Accelerator Adviser Profile Part II: Richard Mandel
We are featuring profiles of our Butler Venture Accelerator advisers. Check back for updates!
Do you guys often see a man with a white beard holding a rose in a vase? Well, that’s Professor Richard Mandel. Professor Mandel was a mailman. He played three different instruments. He studied law. He was the Professor for Professor Luippold, Professor Blanchette and Professor Carenzo. He has been at Babson for past 30 years. Professor Mandel is one of the most influential professors at Babson.
Richard Mandel
Professor Mandel has been part of every single aspect of Babson. He attended Cornell University undergraduate and majored in Government and Meteorology. Afterwards, he attended Harvard Law School. Currently, he teaches Meteorology, Law and Tax at Babson. He is the acting dean of the undergraduate school and every year he participates in the school musical so you can always find him there.
Professor Mandel has been part of the Butler Venture Accelerator since it started in fall 2010, acting as legal adviser to student and alumni entrepreneurs. He loves teaching the students about the law aspect of the companies. He realized that a lot of students face redundant issues such as trying to deal with things on their own instead of consulting a lawyer. Through the Accelerator, Professor Mandel wants to be available to students as much as he can so that they do not have to face unsolvable problems in the future for their company.
Professor Mandel believes that entrepreneurs are more than just businessmen or women. “Demonstrate that entrepreneurs can innovate and solve problems more effectively than government can.” He believes that in the future entrepreneurs can be more powerful than the government. Professor Mandel believes that Babson students have the potential to become big.