new venture launch

Empowering Innovators: The Path to Entrepreneurial Success at CU Boulder through the NVL Program

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Empowering Innovators: The Path to Entrepreneurial Success at CU Boulder through the NVL Program Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/15/2024 - 00:00

Emily Iliff

Embarking on an entrepreneurial journey is a thrilling experience that goes beyond merely establishing a business. The entrepreneurial journey involves a blend of creativity, problem-solving and strategic thinking. At the heart of this entrepreneurial pursuit are several key elements that aspiring entrepreneurs at the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder are encouraged to embrace. The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship’s New Venture Leadership (NVL) program is specifically designed for entrepreneurially-focused students who are driven to succeed in a startup ecosystem!

Led by Brad Werner, the Faculty Director at the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, the NVL program is designed to equip participants with the essential skills to transform existing products, services and opportunities into tangible and operational ventures. Drawing from the knowledge of external experts and speakers immersed in the world of entrepreneurship, many of whom have firsthand experience as founders or direct involvement with entrepreneurs and investors, NVL provides a comprehensive learning experience.

Meet the Teams

Cnidarion

Cnidarion, founded by Bhargav Shadilya along with his team members Tyler Hollenbach, and Henry Coote, is an innovative startup focused on developing advanced artificial intelligence agents designed to optimize and automate software development processes for companies across industries. This model not only ensures easy access to their Al solutions but also allows for scalability as client requirements grow.

NoteWriter

NoteWriter uses Artificial Intelligence to write clinical notes for healthcare providers automatically. Boston Gubler, along with Ryan Brodsky, stresses the importance of saving time and money, preventing burnout and allowing them to focus on what should matter most to their patients.

Mindsurf

Mindsurf is an app that has been built by Lissette Reynoso, along with team members Marisha Parikh and Valentin Gutierrez to bring mental health aid instantly to the palm of your hand. With accessible pricing and a friendly and respectful approach.

Affix

Affix is an affordable housing solutions company. Jamie Saunders, Dan Collins, and Benjamin Asser’s first product is a proprietary trailer & foundation design that allows tiny homes to become legal year-round residences in most jurisdictions. Without their product, the only places where tiny homes are legal for year-round residence are within recreational vehicle parks or mobile home parks.

Icarus Quantum

Icarus Quantum, started by Poolad Imany, Kaden Sisk, and Christian Wagner, is developing quantum dot technology to expand the range of secure quantum communications.

Inertial

Inertial solves the problem of adventure sports recording inadequacies by utilizing inertial sensor fusion techniques. Issac Wilcove uses his unique experience and skill sets to develop a hardware product that uses heavy software data processing, along with Kyle Paris and Tim Okita. Their initial target market is adventure sports super-enthusiasts in the Colorado Eldora, Golden and Boulder areas.

OsmoPure

OsmoPure, started by Kian Lopez and Tony Straub, is a membrane technology company that utilizes a novel method for membrane separation that involves pressure-driven distillation. This method of distillation offers a factor of ten improvement in inefficiency compared to standard thermally driven distillation processes. This process is more chemically robust and more selective than standard pressure-driven membrane separations such as reverse osmosis.

By tapping into the insights and expertise of seasoned professionals, these participants gain the proficiency needed to navigate various business functions with limited resources. The curriculum covers crucial aspects of entrepreneurship, including comprehension of business legalities, fundraising strategies, establishing an online presence, effective selling techniques, fostering innovation, crafting impactful marketing strategies and proficiently managing both cash flow and operations. Students also receive the chance to compete in the University of Colorado Boulder’s New Venture Challenge (NVC), where student businesses pitch for $50,000 in funding.

Empowering Future Entrepreneurs: Insights from Gabe Fenton, President of the Intuitive Foundation

NVL class is made possible thanks to the generous support from the Intuitive Foundation. President of Intuitive Foundation, Gabe Fenton, shares his insight on what he hopes students will accomplish through this class. Engaging in the process of learning what it takes to initiate a business and cultivating an idea that is adaptable to criticism and setbacks is crucial for being an entrepreneur. The ability to stand before an audience and present your pitch is vital to this journey. Additionally, the recognition that building a company is a collaborative effort involving a team underscores the reality that business success is not a solo endeavor.

“I think the learning process of what it takes to start a business includes having an idea that must adapt and move and get criticized and be shot down. It is really important. To stand up in front of people to do your pitch is very important. And it takes a team to build a company. It's not something that you do on your own.”

Traditional

White

Trailblazing Excellence: The Award-Winning Innovation of the New Venture Launch Class

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Trailblazing Excellence: The Award-Winning Innovation of the New Venture Launch Class Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/07/2023 - 00:00

Emily Iliff

When you undertake the entrepreneurial journey in New Venture Launch (NVL), it is more than just a class. Thanks to the University of Colorado Boulder Deming Center for Entrepreneurship Faculty Director Brad Werner and the Intuitive Foundation, students accepted into the class receive hands-on learning, expert advice and financial support that launches a viable business. In NVL, students learn to translate products and services into functioning ventures, gaining skills in various business aspects, including legal literacy, fundraising, web presence, sales, marketing, cash management and operations. While fostering collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship with cross-disciplinary teams aiming to launch ventures, New Venture Launch also offers students the opportunity to pitch their ventures for up to $25,000 in non-equity funding and prepares students for the New Venture Challenge, with two of the 2023 New Venture Challenge finalists having completed NVL. Thanks to the class’s success and innovation, Brad Werner received the 2023 MBA Teaching Excellence Award for Elective Course.

Charting New Horizons

If you are an ambitious student with a passion for startups and an eagerness to embark on your entrepreneurial journey, the New Venture Launch class is for you! The course provides the tools to thrive in the dynamic realm of business. Whether your concept is a mere spark of inspiration or a fully-fledged venture with clientele and funding, the NVL class is a masterclass to transform abstract ideas into tangible, operational enterprises. Throughout this journey, participants foster an environment of collective success. This class offers funding for legal counsel, branding and website design, as well as guest speakers and world-class mentors to the teams. Brad Werner says:

"We're trying to create diversity and balance skill sets. We want this to be the most desired class on campus. It combines your personal strengths, excellence in other people and their strengths, and that's amazing."

The New Venture Challenge at CU Boulder is a fantastic opportunity for students passionate about forging tangible impacts in the real world through innovative startups, organizations and ventures. In 2022, the New Venture Challenge was awarded Top 20 Largest Collegiate Entrepreneurship Competitions, and over one thousand total CU Boulder startups have participated to date. The New Venture Challenge is a stage where aspiring problem-solvers and visionaries can nurture impactful ventures amidst a whirlwind of entrepreneurial events. The challenge is community backing, offers invaluable mentorship and, most exhilaratingly, the prospect of winning the coveted funding prize. Finalists in this challenge include LingDisco, placing third in the challenge, Evan Baltman took his $15,000 prize to launch his innovative and creative startup that makes learning new languages thrilling and riveting. The New Venture Launch Challenge has provided finalists like Evan with the opportunity to bring their aspirations to life and ambitiously reach for the stars.

The Impact of the Intuitive Foundation on Entrepreneurial Education

The success of the class and its venture are only possible thanks to the support of the Intuitive Foundation. The Intuitive Foundation has allowed Brad Werner and Betsy Klein the chance to collaborate intimately, weaving together the threads of this opportunity tailor-made for students. The foundation collaborates with leading college entrepreneurship courses and innovation fellowships to equip the next generation with the skills to address real-world challenges and successfully establish tech startups. Their commitment extends to offering comprehensive training in entrepreneurship and mentorship to guide young individuals. Through these partnerships, students are actively developing pioneering, sustainable solutions that make a meaningful positive change in the lives of others and excel in their professional careers. With this generous funding, NVL has provided invaluable resources and guidance to its students. In the words of Brad Werner:

“We are continuously thinking about how to raise more money to provide even more support for our students. The class allows students to manage high-performing teams, it teaches them to create a values framework and create a values-based decision-making process. You can articulate problems and solutions here very clearly by going through these programs, and it allows for personal growth. All of these are valuable whether you’re trying to start a company, or even if you’re just trying to survive this world.”

Interested in supporting this class and its students? Contact Betsy Klein at Betsy.Klein@colorado.edu to learn more.

Traditional

White

Unleash Your Inner Entrepreneur and Win Big! Apply for New Venture Launch

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Unleash Your Inner Entrepreneur and Win Big! Apply for New Venture Launch Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/21/2023 - 00:00

Stefani Harrison

Everyone’s entrepreneurial journey starts somewhere. Whether you saw a problem and innovated a solution you transformed into a business or you improved upon an already existing idea or business, everyone can be entrepreneurial! Here at the Leeds School of Business, we know that the best businesses come through hands-on experiences. That’s why there’s MBAX 6180 New Venture Launch (NVL).

Led by the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship’s Faculty Director Brad Werner, NVL teaches you how to translate existing products, services and opportunities into real, functioning ventures! Learn from outside experts and speakers who have personal experience as founders or work directly with entrepreneurs and/or investors. With their help and expertise, you will develop the skills to undertake typical business functions with minimal resources and develop the know-how in business legalese, money raising, web presence, selling, innovation, marketing, cash management and operations management.

Christina Spruiell of Adapted Skin Care had this to say about taking NVL:

“New Venture Launch was the most valuable experience in my MBA program at CU [Boulder]. It provided a completely new perspective on my future, career and approach to business. The lessons and skills gained have been life changing!”

NVL has been in high demand since its launch in Spring 2019. In addition to the skills and expert advice, the class continues to draw crowds as it enhances collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship among aspiring business owners with powerful ideas and unique expertise. This MBA level course is open to all CU Boulder students regardless of college or degree level and provides students the opportunity to win up to $25,000 in non-equity funding throughout the semester. NVL students also have the best chance to win up to $500,000 in the New Venture Challenge as two of the 2023 finalists took NVL.

Interested?

NVL is an application-based course. Do you have an idea or are interested in supporting a startup with your skills? Apply now!

“The best ventures come from teams with students from multiple disciplines. Don’t have a team? Apply anyway! NVL is looking for entrepreneurial-minded students ready to test their skills and make an impact. If you have an idea, dedication, and grit, we’ll get you on the right team.” said Professor Werner.

Applicants can apply as part of a team or individually. If you already have a team, every member must apply separately, and be sure to include the names of your team members on your application. Applications for individuals and teams are due by October 16, 2023.

Still not sure if NVL is for you? Check out what Founder and CEO of LingDisco and New Venture Challenge finalist Evan Baltman has to say about the course:

"Getting into New Venture Launch was the perfect experience for me because it took my ambition to become an entrepreneur and passion for my idea and gave it the resources and guidance to get to the next level. Pitching my venture went from a disorganized jumble of ideas to a coherent story that I took with me all the way to the New Venture Challenge finals. I often scratch my head about how much longer it would have taken me to reach where I am now without Brad and Betsy's excellent course."

APPLY NOW

Have Expertise?

NVL depends on the expertise of our entrepreneurial community. Want to help? Sign up here or contact the Deming Center’s Program Manager Betsy Klein at betsy.klein@colorado.edu.

This course is made possible thanks to a generous gift from the Intuitive Foundation.

Traditional

White

CU Boulder’s Catalyst for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Through New Venture Launch and New Venture Creation

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

CU Boulder’s Catalyst for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Through New Venture Launch and New Venture Creation Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/27/2023 - 00:00

Lauren Gwyn

At sunset on April 12th, community members, students, alumni, and professors packed the Boulder Theater for the 16th annual New Venture Challenge. The theater is buzzing with liveliness, and the ears of the audience eagerly wait to hear from the finalists. In the past year, more than 70 teams competed to pitch their ventures for a chance to win up to $100,000 in seed funding. After a rigorous selection process, five teams were chosen to present their ideas. Four of the five contestant teams gained the majority of their knowledge on what it takes to build a startup through the classes New Venture Creation (NVC) and New Venture Launch (NVL). Both programs aim to help students start an emerging company, work in the startup ecosystem, or even compete in New Venture Challenge.

From Idea to Impact

Khushang Hirpara, a junior at the Leeds School of Business won first place at this year’s New Venture Challenge competition for his customizable supplement company, CLD-9. CLD-9 aims to revolutionize the supplement industry, providing uniquely tailored options to each athlete based on their nutritional need. Khushang was in New Venture Creation this past semester because he wanted to expand his entrepreneurial toolkit to effectively launch CLD-9. Khushang describes the class as “exactly what I needed”. Utilizing the mentorship and guidance offered in New Venture Creation, Khushang was able to translate his product, services, and opportunities into a functioning venture. By securing 1st place in the competition, he also was granted $50,000 in funding from CU to further his journey making science combined with supplementation a reality. When asked about the competition day, Khushang says

“I probably had one of the best days of my life. Not just because of the check, but because every single person that has been with me on the journey that started 7 months ago was there. I had nothing but support since the beginning. The best part wasn’t even winning, it was knowing everyone I love got to win with me.”

Led by the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship’s Faculty Director Brad Werner, New Venture Creation, and New Venture Launch teaches you how to translate existing products, services, and opportunities into real, functioning ventures. Brad has spent his career building successful businesses. His focus is to help offer his experience to CU Boulder students to launch a viable business and generate impact.

New Venture Creation and New Venture Launch: The First Step in Creating a Viable Business

New Venture Creation is one of the best first steps for CU Boulder students interested in creating a company. The class is for anyone who wants to take a dive into the startup world and work on a venture idea with a team. This class is one of the most unique offerings CU Boulder has and guides students through the ideation process and building phase of a venture. Pilar Pheffer, a student who took home fourth for her venture Climate Scaping, took the NVC class and says that it was one of the most valuable classes she has taken so far at Boulder. She also says

“New Venture Creation showed me that uncertainty can be a fun aspect of a startup. It helps to not be so attached to an idea in the early stage- rather being open to pivoting and watching the venture come together piece by piece is quite rewarding”

New Venture Launch takes New Venture Creation a step further and focuses on already viable and more established ventures. In this application-only class, students receive top-tier mentorship, hear from outside speakers every week, and learn all the essentials to growing and developing your business. Evan Baltman, the founder of LingDisco won third place in this year’s New Venture Challenge. Evan went into the New Venture Launch class knowing that he wanted to continue developing his app where you can listen to music and learn a language by doing so. Evan says

“I certainly wouldn't have gotten as far as I did in New Venture Challenge without the New Venture Launch class. Brad Werner and Betsy Klein ran a fantastic course and I went from knowing almost nothing about entrepreneurship or pitching to making it to the NVC Finals and Demo Day. The course really taught me a lot about team dynamics, fundraising, the incorporation process, pitching, etc.”

Both classes help develop the skills necessary to undertake typical business functions. Students learn and develop the know-how in business legalese, money raising, web presence, selling, innovation, marketing, cash management, and operations management. Brad Werner, the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship’s Faculty Director says that

“The best ventures come from teams with students from multiple disciplines. Don’t have a team? Apply anyway! NVL is looking for entrepreneurial-minded students ready to test their skills and make an impact. If you have an idea, dedication, and grit, we’ll get you on the right team.” said Werner.

Join and Apply Today!

Are you interested in taking New Venture Launch class to prepare for New Venture Challenge or becoming a guest speaker, mentor, or judge? Make sure to fill out the interest form here!

New Venture Launch class is made possible thanks to generous support from the Intuitive Foundation.

Traditional

White

Spotlight: An Inside Look at High-Impact Ventures in New Venture Launch

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Spotlight: An Inside Look at High-Impact Ventures in New Venture Launch Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/09/2023 - 00:00

Lauren Gwyn

The chance to be mentored and supported by some of the top entrepreneurial minds in the Boulder community is an opportunity many don’t have the chance to grab. Through an extremely competitive application process, students in the New Venture Launch (NVL) class can expand their network, get funding, and have access to tools to launch their businesses. Last week, I listened to the pitches of the six companies participating in NVL. The first thing I noticed was the energy, passion, and tenacity of these teams. These students are determined to make their vision a reality, and I left feeling more inspired than ever!

Led by the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship’s Faculty Director Brad Werner and Program Manager Betsy Klein, New Venture Launch helps students to drive their startup’s success. Teams receive valuable entrepreneurship insights, mentoring, pitch coaching, introductions to industry experts, and the chance to pitch for seed funding. They also receive guidance to compete in the University of Colorado Boulder’s New Venture Challenge (NVC), where student businesses pitch for $100,000 in funding. Last year, three NVL teams made it into the NVC finals!

New Venture Launch has been a highly coveted course since it began in 2019. Originally taught by the Deming Center’s Research Director Jeffrey G. York, students in this class come from an array of disciplines and range from undergraduate to graduate students. Brad Werner mentions that the people in his class are always “entrepreneurial-minded students ready to test their skills and make an impact.”

The Teams

For this specific class, these brilliant students were pitching their companies for funding for the first time. It was incredible to see their grit, how knowledgeable they are in their industries, and how passionate they are about growing their companies. Here is a summary of each venture below.

Adapted Skin Care

Ideally, skincare routines should be tailored to unique individual needs. This is what brought together Christina Spruiell, Jacob Betts, and Sravya Karumanchi of Adapted Skin Care. They formulate unique routines specifically based on your skin’s needs including over 16 individual factors, such as age, local climate, lifestyle, and pre-existing concerns. They plan on utilizing a face-mask system that minimizes user error, and can give you the healthy skin you have always wanted!

Tatanka Ska Ventures

Native Americans face unique financial challenges when starting a business. That’s why founder Desmond Bruguier, along with his team members Charles Msilanga and Liz Compos created Tatanka Ska Ventures, a non-profit venture capital company for Native American ventures. They focus on providing underserved Native American entrepreneurs with capital funding, business education, and connections to experienced entrepreneurs to create economic and social impact.

VizBZ

Forty percent of work in the lighting design industry is full of tedious work, including labeling icons, updating prices, and other meticulous tasks. All to prepare their design proposals, which creates huge delays in the design process. Founder Flynn Hill, along with team members Ruby Martinez, and Benjamin Brandenburger created VizBZ to solve this bottleneck through a centralized software program that automatically syncs and updates projects. This new system saves time and money to create builds faster than ever.

LingDisco

Learning a language can be a challenging goal to achieve because it can be a boring and time-consuming endeavor. LingDisco’s team (founder Evan Baltman, Mitch Hamilton, and Ryan Dennie) found that learning languages became more fun by incorporating music. With LingDisco, users can use music as a more engaging and motivating form of learning a language. By singing or listening along to music, people can immerse themselves in a foreign culture from wherever they are.

Mesa Quantum

Founded by Sristy Agrawal, Mesa Quantum is building the “next generation” of quantum devices, along with team members Cameron Ghia, Ty Silver, and Madeline Maersk Moller. Mesa Quantum is in the process of producing chip-sized atomic clocks to be used in smartphones, computers, and everyday devices. These atomic clocks will allow high bandwidth use, precise GPS navigation, and improved connectivity.

Fangarde

The ticketing industry is broken because of scammers and scalpers. Fangarde founder David Banda, along with team member Lily Wasser, wants to bring control back to the market using blockchain technology and smart contracts. By giving protection to the customer and venue, they’re going to bring back reliability to the ticketing industry.

Brad Werner on Empowering NVL Students

Brad is passionate about helping students through the whole start-up process. He notes that

“I’ve spent my career building successful businesses. This is my first year offering my experience to CU Boulder students where my whole focus is on launching viable businesses and helping them move forward.

I love seeing the passion our students have for solving social issues with startups. This class gives them the foundation to generate tremendous impact.”

New Venture Launch class is made possible thanks to generous support from the Intuitive Foundation. We look forward to seeing how the teams progress through their founder journeys throughout the semester. As always, the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship will continue to provide updates on our social media so make sure to keep up with us there! This year we are hoping the NVC winner is an NVL team.

Linkedin┃Instagram┃Twitter┃Facebook

Traditional

White

Applications are Open for Spring 2023 New Venture Launch Class

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 15:56:15 +0000

Applications are Open for Spring 2023 New Venture Launch Class Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/12/2022 - 09:56

Stefani Harrison

Are you launching a business? Worked at a startup? Want expert advice to grow your business? Apply for Leeds’ New Venture Launch (NVL) class and learn what it takes to run a successful business while getting the chance to win up to $25,000.

Led by the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship’s Faculty Director Brad Werner, this class will teach you how to translate existing products, services, and opportunities into real, functioning ventures. Learn from outside experts and speakers who have personal experience as founders or work directly with entrepreneurs and/or investors. With their help and expertise, you will develop the skills to undertake typical business functions with minimal resources and develop the know-how in business legalese, money raising, web presence, selling, innovation, marketing, cash management, and operations management.

Attracting many of CU Boulder’s best and brightest students, NVL has been in high demand since its launch in Spring 2019. In addition to the skills and expert advice, the class continues to draw crowds as it enhances collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship among aspiring business owners with powerful ideas and unique expertise.

In this class, hard work across campus will transition from an idea to a functioning venture. Students will also have the chance to pitch their businesses for up to $25,000 in non-equity funding throughout the semester. Skills learned from this class also prepare students for the New Venture Challenge (NVC). Last year, all NVL teams were accepted into NVC with two teams competing in the NVC finals for the grand prize.

According to the Deming Center’s Research Director and longtime NVL professor Jeff York,

“This class is for cross-disciplinary teams of students who want to launch their venture or have the experience of helping to do so.”

Interested?

All CU Boulder students, regardless of degree level, college, year, or major, should apply!

“The best ventures come from teams with students from multiple disciplines. Don’t have a team? Apply anyway! NVL is looking for entrepreneurial-minded students ready to test their skills and make an impact. If you have an idea, dedication, and grit, we’ll get you on the right team.” said Werner.

Applicants can apply as part of a team or individually. If you already have a team, every member must apply separately, and be sure to include the names of your team members on your application. Applications for individuals and teams are due by October 15, 2022.

Apply Here!

Still not sure if NVL is for you? We have several meetups throughout the Fall 2022 semester. Stay updated on events by clicking here to apply or joining our distribution list for more information.

Have Expertise?

NVL depends on the expertise of our entrepreneurial community. Want to help? Sign up here or contact the Deming Center’s Program Manager Betsy Klein at betsy.klein@colorado.edu.

This course is made possible thanks to a generous gift from the Intuitive Foundation.

2021/2022 New Venture Launch Teams in the News

Apr 2022 - Startup Competition Brings Capital to Creativity
Mar 2022 - Multidisciplinary Teams Compete for Venture Funding
Mar 2022 - Funding Awarded to Top Student Female Founders
Mar 2022 - Student Teams Present Innovation Solutions to Climate Change
Feb 2022 - New Venture Launch - Aligning Business and Tech

Traditional

White

New Venture Launch Course Highlights Growing Collaboration Between Business and Engineering

Anonymous — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 23:54:00 +0000

New Venture Launch Course Highlights Growing Collaboration Between Business and Engineering Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 04/05/2020 - 17:54

April signals more than just spring blooms on the trees around CU Boulder’s campus; it’s also the return of one of the school’s most exciting, cross-disciplinary entrepreneurial events, the New Venture Challenge Championships—with up to $100,000 in prizes up for grabs.

At the top of Leeds’ teams to watch this year is EdBoard, a team of undergraduate engineering students who created engaging, educational circuitry kits for kids. The kits are great introduction to STEM and electrical engineering for children at early age and feature magnetic components that attach easily without any plug or wires.

The team is enrolled in a new class focused on entrepreneurship called New Venture Launch, taught by Leeds Associate Professor Jeffrey York. The course was developed in collaboration and partnership with The Robert and Kathleen Dobkin Intuitive Foundation. With Intuitive Foundation’s philanthropy and insights, Professor York designed an experience that is valuable to a diverse array of students, both undergraduate and graduate—in particular, business and engineering students.

EdBoard recently finalized a customer-ready and highly manufacturable design and will launch a Kickstarter campaign soon to prepare for market. The team also won third place in the Women’s Prize Night on their way to the finals.

Coincidentally, the second-place winner of Women’s Prize Night is also a team from York’s course—a solo proprietor, woman MBA candidate from Leeds. Her venture, Elevated Eats, is a sustainability-focused, healthy baked goods business made with CBD and Eastern herbs. All packaging is compostable and all ingredients are organic, vegan and natural.

A popular inaugural year signals success

In its first year, 41 students applied to enroll in New Venture Launch; only 14 were accepted: one junior, two seniors and 11 graduate students. Students' majors included Aerospace Engineering, Engineering and Education, Engineering and Design, MS in Supply Chain Management and MBA. This reflects the increased collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship occurring between Leeds students and students from the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Last June, Leeds and Engineering celebrating the official groundbreaking of their joint building expansion and new partnership, which represents a new era at CU Boulder—and the breaking down of traditional disciplinary boundaries between our two schools. The expansion not only joins the schools physically but also programmatically, allowing students the ability to draw upon each other’s strengths in collaboration on projects such as new business venture.

York’s class is at the forefront of what’s to come for the Business and Engineering partnership, which leverages its greater, collective community of business and industry partners, like the Intuitive Foundation, to help enhance the learning experience for the students.

Industry speaks to students

As one student explained, “This class has been really helpful in letting us figure out what it is we do not want to do when we launch. It has really allowed us to refine our mission and what we are aiming to achieve with our business.”

As the semester winds down, York is already thinking ahead to the next course in fall. His plan: get even more business and engineering students to work in teams. “Our goal is to have cross-disciplinary, collaborative teams,” York said. “While we’ve seen great success in this first class, I’m really excited about where we can take this experience in the future.”

In true entrepreneurial spirit, CU Boulder’s 12^th New Venture Challenge has adapted its in-person championship this April to a virtual format on April 7. This adds an additional “challenge” for the six teams who are finalists, but they had good—albeit unexpected—practice when the last round before the finals pivoted in 24 hours to remote amid concerns surrounding the coronavirus outbreak. Good luck to all finalists.

Learn more and register for the livestream here.

Traditional

White

New Venture Launch Class Initiates Pilot

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 21:20:39 +0000

New Venture Launch Class Initiates Pilot Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/07/2019 - 15:20

Jeffrey G. York

Sometimes our most entrepreneurial students can feel constrained by a university setting. After all, who is not familiar with famous college dropouts who went on to be successful entrepreneurs like Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Jobs?

This Spring, Leeds is launching an exciting new class targeted to keep such promising students engaged. In New Venture Launch teams will compete for over $25,000 in non-equity funding over the course of the semester. This class is focused on taking our students' hard work across campus and helping them make the transition to an actual functioning venture.

“The course is not for students that want to learn about entrepreneurship; this class is for cross-disciplinary teams of students who want to launch their venture or have the experience of helping to do so,” said Jeff York, Deming Research Director and the instructor for the class.

The goal of the class is to translate an existing product, service, or opportunity into a real, functioning venture. Each venture will undertake typical business functions (legal, raising money, web presence, selling, innovation, marketing, managing cash, and managing operations) with minimal resources. The course will rely heavily on outside experts and speakers who have personal experience being or working directly with entrepreneurs and/or investors.

“We’re actively in the process of recruiting mentors from around the Boulder Ecosystem now,” said York. “They are a key component of not only delivering the class, but helping our teams make the connections they need to succeed.”

How to Apply

The course is actively seeking team applications consisting of business and non-business students (e.g. engineering, chemistry, physics, liberal arts, etc.) “We find that the best ventures are composed of individuals from multiple disciplines,” said York.

Admission is by team application only, with several meetups happening over the course of the fall. Click here to apply or join the distribution list for more information. Experienced entrepreneurs who wish to help with mentoring can sign-up here.

This course is made possible thanks to a generous gift from the Intuitive Foundation.

Traditional

White