WELLESLEY, Mass. – North Smithfield’s Kate Lapierre is one of six students from across the country to be named to the Arthur M. Blank School of Entrepreneurial Leadership Scholars, selected for high academic achievement and potential as entrepreneurial leaders.
Lapierre, a 2020 graduate from North Smithfield High School, has been awarded a four-year, full-tuition, merit-based scholarship to the school.
According to a release from the college, “The inaugural class of 2020 Blank School Scholars are six students who embody Arthur Blank’s leadership qualities and his personal foundational values that have been incorporated within the school: Put People First; Listen and Respond; Include Everyone; Innovate Continuously; Lead by Example; and Give Back to Others.”
Lapierre co-founded Twin Skin, an eco-friendly lip balm company aimed at to helping decrease plastic consumption. The company, started with her twin sister Kristianna Lapierre in 2019, was named a 2020 Inno on Fire by Rhode Island Inno, an organization that aims to bolster the local tech and startup community
“Selected for her outstanding academic achievements and potential as an entrepreneurial leader, Kate will learn to lead change, create scalable solutions to global problems and generate sustainable value across business and society,” the release noted.
The Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership was launched last November with a $50 million gift by Arthur M. Blank ’63, H’98 and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Other Blank Scholars named this week hail from New York, Texas, Georgia and California.
“The students have demonstrated an aptitude for entrepreneurialism and leadership, many having started their own business,” the release states.
Babson College was recently ranked as the No. 1 undergraduate school for entrepreneurship for 24th consecutive time by U.S. News & World Report.
The scholarship program is funded from the Blank Family Foundation.
