By Jake Maude | March 23, 2018
The Walnut Ventures meeting provides a relaxed, casual setting for angel investors from diverse backgrounds. The format was similar to other investor meetings I’d attended. There was is an introduction and the pitch itself, which was followed by a round of questions. After a company presents, the entrepreneurs are asked to leave the room and…
By Jake Maude | February 26, 2018
On February 15th, Babson hosted Jeff Bussgang, a venture capitalist at Flybridge Capital Partners, and the author of Mastering the VC Game. His latest book, Entering Startupland, draws from a breadth of experience in startups and venture capital. The book focuses on helping “joiners” figure out how to get into a startup, and setting their…
By Jake Maude | February 22, 2018
An adjunct professor at Babson College, John Hallal teaches Mergers & Acquisitions for Entrepreneurs. John also serves as an advisor in Babson’s Launch Pad Program, advising businesses at the “Launch and Grow” stage, coaching entrepreneurs on go-to-market strategies, operations, sales and fundraising. John currently works as Managing Director for Network Blue, is an attorney for…
By Jake Maude | December 28, 2017
Boston Harbor Angels (BHA) is one of the most prominent angel investing groups in the US with numerous successful exits. BHA is a tight knit group of investors, who pride themselves on seeking out high quality, high impact companies in which to invest. On December 15th, Babson hosted the Boston Harbor Angels for their year-end…
By Jake Maude | December 17, 2017
DetraPel is an amazing product that you can be sprayed on anything to make it water repellent, like a pair of shoes or a sweater. The company is run by a team of four, and headed up by David Zamarin (interviewed here), a sophomore at Babson College. Recently, they are excited to have raised some funding, and are…
By Jake Maude | December 13, 2017
The Launchpad Venture Group is one of the largest and top three most active Angel groups in the country, in terms of deal volume and dollars invested. The group is capped at 150 investors, and has a long waitlist to get in. The group puts about $8 million to work per year, and currently has…
By Jake Maude | December 6, 2017
Lula Rides is a car sharing platform, with a twist. Described by BostInno as “Airbnb for College Students’ Cars”, it has users taking trips on Babson’s Wellesley campus, as well as requests to join fifty additional college campuses. Founded by Babson student Michael Vega-Sanz (interviewed here) and his twin brother Matthew Vega-Sanz, the application just…
By Jake Maude | November 22, 2017
People often dismiss company culture as “soft” or “HR,” but for many companies today, culture has been a key factor in attracting top talent and in driving innovation and value creation. In How 2 Build a Successful Company Culture, Bryan Burdick spoke from his deep experience building out Bizo, a company that was eventually acquired…
By Jake Maude | November 19, 2017
As featured in Bostinno, Bevnet, BeverageDaily.com and FoodNavigator-USA, Waku (formerly Wanku) has been described as a “healthy, natural, aromatic” and “delicious” drink. Derived from a traditional recipe of an indigenous people in the Andes Mountains, this is a beverage with an impact. Prior to Waku, there was little market access to the drink, and people…
By Jake Maude | November 14, 2017
All eyes on you, your idea meets the world, standing room only, 3 minutes, “Go.” Rocket Pitch at Babson is the culmination of countless hours of ideation, action, and the pursuit of something beyond what exists. It brings together many people from diverse backgrounds, especially founders, angel investors, students, and entrepreneurial thinkers. For some, it…