BOND
Babson College
Industry: Enterprise Software / HRTech
Founding Student Name(s): Chloe Lauren Samaha
Brief Description of Solution: BOND is a personal growth platform for product managers. It acts as a coaching assistant, guiding managers through leadership development. BOND simplifies workflows and provides structured insights for continuous improvement, making product managers more effective leaders and improving their team dynamics.
Funding Dollars: $150,000
What led you to launch this venture? It started with an obsession—wasted potential. Growing up, I often heard, “Poor Chloe, she’s wasting her potential” – and it stuck with me. That feeling deepened during my freshman internship in private equity, where I saw how even prestigious roles could feel hollow without meaningful work. I realized how much potential gets wasted when people don’t have the right tools to align their time with what truly matters.
BOND was born from that insight—to help managers unlock both their potential and their team’s by focusing on what truly drives impact.
What has been your biggest accomplishment so far with the venture? Learning how to fail well.
We’ve won over $150k in equity-free funding through grants and pitch competitions, but we’ve also lost out on over $3M in potential funding. The real accomplishment has been learning to embrace those losses—taking every “no” as a chance to get better. Each rejection has taught us how to refine our pitch, sharpen our product, and come back even stronger. It’s this resilience that has kept us moving forward, helping us build BOND step by step into something truly impactful.
How has your business-related major helped you further this startup venture? Business is really the science of people. At Babson, every class throws you into group projects with people from all over the world—different cultures, interests, and backgrounds—working on completely diverse projects. These experiences taught me so much about myself as a leader. I’ve learned how to motivate people, navigate different perspectives, and figure out who I collaborate best with. Every project pushed me to improve as a leader, skills that have been essential to building BOND and guiding our team to success.
Which business class has been most valuable in building your startup, and what was the biggest lesson you gained from it? The Opportunities in AI course with Professor Erik Noyes had the biggest impact. The class was filled with people obsessed with AI, creating a space that pushed me to experiment with new tools early on. One of the biggest breakthroughs was learning to automate processes—like BOND’s daily bonding prompts—which saved me over 10 hours of work per customer. This class taught me that AI is about freeing time to focus on what really matters.
What business professor made a significant contribution to your plans and why? Brad Johnson. Beyond the classroom, he’s been incredibly generous with his time, always willing to help. As the faculty advisor for the on-campus student founder’s house, eTower, he’s shared both his network and expertise, giving us access to invaluable resources and connections.
What founder or entrepreneur inspired you to start your own entrepreneurial journey? How did he or she prove motivational to you? My mom. She started her first venture at 17, and one of the biggest lessons she taught me was to always get back on the horse, no matter how hard you fall. Growing up, it was never just about dreaming—it was about doing. She made it clear that setbacks are part of the process, but the ones who succeed are the ones who refuse to quit, no matter how tough it gets. That mindset is what fuels me every day as I build BOND.
What is your long-term goal with your startup? My goal is for BOND to become everyone’s personal career coach—helping people align their work with what truly drives them. BOND will guide the next generation to build meaningful careers, not just jobs that pay the bills. Ultimately, it will act as a trusted companion—a smart system that helps users discover and pursue their ikigai, their “why”.
Most importantly, I want to show every young “Chloe” out there that they have what it takes to build the next world-changing company.
How has your local startup ecosystem contributed to your venture’s development and success? eTower—Babson’s student founder house—has been a cornerstone of my journey. I joined during my freshman year and lived there up until my final semester. Being surrounded by founders with the ambition to build world-changing companies – but with the humility to know they can’t do it alone – shaped how I approach BOND. Waking up every day in a community driven by passion and perseverance made the impossible feel achievable. That environment has been a huge part of why I’ve accomplished what I have and, more importantly, enjoyed every step of the journey.
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