What if talent isn’t enough to win? And what if entrepreneurial leadership is the key—by asking, how can we align individual strengths to create a team that truly performs together? In this episode, Babson College hockey coach Jamie Rice '90 fosters a culture of ownership that mirrors the entrepreneurial mindset. Hockey offers a unique lens on entrepreneurial leadership, showing that success comes not only from preparation and skill, but also from the ability to read shifting dynamics and empower individuals in real time. Rice's approach transforms both student-athletes and leaders, showing that great teams, like great ventures, are built on people who trust, learn, and grow together. Ultimately, Rice challenges the idea that leadership belongs only to star players or those with titles. Role players, bench leaders, and unsung contributors can have as much influence on outcomes as captains or CEOs. By recognizing and empowering these voices, entrepreneurial leaders- whether on the rink, in the classroom, or in the boardroom- can build winning teams that thrive under pressure, adapt to change, and achieve more than the sum of their parts.

SHOW NOTES

Jamie's Bio: https://babsonathletics.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/roster/coaches/jamie-rice-90/529

From Babson Magazine: ‘More than Hockey’: Jake Thibeault and the Power of Brotherly Bonds

From Babson Thought & Action: A Head Coach, a Backup Goalie, and the Inspiring Story of a Gift

What if the foster care system wasn’t broken beyond repair, but simply waiting for entrepreneurial leadership to reimagine it? In this episode, Sandra Bravo MBA’87, an associate professor of practice at Babson College, shares her bold 440K Project, designed to bring the number of children in foster care from 440,000 down to zero. Host Kara Baskin explores how Bravo’s approach breaks a massive challenge into actionable solutions, such as technology, adoption campaigns, and community partnerships. Together, they uncover how visionaries turn impossible problems into possibilities.

SHOW NOTES

Sandy’s Bio: https://www.babson.edu/about/our-leaders-and-scholars/faculty-and-academic-divisions/faculty-profiles/sandra-bravo.php

Babson Magazine Profile: “Fighting for Those Too Often Forgotten” by John Crawford, Babson Magazine, Summer 2023

Sandy’s TEDx Talks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9pGl1Lrd90

Sandy appears on “Exceptional Women” podcast: https://www.audacy.com/podcast/exceptional-women-1556e/episodes/sandy-bravo-on-exceptional-women-55602

440K Project- https://440kproject.org/

If you watched the Paris Olympics in 2024, it was hard to miss the coverage on sports and mental health. Specifically, the amazing comeback story of Simone Biles, who became the most decorated Olympic gymnast of all time after withdrawing from the Tokyo Games due to mental health issues in 2020.

The narrative around sports and mental health requires nuance, and the specific situations smatter greatly. For example, in the world of elite athletes, a study conducted by the International Olympic Committee in 2019 found that up to 35 percent have mental health concerns. The intense pressure to perform and achieve perfection can often be a contributing factor to depression or anxiety. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, a widely cited 2019 study by the NIH noted that sports often has a net positive outcome on mental health in adults.

And for kids, sports are generally accepted as something with positive outcomes on metal health, grades, physical health, and social emotional growth. However, as kids’ sports become more specialized and intense, sometimes mental health issues emerge even in these arenas.

In this episode, we’ll speak with three entrepreneurial leaders each at the intersection of sports and mental health, who are creating access to mental health resources and provoking conversations surrounding it.

First, an entrepreneurial leader in philanthropy who is helping organizations secure grants to do lifesaving work. A Babson alum and CEO of a nonprofit that has reached over 1 million kids with group mental health services through sports and a Babson alum and former basketball player whose nonprofit supports mental health services for college and elite athletes.

• Beth Brown, Managing Director of Mental Health and Well-Being at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
• David S. Cohen ‘95, CEO of Doc Wayne
• Teddy Sourlis ‘22, CEO and Founder of Men’s x Mental, Inc.

Sources:

Intro and Outro Segments:

1. Reardon CL, Hainline B, Aron CM, Baron D, Baum AL, Bindra A,

Budgett R, Campriani N, Castaldelli-Maia JM, Currie A,

Derevensky JL, Glick ID, Gorczynski P, Gouttebarge V, Grandner

MA, Han DH, McDuff D, Mountjoy M, Polat A, Purcell R, Putukian

M, Rice S, Sills A, Stull T, Swartz L, Zhu LJ, Engebretsen L.

Mental health in elite athletes: International Olympic Committee

consensus statement (2019). Br J Sports Med. 2019

Jun;53(11):667-699. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-100715. PMID:

31097450.

2. Eather N, Wade L, Pankowiak A, Eime R. The impact of

sports participation on mental health and social outcomes

in adults: a systematic review and the 'Mental Health through

Sport' conceptual model. Syst Rev. 2023 Jun 21;12(1):102. doi:

10.1186/s13643-023-02264-8. PMID: 37344901; PMCID:

PMC10286465.

3. (2024, August 13). Athlete Mental Health: What You Need

to Know. Mcleanhospital.org. Retrieved February 12, 2025,

from https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/athlete-mh

4. Brenner JS, LaBotz M, Sugimoto D, Stracciolini A.

The Psychosocial Implications of Sport Specialization in

Pediatric Athletes. J Athl Train. 2019 Oct;54(10):1021-1029.

doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-394-18. Epub 2019 Sep 18. PMID:

31532693; PMCID: PMC6805069.

5. https://988lifeline.org/

Beth’s Segment:

1. https://blankfoundation.org/

2. https://www.adcouncil.org/

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhfUBNsnpMw

4. https://loveyourmindtoday.org/

David’s Segment:

https://docwayne.org/

Teddy’s Segment:

https://mensxmental.org/

Credits:

Paul DeWolf, Executive Producer

Madeline Poirier, Writer, Producer, and Host

Billy Wirasnik, Audio Recording, Design, and Mix

Epidemic Sound, Music and SFX