Full Time MBA Programs

Learning the Science of Business, Safely 

"I wanted to understand the science behind business,” she says, “the methodology of commerce.” For Ashaa, the challenge was trying to create structure for abstract ideas, and help her think more critically about her approach to business. 

Ashaa specifically calls out a course taught by Professor Lidija Polutnik for its structured, economics-based approach to pricing, blending marketing insights, and allowing students to apply concepts directly to their own businesses. In that class, as in others, Ashaa appreciated the encouragement from faculty to “apply what we were learning to our own business ideas, or new ones we wanted to start.”

“It’s like an intense consultation for your business ideas,” she says.

Ashaa also highly valued Leading Business Turnarounds by Professor Bret Bero, a challenging and niche course focusing on making failing companies profitable or sellable. Bero’s deep expertise on reviving failing companies appealed to Ashaa, who wanted to engage in high-level strategy discussions, even about topics as complex and seemingly far in the future as business turnarounds.

Professor Bero, who also taught core strategy, fostered a healthy learning environment by constantly reassuring students to “fail as much as you want here because we can help you,” says Ashaa.

This sense of “psychological safety,” as she put it, really encouraged her to participate, take on challenges, and unlock deeper learning.

Building a Business with Beta-X

One of Babson MBA’s core differentiators, says Ashaa, was the Beta-X program, a unique model built into the first semester. Ashaa’s initial semester was divided into two, seven-week modules, during which students completed eight core classes. Simultaneously, the Beta-X project required her to build a product from scratch for a major company (like P&G or Shark Ninja). Ashaa notes that this process allowed her to instantly apply concepts from subjects like marketing, finance, strategy, and accounting.

She emphasizes that Beta-X provides a “skeletal way of doing it”—teaching students the structure required to build a business from start to finish, including how to identify and pick the best pain points.

"The moment you instantly apply this learning into a project, into a very practical format in parallel with your theoretical classes ... you remember it as an experience and not as a class,” says Ashaa.

Leadership Opportunities Beyond the Classroom

She also had the opportunity to grow her entrepreneurial leadership skills through campus involvement, serving as the President of the Graduate Student Council and a Research Assistant to the Provost and Vice President of Babson, Dr. Ariel Armony.

Perhaps her most impactful experience has been serving as a Co-Chair for the entirely student-run Global Entrepreneurial Leadership (GEL) Forum, a Babson flagship conference. She and her team approached the conference like a business. They reimagined the organizational structure, creating a system of coordinators/trainees with rotational roles, inspired by corporate training programs. This approach trains the next cohort on every aspect of the conference, ensuring continuous leadership growth.

A Unique Entrepreneurial Leader Mentality

Ashaa found that the Babson MBA experience provided not only the rigorous academic framework she craved but also powerful lessons in leadership and self-mastery that have fundamentally changed her perspective. A big takeaway? Practicing intentionality.

Ashaa recalls a meeting she had with a faculty member where she had a chance to share her story and her goals. The meeting was quick, but a few weeks later, the professor sought her out at an event on campus to share her feedback. “It wasn’t just something generic, but it was personal to me,” Ashaa says, noting that the advice the faculty member provided showed she had listened to her, put thought into their conversation, and then connected with intention.

On a separate instance, Ashaa says her mother came to visit campus and Dr. Armony, despite being busy, made time to meet with them and was "very intentional with his questions."

"[I learned] that's how you come into a meeting or any setting—with that kind of intentionality,” says Ashaa. “And I think it is pretty lacking in the world now, where you're constantly distracted."

A Foundation for Lifelong Success

This lesson had a profound impact on Ashaa. “My family keeps saying, you’ve changed; you’re so much calmer now!” she says with a laugh. She credits her ability to address complex situations with more composure and handle difficult conversations to her mentors and experience at Babson.

The training she received—mixing technical subjects and entrepreneurial skills—keeps her ready to tackle complex challenges, whether in business or life.

Ashaa’s post graduation plans? “Get back to business”—now armed with a systematic toolkit and a new perspective. 

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