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Career Paths: Auggie Gehret Shares the Power of Networking

Srishti Sharma — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 18:38:08 +0000

Career Paths: Auggie Gehret Shares the Power of Networking Srishti Sharma Thu, 10/17/2024 - 12:38

In a challenging job market, Auggie Gehret connected with alumni and industry professionals to launch his career in commercial real estate.

For recent graduate Auggie Gehret (Fin, RelEst’24), networking was the key to landing his first full-time job as a real estate analyst at Ares Management Corporation, thanks to an internship and the support of Leeds alumnus Jeff Latier (MBA’08).

Little did Gehret know that volunteering at the Annual CU Real Estate Golf Tournament would kickstart his career. He was assisting with setting up chairs and signs when the program director introduced him to Latier.

Practice makes perfect

Despite having a new connection, Gehret wasn’t a pro at networking. “My first networking call with someone who wasn’t a recent grad was with Jeff, and yes, I was definitely nervous,” he said.

“I think a lot of students are afraid to ask questions that don’t seem smart.” He encourages students to ask detailed questions to learn as much as they can. Even questions that might seem unsophisticated “can help you navigate your job search and career placement.”

Latier echoed that sentiment. “It’s kind of like life—you’ve got to practice. The more reps you do, the better you get. It might start out clunky, but it gets better over time.”

As an active alum with the Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate and CU as a mentor and guest lecturer, Latier is always excited to meet with students interested in his career and expertise. “People genuinely want to help students and are willing to set time aside. It’s a unique opportunity to take advantage of.”

“People genuinely want to help students and are willing to set time aside. It’s a unique opportunity to take advantage of.”

Jeff Latier (MBA’08)

“The real estate center supported me in leveraging their network,” Gehret said. “Once I talked to Jeff, I was able to snowball that into conversations with other professionals.” His connections with other CU alumni helped him find an internship at Ares before his senior year.

Building a network

For Gehret, building a solid network came from getting involved at Leeds. He participated in the CU Real Estate Club, Real Estate Fellows Program and multiple case competitions, including the Undergraduate Real Estate Case Competition.

“The core curriculum helped to set me up,” said Gehret. He found Teaching Professor Curtis Sears’ Intro to Real Estate and Real Estate Senior Seminar to be instrumental. “He gave me a more holistic understanding of the commercial real estate industry.”

Beyond classes, events helped him build experience. “I think what really topped off my ability to get my ideal post-grad role were the external events held by the center.”

“The heart of the work we do at the Klump Center is providing students the opportunity to meet, interact and learn from industry practitioners,” said Julie Gibson, the Sherman R. Miller Executive Director of the Klump Center. “Jeff Latier is a great example of an alumnus who continually gives back to his alma mater by taking time to meet with students. For Auggie, taking advantage of the experiential learning the center offers paid off with landing a top job in the region,” she added.

Gehret found the Real Estate Case Competition to be a great way to stand out. “It was by far the most influential for my professional development. It gave me the chance to develop skills and knowledge that applied to nearly all real estate roles and let me network with industry professionals who served as judges.”

Latier emphasized the value of Leeds’ opportunities. “The ability to work on a real-life real estate project and get feedback from senior-level executives sets the real estate program apart.”

Refining career goals

Initially, Gehret didn’t intend to go into commercial real estate. He planned for a career in investment banking, but as he learned more about real estate, it sparked a passion. He didn’t have a clear picture, though, of what working in commercial real estate might look like.

After meeting Latier at the tournament and having a conversation on Zoom, Gehret connected with a dozen other professionals who worked at Ares, most of whom were CU alumni. Those conversations helped him gain a better understanding of his path.

“Jeff and other CU alumni really helped me understand commercial real estate outside of the classroom,” said Gehret. “From there, I was able to narrow what I wanted, and I really directed my job search and extracurriculars with that in mind.”

He was most interested in portfolio management, a specialized area within real estate that involves managing a firm’s investment holdings. “Trying to independently understand exactly what a position entails is challenging, but it helps in narrowing down the roles you’re interested in,” he explained.

“I really had to network with people who understood the position and what the day-to-day looks like,” Gehret said. As he approached the interview process, those conversations about the role and team functions prepared him to thoughtfully craft his answers to interview questions. “Networking with all of those people was pivotal to me getting hired,” he said.

Paying it forward

Latier reinforced leveraging the alumni network. “Alumni are extremely loyal. It’s a result of this wonderful cycle that starts with the real estate program and Leeds providing a high-quality student experience, and then students want to give back as they grow.”

Gehret is following Latier’s lead as a dedicated and involved alum. He communicates frequently with staff and faculty at the Klump Center and recently joined a roundtable of professionals to speak with students. “It was nice to be on the other side and give advice on how they can start their career,” he said.

Latier continues to be energized by the questions he gets from students. “I’m always happy to meet with students and come back to campus. It’s a great way to give back and stay connected.”

To learn about the wide range of career resources and networking opportunities at Leeds, visit the Career Development Office.

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Good Sports: How the Business of Sports Program Leads to Fulfilling Careers

Jane Majkiewicz — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 20:40:34 +0000

Good Sports: How the Business of Sports Program Leads to Fulfilling Careers Jane Majkiewicz Tue, 07/16/2024 - 14:40

Jane Majkiewicz

It happens for only seven weeks of the summer, but the results are often lifelong: A cohort of students comes to campus to complete the Business of Sports (BOS) Program, an experience that regularly leads to the jobs of their dreams.

Retired NFL player Nick Ferguson kicked off the 2024 program, instilling in the students that it only takes one person to change your life and getting them excited for the opportunities ahead. Students also heard from NFL quarterback Baker Mayfield’s agent, Jack Mills, a recipient of the Eugene E. Parker Memorial Award for a lifetime of achievement.

Another 2024 presenter was JJ Zykan, who graduated from CU in 2021 with a BA in strategic communications and a double minor in business analytics and sports media. She completed the BOS Program in 2020 and credits the experience for solidifying her desire to work in sports, leading to her career with the Colorado Avalanche NHL team as a social media strategist. Her success includes growing the Avalanche’s social media following by 300,000 and creating popular content such as the team mascot’s “Bernie’s Summer of Fun” series.

Students actively engaged with Zykan in the classroom. Cory London wondered about how she handles fans and the occasional toxic users across all platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. Kamran Ali asked about balancing personal and professional social media accounts, especially during game season. Sophia O’Dell inquired about collaboration with graphic designers. Sammie Amantas was curious about whether light-hearted content, rather than more serious posts, garnered better results.

Zykan shared practical advice on everything from following trends to work-life balance, to crafting dozens of posts in real-time on game day, prioritizing strategic content and striking the appropriate tone. “We are a sports team first and foremost. These players are professional athletes,” emphasized Zykan.

A comprehensive, real-world focus

Jessica Baumgarten has captained the BOS team since its inception in 2010, growing the program extensively and morphing it into what it is today. She has served as the program director since 2013 and is also an assistant director of the career development office at Leeds. She focuses on building a strong community, which she calls the “BOS family.”

Recognizing CU's prime location in a sports hub, BOS originated with an advisory board that worked with industry leaders to shape a practical, real-world curriculum. Baumgarten has evolved the program in keeping with the industry. She pointed to e-sports as an example of a topic covered during the peak of its popularity. Current topics include a comprehensive overview of sports analytics, facility management, finance, law, marketing, sponsorship, ticket sales and social media marketing. This year’s cohort visited Empower Field, learning about various roles and operations within sports organizations.

“Students get everything,” said Baumgarten.

“The relationship building with the students and helping them achieve their professional dreams is my favorite part of the job. We stay connected for years.”

Jessica Baumgarten, Program Director of Business of Sports and Assistant Director of the Leeds Office of Career Development [/box]

“I teach students how to navigate within the complex sports industry. Then, we can strengthen applications and resumes, focus on networking and build their acumen to prepare them for seeking applicable jobs, interviewing, and then, hopefully, landing those jobs,” said Baumgarten.

Students often discover new career paths through BOS. “I frequently have found that students will come in with an idea of what they want to do in sports, and then their eyes will be opened into avenues they didn’t even know existed. It can really shake things up for them in a positive way,” she said.

“The relationship building with the students and helping them achieve their professional dreams is my favorite part of the job. We stay connected for years,” she added.

More than 100 students applied for the current program’s 50 slots, noted Charlotte Cousins, a Leeds finance major and BOS alumna who is serving as a teaching assistant for the 2024 program. The participant mix varies each year; it typically includes 25 juniors, 20 seniors and five recent graduates, including non-CU students.

BOS students must fulfill a three-credit Maymester prerequisite course taught by Micah McGee, a teaching assistant professor of Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics at Leeds. He prepares students with debate and research skills they can carry into their consulting projects and presentations. McGee also serves as one of the research advisors for BOS.

Students attend the program from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in June and July, with the day split between classroom learning and their consulting projects. Baumgarten has students choose from among 10 projects without at first knowing which team is involved. That way they detach from a fan mentality and focus on the scope of the project. A current project example involves identifying new partnership categories for an MLB team. Baumgarten explained, “Typically all sports teams have car, liquor, beer, insurance and bank partners. For this project, students are exploring what new categories the team can develop partnerships with, identifying companies and brands within those sectors that would be a good marriage for the team.”

A network for life

BOS alumni have found careers across the sports industry, from communications roles with the Los Angeles Chargers to business intelligence with the Nashville Predators and marketing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Alumni maintain strong connections with the program, voluntarily returning to conduct interviews with applicants and to support current students.

“I work really hard to make this feel like a family,” said Baumgarten. That dedication underscores the program’s impact. She fondly recalls one alumna remarking, “I never thought three letters would mean so much to me."

What 2024 BOS Students Say

Cory London, Fin’24

“Of course, like the other 49 incredible students within the BOS Program, I am a massive sports fan, although it was a passion that I didn't realize I had until later in life. I had no idea or guidance on how to get there. This is where BOS, and, most importantly, Jessica Baumgarten, have given me the incredible steppingstones to reach my goals. The BOS Program has been nothing short of a life-changing experience. You would have to make an actual effort to not network and connect with people, and you would have to go out of your way to not succeed. ... With professional sports, the outcome is never certain, and it can take you to your highest highs and lowest lows. But when it does take you to those highest moments, it is a special and indescribable feeling that cannot be replicated by anything else. If I can somehow be a part of any aspect of that and help bring that feeling to the fans, it would genuinely be a dream come true.”

Sammie Armatas, Bus’25

“My experience within the Business of Sports Program has been nothing short of miraculous. My current career aspirations are within sports broadcasting and marketing. When I saw the poster promoting the program freshman year, I reached out to Jess with interest in applying and she supported every aspect of my application process! I have learned so much and (bonus) doubled my network. Every single person involved is extremely motivated, and it has fueled my sports career ambitions.”

Sophie O’Dell, Mktg’25

“Last year, I created CU Women in Sports, a student organization dedicated to providing young women opportunities to network with industry professionals and learn more about different career paths within sports to increase female representation. I also am a marketing intern for CU Athletics. I knew this program would provide me many opportunities to network with professional sports organizations and individuals. I am fortunate to work on a project dedicated to finding partnerships and in-stadium marketing activations for a major sports team. I have enjoyed my project so far and am considering working in partnership marketing after I graduate in the spring. My end goal is to be a chief marketing officer of a sports team in the NFL, which is where my love for sports lies the most.”

Kamran Ali, Econ’25

“My experience in this program has been amazing, and it has made me more interested in pursuing a career in sports. I decided to apply because sports have always been a big part of my life and culture since I was a kid, and I've always dreamed of working in the industry. I have a passion for photography and would love to incorporate that into the sports industry. However, my ultimate dream is to hold a front office role in an NBA franchise.”

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Class of 2024 Graduates Jumpstart Their Journeys

Anonymous — Wed, 08 May 2024 19:22:28 +0000

Class of 2024 Graduates Jumpstart Their Journeys Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/08/2024 - 13:22

From chasing childhood dreams to traveling their own academic paths, Leeds 2024 graduates are ready to take on the world.

Reaping the rewards of hard work

Joe Constancia (Entrep, Strat’24) remembers his first time at the Koelbel Building, emptying recycling bins. Working with Facilities Management was “the greatest job I’ve ever had” because it was a break from previous jobs as a plumber and as a farmer. Working at Leeds set him up for professional opportunities and inspired him to enroll as a full-time student.

“I didn’t have a degree, and there were certain jobs I wanted that required one,” Constancia said. “My wife and I talked about it and decided it was time to rip the bandage off and knock it out.”

And knock it out he did. His student team won the New Venture Challenge’s Cross-Campus Collaboration. And he took full advantage of Leeds’ global programs, taking an internship in France and another with the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at CU Boulder.

“My time at Leeds is the culmination of years of hard work and self-discovery. I’m looking forward to new opportunities ahead,” he said. “As I leave, I am taking with me a sense of purpose that I’ve never had.”

"This experience has taught me that small actions can lead to big results."

Joe Constancia (Entrep, Strat’24)

Constancia is in the process of applying for jobs in business development and strategy. Over the summer, he will continue working at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research as a student assistant—a role he’s held for over two years.

“I consider myself to have met so many amazing people. My classmates, the professors and the staff have all had a profound influence on me,” Constancia shared. “They are relationships I will cherish for the rest of my life, and I will always look back on this time with joy and gratitude. This experience has taught me that small actions can lead to big results.”

Exploring a dream

Lily Combs (Mktg’24) dreamed of a career in the fashion industry.

Then, while studying business at Leeds, she got an opportunity she couldn’t refuse: a new connection of hers asked her to work at New York’s Fashion Week. “I got to see all the different components that go into a show, and it was so rewarding to [learn more about] what I’d like as a career,” she said.

After that, she knew she was on the right track. She secured an internship as an assistant to a casting director. The experience validated the path she’d been chasing since she was a little girl, sketching different looks and learning to sew.

Now that she’s graduating, Combs said that it’s “happened way too quickly. My favorite part of attending Leeds is the community. Every single person in the building, from peers to professors to advisors wants to see students succeed and flourish.”

“I’m excited for the next chapter of my life but will always be so grateful for my time in Boulder.” She continued, “I have grown so much as a person in my four years.”

And the dream continues. She’s heading back to New York to work at Live Nation Entertainment on the brand management team.

Developing a new product idea

Luke Hatton (MBA’24) works for The North Face in Denver as a strategic accounts merchandiser. Hatton decided to get an MBA to take his career to the next level but also found himself traveling down a new path during the program.

In his entrepreneurship and capstone classes, he learned a structured approach for evaluating the potential of business ideas. And through the iterative pitching process, he developed his own: “a nutrition beverage targeted to the unique needs of high school athletes.”

"My biggest takeaway will certainly be the relationships I have built."

Luke Hatton (MBA’24)

“Through the capstone project I was able to develop a complete business plan around that seed of an idea,” he explained. “My goal coming out of my capstone was to get the idea to a place where I could decide on whether or not to try and launch the product. After graduation, my goal is to replace the time I was devoting to school to continue trying to bring my business idea to life.”

Looking back, “my biggest takeaway will certainly be the relationships I have built, not only with my cohort, but also with the professors and mentors I have been fortunate enough to meet through the program. Many of my favorite memories are from eating dinner together as a cohort before class.”

“I am looking forward to continuing to play an active part in the Leeds community after graduation,” he promised.

From chasing childhood dreams to traveling their own academic paths, Leeds 2024 graduates are ready to take on the world.

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2024 Teaching and Staff Award Recipients

Anonymous — Mon, 06 May 2024 16:15:45 +0000

2024 Teaching and Staff Award Recipients Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/06/2024 - 10:15

Leeds faculty do more than just teach—they encourage, mentor and advocate for their students. And staff show up every day to help students achieve their goals throughout their Leeds’ experience. Each year faculty and staff are recognized for their contributions to the Leeds community. Here are this year’s award recipients.

Frascona Teaching Excellence Award

Assistant Professor Henry Laurion, teaches financial accounting in the MBA program and received the Frascona Teaching Excellence Award this year for inspiring students and creating a lasting impact in their lives. The award has been conferred to faculty at Leeds since 1992 to acknowledge professors who go above and beyond in educating the next generation of leaders.

“I appreciate my excellent MBA students for nominating me and helping me win the award through their active engagement in my class,” says Laurion. “In class, we enjoy applying financial accounting rules to real-world financial statements of public companies. Financial Accounting is the only course I teach, so I am able to stay free from distractions and provide more focused attention to my students.”

Laurion graduated from Leeds with both a B.S. and M.S. in Business Administration with a focus in accounting. After graduating, he worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Denver from 2008 to 2013, after which he obtained a PhD in accounting from UC Berkeley. He studies public companies' financial statements and disclosures and has been teaching in the Leeds MBA program since 2018. His real-world experience is something he brings into the classroom and to mentoring students.

“I offer office hours and one-on-one meetings to help individual students who want more help or want to analyze a company’s financial statements beyond the standard course material,” explains Laurion. “It helps that my students are engaged and actively participating in lectures and class discussions.”

Innovative Teaching Award

Jeremiah Contreras, a teaching assistant professor in accounting, received the 2024 David B. Balkin, Rosalind, and Chester Barnow Endowed Innovative Teaching Award.

“Our Leeds community is filled with incredibly talented faculty who are continually pushing the boundaries of the classroom experience. To be selected for this award is humbling and inspires me to continue finding new ways of having a positive impact in the classroom,” he says.

Contreras is committed to preparing students for working with cutting-edge technology. By exploring AI in his own courses, Contreras believes Leeds students will have the necessary skills “to thrive in an AI-assisted world.”

“My focus is on addressing the rise of generative AI and its impact on education,” he explains. “Leeds has the opportunity to be at the forefront of innovative teaching, setting an example for higher education as a whole.”

“I’m actively involved with others at Leeds to develop best practices of integrating AI in a responsible way. One goal is offering seminars and workshops so faculty can determine how they might integrate these powerful tools while maintaining academic integrity and encouraging critical thinking.”

Contreras joined the Leeds accounting faculty in 2017 and is an active CPA. His background is in auditing with KPMG and consulting for business management and systems. He now teaches accounting courses across undergraduate and graduate programs and thinks about how to set students up for success as they go into their careers.

“The business landscape is changing, and this requires that we fundamentally rethink how we prepare students for the careers of tomorrow,” Contreras says. “I envision Leeds as a leader in this transformation, providing our students with the skills and critical thinking that will be required to thrive in an AI-assisted world. My goal is to ensure our students leave Leeds not just competitive, but well-positioned as thought leaders in their fields.”

Meghan Van Portfliet

This year’s Balkin award finalists included Joshua Nunziato of SRS for his March Debate Madness tournament that exposes students to dichotomous business ethics dilemmas. The event teaches ethical principles, clarity of communication, professionalism, argumentation, and the ability to support a view one may not hold. Emily Edwards (of Marketing) and Shaun Davies (of Finance), for their EMBA cross-disciplinary Innovation Project, which has become the de facto first-year capstone of the EMBA assignment. In the class, EMBA student teams work with real clients to enhance existing processes or provide new business opportunities.

Leeds Values Award

Among a group of new awards for outstanding faculty and staff, the Leeds Values Award recognizes a member of the faculty and a member of the staff for being champions of Leeds’ values.

Shireen Miller

Meghan Van Portfliet is a teaching assistant professor in Social Responsibility and Sustainability. Her research centers on the topics of whistleblowing and organization ignorance, and she has spoken about her work globally. This year she is the recipient of the 2024 Leeds Values Award for Faculty.

Shireen Miller is the program assistant for the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program. She is responsible for supporting the faculty director and helping the program grow to offer more opportunities and events for business students to gain ethical decision-making skills that will serve them in their careers and lives. This year she is the recipient of the 2024 Leeds Values Award for Staff.

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Navigating the Challenge of Athletics and Academics

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 20:53:05 +0000

Navigating the Challenge of Athletics and Academics Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/21/2024 - 14:53

Mia Armbruster (Mktg’24) , Student Writer

To excel as both a business student and CU athlete is a tall order, but student-athletes say it’s worth the challenge.

Camden Dempsey (Fin, Mktg’25) is a long-snapper on the CU Football team, but he also juggles being a Boettcher Scholar, Leeds Scholar and a Leeds Honors student.

The student-athlete life is not for the faint of heart. Practicing for multiple hours each day, while still attending their regular classes, student-athletes’ skills are put to the test throughout the whole year, including the summer. So, how do they do it? It is no easy task, but it is definitely one worth working for.

The student-athlete journey begins with recruitment, and no one knows the process for Leeds students better than Don Oest, teaching associate professor for Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics who recruits athletes to Leeds. Sharing insights about the life of a student-athlete, Oest explains the rigor of managing both: “It’s 100% student and 100% athlete, so it’s two completely different jobs and you have to really be able to manage your time appropriately.”

It is a difficult balance. But they do it because they love it.

Chasing a passion

Choosing to be a student-athlete comes with both benefits and challenges, says Ashley Stokes (Fin‘24), an attacker on the CU Lacrosse team.

Ashley Stokes (Fin‘24), an attacker on the CU Lacrosse team, shares that she loves the competitiveness of her sport, “I didn’t want to stop [playing], I knew starting in high school that I wanted to play in college. It was my dream, so I wanted to work towards that.”

For many of these athletes, playing a sport in college began as a childhood dream, and their perseverance and competitiveness kept them committed to the sport. Facing challenges every day becomes an act of endurance. They continue to push forward because they know they can do it because it is something they truly care about.

Camden Dempsey (Fin, Mktg’25) is a long-snapper on the CU Football team, but he also juggles being a Boettcher Scholar, Leeds Scholar and a Leeds Honors student. When he received a preferred walk-on offer to the team, Camden knew this was the path he wanted to take. He admits that this lifestyle “really helps you figure out what your priorities are and how to get your schedule straight,” but more than that, he “[gets] to be a part of something bigger than [himself] while [he’s] working on [his] coursework as well.”

Not only are they able to chase their passion, but the experiences and connections they make along the way are unique and often, cannot be found elsewhere.

“You could have an awful workout, but at the end of the day, you have to show up for your team and after that, you have to show up for class.”

Camden Dempsey (Fin, Mktg’25)

Taylor Simpson (Fin‘25, PFP) has been captain of her volleyball team since her sophomore year and now plays as the center. She notes, “The best part of it is the relationships I make out of it. You spend so much time with the people on your team…they really become your family.”

Many athletes are far from home, and might not have the in-person support of their families that they need to stay motivated, so they create their own support system with their teammates and coaches. Spending hours each day together and traveling hundreds of miles across the country, an unbreakable bond is created. This bond is what helps keep them going. Their genuine excitement for each other’s success helps them all grow as a whole, making the team stronger and more successful as a whole.

It takes a team

Being a student-athlete would be much more difficult, if not impossible, without the amount of support received: from their teammates, coaches, families, professors and Leeds staff. Everyone wants to see them succeed.

Campus resources, including the Herbst Academic Center, offer support to student-athletes like Tristan da Silva (Fin‘24), a guard on the CU Basketball team.

Tristan da Silva (Fin‘24), a guard on the CU Basketball team who came all the way from Munich, Germany, points out that he receives support from the Herbst Academic Center, which provides mentors, tutors and academic advisors. The program allows him to feel comfortable, in that “whenever I need help or I am stuck in a course, there are always people I can reach out to and ask for help.”

While it is no easy task to make time for both academics and athletics, completing mandatory advisor check-ins throughout freshman year sets the tone for success, and allows students to create a connection with their support system early on.

While Herbst plays a major part in this support, the coaches and teammates do as well, offering words of encouragement throughout the season. Many athletes say they have sayings on their team that help them keep going: “Give 100% of what you have that day. You don’t always need to be at 100%, but if you’re at 80% give that full 80%,” says Simpson.

“It’s 100% student and 100% athlete, so it’s two completely different jobs, and you have to really be able to manage your time appropriately.”

Don Oest, Teaching Associate Professor for Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics who recruits athletes to Leeds

“You could have an awful workout, but at the end of the day you have to show up for your team, and more than that you have to show up to classes after that,” says Dempsey.

Another big source of support is the fans. Da Silva notes, “I’m out there in the public representing the university and I have gotten a lot of love from the community and student section. Walking around campus, people telling you ‘great game last night,’ it’s a pride thing where you can be happy with the work you put in and see it pay off.”

These support systems don’t just help athletes to succeed, but they also teach and shape them into who they are today.

Choosing to be a student-athlete comes with both benefits and challenges, but most will agree, “It’s awesome. I love to do it every day. I wouldn’t change it for the world,” says Stokes.

To excel as both a business student and CU athlete is a tall order, but student-athletes say it’s worth the challenge.

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Leeds’ MBA Ranks No. 12 of Top MBA Public Programs for Career Growth

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 16:29:04 +0000

Leeds’ MBA Ranks No. 12 of Top MBA Public Programs for Career Growth Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/16/2023 - 09:29

LinkedIn’s inaugural ranking recognizes Leeds as one of the best MBA programs for alumni career success.

Return on investment, otherwise known as ROI: it’s one of the top reasons students pursue a Master of Business Administration. For most, that means new career opportunities resulting in professional connections, promotions and higher wages—results that MBA graduates have come to expect from Leeds, one of the nation’s best programs for setting up their alumni for career success. Others are taking notice too.

On November 14, social media platform LinkedIn released their inaugural list of the top 50 business schools to grow students’ careers and ranked CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business the 36th best MBA among all AACSB-accredited, full-time programs in the United States, and the 12th best public program in the country. To compile the ranking, LinkedIn used aggregated public member data from active LinkedIn profiles and alumni profiles associated with the programs to evaluate hiring and demand; ability to advance; network strength; leadership potential; and gender diversity.

“We are very proud of our alumni and the professional success that they continue to experience after graduating from Leeds,” said Kristi Ryujin, associate dean of graduate programs at the Leeds School. “Our faculty and staff work incredibly hard to support our students and help them succeed during the program so that they continue to thrive after walking across the commencement stage.”

For Amy Link (MBA’16), the decision to attend graduate school at Leeds was influenced by the school’s close relationships with the Boulder business community. After graduating from the program, she started as a product manager with Zayo Group, a privately-held company specializing in communications infrastructure, rising to the level of vice president after multiple promotions over the years.

“I wouldn’t have been considered by Zayo without my MBA,” Link said. “Leeds was an introduction to a new network of close friends and professionals.”

Over the last several years, Leeds’ MBA program has grown significantly by adding new MBA formats, including the Hybrid and Executive MBA programs, and has also diversified the student body including the percentage of women across cohorts.

In April 2023, the full-time Leeds MBA was ranked No. 60 overall by U.S. News and World Report. Among public schools, it has steadily improved, going from No. 39 in 2022 to No. 36 last year, and to No. 32 in the most recent rankings. It remains the best full-time MBA in Colorado.

“It’s an honor that our MBA program continues to be recognized,” Ryujin said. “Leeds continues to invest in student success and it shows.”

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Leeds Welcomes Prominent Faculty Members from Top Business Schools

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 22:09:58 +0000

Leeds Welcomes Prominent Faculty Members from Top Business Schools Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/02/2023 - 16:09

Seven new professors bring degrees and experience from Kelley, McGill, INSEAD, Ross, Columbia and others to Boulder. 

It’s no secret that the best business schools attract and retain the best faculty. The Leeds School of Business continues to strengthen its position as a leader in business education going into the 2023-24 academic year.

And this year, in addition to incoming esteemed faculty, students will benefit from the vision of Vijay Khatri, the new dean of Leeds.

“The Leeds School of Business is known worldwide as a vibrant learning organization for creating impactful research and developing transformational leaders,” Khatri said. “That remains evident from our continued investment in recruiting the best faculty from the best business schools around the world.”

While each new faculty member brings individual strengths, experiences and research interests to Leeds, there’s a golden thread that runs through this cohort: an emphasis on the sustainable evolution of business using technological advancements. Their collective research centers on machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, and technology as it relates to organizational structures.

Meet this year’s faculty cohort.

Accounting

Laura C. Griffin, Assistant Professor

Griffin comes to Leeds from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. Assistant Professor Griffin has been published in the Journal of Accounting and Economics and featured on the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governanc. Her professional experience includes roles with Deloitte and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

Nikki Skinner, Assistant Professor

Skinner holds a PhD in Accounting from the Leeds School. She is the co-author of the study “Facilitating tacit collusion through voluntary disclosure: Evidence from common ownership” that was awarded the 2023 Kahle Family Award for Outstanding Leeds School Publication. Skinner returns to Leeds after serving as an assistant professor of accounting at the University of Georgia's J.M. Tull School of Accounting.

Finance

Simona Abis, Assistant Professor

Simona Abis is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Leeds School of Business. Before joining the University of Colorado Boulder, she was an Assistant Professor of Finance at Columbia University. Simona received her PhD in Finance from INSEAD, Singapore/Fontainebleau. Prior to her PhD, she worked as a quantitative researcher for a systematic hedge fund.

Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics

Vijay Khatri, Professor

Khatri is the Tandean Rustandy Endowed Dean of the Leeds School of Business with a PhD from the University of Arizona. He holds the first named endowed deanship at CU Boulder. Khatri is a Professor of Information Analytics and a strong leadership record of accomplishment in student success, furthering research and scholarship, advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives, and in community engagement. Previously, he served as the executive associate dean for strategy, innovation and technology at Indiana University Bloomington’s Kelley School of Business.

Jason Thatcher, Professor

Joining Leeds in January, Thatcher will be the Tandean Rustandy Endowed Esteemed Chair for the Leeds School of Business. He holds a PhD in Business Administration from Florida State University and his recent work looks at social media and the selection of new employees and executives as well as IT strategy.

Marketing

Gwen Ahn, Assistant Professor

Gwen Ahn holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on how to use individual-level longitudinal choice data to increase usage and engagement in experiential categories. Currently, she studies consumer choices in live events (e.g., performing arts and sports events) and charitable giving, using Bayesian methods, choice models, and machine learning.

Strategy, Entrepreneurship & Operations

Sentao Miao, Assistant Professor

Miao holds a PhD in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan and joins Leeds from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His research interests are mainly in developing efficient learning and optimization algorithms with various applications in Operations Management.

Other incoming members of the faculty joined the Finance department and include Deanne Stodden, instructor; Amy Brimah, lecturer; Will Robb, lecturer; and Richard Engel, lecturer.

Seven new professors bring degrees and experience from leading universities.

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Alumnus Gives $5 Million to Entice the Very Best to Leeds, Continuing School’s Upward Trajectory

Anonymous — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 18:59:00 +0000

Alumnus Gives $5 Million to Entice the Very Best to Leeds, Continuing School’s Upward Trajectory Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/31/2023 - 11:59

Tandean Rustandy’s generosity ensures the business school’s new leadership will make an immediate impact. 

Tandean Rustandy, center, helps cut the ribbon on the Rustandy Building during the fall 2021 opening of the newest building on CU Boulder's campus. Rustandy's latest gift establishes the Tandean Rustandy Endowed Deanship, the first on the campus, which will support the new dean in elevating Leeds’ reputation as a world-class business school. With Rustandy are, from left, Keith Molenaar, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, now leading the search committee for Leeds' next dean; Chancellor Philip DiStefano; university President Todd Saliman and Sharon Matusik, then-dean of Leeds. Below is Yonca Ertimur, acting dean of Leeds; at bottom, Rustandy and DiStefano speak during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

A donor’s support can make all the difference when it comes to helping a professor create impact. Just ask Yonca Ertimur.

Before taking on the role of acting dean of the Leeds School of Business, Ertimur benefited from the generosity of Tandean Rustandy (Fin’87), who established the Tandean Rustandy Esteemed Professor position that has enabled her to become one of the most prolific researchers at the school.

“Tandean’s generosity has been so important in giving me the freedom to pursue my research interests, raise the Leeds profile by holding editorial roles at multiple journals, and have the time and flexibility needed to be an effective mentor to junior faculty,” she said. “It’s helped me find more meaning and fulfillment in my work, by allowing me to share my passion for research with others.”

Now, Rustandy’s generosity is again poised to engender excellence while further positioning Leeds as an internationally recognized business school.

CU Boulder’s first named deanship

Today, Rustandy announced a $5 million gift to create the Tandean Rustandy Endowed Deanship at Leeds—the first named deanship at CU Boulder.

In addition to helping recruit an exceptional leader through the prestige of a named position, the Rustandy Endowed Deanship provides additional resources for the next dean to create and execute a vision that continues the school’s impressive growth trajectory. That dean will have complete discretion over the use of these funds, in alignment with one of Rustandy’s personal mottos, “Simplicity is best.”

“I believe CU and the Leeds School have the potential to compete against the most elite business schools in the world,” Rustandy said. “As an alumnus, it is a great honor to support and work with the university on such an extensive scale. I am excited to see the impact this commitment has on the search for the next leader, and I am eager to see what it means for the school's future.”

“I owe much of my success to my experiences as a student, and it’s important to me to do what I can to set the stage for tomorrow’s leaders.”

Tandean Rustandy (Fin’87)

Keith Molenaar, dean and K. Stanton Lewis Professor of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU Boulder, who is chairing the search committee for Leeds’ next dean, said the timing of the gift announcement will be invaluable in recruiting the talented finalists vying to come to Boulder.

“Under its past leadership, Leeds has transformed itself from being a regional powerhouse to a nationally recognized business school—one responsible for making important research breakthroughs, securing great student outcomes and creating tangible impact in the business community,” Molenaar said. “This gift will fully equip the next dean as they continue making Leeds a global destination for people addressing the complex challenges of tomorrow.”

Giving back as a central focus

Vision and Rustandy have gone hand in hand since he first arrived in Boulder as an undergraduate. Born in Indonesia, Rustandy has always considered himself privileged to attend a great university as a first-generation student, and he has made supporting the ambitions of others a central focus of his life—through giving to his alma mater and as the founder and CEO of PT Arwana Citramulia Tbk, one of the world’s most successful ceramic-tile manufacturing companies.

Rustandy’s largest gift to CU Boulder is the one that created the campus’ newest academic building. The Rustandy Building physically connects two disciplines—engineering and business—that are increasingly overlapping in the real world as well as academia, and has ushered in important collaborations between students and faculty preparing for an interdisciplinary future.

“It brings me great pride to invest in Leeds’ future as a way to inspire future generations,” Rustandy said. “A motto that has always guided me is ‘to live is to serve.’ I owe much of my success to my experiences as a student, and it’s important to me to do what I can to set the stage for tomorrow’s leaders.

“I hope future classes of Leeds students have the same life-changing experiences I did in Boulder, and will continue the legacy of paying their successes forward to bring new opportunities to the generations of students who follow.”

Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano noted the importance of the Leeds School and its dean in maintaining CU Boulder’s tradition of excellence in education and research.

“This gift will play such a significant role in the continued success of Leeds and CU Boulder,” DiStefano said. “I’m grateful to Tandean for his ongoing support of Leeds and our university, and I look forward to seeing how our next dean, supported by this gift, will transform the future of global business.”

Why Leeds Undergraduate programs Graduate programs

Tandean Rustandy has supported the first named deanship at CU Boulder. It's a shot in the arm as Leeds searches for its next leader.

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From Patient Care to Healthcare: How Data-Driven Students Can Help Heal Both

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 22:37:47 +0000

From Patient Care to Healthcare: How Data-Driven Students Can Help Heal Both Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/28/2022 - 15:37

Leeds School of Business and the University of Colorado College of Nursing roll out a new Healthcare track within the MS Business Analytics degree.

Nurses, facing challenges to providing high-quality care to their patients, will now be able to improve outcomes by using data to inform pivotal decisions. The Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Colorado College of Nursing on the Anschutz Medical Campus have come together to offer a Master’s Degree in Business Analytics (MSBA), with a specialized track in healthcare.

For Kristi Ryujin, associate dean of Graduate Programs at Leeds, the partnership provides an exciting opportunity for both Leeds and College of Nursing students to enter a burgeoning field and make a difference. “Data helps inform decisions that save lives,” she says, speaking to students’ passion for patients.

The new MSBA Healthcare track prepares both nurses and non-healthcare students for careers in healthcare analytics, where they will turn big data into actionable insights that can improve outcomes for more patients.

Using data for good

“Healthcare analytics is really starting to explode. We need people who can look at big data across healthcare, manipulate it, and use it to make systematic changes that improve population health,” says Sharon Giarrizzo-Wilson, PhD, RN-BC, CNOR; specialty director of the healthcare informatics program and assistant professor at the College of Nursing; and a practicing nurse herself.

She adds that with the MSBA Healthcare track, students can rise to leadership roles, improve the quality of care for many more patients, build better infrastructures, and influence government decision-making through advocacy and working on related contracts and grants. She points out that people with these abilities are hard to find and thus, in high demand.

“It’s a complex specialty,” acknowledges Kelly Stamp, PhD, NP-C, RN, CHFN, FAHA, FAAN; associate dean of academic programs and associate professor at the College of Nursing. But it allows students to lead positive change and help more patients than they ever could before, she says.

“With this new track in the MSBA, graduates will become pioneers in healthcare analytics.”

Sharon Giarrizzo-Wilson, director, Anschutz College of Nursing

Swapping skills

The degree was designed so that business and nursing students could essentially take each other’s classes. Business students interested in the healthcare field can learn about healthcare technology and the environment by taking two of the College of Nursing courses; while nurses can learn business analytics through Leeds’ 10-month master’s program.

“With data analysts from both nursing and business, it’s going to introduce a whole other level of collaborators that will help us see the vision of what is needed in healthcare. Together, they can solve great problems,” says Giarrizzo-Wilson.

Courses are taught by top faculty from both schools. The “online+” format, built with high-quality video content and remote synchronous lab time, allows students to engage with faculty and peers, cover technical skills, and learn from each other while receiving immediate faculty feedback and support. For nurses, the remote format means they can continue caring for patients, while also applying their new insights on the job.

This isn’t the first time Leeds and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have partnered on education. In 2019, the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Leeds rolled out the MD/MBA degree for physicians. By teaching medical students business foundations, they’re empowered to positively impact patient care and health care delivery—a shared goal with the new MSBA in healthcare.

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Deming Wins Top Award from Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 16:24:08 +0000

Deming Wins Top Award from Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/18/2021 - 09:24

Deming shined among the top entrepreneurship programs in the world for its trailblazing initiative for CU’s student-athletes, Buffs With a Brand.

The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at Leeds School of Business celebrated an impressive win at the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) conference last month, when it clinched the Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines award from among the top entrepreneurship centers in the world.

Erick Mueller, the Deming Center’s executive director, was “humbled and honored” to be recognized for their work in advancing entrepreneurship education to students across the University of Colorado Boulder’s campus—particularly through the novel Buffs With a Brand (BWAB) program, featured in Sports Illustrated.

“We’re thrilled to contribute our part in making CU the best place in the world to study and experience entrepreneurship.”

Erick Mueller, Executive Director, Deming Center for Entrepreneurship

From CU Buffs to Business Buffs

“We were the first in the country to introduce a program like this, launched last year in anticipation of the pending NIL [Name, Image and Likeness] legislation,” explained Mueller, who helped build the BWAB program in partnership with CU Athletics and the Scripps Leadership and Career Development Program.

BWAB prepares student-athletes to take advantage of the new legislation that allows them to monetize their brand. Through workshops, videos, meetings and mentoring, BWAB gives athletes from across CU’s varsity sports the business know-how to create a venture or brand around issues that are meaningful to them. “Most importantly,” said Mueller, “it instills the entrepreneurial way of thinking, that will help them on whatever path they choose.”

And the winner is

This year’s win marks an award-winning streak for the center with the GCEC, the preeminent organization in entrepreneurship education worldwide. Two years ago, the Deming Center was lauded with the GCEC’s Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation award, namely for its signature High Growth Venture (HGV) Fellowship program. The center has also been a two-time finalist for the GCEC award celebrating top entrepreneurship centers, the Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Education award.

Incidentally, the CU Boulder Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM), the first entrepreneurship center in the world dedicated to the arts, won the Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship award last year from the GCEC. The ECM partners with the Deming Center to deliver the Certificate in Music Entrepreneurship.

Additional accolades for the Deming Center have been piling up in recent years. The unique Demystifying Entrepreneurship: Rural Colorado Workshop Series won global acclaim in the 2020 Innovations That Inspire Challenge by the AACSB International. The workshops transport Leeds business faculty throughout rural Colorado to teach aspiring entrepreneurs.

In 2019, the Deming Center’s HGV program joined the top tier of innovative educational programs worldwide with the MBA Roundtable Innovator Award.

The year before, Mueller was honored with CU Boulder’s Global Citizen Award for leading groups of students to impoverished cities abroad to learn about entrepreneurship from local business owners.

All ideas welcome

Although the BWAB program dominated the spotlight for the recent GCEC award, the center’s cross-campus offerings extend well beyond it. Any CU Boulder student, staff or faculty member with the entrepreneurial spirit is invited to the center’s inspiring programs:

The Demystifying Entrepreneurship workshop series in collaboration with the College of Engineering and Applied Science dives deep into ideation, prototyping, marketing and finance, with experts on hand to help.

The center is heavily involved in the annual New Venture Challenge, CU Boulder’s flagship entrepreneurial “flight simulator,” giving aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to build a startup through support and mentorship.

The Now What? series lets student entrepreneurs from all disciplines sit down one-on-one with a legal or business expert who provides valuable advice about launching their startup.

Startups & Sandwiches brings seasoned entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and tech leaders together with students to share sandwiches, network, and participate in a presentation, challenge or discussion.

Mueller shared a final thought as he reflected on the past few years: “CU’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is so dynamic and thriving. We’re thrilled to contribute our part in making CU the best place in the world to study and experience entrepreneurship. And it feels like we’re just getting started!”

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