BOSTON, MA (May 15, 2019) – Polina Raygorodskaya, co-founder and CEO of Wanderu, the leading bus and train travel booking platform in North America and Europe, will be awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from Babson College. The conferment of the degree will take place on May 18, 2019 at 3:00 pm ET during the Centennial Commencement ceremonies held at the Babson campus in Wellesley, MA.
“We are pleased to celebrate Polina Raygorodskaya at our Centennial Commencement and to recognize her with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws,” said Babson President Kerry Healey. “Polina is one of the country’s most innovative young entrepreneurs, and her commitment to solving the world’s problems through innovation and sustainable business practices exemplifies Babson’s mission to educate entrepreneurial leaders who create economic and social value everywhere.”
Raygorodskaya, who grew up in Newton, MA, originally graduated from Babson College in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. Since then, she has remained actively associated with the school by participating in various events hosted on and off campus and serving as mentor to Babson’s growing community of budding entrepreneurs.
“It’s an incredible honor to receive such an immense recognition from my alma mater,” said Raygorodskaya. “Babson has provided me with an extraordinary network of professors and fellow entrepreneurs whose guidance and expertise have been extremely helpful in growing Wanderu. I’ve always been proud to be part of the Babson family and I’m really excited to see the changes and innovations that future classes of Babson entrepreneurs will introduce to the world.”
The honorary recognition comes on the heels of numerous milestones for Raygorodskaya and Wanderu over the past couple of years:
- In 2017, Wanderu officially reached profitability, becoming one of the few tech startups to accomplish the feat within less than five years of existence;
- In 2018, Raygorodskaya was named one of the 100 most innovative women in the world by Inc. Magazine, alongside global business mavens such as Shonda Rhimes, Reese Witherspoon and Whitney Wolfe Herd;
- Most recently, Wanderu expanded its roster of bus, train and ferry services to more than 100 million trips across North America and Europe, leading to Newsweek selecting it as one of the best travel apps to use in 2019.
Raygorodskaya joins seven other distinguished business leaders who will also receive honorary degrees at the Babson College Commencement ceremonies this year. Those include:
- Steve Case, former chairman and CEO of America Online;
- Gustavo Cisneros, chairman of Cisneros;
- Linda Pizzuti Henry, managing director of the Boston Globe and co-founder of HUBweek;
- James Herbert II, founder, chairman and CEO of First Republic Bank;
- Oswaldo Cisneros, owner and president of Central Azucarero Portuguesa;
- Fred S.C. Kiang, founder of Duty Free Co., Ltd.;
- Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation.
For more information on all honorary degree recipients, visit the Babson College website.
About Wanderu
Wanderu is the simplest way to book bus and train travel. Either online at Wanderu.com or through the free Wanderu app for iOS and Android, travelers can find, compare and book tickets for the most convenient and cost-effective itineraries across numerous bus and train lines in North America and Europe.
Wanderu’s partners include some of the largest ground travel companies in the world, including Amtrak, Greyhound, Megabus, Deutsche Bahn, VIA Rail Canada, National Express, FlixBus, and Trailways of New York, among many others.
In November 2016, Wanderu was named one of 15 top companies of 2016 by Inc. Magazine. Earlier in 2016, Wanderu’s co-founders Polina Raygorodskaya (CEO) and Igor Bratnikov (COO) were featured in Forbes’ annual 30 Under 30 list of outstanding entrepreneurs in the Consumer Tech category.
For more information, follow Wanderu on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Polina Raygorodskaya
Polina Raygorodskaya is the co-founder and CEO of Wanderu, the leading bus and train travel booking platform in North America and Europe. Prior to establishing Wanderu, Polina was the founder and president of Polina Fashion, a boutique fashion, travel and luxury PR firm based in New York City.
In 2015, Inc. Magazine included Polina in their annual 30 Under 30 roundup of the best young entrepreneurs and Fortune Magazine featured her in their list of 40 Under 40 Women to Watch. In 2016, Polina was featured in Forbes’ annual 30 Under 30 list in the Consumer Tech category. In October 2017, Polina was on the cover of Inc. Magazine as one of the most innovative women entrepreneurs in America.
Polina holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Babson College.
You can follow Polina on Twitter.
Contact
For any additional inquiries, please contact [email protected].
Visual Assets
For high-resolution photos of Polina Raygorodskaya and the Wanderu product, please visit our Press Images directory.
