Babson College‘s Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship has named a new director.
Debi Kleiman was previously the managing director and executive vice president at Havas Media. Her experience also includes serving as president of MITX (Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange), according to a press release from the school. She has mentored entrepreneurs at MassChallenge, Harvard’s iLab and TechStars Boston.
“Babson College is an incredible place and I feel so fortunate to join the team at the Blank Center,” Kleiman said.
“Working with students, alumni and faculty, as well as the broader entrepreneurial community, to create greater success and understanding of the practice of entrepreneurship is very gratifying, impactful work and a whole lot of fun.”
Since 1998, the Blank Center has been the hub of entrepreneurship at Babson, a school known for its entrepreneurship programs. Its centers and institutes include the John E. and Alice L. Butler Venture Accelerator, Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Babson College Entrepreneur Research Conference, the Institute for Family Entrepreneurship and the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership.
“All of us at the Blank Center are thrilled to have Debi Kleiman join us,” said Entrepreneurship Division Chair Andrew Corbett.
“Her background in starting and growing entrepreneurial organizations along with her vision for the next generation of what the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship can become makes her a great fit. She knows the local entrepreneurship scene, and is well connected in the Boston-area entrepreneurial ecosystem. Her experience in the Bay Area should also pay dividends for our students at our San Francisco campus.”