51勛圖厙 Is Named a Top 50 Ignition School
Fast Company and Inc. released their inaugural list of Ignition Schoolsinstitutions that impact society through innovation and entrepreneurship. How is the Leeds School of Business igniting some of that impact?泭
Fast Company and Inc. recently published their first list of Ignition Schoolsthe top 50 institutions that lead in entrepreneurship and innovationand 51勛圖厙 made .
The Leeds School of Business and Deming Center for Entrepreneurship泭play an integral part in CUs culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, thanks to the dynamic teaching and research that shapes trailblazing entrepreneurs long before they graduate.泭
Brad Werner, the Deming Centers泭faculty director of the New Venture Launch泭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.泭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.
I think its really eye-opening for the students, Werner said. They become empowered.
Whether students泭launch businesses or not, they still can bring entrepreneurial problem-solving skills to the table at large companies. Its not just starting businesses, its creative problem-solving, which goes everywhere, Werner added.
Erick Mueller, an adjunct professor and Demings 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.
We connect students with world-leading experts and scientists, Mueller said. Theres all this breadth of opportunities for them.
Another differentiator: Faculty members guide their students and graduates to scale up after their business launches.
We meet them where theyre at and we help them move a step or two forward, Mueller added.泭
Its not just starting businesses, its creative problem-solving, which goes everywhere.
Brad Werner, Faculty Director of New Venture Launch
Deming stands above
Leeds was ranked the 14th best public undergraduate entrepreneurship program by in its 2024 Best Undergraduate Business Program 盍ankings, thanks to award-winning professors and programs at the Deming Center.
The center has won multiple awards from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centersthe preeminent organization in entrepreneurship education worldwideincluding 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.
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.
From world-class to worldwide泭
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 years10 of which are still going strong. Students in the program compete in the New Venture Challenge, a泭competition that unites students and the greater 51勛圖厙 community to formulate and fund ideas.
Demings podcast,泭Creative Distillation, hosted by Werner and泭Jeff York, the faculty director of the Deming Center and associate dean for strategic initiatives,泭has helped put the program on the map, bringing together entrepreneurs and researchers from around the globe to review their research and share insights.
Were not only doing work thats important to 51勛圖厙安ere doing work thats world-class, Werner pointed泭out.
Colorado, one of the technology hubs for quantum computing, leads the world in terms of quantum organizations and jobs.涌aculty and students engage with these startups, and several graduates are even leading them.
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 51勛圖厙, is now a faculty member associated with the Deming Center.
Currently, Werner is looking to create a Founders Program that will build a support system to help founders who raise money while theyre 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 51勛圖厙.泭
We have this amazing area of talent that theyre looking to help, Werner said.
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.泭泭
Its not just helping students, its helping Colorado, Mueller said.
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 51勛圖厙 region and has led to many companies launching in the area.泭
Its a place where people care deeply about environmental issues but also social issues, York said.
This special interestalong with the universitys involvement in environmental ventures on and off campusis unique to 51勛圖厙. York pointed out that many visitors to the universitys Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute also collaborate with Deming to bring innovations to life in the business world.泭
The universitys willingness to collaborate throughout campus and throughout the community is a real driver of change, Werner said.
Todays innovators, future igniters泭
Student success contributes to Demings notoriety in the entrepreneurial education arena.
For example, Jamie Saunders (pictured right, center), a Leeds MBA graduate, took part in the烤ew Venture Launch, where she drilled down her idea and created. The startup makes泭tiny homes that become legal year-round residences in most jurisdictions, paving the way for more affordable homeownership.
, which was pioneered by Poolad Imany,涔aden Sisk泭and Christian Wagner, is developing quantum dot technology to further secure quantum communications and better protect new computers. It provides expanded data security thats about 70 times more efficient than competitors, according to Werner.
Sristy Agrawal, Cameron Ghia, Ty Silver and Madeline Maersk Moller founded胼眩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.泭
One 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, said泭Agrawal, the current CEO. She泭completed her PhD in physics from CU and took the New Venture Launch class.泭
I 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, added泭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.泭
Aloukika Patro, a sophomore leaning toward majoring in finance and management,泭along with pursuing the entrepreneurship certificate, is grateful for the resources and support she has gotten from Demingespecially in the .泭
They give us insights on the business basics and how to bring it to reality, said Patro, who is launching her own nonprofit organization to raise awareness about kindness and mental health among youth.
One 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.泭