Winter Newsletter | November 16, 2021
This issue of the Cutler Center newsletter highlights some exciting activities in and around our finance lab this semester. We also give thanks to the Babson alumni who volunteered their time for our virtual programming and the new, in-person seminar series for students on the Essentials of Private Equity. Hear directly from students on how these programs and events are impacting their experiences at Babson. We also feature some opportunities for alumni to engage with the Cutler Center, highlight what our finance professors have been up to outside the classroom, and preview an upcoming event. 
State of the Art Finance Lab
Finance Lab 101
Taught by our Cutler Center student assistants, the Finance Lab 101 series provides students with the opportunity to learn more about our analytical tools and resources available in the finance lab. This semester, Calliope Cortright ’23 partnered with Cecilia Li ’23 for a session on Excel for Finance: Basic Functions. Says Cortright, "We focused on this topic because proficiency with Excel is so crucial and it is less overwhelming as a starting point for underclassmen than tools like Bloomberg and FactSet. We had a great time teaching the session because everyone was so engaged. Being a finance lab student assistant has allowed me to connect with like-minded students and faculty and help students take full advantage of Babson's resources." Two more sessions focused on FactSet and Bloomberg will be hosted by our student assistants this semester on 11/19 and 12/3.
Professor Stein's Classroom Set Up Check out how Assistant Professor Luke Stein sets up the Cutler Center finance lab as a hybrid classroom for his Financial Data Analysis & Practice course.
Masking Update
Please remember that masks are required in the finance lab at all times throughout the remainder of the fall semester for students, staff, and faculty.
Featured Fall Programming
Investing in Cryptocurrency
According to Forbes.com, large numbers of investors are becoming big believers in cryptocurrency, while the Federal Reserve is currently studying developing a digital currency. The Cutler Center welcomed a group of experts to dive into the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain to examine how it’s impacting investors and entrepreneurs. Special thank you to our guest speakers:
  • Arie Dahan, Angel Investor, Chain Reaction
  • Steven Gordon, Professor, Babson College
  • John Hargrave, MBA’04, CEO, Media Shower
  • Stephen Leahy MBA '01, Director, Business Development - Trading Markets, Circle
  • Lilya Tessler ’05, MS’06, Partner, Head of FinTech and Blockchain Group, Sidley Austin LLP
Finance Career Panel with the Centers for Career Development
Sponsored by the Undergraduate and Graduate Centers for Career Development and the Cutler Center, students tuned in virtually to hear from a panel of Babson alumni as they discussed what finance jobs entail on a day to day basis, the skills needed to succeed in their respective sectors, and how they broke into these competitive fields. Special thank you to our participants:
  • Manusha Chereddy '16, General Partner & Co-Founder, Free Solo Ventures
  • Melanie Jordan '16, Technology Investor, Summit Partners
  • Adam Marcellus MBA '20, Vice President, Senior Pooled Product Specialist at Loomis, Sayles & Company
  • Michael Rothstein '18, Equity Research Associate, Goldman Sachs
  • Eric Solem MBA '96, Managing Principal, President, Lee & Associates Boston 
Finance Industry Overview
This virtual program provided Babson students with an overview of the various career paths associated with a finance major. The event was aligned with the Undergraduate Finance Learning Paths and featured three breakout sessions to hear from alumni in each path. Special thank you to our participants:
  • Jennifer Appel, CFA ’15, Research Consultant, Asset Allocation, NEPC
  • Ed Ciancarelli, '00, CFA, Principal & Senior Portfolio Manager, The Colony Group
  • Paul Clancy ’83, Chief Financial Officer, Alexion Pharmaceuticals 
  • Eric Crawley MBA '09, Director, Investment Strategist, Bank of America
  • Vincent Dolce '12, Analyst, Stansberry Asset Management
  • Kyle Fitzpatrick ’11, Vice President, KPS Capital Partners 
  • Kevin Grimes ’97, President & Chief Investment Officer, Grimes & Company, Inc. 
  • Matt Ofilos ’01, Director of Finance, Worldwide Public Sector, Amazon
  • Annabelle Reid MBA ’86, Managing Partner, FoxMoor Capital
  • Amy Spector ’96, MBA’02, Chief Accounting Officer, HWN, Fiduciary Trust International
  • Robert Stockbridge '14, CFA, Associate, The Blackstone Group
Save the Date - April 6, 2022: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Asset Management
Join the Stephen D. Cutler Center for Investments and Finance and CFA Society Boston as we welcome a group of esteemed finance professionals to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion in asset management. This full-day conference will provide industry professionals with the opportunity to share best practices, learn from one another, and be better prepared to take action. Discussions will focus on topics including successful diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies across firms of varying sizes, how to avoid diversity pitfalls, talent acquisition, and retention strategies, and how an inclusive culture that leverages diverse views effectively impacts the investment returns.

Interested in getting your firm involved? Email Farrah Narkiewicz, Cutler Center Marketing & Events Manager.
Student Experience
Congratulations to our winners: Gabriel Papa ’23 (third), Alexander Bowers ’25 (second), Tyson Corner ’22 (first).
Babson Trading Competition
The 11th annual Babson Trading Competition, sponsored by Fidelity Investments, welcomed Babson undergraduate and graduate students to compete against one another using the Rotman Interactive Trader software, which simulates an order-driven market. First-year student Alexander Bowers ’25 participated in a pre-competition practice session and then went to research the software and practice on his own where he developed trading strategies to use during the competition. Says Bowers, "Attending the Babson Trading Competition was a phenomenal learning and networking opportunity. I registered for the competition to become more involved with the Cutler Center because it is an excellent resource for students interested in Finance. I enjoyed having the guest speakers from Fidelity Investments at the event because I learned about the specific roles and responsibilities of each speakers' position.”
Essentials of Value Investing Seminar
The Essentials of Value Investing is a two-semester seminar series taught by hedge fund manager Gary Mishuris, CFA who uses several readings to discuss the investing philosophies and processes of successful value investors. MSF student Ziaullah Anwar '23 applied for the course and is currently enrolled in the seminar program. Says Anwar, “I am learning that the current market is truly a "voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long run". I spend hours reading and writing for the seminar. It’s intellectually intense, experientially amazing and whenever I attend the seminar I find out that one of my classmates has an answer that’s more impressive than mine.”
Essentials of Private Equity Seminar
The Essentials of Private Equity is an eight-week-long seminar designed for undergraduate finance students who are interested in private equity careers. Led by several private equity practitioners, it provides an in-depth understanding of private equity. Gabriel Papa ’23, an undergraduate finance major has been taking the seminar this fall. Papa wanted to participate in the seminar to gain a more in-depth understanding of private equity and to learn what it takes to be successful in this space of alternative investments. Says Papa, “I was excited to learn from alumni professionals who implement the lessons they teach. The seminar has been an incredibly rewarding experience, educating me on the complex world of private equity while also connecting me with some of the best operators in the business.”
Want to Get Involved with Babson Students?
Alumni have countless ways to stay connected with our Babson students through speaking engagements in and out of the classroom and recruiting and hiring students. If you are interested in learning more about one or more of these opportunities, please fill out the Cutler Center Alumni Interest Form.
Featured Faculty & Alumni
Best Paper Award
Associate Professor Jerome Taillard and Assistant Professor Linghang Zeng teamed up to compose the paper, “Human Capital Reallocation Across Firms: Evidence from Idiosyncratic Shocks”, which was awarded the best paper award from the 2021 Dayton Summer Finance Workshop this summer.
CFA Institute Research Challenge
The team of Tavleen Arora ’21, Tyson Corner ’22, Vladimir (Manny) Cadavid Dubinin ’21, and Alexa Tutecky ’21 were required to analyze a publicly-traded company, write a comprehensive research report, and then present their research to a group of industry judges. When asked to describe her CFA experience, Tutecky says “I was thrilled to be a lead member of Professor Gregory’s CFA team. This experience provided me with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only learn how to develop a bulletproof stock pitch, but equally important, it afforded me the chance to hone my skills in delivering a compelling case, and confidently defend the logic of a trade. I will be forever grateful for the deep and lasting relationships I built with my team, and also for the mentoring and wisdom we all received from Professor Gregory. I have carried lessons learned with me as I have transitioned into my new role in London, UK.”
Q&A Session from Millennium
Former Babson College Fund member Ruchika Raju ‘20 ​ ​highlights her experience at Millennium as an Equities Research Analyst
Finance News & Notes
  • The Cutler Center has matched 82 pairs of students and mentors as part of the Cutler Center Mentor Program for the 2021-22 academic year!
  • Cutler Center advisory board member Jason Orlosky ‘04 has hit one million reads and counting on Seeking Alpha! 
  • The full conversation between FinTech Sandbox co-founder David Jegen and Flywire CEO Mike Massaro ’00 from Boston FinTech Week 2021 is available to view online. 
  • Congratulations to Professor Michael Goldstein whose paper “Arctic shipping guidance from the CMIP6 ensemble on operational and infrastructural timescales” has been published in Climatic Change. 
  • Associate Professor Jerome Taillard’s paper “Private Firms’ Incentives and Opportunities to Manage Earnings: Evidence from the use of Inflation Adjustments” is forthcoming in the Journal of Business Finance & Accounting. 
  • The SPEAR Investment Banking program was designed by Tyson Corner '22 in conjunction with the Undergraduate Center for Career Development and leveraging the resources of the Cutler Center. The program consists of thirteen sessions, each specifically designed to improve your chances of receiving an internship offer in investment banking for sophomore students. This semester, eight of the 11 sophomore participants have received internship offers with investment banks, a 72% success rate and there is still time for those who are currently interviewing.
  • Congratulations to the Babson Financial Literacy Project on reaching the milestone of 5,000 workshop participants! Since November 2018, The BFLP has run 130 workshops and helped thousands of young adults improve their financial knowledge.
  • This fall semester, 14 Babson students participated in Project Destined, a nationwide paid, virtual internship program in Real Estate for undergraduate students. As part of the program, interns have been working 4 to 6 hours per week including real estate training, a bi-weekly Executive Speaker Series, and competing with students from 40+ universities in a “Shark Tank” style live deal pitch competitions. 
Support the Cutler Center
Give Back to the Next Generation of Finance Leaders
Since March 9, 2000, the Cutler Center has prepared graduates for careers in finance and currently, one in four Babson students pursue a degree in finance. Now more than ever, your investment in the Cutler Center will support the College's vision to remain the preeminent leader in business education.