Blank Center Team

Smaiyra Million

Executive Director
The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship

Smaiyra Million is an experienced CEO, investor, and advocate for advancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem. She spent thirty years as a successful operator of luxury hotels, spas, and health clubs. As CEO of Millennium Partners Sports Club Management (Sports Club/LA & Reebok Sports Clubs), Smaiyra was named to the Top 100 Women Led Businesses in Massachusetts in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2014, she was inducted into the YW Academy of Women Achievers. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, in numerous managerial roles. She served as part of the hotel company’s opening team, traveling both internationally and domestically. She also served on the team that supported the awarding of the Malcom Baldrige Quality Award, given by the Department of Commerce; the hotel company was the first service company to win this award in 1992.

After the successful sale of Millennium Partners to Equinox in 2014, Smaiyra served as an operating and investment partner at Highland Consumer Partners, focusing on the retail and consumer sectors. She joined the investment and academic communities with the goal of leveraging her network, as well as her marketing, operating, and team building expertise, to benefit up and coming entrepreneurs.

At Babson College, Smaiyra served as the inaugural director of both the Diana International Research Institute (DIRI) and the Butler Institute for Free Enterprise through Entrepreneurship (BIFETE) prior to being named executive director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship.

Smaiyra has served as a member of the board of directors for StriVectin, Paint Nite, Artists for Humanity, and The Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College, as well as on the five member Personnel Board for her hometown of Hingham, MA. She also advised the founders of HighCourt and Brio Systems. She currently serves on the board of Junior Achievement of Northern New England.

Alexandra Dunk

Associate Director, Entrepreneur Programs & Engagement
The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship

As Associate Director of Entrepreneur Programs & Engagement, Alexandra is responsible for leading a portfolio of innovative programs and events for student and alumni entrepreneurs, including Rocket Pitch, the B.E.T.A. Challenge, and Summer Venture Program. Before joining the Babson team in 2018, Alexandra spent five years as the marketing director for national and regional restaurant chains, as well as three years in operations. She brings a passion for entrepreneurial environments to her position, having also had the opportunity to work with a food startup in the Harvard Innovation Lab. She has her BA in Political Science and French from Tufts University.

Cindy Klein Marmer

Associate Director
The John E. and Alice L. Butler Launch Pad

In her current role as Associate Director of the John E. and Alice L. Butler Launch Pad, Cindy manages the mentoring of student entrepreneurs. Cindy joined Babson’s Graduate School Center for Career Development in 2004, most recently working as Associate Director with students interested in technology, life sciences, energy and entrepreneurial careers. Cindy is an MBA from Babson College’s two year MBA program where she went through the Entrepreneurship Intensity Track (EIT) and co-launched AdvantageNet, Inc., a business and career management consulting firm. Prior to Babson, Cindy held several positions of increasing responsibility in the financial services and communications industries. She earned her B.S. in Accounting at University of Delaware, an MBA with honors from Babson College and is a former CPA.

Cristina Urdaneta

Program Manager, Butler Programs Portfolio

As the Program Manager for the Butler Portfolio, Cristina manages logistics and operations for the John E. and Alice L. Butler Launch Pad and the Butler Institute for Free Entreprise through Entrepreneurship, supporting students and alumni entrepreneurs in their ventures.

Before joining the Blank Center team, Cristina worked for the WIN Growth Lab, an equity free business accelerator for female entrepreneurs housed under the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (CWEL) at Babson College. The WIN Growth Lab invests in the development of its participants, enabling them to test, disrupt, and innovate, and in turn ignite economic impact in their communities. Before joining Babson in the spring of 2018, Cristina was part of the opening team of the Pérez Art Museum Miami, a contemporary visual arts space located in the heart of the downtown.

Cristina earned a Bachelor in Business Administration in Marketing from Florida International University and an MBA from Babson College.

Tamara Lamenzo

副主任
Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference

Tamara is the assistant director of the Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference (BCERC). BCERC, founded by Babson College in 1981 and considered by many to be the premier entrepreneurship research conference in the world, brings together entrepreneurship academics from all over the world every year. Tamara joined Babson College in 2012 as a program coordinator at Babson Executive Education and then served as a program manager. She has many entrepreneurial skills, as she started Parent Talk, a nonprofit that has been going strong for 25+ years. She also spent some time in the liquor business as the part owner of a store and as the operator of a beverage catering service. She is the staff advisor for TED^xBabsonCollege, managed by Babson graduate students each year.

Sue Nealon

Program Manager, Entrepreneurship Programs and Fund Management

Sue provides administrative assistance and facilities management to the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship. In her role directly supporting the Executive Director of the Blank Center, she is responsible for providing logistical and budgetary support, and assists in the efficient implementation of the John E. and Alice L. Butler Launch Pad and other entrepreneurial programs and events.

Before joining the Babson team in fall of 2019, Sue worked as the Office Manager and Facilities Coordinator at Saint Theresa Parish in Sherborn. Prior to to that position, Sue was the manager of the furniture department at Macy’s Furniture Gallery. Sue graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a B.A. in Fashion Marketing.

Beth Peterson

Administrative Coordinator
Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference

Beth provides administrative support for the Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference (BCERC) and for theFrontiers of Entrepreneurship Research(带),从BCERC诉讼。在她吃晚饭porting the conference, she is responsible for providing logistical support and assists in the efficient implementation of the conference.

Before joining the Babson team in the spring of 2019, she worked in the Franklin Public Schools in special education, as a staffing manager for Robert Half, and in HR for Fidelity Investments. She earned her BS from the University of New Hampshire, Durham with a degree in Business Administration.