Brown's Super Stores Founder Jeffrey Brown & Zumba Co-Founder Alberto Perlman Named To Babson College Alumni Entrepreneur Hall Of Fame

WELLESLEY, Mass., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Babson College Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fame's newest members are  Jeffrey Brown '86, founder, president and CEO of Brown's Super Store, Inc., and Alberto Perlman '98, co-founder and CEO of Zumba Fitness LLC. 

Established in 2008 during the Inauguration of Babson President Leonard Schlesinger, the Babson College Alumni Hall of Fame celebrates alumni who distinguish themselves in entrepreneurial endeavors in all types of enterprises. Alumni entrepreneurs are recognized too for their accomplishments in creating economic and social value.

They will be honored during ceremonies October 19th at Babson.

Also honored are "Rising Star" entrepreneurs who have founded or co-founded high-potential businesses less than 10 years old that are making an impact and generating media attention in the marketplace.

"Rising Stars" entrepreneurs

• Amal Oils - Jalila Bouchareb '08; @AmalOils
• Celtra - Miha Mikek M'06; @CeltraMobile
• Cocomama Foods - Sara Gragnolati M'10; @cocomamafoods​
• CustomMade - Mike Salguero M'09; ​​@CustomMade
• Dream Water - Joseph Lekach '09; @DreamWater
• Emma Graham Designs - Jacquelyn Graham '09; @EGEmmaGraham
• InnerCity Weightlifting - Jonathan Feinman M'10
• Rhoost - Tavinder Phull M'06; @Rhoosting​

Hall of Fame Inductees

Jeffrey Brown '86

Jeffrey Brown '86 is the founder, president, and CEO of Brown's Super Stores Inc., a 10-store supermarket chain trading under the ShopRite banner. Brown's Super Stores was recognized as one of "The Best Places to Work" multiple years in a row by the Philadelphia Business Journal and has received recognition as a top employer in the region from The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and NJBIZ.

Brown is an officer and director of Wakefern Food Corporation, the marketing and distribution arm for ShopRite, as well as the chairman of Wakefern's strategic planning capitalization effort and insurance committee. He also is an officer and member of the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Food Merchants, a director of the New Jersey Food Council, and an adviser to the chancellor of Rutgers University (Camden).

Brown was recognized by the National Grocers Association as the 2010 recipient of the Thomas K. Zaucha Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, a top national honor in the grocery industry. He was chosen as a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama at President Obama's 2010 State of the Union address, and he also is interviewed frequently by the media for his expertise in solving the food desert crisis.

Additionally, he is the founder and chairman of UpLift Solutions, a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization that supports food businesses, government, and nonprofits to create sustainable environments for underserved communities.

Brown earned his Bachelor of Science degree in entrepreneurial studies. He is married to Sandy Brown, and is the father of four sons.

Alberto Perlman '98

Alberto Perlman '98 is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Zumba Fitness, LLC, the largest dance-fitness company in the world. The global lifestyle brand fuses fitness, entertainment, and culture into a dance-party experience and has more than 12 million weekly participants in 125 countries. Perlman oversees day-to-day operations, manages brand and product development, and negotiates strategic partnerships with fitness clubs and organizations around the world.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2011, the Zumba® program has grown from a single class taught in a Miami gym into a global movement. Under Perlman's leadership, the company has experienced a tenfold growth rate in the past three years, developing into a multifaceted brand that offers a unique and popular fitness program and continuing education program allowing fitness instructors to deliver Zumba to the widest possible audience. The Zumba Fitness business model includes an education and membership program (ZIN™), an extensive clothing line, DVDs (with more than 10 million copies sold), video games (6 million sold), Fitness-Concert™ events and a lifestyle magazine.

As part of his efforts with Zumba Fitness, Perlman has forged partnerships with brands including Kellogg's, The American Heart Association, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the NBA, Club Med, and fitness chains around the world, including 24 Hour Fitness, Curves, Fitness First, and Virgin Active. He also facilitated collaboration with Majesco Entertainment to create the Zumba Fitness video games.

Previously, Perlman was founder and CEO of Spydre Labs, an Internet incubator. Perlman also worked as a consultant for the Mitchell Madison Group. His commitment to community service spans the world. His Zumbathon charity campaigns have raised more than $3 million globally. He also serves on the board of the Soccer for Peace Foundation.

He earned his bachelor's degree in business and graduated Summa Cum Laude. Originally from Bogota, Colombia, he now resides with his family in Miami.

Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds™. The College is a dynamic living and learning laboratory, where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society -- while at the same time evolving our methods and advancing our programs. We shape the leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to create economic and social value. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought and Action® as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value. For information, visit www.babson.edu.

SOURCE Babson College