A New Chapter for the Patricelli Center
The following letter was sent to the Patricelli Center community by Director Ahmed Badr on September 8th, 2025.
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Hi everyone,
I’m so honored and delighted to be writing with several major updates on the Center:
Beginning this Fall, we are becoming the Patricelli Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE)! This new name reflects the broad scope of innovation and venture-building at Wesleyan while continuing to honor our strong roots in social entrepreneurship, which remains a central pillar of our work.
We are moving into a newly renovated & expanded space on the second floor of Allbritton Hall, with two offices, a co-working space, and a boardroom.
Next week we will be welcoming Marisa MacClary ’94, P’28 as our new Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Visiting Professor of Public Policy. Marisa will mentor and advise students as they launch ventures and offer a new course in Spring 2025. Learn more about Marisa here.
This new chapter is made possible by a generous new gift from Bob Patricelli ’61, P’88, P’90, whose support founded the Center in 2011 and sustained its mission ever since. Bob’s support strengthens Wesleyan’s ability to ensure that students will continue to have the resources, mentorship, and global opportunities to build their leadership capacity and create new organizations, companies, and movements.
Looking ahead, the next chapter of the Patricelli Center will be marked by a continuation of our legacy of activating impact, matched with expanded programming, grant-making, and community-building. We are also in the process of developing a more formal academic offering through the Center, further integrating entrepreneurship into the Wesleyan experience.
We hope you’ll join us in celebrating this new chapter at our Rededication Ceremony and Reception during Homecoming Weekend:
Saturday, October 25, 2025
9:30–11:00 a.m.
Patricelli Center for Entrepreneurship, Allbritton 2nd Floor
Please RSVP here
Following a toast and formal ribbon-cutting, distinguished Wesleyan alumni Bob Patricelli '61, P'88 '90, Sasha Chanoff '94, founder and CEO of RefugePoint, and Phoebe Boyer '89, P'19, '23, President and CEO of Children's Aid Society and Chair of Wesleyan's Board of Trustees, will join moderator Patricelli Center Director Ahmed Badr '20 for a dynamic fireside chat. Together, they will share stories and insights from their journeys as entrepreneurial leaders tackling some of the most pressing challenges of our time, offering a powerful glimpse into the values and vision that define Wesleyan's distinctive legacy of entrepreneurship and global impact.
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We will be back in touch with a more extensive communication celebrating the story of the Center and our remarkable community of supporters - you make this work possible, and I am so looking forward to all that comes next.
Gratefully,
Ahmed M. Badr
Director, Patricelli Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE)
Assistant Professor of the Practice in Public Policy, Allbritton Center for the Study of Public life (CSPL)