The Babson College community was excited for the first sight and taste of the Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village (HELV).
On the first of three Wednesdays this month, students, staff, faculty, and friends will get a sneak peek into HELV, a first-of-its-kind living-learning community dedicated to entrepreneurial leadership, during a special Community Hours event. I took a look. The visionary village incorporates innovative new spaces and opportunities to learn, explore, connect and collaborate. HELV also has the largest residence hall on campus and will be the new home of the Foundation for Business and Entrepreneurship (FME).
David May ’25 and other students hung out at HELV’s Village Coffee House, which serves pastries, iced oat milk maple lattes, and Arnold Palmer iced tea lemonade with rosemary. “I’m so happy to be able to see this space in person,” May said. “Everyone’s really excited to see what they’ve built. It’s really cool to be in it now.”
Meanwhile, Avery Butt ’26 was already using the interactive Global Outreach Studio to study for her accounting class. “I was really looking forward to seeing what the new space would look like,” she said. “I love it. It’s a great space. There’s nothing like it on campus.”
“Large innovation space”
Visitors also explored HELV’s three state-of-the-art classrooms, a co-curricular lounge with study rooms, collaborative and breakout spaces, and outdoor patios. “This is a space of massive innovation,” says Zach Breitbard ’26.
“I was lucky enough to walk around with two students and they were thrilled,” said Wendy Murphy, associate dean of the department and professor of business administration.
“Everyone’s really excited to see what they’ve built. It’s really cool to be in it now.”
David May ’25
HELV is made possible by a gift of name from the Herring family and a founding gift from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, as well as a growing list of other donor supporters. These significant investments in the university’s strategy will establish Babson as a destination for entrepreneurial leaders from around the world.
At HELV, an additional Spring Sneak Peek event with complimentary snacks and drinks is scheduled for April 25th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to interact with university dietitians and From 10 a.m. to noon on the 30th, students are scheduled to enjoy finals sweets and coffee talk. Partnered with Arthur M. Blank School of Entrepreneurial Leadership.
“It’s a great feeling to see everything come together and see the students here,” said Ava Mullin, Community and Engagement Coordinator at HELV. “We want this to be a hub for them, a place where they can study and hang out. There’s been a bit of a conversation about this throughout the community, and we’re looking forward to seeing it grow even more. hoping.”
Accelerate breakthrough ideas
Students rave about HELV’s atmosphere, saying its “casual atmosphere” and abundance of natural light make it an ideal place to gather for group projects or for a meal or coffee, encouraging collaboration, creativity, and breakthrough ideas. He praised it as a base for promoting the
“This will definitely create a new type of startup environment like eTower,” May said, referring to the college’s living learning community for entrepreneurs. “I think the colder the area or environment, the more creative ideas will come to you.”
That makes HELV the perfect home for the Babson course’s signature FME, which allows first-year students to use classrooms, breakout rooms, and collaborative spaces in innovative ways as they develop, launch, and manage new startup ventures. . “This will really facilitate the kind of discussion that FME plans to foster,” Murphy said.
“I’m excited. It’s a very supportive space. It’s going to be fun to hang out with friends here. It’s going to be a great space,” said Rachel Greenleaf, HELV’s resident assistant and FME mentor. ’25 speaks. “I’m really excited to see the community grow. I think people are really excited about the cafe atmosphere. They’re always excited about the dining options on campus.”
See photos from inside HELV and our first Community Hour event.
Categories: Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership
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