Babson College Celebrates Entrepreneurship During Founder's Day Festivities Around the Globe April 18, 2012

WELLESLEY, Mass., April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Babson College celebrates entrepreneurship during its annual Founder's Day festivities April 18th with activities on campus and around the world.  

This Babson tradition - since 1947 - recognizes Roger W. Babson, founder and 1st Babson president, and his passion for entrepreneurship, education, and philanthropy. Follow on Twitter #BabsonFD  Enjoy the video invitation here.

World Stage/Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs
Babson's premier entrepreneurship education fundraising event, World Stage at Boston's Convention & Exhibition Center, celebrates inductees into the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs

• Scott D. Cook, founder and chairman of the Executive Committee, Intuit
• Gururaj "Desh" Deshpande, Chairman, Sparta Group LLC
• Howard H. Stevenson, Sarofim-Rock Baker Foundation Professor (Emeritus), Senior Associate Dean, Harvard University, Director of Publishing and Chair, Harvard Business Publishing Company

In 1978, Babson College, established the world's first entrepreneurship "hall of fame," the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs™.  Since its inception, the academy has recognized and honored entrepreneurs who have contributed significantly to the development of free enterprise throughout the world.

B.E.T.A. Challenge (Streamed Live)  
The B.E.T.A. (Babson Entrepreneurial Thought and Action^®) Challenge recognizes student businesses' action milestones.

Graduate Finalists 

• AltruHelp – Mathew Paisner M'12 AltruHelp is a social media platform & software toolbox for the community of responsible companies, individuals, and nonprofits who want to amplify their philanthropic impact to targeted stakeholders while expanding "shared value" connections & influence.  @altruhelp http://www.altruhelp.com/
• RECONCRAFT – Jay Hoflich M'12 A leading manufacturer of custom shallow draft vessels built for military, law enforcement, and emergency response purposes. http://www.reconcraft.com/
• Spy Games – Joseph Draschil M'13 & Darshan Doshi M'13 A live action, choose-your-own adventure game where you are the hero and the game takes place around you and your team as you embark across your city on a series of missions - discovering clues, cracking codes, and hunting down the enemy. http://www.spygames.me/

Undergraduate Finalists

• Sponsored Apparel – Leo Martinez '12 & Harsh Saraf '13 Sponsored Apparel uses custom clothing to connect a company with its primary target audience and turn their consumers into brand ambassadors. They effectively connect buyers with sellers and guarantee a return on investment with their marketing campaigns. http://sponsoredapparel.com/
• Sweet! Corn Tortilla Chips – Cameron Sheldrake '12 Sweet! Corn Tortilla Chips Inc. markets and sells the first tortilla chips to use real sweet corn as an ingredient, while maintaining a commitment to environmental sustainability and social responsibility. @sweetcornchips http://www.sweetcornchips.com/
• trintme – Agha Ali Gull '12 trintme is a friendship and relationship progression Facebook Application. @trintme  http://www.trint.me/

Winners of each Challenge will win a grand prize of $20,000 in cash and "services in kind" donations from corporate sponsors respectively. In addition, $2,500 will be awarded to the two other finalist ventures.   Formerly the Douglass Graduate Business Plan Competition and John H. Muller Jr. Undergraduate Business Plan Competition, the event is sponsored by The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson College and Pepper Hamilton LLP. 

Conversation with 2012 inductees to Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs™
(Streamed Live)  

• Scott D. Cook,
• Gururaj "Desh" Deshpande, and
• Howard H. Stevenson
  with President Schlesinger; and presentation of student business competition awards hosted by Professor Candida Brush.   

Student Business of the Year Award Competition (Streamed Live)  
SBYA is presented by the Babson College Alumni Association in recognition of an undergraduate student's outstanding commitment to launching and operating a successful enterprise while pursuing an education.  Three student business finalists will compete for the honor.

• Jacox Hilton http://jacoxhilton.com/
• SWrV, LLC http://www.swrvhawaiianshirts.com/
• Kommon Thread http://www.kommonthread.com/

Founder's Day Throughout The World
Alumni Global Advisory Board members host Founder's Day celebrations around the world.

• New York City – April 18
• Miami – April 18
• Milan  – April 18
• Beijing   – April 18
• Istanbul   – April 20
• Bangkok   – April 28
• Mexico City   – March 29

Babson's Mysteries: A Live Action Adventure Game!
1:30–2:30 p.m., 5:15–6:15 p.m., 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Babson Mysteries is a live-action, choose-your-own-adventure game where you are the hero and the game takes place around you in the real world—across the Babson campus! Babson Mysteries is designed by Spy Games, a business established by Babson students Joseph Draschil M'13 & Darshan Doshi M'13.  Meet at Trim Dining Hall

Business Fair & Community Lunch
The Founder's Day Business Fair will showcase businesses and ventures of students, staff, faculty and alumni.

Information booths will highlight Community Service opportunities.  A Roger Ward Babson Traveling Museum of artifacts and photos will be on display in Trim Dining Hall. Roger Babson once said, "The world as a whole benefits most when you do something new or when you do it better or differently."

Beaver Bowl Competition
Teams will compete in a Babson trivia contest, sponsored by Student Government Association.

Community Coffee and Celebration of Service
President Schlesinger hosts; community members share their stories of how community service through Babson has made an impact.

SOURCE Babson College