Operations at Gap, Inc., and President and Chief Executive Officer of Rufus, Inc., developing an upscale pet retail concept. In addition, he has held senior leadership roles in companies such as IKEA, Marshall Field’s, Lechmere, Federated Department Stores, TJX Corporation and the May Company.

Currently, Don’s leadership positions include:
• Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of POGAN Retail, LLC
• Senior Advisor for CMF Associates, a financial consultant company
• Senior Advisor for WORKSHOP NYC, LLC, a communications design firm
• Chairman of the Connecticut Retail Merchants Association Charitable and Educational Foundation (CRMAF)
• Board Member of the Ridgefield Library
• Board Member of the Trinity High School Foundation in Louisville, Kentucky
• Board Member of Petals, a silk flower and decorative home accessory company

Reed Wilcox is a founding partner and Senior Managing Director at General Resonance, with responsibility for corporate development and strategy for General Resonance and its subsidiary companies. He also leads the Malaria and Infectious Diseases initiatives since it began in 2006, and relocated to West Africa to live in Accra, Ghana in 2006 and 2007.

From 1974 through 1985, Mr. Wilcox was with The Boston Consulting Group, a diverse global management-consulting firm specializing in corporate strategy, where he was Vice President and Director, working primarily in innovation and international competition in its Boston, Paris and Chicago offices.

From 1986 through 1999 Mr. Wilcox was co-founder and chairman of The Flagship Group, a private professional firm specializing in innovation and new business creation through joint ventures.

From 1999 to 2002 Mr. Wilcox served a volunteer mission as President of the France Toulouse and France Marseilles Missions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Mr. Wilcox completed the Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School combined J.D./M.B.A. Program, earning his Juris Doctor degree cum laude, and an M.B.A. degree with High Distinction as a Baker Scholar. He also graduated summa cum laude with Highest Honors in Economics from Brigham Young University.

Ingo Angermeier is president and CEO of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. Mr. Angermeier has more than 25 years’ experience in health care and is a master’s prepared Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

He has had experience in both general and teaching hospitals and multi-specialty group practices both in urban and rural settings. From 1995 to March 2001, he worked as CEO at Louisiana State University Medical Center. He was also an assistant dean and professor there.
Prior to this, he was system executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma; executive vice president of St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Topeka, Kansas; associate administrator/chief operating officer of Salina Regional Medical Center in Salina, Kansas; and senior vice president/chief operating officer of Creighton-St. Joseph Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. He also served as associate administrator of the Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, Wisconsin.

Aside from his work-related successes, Mr. Angermeier has published more than a dozen articles in professional journals and has lectured on various healthcare topics around the country.

Practice Areas
Franchise & Distribution
Intellectual Property
Technology

Experience
For more than twenty-five years, Arthur L. Pressman has been recognized as a leading franchise lawyer with a nationwide practice, specializing in the representation of franchisors. Before joining the firm in 2003 as co-chair of its Franchise and Distribution Team, Mr. Pressman practiced in Philadelphia, first with the boutique franchise law firm that he co-founded in 1973, and then as co-chair of the Franchise and Distribution Section of an Amlaw 100 firm.

For more than twenty-five years, Mr. Pressman has led an international franchising practice that represents world leaders in franchising and retail distribution, numerous hotel, real estate, and consumer services systems. Under his leadership, his group has handled litigation and transactions for clients in more than seventy countries in six continents, including the United States and its territories.

Mr. Pressman began representing franchise and distribution clients in 1975, and since 1985 has focused exclusively in this area. He is recognized as one of the leading franchise trial lawyers in the nation and has litigated cases on a national basis.

In 1994, Mr. Pressman was named first chair of the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, Litigation, and Dispute Resolution division, and in 1997 was elected to the American Bar Association Governing Committee of the Forum on Franchising, on which he served through 2001. Mr. Pressman was named one of the best lawyers in Philadelphia byPhiladelphia Magazine. He was the only franchise lawyer so honored.

Mr. Pressman is a member of the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution’s Franchise Panel of Distinguished Neutrals and a certified JAMS-trained mediator, concentrating in the resolution of franchise and commercial disputes. He is one of seventy lawyers worldwide featured in the 2000 and 2002 editions of Who’s Who in International Franchising and one of 169 top franchise lawyers featured in their 2004 edition. He is also recognized in the 2003 and 2005 editions ofInternational Who’s Who of Business Lawyers. Mr. Pressman has been named one of the top 100 franchise lawyers in the country by Franchise Times each year since its inception, including 2002 through 2005, and in 2005 was selected by his peers as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer. He has also been recognized as a “New England Super Lawyer” in Franchise based on a peer-review survey by Boston Magazine (2005, 2006, 2007). Mr. Pressman is recognized for exceptional standing in the legal community in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2008 for franchise work and has been recognized in previous years. He was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2007 (Copyright 2006 by Woodward/White, Inc. of Aiken, S.C.). Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based on a peer-review survey.

Ruthie Davis is a modernist who loves all things high tech and high fashion. She launched DAVIS by Ruthie Davis, her signature collection of designer women’s shoes for Spring 2006. Taking materials like Titanium, Chrome, Graphite and Carbon Fiber, she shapes these elements into cutting edge, architectural stilettos, wedges, and platforms with sleek and sexy upper patterns. The Collection was well received quickly by magazines, celebrities and premium stores such as Jeffrey New York, Chuckies, Wynn Las Vegas, H. Lorenzo LA and many more.

At REEBOK, Davis was known as a “Cool Hunter” (circa 1997), someone who identifies trends and translates them to consumer products and marketing. As Director of the REEBOK CLASSIC division, she pushed the envelop by launching “Classic Derivatives” which were reinvented, more fashion forward versions of the classic white sneakers that soon became Reeboks hottest selling styles. As Vice President of Design and Marketing at UGG® AUSTRALIA, the East Coast transplant Davis took the California UGG surf brand and turned it into the hottest fashion accessory on all coasts. She repositioned UGG as fashion, added new updated styles and took a marketing strategy that included seeding UGGs on the Hollywood crowd and national advertising campaign in high fashion books like Vogue. The rest is fashion history. As Vice President of Women’s Footwear Design and Marketing at TOMMY HILFIGER, Davis saw that junior girls loved the brand, causing her to concept and launch “Tommy Girl Shoes”, consisting of fashionable preppy styles for the younger and hipper set. Davis has an MBA degree in Entrepreneurship from Babson Graduate School of Business and a liberal arts education from Bowdoin College, where she studied English Literature and Visual Arts.
Now with the creation of her signature Designer Collection, Ruthie Davis is poised to impact the footwear landscape once again.

She lives and works in New York City.

Matthew Downs, Managing Director, Sandbox Industries, LLC

Matthew Downs was formerly the Chief Executive Officer at Morgan Street Systems, where he still continues to be a Director. He aslo served as an Associate at Highland Capital Partners. He focused on investments in information technology and assisted in managing relationships with Highland’s Limited Partners. Previously, Mr. Downs served as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley in the Mergers and Acquisitions group. While at Morgan Stanley, he worked on various buy-side and sell-side transactions across multiple industries. Mr. Downs has also served on the board of directors of U.S. Labs. He received a B.A. in Economics from the Brigham Young University.

Andrew Savitz is a creative business leader, advisor, author and speaker, with over 20 years of hands-on experience assisting corporations to become leaders in sustainability, environmental performance and reporting.

An internationally known expert on corporate social responsibility and sustainability, Mr. Savitz is the author of The Triple Bottom Line: How the Best Run Companies are Achieving Economic, Social and Environmental Success - and How You Can Too (Wiley, 2006). He is a frequent keynote speaker on this subject. Savitz was formerly a lead partner in PricewaterhouseCooper’s global Sustainability Business Services practice, and was PwC’s liaison delegate to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and represented the firm on environmental and sustainability related matters at the Conference Board. Andy authored PwC’s widely cited 2002 Sustainability Survey- the first of its kind in the United States.

He was graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was an editor of the Georgetown University Law Review. Savitz attended New College Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, earning a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He was graduated, Phi Beta Kappa, from The Johns Hopkins University. Andy lives in Brookline, Massachusetts with his wife and three children. He is an avid, life-long Boston Red Sox fan.

Leonard A. Schlesinger became the 12th president of Babson College on July 1, 2008—bringing to the College an extraordinary blend of leadership experience in academia and industry, particularly in the retail and service sectors. He came to Babson from Limited Brands, based in Columbus, Ohio, where he served in executive positions since 1999, most recently as Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer. Among his accomplishments, he dramatically strengthened customer and employee loyalty, resulting in increased profitability. Earlier in his career, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Au Bon Pain.

His academic career includes twenty years at Harvard Business School where, most recently, he served as the George Fisher Baker Jr. Professor of Business Administration, leading MBA and executive education programs. Courses he taught include organizational behavior, human resource management, general management, and service management. President Schlesinger is well–known for his pioneering research and publications on the “service profit chain.” He also was an architect and chair of Harvard Business School’s MBA Essential Skills and Foundations programs. After his time at Harvard Business School, he served as a faculty member and senior administrator at Brown University.

In addition, President Schlesinger has lectured and consulted on service quality and customer satisfaction for over 100 major corporations, non–profit organizations, as well as governments and international leadership organizations around the world. He was an active leader in the design and development of the “Work–Out!” initiative at General Electric and the “Reinventing Government” process for the U.S. Department of Labor.

His writings on organizational management have been widely published. He is the author or co–author of nine books, including The Value Profit Chain (Free Press, 2003), The Service Profit Chain (Free Press, 1997) and The Real Heroes of Business…and Not a CEO among Them (Doubleday Currency, 1994), and has written over 40 articles for academic audiences as well as for The New York Times, Fast Company, and Harvard Business Review. He has served on the editorial boards of four major academic journals and has published numerous case studies on management issues that have sold well over one million copies. He also has completed three video series and a satellite teleseminar on service management issues.

President Schlesinger currently serves as a Board Member of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is a member of the Corporation of the Winsor School, and is Senior Adviser to Charlesbank Capital Partners. His past Board service includes Borders Group, Inc., The Columbus Foundation, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, GC Companies Inc., Limited Brands, Pegasystems, Inc., and The Ohio State University Medical Center Partners.

President Schlesinger holds a Doctor of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, an MBA from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in American Civilization from Brown University. His wife, Phyllis, is a management professor specializing in organizational behavior and a former faculty member of Babson College and The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. They have three daughters.

Mike co-founded Major League Gaming (MLG) in 2002 with a vision to bring the excitement and passion of professional video game play to a global audience. As Chairman of Major League Gaming, his focus is on strategic media deals that extend MLG’s multi-platform digital media business with partners like ESPN, Microsoft and Comcast and cementing MLG’s position as the dominant, global professional video game league. Between 2006 and 2008, MLG experienced two consecutive years of 1,000% online audience growth to become the largest social network for competitive gaming worldwide and the fastest growing professional sports league in North America. Prior to co-founding MLG, he was co-founder of the digital agency Gotham Broadband, an early innovator in the broadband media space. Mike is a graduate of Babson College, a frequent speaker at digital media and advertising conferences and a member of the Producers’ Guild of America.

Kevin B. Rollins is a senior adviser on global investment strategies in the technology sector to TPG Capital, L.P. (formerly Texas Pacific Group), a private investment firm. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors and President and Chief Executive Officer of Dell, Inc. through January 2007, after which he served as an advisor to Dell until his retirement in May 2007. Along with his duties as CEO of Dell, Mr. Rollins was a member of the company’s Board of Directors, through January 2007. During his 11 year career with Dell, Mr. Rollins also served as Vice Chairman and as the head of Dell Americas. Prior to his time at Dell, Mr. Rollins worked at Bain & Company, most recently serving as a director and partner. Mr. Rollins also serves on the board of Avaya Inc., a provider of business communications applications, systems and services, and is a member of the President’s Leadership Council and the Marriott School National Advisory Council at Brigham Young University, where he founded and continues to sponsor the Rollins Center for E-Commerce.

• Isaac Larian was born in Iran in 1954 and is a United States citizen
• He holds a degree in Civil Engineering from California State University, Los Angeles, and was awarded their Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005
• Mr. Larian was the United States winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2007, after winning nationally in his category, Retail & Consumer Products, for 2007, and locally in 2004.
• He is a member of LIMA, the Licensing Industry Merchandising Association
• Isaac and his wife Angela have been married for 24 years and have three children, Jason, Yasmin and Cameron
• Hobbies include philanthropy work, biking, writing poetry, volleyball, nature, yoga, and camping with his family
• He proudly serves on the Board of Directors of the American Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• He is also proud to serve on the Board of Governors of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
• MGA Entertainment was founded in 1979 under the name Surprise Gift Wagon as an importer and distributor of brand name consumer electronics products
• In 1987, the company became the first official distributor of Nintendo® handheld LCD games in the United States
• In 1993, MGA formally transitioned from a consumer electronics company to a consumer entertainment company
• Mr. Larian is a major contributor in the development of the company’s innovative new products, and his vision continues to lead MGA into new frontiers of consumer entertainment.
• Prior to founding MGA, Mr. Larian imported textiles and brassware through his own mail-order company

Jon M. Huntsman is founder and Chairman of Huntsman Corporation, a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and commodity chemicals.

Twenty-seven years ago, Mr. Huntsman began a small entrepreneurial plastics packaging business which is now a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals. Its operating companies manufacture products including chemicals, plastics, automotive, aviation, textiles, footwear, paints and coatings, construction, technology, agriculture, health care, detergent, personal care, furniture, appliances and packaging. Originally known for pioneering innovations in packaging and, later, for rapid and integrated growth in petrochemicals, Huntsman today has 14,000 employees and its 2006 revenues exceeded $13 billion.

Mr. Huntsman earned his undergraduate degree at The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and subsequently earned an MBA. He has been awarded thirteen honorary doctorate degrees at various universities. Mr. Huntsman was a U.S. Naval Gunnery Officer and served under President Nixon as Special Assistant to the President and as White House Staff Secretary.

Jon Huntsman authored a book on corporate ethics entitled, Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten).

Mr. Huntsman is widely recognized as one of America’s foremost concerned citizens and philanthropists. His lifetime humanitarian giving, including contributions to the homeless, the ill and the underprivileged, exceeds $1.2 billion and has assisted thousands, both domestically and internationally. In 2001, Mr. Huntsman was presented with Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 2003, he received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from CNN’s Larry King. His collective gifts to colleges and universities alone exceed $300 million.

Mr. Huntsman and his wife, Karen, founded the Huntsman Cancer Institute in 1995 to accelerate the work of curing cancer through human genetics. The Institute is now one of America’s major cancer research centers dedicated to finding a cure for cancer, as well as a state of the art clinic and treatment center for cancer patients.

Jon and Karen Huntsman are the parents of nine children and grandparents to 56.

Ray Titus, President of United Franchise Group and its affiliated companies is the son of franchise pioneer Roy Titus, founder of Minuteman Press International, Inc., who along with Ray, co-founded SIGN*A*RAMA.

Since being named President in 1995, Ray has led SIGN*A*RAMA to phenomenal growth with more than 850 units in 50 countries. The SIGN*A*RAMA Corporate Headquarters controls operations for nearly 200 employees in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia and offers support to the remaining countries around the world. The excellent global growth has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce, as well as various franchise and trade organizations.

Ray has also established another successful franchise system called EmbroidMe. EmbroidMe is a full service embroidery, screen-printing, promotional products and personalized gifts franchise. It has excelled as one the fastest growing franchises (cited by Entrepreneur and Franchise Times) since 2000. Today, EmbroidMe has more than 450 stores in over 12 countries making us the largest embroidery franchise in the world. EmbroidMe has recently expanded their operations to include Australia, Northwest Europe, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Upon the success of EmbroidMe, Ray Titus took on another challenge with a new franchise called Billboard Connection. Billboard Connection is a home-based outdoor advertising franchise with more than 50 locations that specialize in selling outdoor advertising. Billboard Connection began franchising in late 2004 and has already grown to more than 50 franchisees in five countries.

The UFG business-to-business brands have since seen tremendous success with each brand becoming the leader in its respective industry. All brands have seen incredible growth both domestically and internationally. With this success, the company has begun shifting towards a new endeavor - becoming a resource for franchises.

Through the recent birth of a collection of service companies, Ray has developed United Franchise Group into an organization that could help a franchise from conception throughout its life cycle. One new company Accurate Franchising, Inc. takes concepts or single store businesses and helps turn them into a franchise. From there UFG can assist with their sales by putting them in FranchiseMart, a retail location where a person can go to shop for a franchise. In addition, through another new company, Franchise Greenhouse, UFG can also assist with their domestic franchise sales and development. Once, their domestic penetration is sufficient UFG will refer them to World Franchisors; where assistance is provided for global expansion.

Because of his continued success, he feels it’s important to give back to both the franchising community and world community with knowledge and resources. Ray is affiliated with many organizations, however primarily involved with the following: Franchise Education Strategic Advisory Board at NOVA Southeastern University, the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches, President and Board of Directors of the Franchisor Association of Florida and International Franchise Association Chairman for CEO/President Forums, (South Florida).

He has spent countless hours and thousands of dollars supporting charities including those within the United Franchise Group Foundation: Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, Junior Achievement and Africa Bridge. In addition, Ray is proud to have a place on the Board of Governors at Northwood University and actively looks to get more involved.

Ray is an accomplished speaker and has delivered several keynote addresses for other franchises. Ray also has been published in a new book entitled, “Inside the Minds: Buying a Franchise,” where Ray and other industry insiders share their vast knowledge on what to look for in a viable franchise.

In 2007, Ray was awarded the President’s “E” Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce for export excellence having increased export revenue for the SIGN*A*RAMA brand by 700% in just three years. Also, in 2007 Ray was named Ernst & Young’s Florida Entrepreneur of the Year and the 2007 Counselor International Person of the Year.

Family values are very important to Ray both at home with his wife of 17 years, Andrea, and his three boys: A.J., Austin and Andrew, and at work where he exemplifies the same loyalty and dedication. The core of his executive team has an average tenure of over 15 years with an overall average tenure of over 6 years.

We can all look forward to the continued success of the United Franchise Group as well as the many accomplishments yet to come.

Geoff Davis is President and CEO of Unitus, a worldwide leader at scaling innovative solutions to global poverty. Based in Seattle, Washington, with offices in San Francisco and Bangalore, India, Unitus identifies the highest-potential microfinance institutions in developing countries and helps accelerate their growth through capital investments and capacity-building consulting, thus empowering them to help exponentially more poor people worldwide. Unitus received the 2006, 2007, and 2008 Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Award and in 2006 was named one of the 25 Best Places to Work in Seattle by Seattle Metropolitan magazine.

Geoff has worked in microfinance worldwide since 1995, beginning with a program he founded in central Mexico. He was an early employee atGrameen Foundation USA, a global microfinance leader, and has spoken widely on microfinance, including speeches and lectures at the International Monetary Fund and Harvard, Stanford, and Brigham Young universities. In addition to being interviewed on National Public Radio, Geoff has been a speaker on microfinance topics at conferences in Chile, Switzerland, Bangladesh, and elsewhere.

A social entrepreneur, Geoff formed several companies earlier in his career and has worked at numerous startups. In March 2008, the World Economic Forum named Geoff a Young Global Leader. He was named the 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Pacific Northwest region and, in 2005, as one of Puget Sound Business Journal’s “40 under 40”, recognizing him as one of Seattle’s top 40 up-and-coming leaders. Also in 2005, Geoff was named an Entrepreneurial Thought Leader by Stanford University. He also sits on the board or advisory board of The Dignity Fund (a microfinance debt fund); Kiva (an Internet-based microlending organization); and Swadhaar and Bandhan (fast-growing Unitus microfinance partners in Mumbai and Kolkata, India).

Geoff holds a B.A. in international relations from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in development economics and public policy from Harvard University. He and his wife Darcie live in Redmond, Washington, with their three wonderful, beautiful daughters.

Jenna always knew she wanted to pursue a career in business and took the first step to her future by enrolling in the Undergraduate Program at Babson College, where she is currently a member of the class of 2009. She is involved in many student organizations and hopes to continue throughout her senior year.

In the workforce, Jenna has interned for the NBA team, the Miami HEAT, for the past four summers. She has helped in all aspects of the Sales Department, ranging from acquiring Corporate Sponsors to coordinating the Premium Sales Department. She is very excited to be part of such a great event!

Prior to joining Babson’s MBA class of 2009, Sara was living in Los Angeles as an account manager for a well-respected event planning firm. She was required to “wear many hats” in her position with responsibilities including organizing event logistics, managing talent, leading a production team and designing logos and décor. Sara is using her experience in the event planning industry to start her own business over the summer. She is very excited to be planning part of this year’s Forum and looks forward to interacting with companies at the Idea Expo.

Outside of school, Sara enjoys playing ice hockey, watching movies, and travelling. She also enjoys helping her brother, Matt, with his start-up, Roadside Werx. Her academic area of interest is marketing and she received a BA in Economics and Psychology and a minor in marketing from McGill University in Montreal.

Bernardo is a web evangelist with telecom sales background. He is passionate about the way new web tools are shaping the way we communicate, we market products and services and we spend time online everyday. He is particularly interested in how the web 2.0 is rethinking the enterprise, how marketers are rethinking the Internet and how social media is motivating millions of people to challenge their respective status quo.
Bernardo is a Babson MBA candidate, has a B.Sc. in Telecom Engineering and is a self-proclaimed opportunity obsessed entrepreneur/intrapreneur.

You can learn more about Bernardo visiting his personal site or you can follow him on Twitter.

David Boss is the Chairman of the 2008 Babson Forum for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and is honored to take part in this spectacular event. In 2004 David created the Interlagos Educational Assistance Program to support potential college applicants in Brazil who did not qualify for educational loans. He recruited over 200 volunteers and raised capital to support potential students financially until they became qualified for educational assistance.

Also in 2004, David was recruited to help start a talent-based, financial services firm focused on rapid growth and high personal service. He was the lead trainer for successful client acquisitions and relations, and the key contact with national executives in the insurance industry.

David joined a small entrepreneurial consulting firm in January 2007 and tackled a new virtual, data-collection project. His efforts paved the way to collect information from over seventy organizations simultaneously and provide clients with detailed, understandable results within minutes.

David is a 2009 candidate for a Master of Business Administration degree in the entrepreneurship program at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Brigham Young University with an emphasis in Finance. He lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts with his wife and one-year-old son.

Director of Logistics

A member of Babson’s MBA class of 2009, Julie’s background is in marketing. Most recently she worked for Framingham-based research firm IDC, where she was responsible for developing innovative marketing programs for both a domestic and international client base. Prior to this role, she worked for a technology start-up.

Outside of academic pursuits, Julie holds several leadership positions within MBA student organizations on campus. She is also a violinist with the Babson College Chamber Orchestra. Julie holds a BA in International Relations and French from Wellesley College. She is looking forward to hosting a really fun and impactful event for Babson’s campus and extended community this fall!

Director of Babson Innovation Competition

Prior to joining Babson’s MBA class of 2009, Dan was living in Salt Lake City as a financial director for a small start-up investment firm. He regularly met with entrepreneurs in search of capital funding
to start their business or grow their business. Prior to investing in entrepreneurs he was the director of football operations for the Arena Football League’s Utah Blaze during their inaugural season. Dan is
very excited to be a part of this year’s forum and looks forward to the excitement of the Babson Innovation Competition.

Dan is also an active humanitarian having volunteered in Kenya, Ethiopia and Peru. He is married with a baby boy, Henry, and a black pug, Boomer. Outside of school he enjoys spending time with his
family, running, and travelling. His academic area of interest is private equity investments. He received a BS in Business Administration from Utah State University.

It has always been my passion to take something and make it better. Even as a kid, my lemonade stand was far superior to other stands in the neighborhood. I would either have specials on quantities or additional flavors available to the customer. I even went so far as to travel with my lemonade stand to the areas of the neighborhood where the construction workers would be. They were always thirsty and never had exact change, leaving me with gratuities☺

I hope to bring to the 2008 Babson Forum on Entrepreneurship & Innovation a well-rounded discussion of the hot topics affecting CEO’s across the country right now. The Triple Bottom Line is a theme that everyone can relate and speak to from their experiences as an entrepreneur in the 21st Century. I look forward to seeing everyone in October at the #1 entrepreneurship school in America – Babson College!

Jon M. Huntsman Chairman & Founder Huntsman Chemical	Isaac Larian CEO & Founder MGA Entertainment Bratz Dolls Babson Parent	Florine Mark President & CEO The WW Group Weight Watchers	Ray Titus President & Co-Founder Sign A Rama/EmbroidMe

Mike Sepso Co-founder & Chairman Major League Gaming Babson Alumnus	Leonard Schlesinger President Babson College Former Vice Chairman Limited Brands	Andrew Savitz Author Triple Bottom Line	Ruthie Davis Designer & Creator DAVIS by RUTHIE DAVIS Babson Alumnae

Don Jones Chairman and CEO POGAN Consulting	Arthur L. Pressman Partner Nixon Peabody LLP	Ingo Angermeier President and CEO Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System	Kevin Foley President & Founder Radius Toothbrush Babson Parent

Reed Wilcox Founding Partner and Senior Managing Director General Resonance	Tom Szaky Cofounder and CEO TerraCycle, Inc.	Roger Glickman CEO Krispy Kreme Franchising (Southern California) Babson Alumnus	Kevin Rollins Former CEO of Dell Partner/Senior Advisor TPG Capital

Pete Lescoe CEO & Founder FoodShouldTasteGood Babson Alumnus	Speaker TBD Unitus	Vanessa Kirsch President & Founder New Profit Inc.	Kevin Colleran National Director of Sales Facebook, Inc. Babson Alumnus

Moderators:

Andrew “Zach” Zacharakis The John H. Muller, Jr. Chair in Entrepreneurship Babson College	Heidi Neck Associate Professor Entrepreneurship Babson College

Ever since Shirin began her first small business in the 4th grade selling handmade beaded jewelry, she knew that she had an entrepreneurial spirit. Regardless of whether she will pursue a career in a larger corporation or start her own small business, she has always enjoyed supporting Entrepreneurs and their new ventures.
As the Director of Marketing, Shirin will draw many students from across the nation to attend and participate in the 2008 Babson Forum on Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Babson College this year. Through both direct and indirect marketing, she will share the excitement felt by entrepreneurs with the rest of the community as we come together on October 2nd, 2008!

Mark is the Chairman of the 2008 Babson Forum on Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Prior to entering the Babson MBA Entrepreneurship program, Mark was a senior manager in a Detroit family business where he focused on the start-up and build out of an independent commercial hotel laundry operation in Michigan. Mark started his career as a Global Fixed Income Bond Trader and Portfolio Analyst with Los Angeles-based Payden & Rygel Investment Management, one of the largest, privately-owned global investment managers with over $50 billion under management. Mark has also contributed his time to the Anti-Defamation League in Santa Barbara, California.

Mark serves as the Executive Vice President on the Babson’s Graduate Student Council and he is a member of the 2008 Babson’s President Inauguration Steering Committee. Mark is involved in Babson’s Coaching for Leadership & Teamwork Program that provides undergraduate students with constructive developmental coaching on their leadership, teamwork, decision-making, listening and oral communication skills.

Mark is a 2009 candidate for a Master of Business Administration degree in the entrepreneurship program at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. Mark holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan with a double major in Finance and Management Information Systems. He also holds a General Course degree from the London School of Economics.

Featured Keynote Speakers:

Jon M. Huntsman Chairman & Founder Huntsman Chemical	Isaac Larian CEO & Founder MGA Entertainment Bratz Dolls	Florine Mark President and CEO The WW Group Weight Watchers	Leonard Schlesinger President of Babson College Former Vice Chairman Limited Brands

Featured Speakers:

Ruthie Davis Shoe Designer & Creator DAVIS by Ruthie Davis Babson Alumnae	Don Jones Chairman and CEO POGAN Consulting	Kevin Rollins Former CEO of Dell Partner/Senior Advisor TPG Capital	Andrew Savitz Author “The Triple Bottom Line”

Babson & Entrepreneurship: