"Established in 2000, Babson's Frank & Eileen Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership was the first academic center at a top U.S. business school devoted to women founders. Its model rests on four pillars: a robust mentorship program, research from the Diana International Research Institute, accelerators such as the Women Innovating Now (WIN) Lab and Black Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, and partnerships that extend Babson's reach into communities nationwide."
"Alumnae have launched businesses that have won pitch competitions, raised seven-figure investments, and founded national platforms. Alumna Kristen Smith is the co-founder and chief experience officer of Tre's Street Kitchen, which provides services ranging from school food and nutrition to mobile catering for emergency and disaster relief efforts. While in the Black Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, Smith secured five new food-service contracts and fulfilled an order of the company's signature BBQ sauce to Amazon."
Female entrepreneurship has risen sharply, with women launching 49 percent of new U.S. ventures in 2024, up from 29 percent in 2019. Women-owned businesses generate $3.3 trillion and employ 13 million people in the U.S. Academic programs at colleges such as Babson, FIT, UT Austin, and SCAD continue to support founders despite political backlash against DEI initiatives. Babson's Frank & Eileen Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership emphasizes mentorship, research, accelerators, and partnerships to expand impact. Alumnae have achieved pitch wins, seven-figure fundraising, and national platforms, while program participants have secured contracts and commercial distribution.
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