Commencement Speakers and Honorary Degree Recipients
Undergraduate Ceremony
Linda Henry ’00, H’19
CEO and Co-Founder of Boston Globe Media Partners
Ms. Henry is a proud Babson alumna and sets a stellar example for what is possible when a Babson education is paired with entrepreneurial drive. As the co-owner and CEO of Boston Globe Media, Ms. Henry has stewarded the rebuilding and reimagining of a 153-year-old legacy media company into a thriving, modern multimedia organization with a portfolio of media outlets that include The Boston Globe, Boston.com, STAT, and Boston Magazine.
As an active partner in Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Ms. Henry is front row to the strategic operations of one of the largest global sports platforms, with teams across the Premier League, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, TMRW Golf, and more. Her vast experience at FSG has led Linda to serve as an investor in the WNBA, League One Volleyball, and Unrivaled. Outside of sports, she is a four-time Emmy-award winning television producer, Emmy-nominated documentary producer, and children’s book author.
Ms. Henry serves as chair of the Boston Globe Foundation and the John W. Henry Family Foundation; director of the Red Sox Foundation and Penguins Foundation; a trustee of the Liverpool Football Club Foundation; and board member of The Engine at MIT and Shorenstein Center at Harvard—a testament to her commitment to leveraging her business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit for social good.
Babson was proud to bestow an honorary doctorate to Ms. Henry at our 2019 Commencement ceremony, and we are now honored to welcome her to the pivotal role of undergraduate Commencement speaker.
Leonard "Len" C. Green
Chairman of The Green Group and Adjunct Lecturer
Mr. Green has been the chairman of The Green Group since he founded the company in January 1973. The Green Group is an accounting, tax, consulting, and advisory firm. Before that, he served as an accountant at Touche Ross from 1968 to 1973. He previously had been an adjunct professor at New York University (1970-1973), Monmouth University (1998-1999), and Fairleigh Dickinson University (1999-2001).
Mr. Green has also been a licensed thoroughbred owner since 1980 and serves as managing partner at D.J. Stable LLC, his family’s business and one of the largest racing and breeding operations in the United States. Mr. Green’s business history includes having been involved with SoBe, a beverage company, and Blue Buffalo, a natural pet food brand.
Mr. Green is the author of The Entrepreneur’s Playbook: More than 100 Proven Strategies, Tips, and Techniques to Build a Radically Successful Business (2017; AMACOM) and has written over 10 published case studies in family business and entrepreneurship, as well as articles on women in family business and the keys to family business success.
At Babson, Mr. Green has been an adjunct professor in the entrepreneurship division since 2021. He had previously served in the same role from 2001 to 2016, before serving as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Babson College from 2016 to 2020. He served as a Trustee from 2013 to 2017, was a charter member of the Weissman Circle of Distinction in 2019 and was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs in 2021. The Len Green Recreation and Athletics Center (LGRAC) was named in his honor 2022. In 2023, the garden behind LGRAC was dedicated to the memory of his late wife Lois S. Green.
Mr. Green earned his BS in accounting from Rutgers University in 1958 and an MS in taxation from New York University in 1986. He completed the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard University in 1992. He served in the United States Air Force from 1960 to 1961.
Mr. Green will be presented with an Honorary Doctor of Entrepreneurial Leadership degree during the ceremony on May 17, 2025.
Graduate Ceremony
Karen Clark Cole
Co-founder and former CEO of Blink UX
Ms. Clark Cole is an entrepreneurial powerhouse, author, and keynote speaker. Currently serving as a Council Member of the National Women’s Business Council, Ms. Clark Cole advises the President of the United States, Congress, and the Small Business Administration on policy initiatives that impact women entrepreneurs across the nation. ‘
As the co-founder and former CEO of Blink UX, the first UX design company in the United States, Ms. Clark Cole spent 25 years shaping the future of UX design. Under her visionary leadership, Blink grew to five offices and achieved $40 million in annual revenue, delivering groundbreaking work for clients from startups to Fortune 50 companies. In 2019, she successfully led Blink to an acquisition for over $100 million, cementing her legacy as a leader who transforms industries.
Ms. Clark Cole is a thought leader in cultural transformation, digital innovation, and user-centered leadership, with a deep belief in the power of design to bridge the gap between technology, people, and purpose. An influential speaker, Ms. Clark Cole captivates audiences with her compelling talks on entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership. Her popular keynotes inspire audiences to embrace bold risk-taking, create transformative cultures, and build sustainable growth through design-thinking leadership.
In addition to her corporate achievements, Ms. Clark Cole is the founder of the Heaven on Earth Animal Retirement Sanctuary, where she integrates her passions for animal welfare, human health, and climate solutions. Ms. Clark Cole also serves as Chair of the Board for St. Margaret’s School in Canada, where she is driving vital financial and cultural transformations.
Ms. Clark Cole’s academic journey includes executive education at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and ongoing PhD work in Values-Driven Leadership at Benedictine University.
Her mission is to inspire leaders to think beyond what’s possible and step boldly into the future with courage, resilience, and compassion.
Ms. Clark Cole will be presented with an Honorary Doctor of Entrepreneurial Leadership degree during the ceremony on May 17, 2025.
Peter H. Lunder P’86’90 and Paula C. Lunder P’86’90
After graduating from Colby College in 1956, Peter Lunder began working for his family shoe business, eventually leading him to become president, co-chairman, and chief executive officer of Dexter Shoe Company until he retired. Dexter is credited with creating the first outlet store, and was acquired by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway in 1993, making Peter and his uncle, Harold Alfond, the largest Berkshire stockholders outside of the Buffett family at the time. Additionally, in 1977 Peter was part of the Yawkey Group that bought the Boston Red Sox, and remained a part-owner for 25 years.
Paula received her BA from Lesley University in 1959, and has been an active art enthusiast, community volunteer, collector, and philanthropist ever since. While raising their four children in Waterville, Maine, she served as a volunteer docent at the Colby College Museum of Art and ended up making major contributions to cataloging its collections. On the philanthropy side, she serves as Chair and Director for the Lunder Foundation.
Peter and Paula share a strong love of the arts, and they have been dedicated collectors and philanthropists for decades. Their transformative support has helped grow the Colby College Museum of Art into one of the leading academic museums in the country. In 2007 they donated their art collection, featuring more than 500 works of American art from the 19th century to 21st century including notable artists such as James McNeill Whistler, Winslow Homer, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alexander Calder, Kiki Smith, Donald Judd, Deborah Butterfield, John Chamberlain, and Maya Lin, to form the Lunder Collection—strengthening the museum’s position in the field of American art. They subsequently gave a major gift of endowed funds and more than 1,100 additional artworks in 2017 to establish the Lunder Institute for American Art at the Colby Museum, which now supports research and creative production in the discipline.
Paula is a life member of Colby’s Board of Trustees, Peter is a life member of its Board of Visitors, and both are life members of the museum’s Board of Governors. Additionally, Peter was vice chair of the Smithsonian Institution’s national board and served on the Board of Commissioners at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where they endowed the Lunder Conservation Center and the Lunder Education Curator. Paula has also served as a board member at Maine College of Art & Design, where she and Peter established the Lunder Scholars program to provide need-based financial aid to undergraduates from Maine.
Their philanthropic impact extends beyond the arts as well. They have provided major support to Thomas College (which renamed its School of Education to the Peter and Paula Lunder School of Education in honor of their support), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital, along with numerous other organizations through the Lunder Foundation.
At Babson, they have supported financial aid with the Lunder Endowed Scholarship, athletics with the naming of the Lunder Performance Center, and facilities with the naming of the Lunder Admission Center.
After many years in Waterville, Maine, Peter and Paula now live in West Palm Beach, Florida. Two of their four children are Babson alumni: Marc F. Lunder’86 and Alan E. Lunder ’90. Both Peter and Paula served as Trustees at Babson, and Peter remains an Honorary Trustee today.
Mr. and Mrs. Lunder will be presented with an Honorary Doctor of Entrepreneurial Leadership degree during the ceremony on May 17, 2025.