Elizabeth Thornton

Elizabeth Thornton, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College, was recently appointed the college’s first chief diversity officer.

In her new role, Thornton serves as a member of the college president’s cabinet. Her responsibilities include leading college-wide efforts “to create and sustain an inclusive multicultural environment that attracts, educates, empowers and retains underrepresented students, faculty and staff,” according to a Babson College statement announcing the appointment.

Thornton has taught in the graduate and undergraduate programs at Babson, located in Wellesley, has served as faculty director of the Babson Business Edge summer program and led the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) initiative. She is also actively involved in the college’s Center for Women’s Leadership and its “Accelerating the Growth of Businesses Owned by Women of Color” partnership with the Center for Women’s Business Research.

“Elizabeth is an energetic, passionate and dedicated advocate for diversity and multiculturalism, and I look forward to her influence on students, faculty and staff,” said Babson President Brian Barefoot.

Thornton is founder and CEO of Entrepreneurship Advantage Inc., a training and consulting firm that helps dislocated or downsized workers regain economic self-sufficiency by creating their own small businesses. She has assisted more than 85 businesses in Massachusetts and hundreds nationwide, and has consulted with the Pioneer Institute, the Center for Women and Enterprise, Inner City Entrepreneurs, the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to name a few.

She has over 15 years of corporate experience with institutions such as American Express and Bank One and 15 years of entrepreneurial experience. Last year, Gov. Deval Patrick appointed Thornton to the Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board (MWIB).

Thornton holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgetown University, studied under the Oxford Center for Management Studies and holds a master’s degree in business administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business.