From Problems to Possibilities: Entrepreneurial Leadership in Action

Season 3 is almost here. Before it lands, here’s your chance to catch up. From Problems to Possibilities brings together Babson students, faculty, and leaders to unpack what entrepreneurial leadership actually looks like in the real world. It’s about more than building companies. It’s about building the mindset to lead through any challenge, in any role, anywhere. Missed an episode? Now’s the time to catch up. Press play, and be ready when Season 3 drops. Follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Can entrepreneurial leadership actually change the world, or is it just a nice idea that sounds better in a classroom than it plays out in real life? That's the question our podcast set out to answer this season. In this season 2 finale, host Kara Baskin brings it all home, revisiting the boldest voices and biggest moments of the year: Sandy Bravo's no-nonsense take on fixing America's broken foster care system, Jamie Siminoff's blunt reminder that the smartest investments are always in people, never pitch decks, and a string of guests who refused to accept "that's just how it is" as an answer. Along the way, one truth kept surfacing louder than the rest: whether the conversation turned to food insecurity on Cape Cod, AI in the classroom, cancer care, student wellness, or a hockey rink, the entrepreneurial lens never changed; don't just see the problem, see the entire ecosystem that created it, then go fix it. The season closes with a gut-punch: Babson Class of 2026 commencement speaker Jake Thibeault, a student-athlete left paralyzed by a hockey hit, delivers a message about resilience and uncertainty that lands like a mic drop — a reminder that entrepreneurial leadership was never just a business philosophy. It's a way of moving through life when life stops asking permission.

What happens when a technology powerful enough to transform society could also threaten it? Inspired by the documentary The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist, Babson College experts Patti Patria and Kristi Girdharry explore the promises, risks, and realities of artificial intelligence in higher education. Patria is the chief information officer at Babson, guiding the College’s use of AI and supporting academic AI initiatives while managing risk through policy and technology. Girdharry is an associate teaching professor and co-leader of The Generator, Babson's interdisciplinary AI lab, who describes herself as engaging AI critically from its "unsettled middle." In this episode, they explore how higher education must evolve, teaching not just AI fluency but also the critical thinking, ethics, and human judgment that no algorithm can replace. At the center of the conversation is entrepreneurial leadership and the ability to embrace emerging technologies while putting people, values, and responsible decision-making first.

Show Notes

Trailer- The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvq-jYira9I

Article: ‘The AI Doc’ Is Probably the Scariest Movie You’ll See All Year
https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986980/the-ai-documentary-review-daniel-roher-how-i-became-an-apocaloptimist

About Patty Patria

Babson Thought & Action: Babson CIO Patty Patria Earns ORBIE Award for Technology Leadership
https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/patty-patria-orbie-award/

About Kristi Girdharry

“ A writing professor’s new task in the age of AI: Teaching students when to struggle” by Kristi Girdharry https://theconversation.com/a-writing-professors-new-task-in-the-age-of-ai-teaching-students-when-to-struggle-276590

What happens when the life you planned for yourself disappears in a single moment? A devastating hockey injury left Jake Thibeault ’26 paralyzed, and presented him with a challenge every founder eventually encounters: Surrender to circumstances or rebuild from a completely different reality. In this episode, we bring you Thibeault’s inspiring student address at Babson College’s undergraduate Commencement ceremony, where he blends humor, humility, and hard-earned wisdom.

Show Notes

Watch: Jake Thibeault ’26 2026 Undergraduate Student Speaker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXEsEXHEUWw

Read Transcript of Jake’s Speech- Babson Thought & Action: Jake Thibeault ’26 Delivers Babson’s Student Commencement Address
https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/jake-thibeault-commencement-address/

Babson Thought & Action: Never Alone: The Journey of Jake Thibeault ’26 to the Commencement Stage
https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/jake-thibeault-never-alone/

Babson Magazine: ‘More than Hockey’: Jake Thibeault and the Power of Brotherly Bonds
https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/jake-thibeault-more-than-hockey/

What happens when the same relentless drive that fuels success begins to quietly unravel the person behind it? Emmy-and Grammy-winning film editor Sammy Dane ’15 reveals how entrepreneurial leadership isn’t just about building a career, it’s about navigating obsession, burnout, and the courage to reset. From walking 5 miles home in tears at dawn to trusting his instincts over security, Dane’s story reframes ambition as both a strength and a risk. In the end, leadership isn’t just about shaping stories on screen, it’s about learning when to rewrite your own.

Show Notes

Babson Thought and Leadership, “Inspiring Viewers to Take Action through Film” https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/filming-with-sammy-dane/

The First Wave - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZR2VltfBSg, courtesy National Geographic

What if the single most important reform in American health care has nothing to do with policy, technology, or funding and everything to do with how we train leaders to think like entrepreneurs? Dr. Errol Norwitz, executive director of the Kerry Murphy Healy Center for Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Babson College, makes a bold and urgent case that the people who understand health care's problems best, frontline providers, already hold the solutions, but lack the entrepreneurial mindset and permission to act on them. In this episode, Norwitz challenges the next generation of health care leaders to stop stumbling into the field by accident, and instead choose it early, question everything they're taught, and build the courage to drive change from the inside out.

Show Notes

Dr. Norwitz’s Linkedin bio https://www.linkedin.com/in/errolnorwitz/

Poets and Quants: “Why Healthcare needs Entrepreneurs To Fix a Broken System” https://poetsandquants.com/2025/12/29/the-pq-interview-babsons-errol-norwitz-on-why-healthcare-needs-entrepreneurs-to-fix-a-broken-system/

Babson Thought & Action: Dr. Errol Norwitz Named New Executive Director of the Kerry Murphy Healy Center for Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship
https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/errol-norwitz-kmh-center/

Babson Thought & Action: A Doctor and Entrepreneur Reflects on His New Role at Babson https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/doctor-and-entrepreneur/

About the Kerry Murphy Healey Center for Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship https://www.babson.edu/healthcare-entrepreneurship-center/

When the market ignores customers, what does it take for an entrepreneurial leader to fill the void? Babson College student Jolie Wyatt ’26 was tired of being overlooked and is now on a mission to change footwear for millions of women. In this episode, Wyatt shares how she launched If The Shoe Fits, a tech-driven startup designing custom footwear addressing the lack of options for women’s sizes, such as the size 12 she wears. Jolie explains how entrepreneurial leadership, vulnerability, and resilience helped her transform a personal frustration into a scalable business. From leading student government at Babson to navigating chronic illness, Wyatt shows how bold, mission-driven entrepreneurship can create impact beyond profit.

Show Notes

Jolie’s Story https://iftheshoefits.co/pages/our-story

If The Shoe Fits https://iftheshoefits.co/

Babson Thought & Action: “From Acceptance to Leadership: The Personal Journey of Babson’s SGA President” https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/sga-president/

Babson Thought & Action: “Babson Entrepreneurs Lead the Way on BostInno’s 25 Under 25 List” https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/bostinno-25-under-25-2/

Student well-being has moved from the margins to the center of higher education, and for good reason. Today’s students are feeling the squeeze of unprecedented pressure, heightened security concerns, and the nonstop anxiety of our times. In this episode, we unpack how colleges are adapting, with two innovative national leaders on campus well-being: Ryan Travia, Ed.D., Associate Vice President for Student Success at Babson College, and Dr. Thad Mantaro, Dean of Student Health and Wellness at Dallas College. Though their schools serve students in different regions and different socio-economic backgrounds, their work reveals a common road map for what’s working, what’s falling short, and what students truly need to thrive in our times.

Show Notes
Ryan Travia: https://www.babson.edu/health-and-wellness/meet-the-staff/ryan-travia/
Thad Mantaro: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-thaddeus-mantaro-7435728/
Ryan Travia and Thad Mantaro’s book, “Well-Being Leadership in Higher Education” https://www.naspa.org/book/well-being-leadership-in-higher-education-a-guide-for-successful-well-being-programs
Babson Thought & Action: “Leading the Way: Babson Wellness Chief Elevates Well-Being Priorities in Higher Education: https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/well-being-in-higher-education/
Babson College Health and Wellbeing: https://www.babson.edu/undergraduate/student-life/mental-health-and-wellbeing/\
Dallas College: Student Well-being and Health Promotion: https://www.dallascollege.edu/resources/health-centers/health-promotion/
Dallas College: Eight Dimensions of Wellness: https://www.dallascollege.edu/resources/health-centers/health-promotion/wellness/

What happens when passion becomes both the greatest gift and the biggest risk for an entrepreneurial leader? For Jamie Siminoff ’99, H’21, the founder of Ring, his passion was undeniable as he pursued his dream. But after failing to secure an investor on Shark Tank, Siminoff faced rejection and self-doubt and then a moment of self-reflection. In this episode, we revisit his journey, from Babson College to Shark Tank to now as a co-author of "Ding Dong: How Ring Went From Shark Tank Reject To Everyone's Front Door." Siminoff’s journey carries the emotional weight of leadership, and reflects how he balanced bold vision with humility and reminds every entrepreneurial leader that innovation thrives not on perfection, but on the courage to fall, rebuild, and rise again, ultimately leading to his billion-dollar breakthrough.

Show Notes

Jamie’s appearance on Shark Tank https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um-iVXiXedc

Babson Magazine: The Biggest Miss in “Shark Tank” History: Ring Founder Jamie Siminoff ’99, H’21 Looks Back https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/ring-on-shark-tank/

Babson Magazine: Shaq, a Snowstorm Ride, and Other Entrepreneurial Tales from Ring Founder Jamie Siminoff ’99, H’21 https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/entrepreneurial-tales-from-jamie-siminoff/

Babson Magazine: Meet the Babson Names Behind Your Favorite “Shark Tank” Products https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/babson-shark-tank-products/

Fortune: Ring’s founder went from shoveling horse stalls to selling to Amazon for $1.15 billion and says work-life balance is a myth https://fortune.com/2025/11/10/ring-founder-jamie-siminoff-hustle-success-story-no-work-life-balance-sold-to-amazon-billion-dollar-company/

Inc.: How Ring’s Jamie Siminoff Navigated Failure to Achieve Great Success https://www.inc.com/video/how-rings-jamie-siminoff-navigated-failure-to-achieve-great-success.html

What if ending hunger took the same entrepreneurial leadership as launching a startup? That’s exactly how Jeni Wheeler MBA’05 tackled food insecurity. Drawing on her Babson-trained mindset and personal hardship, Wheeler founded the Family Table Collaborative—now feeding thousands across Cape Cod. In this episode, hear how she used business modeling and social entrepreneurship to turn crisis into opportunity, creating a sustainable system that rescues food and nourishes families in need. Wheeler’s story shows that entrepreneurial thinking isn’t just for profit—it’s also for purpose, transforming how we confront today’s most pressing social challenges.

Show Notes

Profile of Jeni Wheeler: https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/jeni-wheeler-cape-cod/

Family Table Collaborative: https://www.familytablecollaborative.org/

Donate to the Family Table Collaborative: https://www.familytablecollaborative.org/donate

Volunteer for the Family Table Collaborative: https://www.familytablecollaborative.org/getinvolved

Profile in Cape Cod Culinary Incubator: https://capeculinary.org/aprils-foodie-interview-jeni-wheeler/

Profile in Edible Cape Cod: https://ediblecapecod.ediblecommunities.com/food-thought/food-thought-where-food-and-faith-meet/

Video Q&A with Atwood Museum- Chatham Historical Society: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwkmu08vakk