Fast Company and Inc. released their inaugural list of 鈥淚gnition Schools鈥濃�攊nstitutions that impact society through innovation and entrepreneurship. How is the Leeds School of Business igniting some of that impact?听
Fast Company and Inc. recently published their first list of Ignition Schools鈥攖he top 50 institutions that lead in entrepreneurship and innovation鈥攁nd CU Boulder made .听
The Leeds School of Business and Deming Center for Entrepreneurship听play an integral part in CU鈥檚 culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, thanks to the dynamic teaching and research that shapes trailblazing entrepreneurs long before they graduate.听听
Brad Werner, the Deming Center鈥檚听faculty director of the New Venture Launch听program and the JRN Faculty Scholar, who teaches undergraduates through PhD students, has seen Leeds grow tremendously since coming to the university seven years ago.听He teaches the fundamentals of starting a business and shows students how to understand and solve problems. Classes go beyond just memorizing facts; they teach students how to think.听
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really eye-opening for the students,鈥� Werner said. 鈥淭hey become empowered.鈥澨�
Whether students听launch businesses or not, they still can bring entrepreneurial problem-solving skills to the table at large companies. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just starting businesses, it鈥檚 creative problem-solving, which goes everywhere,鈥� Werner added.听
Erick Mueller, an adjunct professor and Deming鈥檚 executive director, says classes are unique because they use existing partnerships that give students revenue to pursue ideas. Faculty often leverage their own connections in the business arena to support students.听
鈥淲e connect students with world-leading experts and scientists,鈥� Mueller said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 all this breadth of opportunities for them.鈥澨�
Another differentiator: Faculty members guide their students and graduates to scale up after their business launches.听
鈥淲e meet them where they鈥檙e at and we help them move a step or two forward,鈥� Mueller added.听听
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just starting businesses, it鈥檚 creative problem-solving, which goes everywhere.鈥�
Brad Werner, Faculty Director of New Venture Launch听
Deming stands above听
Leeds was ranked the 14th best public undergraduate entrepreneurship program by in its 鈥�2024 Best Undergraduate Business Program 鈥痳ankings, thanks to award-winning professors and programs at the Deming Center.听
The center has won multiple awards from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers鈥攖he preeminent organization in entrepreneurship education worldwide鈥攊ncluding the Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines award and the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation award. In addition, the center won global acclaim in the 2020 Innovations That Inspire Challenge by the AACSB International and the 2019 MBA Roundtable Innovator Award for their programs.听
In addition, Deming hosted the Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research Conference (GEIRC), which drew attendees from around the globe to highlight top research papers in the field.听
From world-class to worldwide听听
The New Venture Launch (NVL) program, which is a class open to about 20 students each spring, has churned out 12 companies in the last two years鈥�10 of which are still going strong. Students in the program compete in the New Venture Challenge, a听competition that unites students and the greater Boulder community to formulate and fund ideas.鈥�
Deming鈥檚 podcast,听Creative Distillation, hosted by Werner and听Jeff York, the faculty director of the Deming Center and associate dean for strategic initiatives,听has helped put the program on the map, bringing together entrepreneurs and researchers from around the globe to review their research and share insights.听
鈥淲e鈥檙e not only doing work that鈥檚 important to Boulder鈥e鈥檙e doing work that鈥檚 world-class,鈥� Werner pointed听out.听
Colorado, one of the technology hubs for quantum computing, leads the world in terms of quantum organizations and jobs.鈥疐aculty and students engage with these startups, and several graduates are even leading them.听
Deming also brings in leaders in the entrepreneurial arena who have real-world experience to serve as instructors. David Brown, who co-founded the massive commercial accelerator Techstars in Boulder, is now a faculty member associated with the Deming Center.听
Currently, Werner is looking to create a Founder鈥檚 Program that will build a support system to help founders who raise money while they鈥檙e in their early stages. Intuitive Foundation will fund the program, which could morph into regional chapters that provide support to students long after they graduate from CU Boulder.听听
鈥淲e have this amazing area of talent that they鈥檙e looking to help,鈥� Werner said.听
In addition to sending students to South Africa and Israel to act as consultants to local entrepreneurs, the school runs a five-year program to help rural areas and native communities in Colorado grow ventures by presenting workshops. Leeds engages a local chamber of commerce or economic development organization that will empower entrepreneurs to improve the local economy.听听听
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just helping students, it鈥檚 helping Colorado,鈥� Mueller said.听
York has published several studies on environmental entrepreneurship, which is the intersection of creating eco-friendly and economically friendly startups that solve problems. The fusion of sustainability and business is a big focus in the Boulder region and has led to many companies launching in the area.听听
鈥淚t鈥檚 a place where people care deeply about environmental issues but also social issues,鈥� York said.听
This special interest鈥攁long with the university鈥檚 involvement in environmental ventures on and off campus鈥攊s unique to CU Boulder. York pointed out that many visitors to the university鈥檚 Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute also collaborate with Deming to bring innovations to life in the business world.听听
鈥淭he university鈥檚 willingness to collaborate throughout campus and throughout the community is a real driver of change,鈥� Werner said.听
Today鈥檚 innovators, future igniters听
Student success contributes to Deming鈥檚 notoriety in the entrepreneurial education arena.听
For example, Jamie Saunders (pictured right, center), a Leeds MBA graduate, took part in the鈥疦ew Venture Launch, where she drilled down her idea and created鈥�. The startup makes听tiny homes that become legal year-round residences in most jurisdictions, paving the way for more affordable homeownership.
, which was pioneered by Poolad Imany,鈥疜aden Sisk听and Christian Wagner, is developing quantum dot technology to further secure quantum communications and better protect new computers. It provides expanded data security that鈥檚 about 70 times more efficient than competitors, according to Werner.听
Sristy Agrawal, Cameron Ghia, Ty Silver and Madeline Maersk Moller founded鈥�痶o build next-generation quantum devices. The company makes chip-sized atomic clocks that enable high-bandwidth use, precision GPS navigation and better connectivity in smartphones, computers and other electronic devices.听听
鈥淥ne of the most valuable skills I gained through the course was the practical knowledge of entrepreneurship, which was transformative for me, coming from an academic background,鈥� said听Agrawal, the current CEO. She听completed her PhD in physics from CU and took the New Venture Launch class.听听
鈥淚 learned how to develop a business from the ground up. [The New Venture Launch] course gave me the tools to not only register my company but also build my first pitch deck, secure my initial grant and launch Mesa Quantum Systems,鈥� added听Agrawal, whose company has raised $4 million in venture capital and secured a $2 million government grant from the U.S. Space Force and the State of Colorado.听听
Aloukika Patro, a sophomore leaning toward majoring in finance and management,听along with pursuing the entrepreneurship certificate, is grateful for the resources and support she has gotten from Deming鈥攅specially in the .听听
鈥淭hey give us insights on the business basics and how to bring it to reality,鈥� said Patro, who is launching her own nonprofit organization to raise awareness about kindness and mental health among youth.听
鈥淥ne skill that I have taken away from these workshops is the importance of having a growth mindset, as starting a business or nonprofit can be challenging at times. I believe that having a growth mindset and persevering through challenges in the journey is what is going to lead us to success.鈥澨�
Find out more about the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship.听
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