Butler Institute Student Scholars

Shamima Ahmed is an undergraduate student at Babson College pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management with a concentration in Marketing, graduating in 2028. She is passionate about entrepreneurship, branding, and bringing creative ideas to life. A proud Tariq Farid Franchise Scholar, she is also the founder of Endless Beauty, a clothing brand that reflects her love for fashion, self-expression, and creating meaningful brands that inspire confidence and individuality.

Growing up in Queens, New York, within a diverse community, Shamima developed a deep appreciation for creativity, resilience, and the power of community. She enjoys fashion, generating new ideas, and transforming vision into reality through business and design. As a Butler Scholar, she hopes to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds, build meaningful relationships, and help foster a stronger sense of community and belonging across campus while learning from the experiences and perspectives of others.

Ja-riel Bailey is a Diversity Leadership Scholar at Babson College pursuing a degree in Entrepreneurship Studies and International Business Environment, graduating in 2028. She serves in numerous leadership roles across campus, including Intern in the Office of First-Generation Student Success, Campus Ambassador for The Women’s Network, Vice President of Academic Affairs for the Student Government Association, member of the College Hearing Board, and Creative Writer for The Babson Viridian.

Passionate about entrepreneurial innovation, sustainability, business operations, and inclusion, Ja-riel is the founder of Plan with Program, a venture that promotes self-reflection and personal growth through journaling. She graduated from Gaston College in 2024 with an associate in arts degree and a Certificate in Business Administration, bringing a strong foundation of leadership and excellence to her work. As a Butler Scholar, she seeks to create meaningful impact through entrepreneurship and community engagement.

Brayden Cole is a Babson College student pursuing a degree in Finance and Economics, graduating in 2028. He recently returned from a year abroad at the London School of Economics and currently serves as President of the Student Government Association. 

Previously, Brayden founded Smiles for Humans, a mental health apparel brand that donated profits to suicide prevention efforts. With experience trading derivatives, he views capital markets not only as a financial pursuit but also as a vehicle for understanding the world and driving meaningful social change. Through the Butler Action Tank, Brayden's long-term goal is to launch his own investment fund and create lasting impact through finance and entrepreneurship.

Hreedey Dhola is a Babson College student from Mumbai, India, pursuing a degree with concentrations in Finance and Technology Entrepreneurship and graduating in 2029. He has a strong interest in real estate and is actively involved in Babson’s CAPTURE Real Estate Accelerator program and the Real Estate Club.

Beyond academics, Hreedey enjoys traveling, playing soccer, and following financial markets. As a Butler Scholar, he aspires to build ventures at the intersection of finance and technology while making a positive impact on the Babson community.

Eva Berkovich is a Weissman Scholar and Honors BSBA student at Babson College concentrating in Economics. She has experience in private capital, mergers and acquisitions, and equity research and currently advises early-stage biotechnology startups.

Her work includes AI-driven investor outreach, validating pre-seed investments, and advising startups on U.S. expansion strategies. Eva also leads the Babson Women’s Polo Team. Passionate about thoughtful innovation and long-term value creation, she is committed to continuous learning, collaboration, and helping entrepreneurs and businesses achieve sustainable growth.

David Krol is a Babson College undergraduate student from Grafton, Wisconsin, graduating in 2027. He has strong interests in real estate and economics and plans to attend law school following graduation. At Babson, David is a member of the diving team, the Real Estate Club, and the Russian-speaking society.

As a Butler Scholar, David hopes to impact local-level policymaking through an entrepreneurial lens. Looking beyond Babson, he plans to pursue a career in corporate law and is passionate about the ways business, policy, and leadership can work together to create meaningful change. He also aspires to one day seek public office and contribute to shaping policy on a broader scale.

Will Manzi is an MBA candidate in Entrepreneurship at Babson College, graduating in 2027. Originally from Groton, Massachusetts, he left a forensic consulting career at Ernst & Young to pursue entrepreneurship. During his first semester at Babson, he was elected Class Representative by his peers and was a finalist in the Graduate Consulting Case Competition.

Will is the founder of Discos, a plant-based snack venture that received funding through Babson’s Seed Fund and was showcased at the inaugural Babson Food Summit. He is also an active member of Babson’s Food and Beverage Business Lab. Raised in a politically engaged family and inspired by his brother’s work building a platform for nonpartisan political discourse in New York City, Will is eager to use his role as a Butler Scholar to champion entrepreneurship as a tool for thoughtful and practical policy change.

Skyler Mott is an MBA candidate at Babson College graduating in 2027. A serial founder across the storage and logistics, real estate, and sports performance technology sectors, he is passionate about building ventures that create opportunity, solve real-world problems, and positively impact communities through entrepreneurship.

At Babson, Skyler serves on the executive board of the Black Graduate Club and competes on the track and field team, where he is a school record holder in both the high jump and triple jump. Outside of entrepreneurship and athletics, he enjoys chess, traveling, and exploring new food spots. As a Butler Scholar, Skyler hopes to continue using entrepreneurship as a tool to empower others, expand access to opportunity, and drive meaningful impact.

Ethan Nouchi is a Babson College student pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Technology Entrepreneurship, graduating in 2029. He is deeply interested in social media and its powerful distribution capabilities, exploring how digital platforms can amplify ideas, shape industries, and connect founders with audiences at scale.

Ethan intends to pursue a career at the intersection of venture capital and media, leveraging technology and digital storytelling to help entrepreneurs and businesses grow.

Manha Saleha is a Babson College student from Gainesville, Virginia, pursuing a degree in Business Management with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and graduating in 2029. She is the founder of VelveteenSlimes, a slime business, and TerraLuxCraftworks, a salt lamp company. She is also currently developing Grabbit, a hyperlocal campus logistics and infrastructure app.

As a Butler Scholar, Manha is excited to further explore the intersection of philosophy and entrepreneurship while continuing to build ventures that solve practical problems and create value for their communities.

Siddhartha Suresh is a graduate student at Babson College pursuing a master's degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Analytics & Machine Learning, graduating in 2027. He focuses on technology and entrepreneurship, drawing on diverse experiences and strategic thinking to help organize campus initiatives through the Intrapreneurship Club and the Babson Sustainability & Energy Club.

Driven by a passion for innovation and the energy transition, Siddhartha is particularly interested in the ways entrepreneurship and policy intersect. As a Butler Scholar, he aims to explore how policy shapes business decisions and creates long-term impact.