On the evening of Wednesday, April 7, while the majority of Babson students were taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather, a handful of select students, along with professors, other Babson community members, and Boston business professionals, headed to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in downtown Boston to attend the first World Stage Event. This event, sponsored by BNY Mellon, Genzyme, and the Honorable Craig Benson (former governor of New Hampshire), was held to honor the induction of Henri Termeer as a new member of the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs. Although Babson College has been inducting members into the Academy for over 30 years, this was the first time that the celebration has been open to an audience other than the Babson community.

The World Stage Event showcased the global importance of entrepreneurship. The evening opened with testimonials highlighting personal stories of entrepreneurship from several current Babson students including student body president, John Campbell (’11), a Business Week Top 25 Entrepreneurs under 25, Christopher Jacobs (’10), and US-Saudi Women’s Forum on Social Entrepreneurship project intern and Women’s Leadership scholar, Haya Alzaid (’12). The night featured speaker David Lamere, World Stage Co-chair, and President Schlesinger spoke on the global impact of Babson College and entrepreneurship.

After dinner, the audience grew silent as Harvard Professor Ananth Raman took the stage. Though emotional, Raman persevered as he told the story of learning that his infant daughter, Padmaja, suffered from a rare disease that causes her to have enlarged heart. He described how he and his wife never lost hope, believing in the innovation of science and technology in the treatment of disease. Through hours of online research, Raman came across Genzyme Corporation and CEO, Henri Termeer.

Genzyme Corporation is on the forefront of orphan drug development and is committed to creating a strong global organization based on the principles of entrepreneurship. When she was first diagnosed, Padmaja’s prognosis had been fatal; however, through the help of Genzyme, Padmaja is still alive today. This is just one of the many happy endings Genzyme and Henri Termeer have helped to write.

As President Schlesigner wrote, “Henri Termeer epitomizes what entrepreneurial leadership is all about … in addition to his obvious economic success, he has made a tremendous social impact by improving, and often saving, lives through his work at Genzyme and in the community. His passion, hard work, and commitment to action for the greater good exemplify the enormous power of entrepreneurial thought and action.”

Henri Termeer’s acceptance of his award and induction into the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs was a profound moment for the entire audience. His demeanor and humbleness was inspirational and his attitude promoted the idea that anything is possible. After President Schlesigner announced Henri Termeer’s induction, he continued to surprise Termeer with yet another honor. As of next year, one incoming Babson College freshman who exhibits a passion for entrepreneurship will be named the Henri Termeer Scholar which will include a four year full scholarship.

Overall, the inaugural World Stage Event was a success and will hopefully go on to become an annual event, continuing to raise awareness of the importance of global entrepreneurship.

To learn more about the World Stage Event or Henri Termeer and Genzyme Corporation, visit http://www.babson.edu/worldstage/ or http://www.genzyme.com/, respectively.