Entrepreneurial thinking is at the heart of Chatham Hall. We don’t aim to be like every other school; we are unlike any other. Since 2019–2020, Chatham Hall has led the way with its Global Entrepreneurship Program, designed by Chaplain Beth Barksdale, Dean of the Chapel & Spiritual Life, and Director of Entrepreneurship. Drawing on her experience as a CEO of a national healthcare company, Barksdale teaches the second-year class, guides student entrepreneurs, and equips them with the initiative, confidence, and leadership skills to succeed.

The 2023–2024 academic year marked a pivotal moment for Chatham Hall, as the Board of Trustees launched a visionary collaboration with Babson College, now ranked the #2 best college in the US by The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, and LinkedIn. As an extension of that partnership, Babson’s renowned Entrepreneurship Program for Innovators and Changemakers (EPIC) was offered to each faculty member in the 2024-2025 academic year.

As we begin to launch portions of our Strategic Vision for 2050, it is clear that leadership, forward-thinking, and diligent action are at the heart of all that we are doing. The work with Babson only amplifies this work, ensuring that every student benefits from a faculty fully equipped to teach through an entrepreneurial lens.

As alumna Alison Carter-Cady ’91 insightfully shared, “This initiative is about empowering our educators to inspire our students.” That empowerment begins with the faculty. The Babson EPIC curriculum provides essential tools for teachers to embed entrepreneurial thinking into every subject, equipping students with the resilience, creativity, and problem-solving skills needed for the future.

Innovative thinking drives the direction of Chatham Hall for the 2025-2026 school year. Embracing our only all-girl Robotics Team, the Tutu Turtle, honoring and building our IEA riding program, supporting our students and faculty in our advanced classes, developing our collaborative and interdisciplinary January Term that will also incorporate internships in 2026, and awaiting the next exciting visitors for our Leader in Residence and Writer in Residence programs are just a few of the illuminating things happening on campus. We have launched our Health & Wellness curriculum in a more formal setting, utilizing our new state-of-the-art Wagoner-LaDuke Center for Athletics, Health and Wellness.

What makes this partnership so powerful is Babson’s philosophy of hands-on learning from the very beginning. At Babson, first-year students launch real businesses with loans of up to $3,000 through its Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship course. That same spirit of accountability, creativity, and resilience now permeates Chatham Hall classrooms. Students are not only learning concepts but also practicing how to turn ideas into meaningful action.

Our commitment is clear: by investing in our faculty through the nation’s leading entrepreneurship program, we are investing in our students’ future lives of impact. With our continued entrepreneurial thinking models, Chatham Hall remains a launchpad for innovative leaders, preparing young women to shape a brighter, more equitable world for generations to come.