Podcast
From Problems to Possibilities: Entrepreneurial Leadership in Action
Hosted by Babson College · EN
A fast-changing and unpredictable world demands leaders with this visionary mindset to navigate complexity and seize opportunities. Welcome to From Problems to Possibilities: Entrepreneurial Leadership in Action Presented by Babson College.Join us each episode as we spotlight inspiring entrepreneurial leaders and innovators from the Babson community and beyond. They’re shaping tomorrow’s world by addressing some of the world’s biggest challenges—like improving healthcare access, advancing sustainability, transforming media representation, and much more.Discover stories that will inspire and empower you—and maybe even spark your next big idea.
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
When Hustle Starts to Hurt
4w ago00:14:10Tap to summarizeWhat 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 Sammy Dane’s Website: https://sammydane.com/ Sammy Dane’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammy-dane-58740423/ Babson Thought and Leadership, “Inspiring Viewers to Take Action through Film” https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/filming-with-sammy-dane/ Babson Magazine, “The Enduring Impact of Babson’s Posse Scholars” https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/impact-of-babson-posse/ The First Wave - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZR2VltfBSg, courtesy National Geographic American Symphony - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKSMsdq8ONs, courtesy Netflix
Transcribe →Why Health Care Needs Entrepreneurial Leaders Now
Mar 3000:14:43Tap to summarizeWhat 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 Entrepreneurshiphttps://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/
Transcribe →If The Shoe Doesn’t Fit, Build It
Feb 2300:16:06Tap to summarizeWhen 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 Wyatt BIO https://www.linkedin.com/in/joliewyatt/ 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/
Transcribe →How Can Colleges and Universities Lead in Health and Wellness?
Jan 2000:15:02Tap to summarizeStudent 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 NotesRyan 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-programsBabson 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/
Transcribe →Shark Tank’s Biggest Miss: Ring’s Jamie Siminoff
Dec 1500:14:27Tap to summarizeWhat 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 NotesJamie’s appearance on Shark Tank https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um-iVXiXedcBabson 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
Transcribe →Food Insecurity, Nutrition, and the Power of Leadership
Nov 1700:17:15Tap to summarizeWhat 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 NotesProfile 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/donateVolunteer for the Family Table Collaborative: https://www.familytablecollaborative.org/getinvolvedProfile 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
Transcribe →How Do You Assemble a Winning Team?
Oct 2100:17:27Tap to summarizeWhat if talent isn’t enough to win? And what if entrepreneurial leadership is the key—by asking, how can we align individual strengths to create a team that truly performs together? In this episode, Babson College hockey coach Jamie Rice '90 fosters a culture of ownership that mirrors the entrepreneurial mindset. Hockey offers a unique lens on entrepreneurial leadership, showing that success comes not only from preparation and skill, but also from the ability to read shifting dynamics and empower individuals in real time. Rice's approach transforms both student-athletes and leaders, showing that great teams, like great ventures, are built on people who trust, learn, and grow together. Ultimately, Rice challenges the idea that leadership belongs only to star players or those with titles. Role players, bench leaders, and unsung contributors can have as much influence on outcomes as captains or CEOs. By recognizing and empowering these voices, entrepreneurial leaders- whether on the rink, in the classroom, or in the boardroom- can build winning teams that thrive under pressure, adapt to change, and achieve more than the sum of their parts.SHOW NOTESJamie's Bio: https://babsonathletics.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/roster/coaches/jamie-rice-90/529From Babson Magazine: ‘More than Hockey’: Jake Thibeault and the Power of Brotherly BondsFrom Babson Thought & Action: A Head Coach, a Backup Goalie, and the Inspiring Story of a Gift
Transcribe →An Audacious Plan to Fix Foster Care
Sep 2500:18:06Tap to summarizeWhat if the foster care system wasn’t broken beyond repair, but simply waiting for entrepreneurial leadership to reimagine it? In this episode, Sandra Bravo MBA’87, an associate professor of practice at Babson College, shares her bold 440K Project, designed to bring the number of children in foster care from 440,000 down to zero. Host Kara Baskin explores how Bravo’s approach breaks a massive challenge into actionable solutions, such as technology, adoption campaigns, and community partnerships. Together, they uncover how visionaries turn impossible problems into possibilities.SHOW NOTESSandy’s Bio: https://www.babson.edu/about/our-leaders-and-scholars/faculty-and-academic-divisions/faculty-profiles/sandra-bravo.phpBabson Magazine Profile: “Fighting for Those Too Often Forgotten” by John Crawford, Babson Magazine, Summer 2023Sandy’s TEDx Talks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9pGl1Lrd90Sandy appears on “Exceptional Women” podcast: https://www.audacy.com/podcast/exceptional-women-1556e/episodes/sandy-bravo-on-exceptional-women-55602440K Project- https://440kproject.org/
Transcribe →Changing the Game
May 20, 202500:31:23Tap to summarizeIf you watched the Paris Olympics in 2024, it was hard to miss the coverage on sports and mental health. Specifically, the amazing comeback story of Simone Biles, who became the most decorated Olympic gymnast of all time after withdrawing from the Tokyo Games due to mental health issues in 2020. The narrative around sports and mental health requires nuance, and the specific situations smatter greatly. For example, in the world of elite athletes, a study conducted by the International Olympic Committee in 2019 found that up to 35 percent have mental health concerns. The intense pressure to perform and achieve perfection can often be a contributing factor to depression or anxiety. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, a widely cited 2019 study by the NIH noted that sports often has a net positive outcome on mental health in adults. And for kids, sports are generally accepted as something with positive outcomes on metal health, grades, physical health, and social emotional growth. However, as kids’ sports become more specialized and intense, sometimes mental health issues emerge even in these arenas. In this episode, we’ll speak with three entrepreneurial leaders each at the intersection of sports and mental health, who are creating access to mental health resources and provoking conversations surrounding it. First, an entrepreneurial leader in philanthropy who is helping organizations secure grants to do lifesaving work. A Babson alum and CEO of a nonprofit that has reached over 1 million kids with group mental health services through sports and a Babson alum and former basketball player whose nonprofit supports mental health services for college and elite athletes. Beth Brown, Managing Director of Mental Health and Well-Being at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation David S. Cohen ‘95, CEO of Doc Wayne Teddy Sourlis ‘22, CEO and Founder of Men’s x Mental, Inc. Sources: Intro and Outro Segments: 1. Reardon CL, Hainline B, Aron CM, Baron D, Baum AL, Bindra A, Budgett R, Campriani N, Castaldelli-Maia JM, Currie A, Derevensky JL, Glick ID, Gorczynski P, Gouttebarge V, Grandner MA, Han DH, McDuff D, Mountjoy M, Polat A, Purcell R, Putukian M, Rice S, Sills A, Stull T, Swartz L, Zhu LJ, Engebretsen L. Mental health in elite athletes: International Olympic Committee consensus statement (2019). Br J Sports Med. 2019 Jun;53(11):667-699. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-100715. PMID: 31097450. 2. Eather N, Wade L, Pankowiak A, Eime R. The impact of sports participation on mental health and social outcomes in adults: a systematic review and the 'Mental Health through Sport' conceptual model. Syst Rev. 2023 Jun 21;12(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s13643-023-02264-8. PMID: 37344901; PMCID: PMC10286465. 3. (2024, August 13). Athlete Mental Health: What You Need to Know. Mcleanhospital.org. Retrieved February 12, 2025, from https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/athlete-mh 4. Brenner JS, LaBotz M, Sugimoto D, Stracciolini A. The Psychosocial Implications of Sport Specialization in Pediatric Athletes. J Athl Train. 2019 Oct;54(10):1021-1029. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-394-18. Epub 2019 Sep 18. PMID: 31532693; PMCID: PMC6805069. 5. https://988lifeline.org/ Beth’s Segment: 1. https://blankfoundation.org/ 2. https://www.adcouncil.org/ 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhfUBNsnpMw 4. https://loveyourmindtoday.org/ David’s Segment: https://docwayne.org/ Teddy’s Segment: https://mensxmental.org/ Credits: Paul DeWolf, Executive Producer Madeline Poirier, Writer, Producer, and Host Billy Wirasnik, Audio Recording, Design, and Mix Epidemic Sound, Music and SFX
Transcribe →Do Well by Doing Good
May 5, 202500:31:57Tap to summarizeIf you live in the U.S., chances are you have a lot of stuff. Or at least you want to have a lot of stuff. As the MIT Press Reader notes in their brief history of consumer culture 'consumption is now frequently seen as our principal role in the world.' We've been trained in a way to want more stuff, and that stuff takes a lot of resources to make, to ship, and then at the end of its life, to dispose of. And as sustainability becomes an increasingly important conversation for our collective future, how are brands looking at these problems? How do we account for all this waste and energy that we're consuming? Can a company make consumer goods like clothes and electronics more sustainable without sacrificing their bottom line? Today, we're tackling just about the biggest entrepreneurial problem there is in consumer goods - Sustainability. We'll hear from two Babson College alumni and entrepreneurial leaders who are at the forefront of reimagining processes and their businesses and pointing us to a more sustainable future. And perhaps also a more thoughtful approach to consumerism. And we'll speak with a renowned Babson accounting scholar who will help us understand how integrating sustainability practices into your balance sheet can not only create tangible value, but intangible value for your brand as well. Uddhav Bagrodia ‘21, Co-Founder and President of Wastewear Brigitte Wudernitz Muehlmann, PhD., MST, Professor in the Division of Accounting and Law at Babson College Samuel D. Herec MBA ‘25, VP of Product and Sustainability at TIvoli Audio Sources: Intro Segment: Higgs, K. (2021, January 11). A Brief History of Consumer Culture. The MIT Press Reader. Retrieved April 2, 2025, from https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/a-brief-history-of-consumer-culture/ Uddhav’s Segment: https://www.wastewear.com/ Ruiz, A. (2024, March 18). 47 Official Sustainable Fashion Statistics. TheRoundup.org. Retrieved April 2, 2025, from https://theroundup.org/sustainable-fashion-statistics/ 2. Yorke, S. (2024, November 12). What is Sustainable Fashion? Oxfam.org. Retrieved April 2, 2025, from https://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam-in-action/oxfam-blog/7-facts-about-sustai nable-fashion/ (2025, March 30). Environmental Sustainability in the Fashion Industry. GenevaEnvironmentNetwork.org. Retrieved April 9, 2025, from https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/resources/updates/sustainabl e-fashion/ Circle Economy (n.d.). The Circularity Gap Report - Textiles. Circularity-Gap.World. https://www.circularity-gap.world/textiles 5. California State Legislature (2024, September 30). SB-707 Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024. California Legislative Information. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=2023202 40SB707#:~:text=This%20bill%20would%20enact%20a,producer%20resp onsibility%20organization%20or%20PRO. Professor Muelhmann’s Segment: The five entrepreneurial practices are from the book “Teaching Entrepreneurship: A Practice-Based Approach” by Heidi Neck, Candy Brush and Patty Greene. https://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Entrepreneurship-Practice-Based-Heidi-Neck/dp/178 2540695 Sam’s Segment: https://tivoliaudio.com/ Evers, J. (2025, April 23). The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. NationalGeographic.org. Retrieved April 25, 2025, from https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/great-pacific-garbage-patch/ Credits: Paul DeWolf, Executive Producer Madeline Poirier, Writer, Producer, and Host Billy Wirasnik, Audio Recording, Design, and Mix Epidemic Sound, Music and SFX
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