Nike Foundation, LinkedIn Leaders To Speak at Babson Commencement

Two successful entrepreneurs will speak at the local institution which touts entrepreneurial success.

Maria Eitel, president and CEO of he Nike Foundation, and Reid Hoffman, executive chairman of LinkedIn and partner at venture capital firm Greylock Partners, will speak at ’s undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies May 19.

Eitel will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at the 10:00 a.m. undergraduate ceremony, and Hoffman will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws during the Master’s ceremony at 2:30 p.m.

More info on the two from Babson College:

Hoffman earned a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Oxford University, where he was a Marshall Scholar, and a Bachelor’s degree with distinction in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University. In 2010 he received an SD Forum Visionary Award and was named a Henry Crown Fellow by The Aspen Institute.  In 2011, Reid was named an Endeavor Entrepreneur of the Year.

Maria Eitel is the founding President and CEO of the Nike Foundation where she works to unleash the girl effect, the powerful social and economic change brought about when girls have opportunity.  Prior to the Foundation, Ms. Eitel served as NIKE, Inc.’s first Vice President of Corporate Responsibility. Before Nike, she served at the White House, the Microsoft Corporation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and MCI Communications Corporation.  Early in her career, she was a reporter and producer in commercial and public broadcasting. She holds degrees from McGill University (BS) and Georgetown University (MSFS), and Stanford University (SEP).