The Blank School engages Babson community members and leads research to create entrepreneurial leaders.
Events
The Butler Institute for Free Enterprise Through Entrepreneurship offers numerous opportunities and events for the Babson community to explore the relationship between entrepreneurship and free enterprise.
For details on upcoming events, please see our listing below. To learn more, please email us at butlerinstitute@babson.edu or sign up for our newsletter.
Upcoming Events
Please stay tuned for upcoming events in 2023.
Past Events
2022
Student Open Forum: Corruption in the Diamond Industry
The Student Scholars of the Butler Institute for Free Enterprise through Entrepreneurship led a conversation about corruption in the diamond industry and how we can utilize blockchain technology to validate lab-grown diamonds.
Tuesday, November 29 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
GEM Data Hackathon Presentation and Award Ceremony
Three students were recognized at the 2nd annual GEM Data Hackathon presentation and award ceremony on November 10th. The GEM Data Hackathon was created to challenge both undergraduate and graduate students to crunch and analyze using real data from the GEM Report (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor) and uncover some new, unique insights about entrepreneurship in the United States.
The submissions were judged by faculty on the insightfulness and novelty of the analysis and visual representation of the GEM data. This year's winners were:
- 1st place: Kristin Wendell MBA'22
- 2nd Place: Jackson Kuja '25
- 3rd Place: Michael Twomey '23
Read more about this special competition, key findings, and winners.
Thursday, November 10 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Student Open Forum: Opportunity Zones
According to the IRS, opportunity zones are economic development tool that allows people to invest in distressed areas in the United States. Their purpose is to spur economic growth and job creation in low-income communities while providing tax benefits to investors.
In this conversation, Rani Jivani presented the cracks in the opportunity zones legislation and who is currently benefiting from them. The group talked about how we as a society can redirect investment to serve its intended purpose.
Tuesday, October 25 at 6:30 p.m. ET
Student Open Forum: Cannabis Industry & Regulation
Cannabis is a multi-billion-dollar industry booming under an inconsistent regulatory landscape at federal and state levels and creating a stark divide among Americans. In this conversation, students explored the cracks in the cannabis regulation system and discussed important questions such as who is benefiting from the regulatory status quo, upcoming legislation, and how entrepreneurs can thrive in this fragmented industry.
Tuesday, September 20 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Signature Event: Finding Success, Happiness, and Purpose with bestselling author, Harvard professor, and the Atlantic’s happiness columnist Dr. Arthur C. Brooks
The Babson College community had the pleasure of hearing from success, happiness, and purpose expert, Dr. Arthur Brooks, when he visited campus for a conversation on Tuesday, April 19.
Read more about Brooks’ visit, and about the intersection of happiness and entrepreneurship.
Tuesday, April 19 at 6:15 p.m ET
Student Open Forum: Millennial & Gen Z Socialism
The Student Scholars of the Butler Institute for Free Enterprise through Entrepreneurship led a conversation about the roaring rejection of capitalism and growing support for socialism among the younger population. Whether it’s through political campaigns, legacy media, or social media platforms, socialism is rising in popularity across the United States. In wake of this sweeping economic ideology, people have started to turn their backs on capitalism and question its relevance. Students and faculty discussed how capitalism can survive rising millennial socialism while pursuing and igniting entrepreneurial ventures.
Wednesday, April 13 at 6:15 p.m. ET
Student Open Forum: Small Town America vs. The EPA - A perspective
An interactive conversation led by Butler Institute Scholar, Dominic Sapone, about the growing interference of the EPA in various industries. Dominic highlighted examples of recent EPA crackdowns on small manufacturers in the automotive industry, hurting the livelihoods of entrepreneurs and their families.
Tuesday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m. ET
Spotlight Series Event: What the Superbowl Teaches us about Market Regulation, Innovation, and Capitalism.
Professor Andrew Corbett, faculty, and guests discussed what the Super Bowl teaches us about markets, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Looking back at years of Super Bowl ads, the conversation examined what happened to the many market-dominant firms of prior decades as a way to think about policy for today and tomorrow. Watch the recording: Spotlight Series Event: What the Superbowl Teaches us about Market Regulation, Innovation, and Capitalism
Wednesday, February 2 at 5 p.m. ET
Spotlight Series Event: David and Goliath: How a small business mindset can help firms of all sizes fight for market share while doing good for the community
Professor Andrew Corbett from Babson College's Entrepreneurship Division and Joshua White from the University of Alabama, Culverhouse College of Business hosted an interactive discussion about what it means for businesses to “act small” and do good in their communities while growing their profits.
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Student Open Forum: Space Race 2021 - Pushing Boundaries into Outer Space
Our scholars will look at the opportunity that has been created as space travel is commercialized and what this innovation means in a currently under-regulated industry. Who should be responsible for setting policy when private citizens and entrepreneurs race to space?
Thursday, December 2, 2021
GEM Data Hackathon Presentation & Award Ceremony
This first GEM Data Hackathon was created to challenge both undergraduate and graduate students to crunch and analyze using real GEM data from the GEM Report (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor) and uncover some new, unique insights about regional differences in entrepreneurship across the United States. Professor Andrew Corbett, Faculty Director of the Butler Institute announced the winners of the competition, each team shared their findings and how they went about their analysis.
The submissions were judged by faculty on the insightfulness and novelty of the analysis and visual representation of the GEM data. The winners were:
1st Place: Matteo Calderan MSBA'22, Ahmed El-Ghazouani MSBA'22, Omercan Polat MSBA'23, and Matteo Stelluti MSBA'22
2nd Place: Nam Nguyen MSBA'22
3rd Place: Kristin Wendell MSBA'22
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Student Open Forum: (Im)possible mission: Starting a business in a monopoly’s territory.
This topic was presented roughly a week after the Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram outage that impacted individuals around the world. Valerija was able to play on that current event to engage the audience in a lively discussion about monopolies. She pulled YouTube excerpts from Frances Haugen’s testimony before a Senate subcommittee about Facebook’s handling of data to help bring the conversation to a deeper level. The conversation also explored what policies could be implemented to make social media a safer place while still allowing the public to enjoy the positive aspects of social media.
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Student Open Forum: Impact of Globalization, Government Policy, and Entrepreneurship on Indigenous Cultures.
Dure Nayab led this session by leveraging Carol Black’s documentary, Educating the World as an example of the differing perspectives of globalization and colonization. She helped us flip our perspective and consider the role of government policies and future entrepreneurial leaders' responsibility to protect the next generation.
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Spotlight Series Event: Government Support Programs for Innovative Ventures
An interactive simulation featuring Babson College Entrepreneurship Professor Phil Kim
Monday, April 12, 2021
Symposium: Capitalism and the Role of Government in a Time of Economic Relief
The Butler Institute's inaugural symposium on free enterprise organized and run by the 2020-2021 Butler Board of Student Scholars. Watch the recording: Capitalism and the Role of Government in a Time of Economic Relief
Friday, March 26, 2021
Distance Is Not Dead: Why A Few Cities Dominate the Global Startup Scene and What the Rest Should Do About It
Presentation by Peter Cohan, Babson College Lecturer. Watch the Recording: Distance Is Not Dead: Why A Few Cities Dominate the Global Startup Scene and What the Rest Should Do About It
Thursday, March 11, 2021
"The Pursuit" Film Screening
Followed by Live Panel Discussion. Watch the recording: "The Pursuit" Panel Discussion: Hosted by BIFETE
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Fireside Chat with Brad Feld
Co-founder of Techstars and Foundry Group. Read the article: Building Startup Communities with Brad Feld
Thursday, February 6, 2020