World’s Best B-School Professors: Candida Brush

Candida Brush

Babson College

Claim to Fame: Women Entrepreneurship

Education:

Boston University, DBA

Boston College, MBA

University of Colorado, BA

At Babson Since: 2005

Before Babson: Associate Professor of Strategy and Policy, Founder of the Council for Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership, and Research Director for the Entrepreneurial Management Institute at Boston University

Fun Fact: I’m an avid golfer and I try to use golf as a metaphor for business whenever possible. Things like focus, follow through, and flexibility are all skills that apply to the golf course, the classroom, and the office.

If I wasn’t teaching, my dream job would be: Playing golf!

Best part of the job: I love mentoring students and faculty, exploring new ideas, new possibilities and helping people and venture to develop—I come to work every day and look forward to the conversations, discussion and opportunities we’ll explore.

Worst part of the job: The commute to work. I live more than an hour away so I spend time doing books on tape—serious, historical, sports and even light trash help me to pass the time.

Women-led companies and entrepreneurial ventures are no longer something to look forward to thanks in part to the efforts of Babson professor Candida Brush. Professor Brush does not take the credit for leading women to the promise land, but she has played a leading role in getting them to where they are today. Brush conducted the first and largest study of women entrepreneurs during the early 1980s, resulting in one of the earliest books on the topic. From there, her research sparked women entrepreneurship studies and dissertations worldwide.

Choosing not to settle for mere studies of women entrepreneurs, Brush and four co-researchers founded the Diana Project a research consortium dedicated to women’s access to growth capital. At Babson, which is consistently ranked number one in entrepreneurship, she serves as chair of the entrepreneurship division and director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship.

Students Say:

“It is worth examining how year after year Babson is able to maintain its top ranking as well as being universally admired and recognized by the entrepreneurial community. Undoubtedly, Professor Brush is the cornerstone of this continued accomplishment. The respect she garners is unrivaled among students and professionals alike. Her enthusiasm for opportunity assessment and value creation has enabled her to empower entrepreneurs to take definitive actions toward realizing their entrepreneurial dreams in a thoughtful, rigorous, and objective manner.” — Josh Leffler – former student

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