A Message From The Dean

Coming Full Circle: Our legacy and our future

Our October reunion weekend celebrated our legacy and our future. It was wonderful to welcome back members of the classes of 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, and 2002.

We were honored to recognize Founding Dean Anne Jardim. Anne joined us for the Reunion closing reception with more than 100 alumnae gathered. It was a wonderful evening with Anne reconnecting with former students and sharing stories of the founding of the School. Anne and Margaret were visionary social entrepreneurs whose legacy we continue to draw upon and shape as we build the SOM and lead our lives as leaders in our organizations and in our communities.

I was also delighted to honor Roslyn Solomon Jaffe '50UG, Co-founder of the Dress Barn, Inc, as our 2007 Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Ros is an alumna of our Prince Program in Retail Management. In the changing world of the 60's, when women were just beginning to enter the world of work and discounting was just beginning to enter the world of retail, Ros saw a "niche to be filled" -- providing fashionable apparel for working women at moderate prices. She and her husband, Elliot Jaffe began with a single store in Stamford, CT and built a highly successful public company operating on a global scale. Today, the Dress Barn has its own label and operates over 1400 stores in 46 states nationwide. It has 14,000 employees and realized annual sales of over $1.4 billion in 2007 - achieving a 10% increase in annual sales and its best year ever.

Linking our legacy with our future, Ros's story, as well as that of Lois Silverman, inspired our three contestants in the 2nd Silverman Business Plan Competition to imagine their future businesses. Winnowed from a field of 17 semi-finalists, our three finalists were: Jennifer Christian-Murtie '07; Beth Doherty Evers '07; and Kimberly Morse '04. All presented business plans for consulting businesses.

Jennifer Christian-Murtie '07, one of our current MBA Certificate in Entrepreneurship students, was the winner. Her company, Yadumu, will provide comprehensive environmental, economic, and sustainable development advice to hotels, lodges, and camps in the ecotourism industry in Africa. Yadumu aligns sustainability, social responsibility and profitability in its business strategy - concepts and practices that are deeply integrated into our MBA curriculum today.

A panel of four judges evaluated the business plans and presentations: Sheryl Marshall '76, Vice President Credit Suisse and venture capitalist; Indira Patel '83, President & CEO, New England Office Supply, Inc; Neal Yanofsky, President Panera Bread and adjunct professor at the SOM; and Carol Vallone, Founder WebCT. The judges were impressed by the creativity and timely nature of Jennifer's idea, tapping into a major new trend; her passion for ecotourism; the quality of the business plan; her knowledge of the African market; and her realistic vision and financial goals. Jennifer won $10,000 in cash plus in-kind prizes valued at over $10,000, including legal services, logo design, brand consulting and training programs.

The Business Plan Competition is funded through generous gifts from Lois Silverman and the Class of 2002. Over 70 alumnae and friends of the School were involved in supporting the 17 contestants to develop their business plans. This is one of the most rewarding ways in which the SOM and our alumnae network support fellow alumnae to realize their entrepreneurial dreams. To learn more about the Business Plan Competition, visit http://simmonscollege.01o.com/ajtk/servlet/JJ?H=315r80&R=571372378. Bringing together our legacy and our future, this is one of the most exciting and energizing events sponsored by the SOM.