Fast Company and Inc. released their inaugural list of “Ignition Schools”—institutions that impact society through innovation and entrepreneurship. How is the Leeds School of Business igniting some of that impact?
Fast Company and Inc. recently published their first list of Ignition Schools—the top 50 institutions that lead in entrepreneurship and innovation—and CU Boulder made the list.
The Leeds School of Business and Deming Center for Entrepreneurship play an integral part in CU’s culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, thanks to the dynamic teaching and research that shapes trailblazing entrepreneurs long before they graduate.
Brad Werner, the Deming Center’s faculty director of the New Venture Launch program and John E. Nesland Faculty Scholar, who teaches undergraduates through PhD students, has seen Leeds grow tremendously since coming to the university seven years ago. 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 it’s really eye-opening for the students,” Werner said. “They become empowered.”
Whether students launch businesses or not, they still can bring entrepreneurial problem-solving skills to the table at large companies. “It’s not just starting businesses, it’s creative problem-solving, which goes everywhere,” Werner added.
Erick Mueller, an adjunct professor and Deming’s 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. “There’s 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 they’re at and we help them move a step or two forward,” Mueller added.
“It’s not just starting businesses, it’s creative problem-solving, which goes everywhere.”
Brad Werner, Faculty Director of New Venture Launch
Leeds was ranked the 14th best public undergraduate entrepreneurship program by U.S. News & World Report in its 2024 Best Undergraduate Business Program rankings, thanks to award-winning professors and programs at the Deming Center.
The center has won multiple awards from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers—the preeminent organization in entrepreneurship education worldwide—including 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.
The New Venture Launch (NVL) program, which is a class open to about 20 students each spring, has churned out 12 companies in the last two years—10 of which are still going strong. Students in the program compete in the New Venture Challenge, a competition that unites students and the greater Boulder community to formulate and fund ideas.
Deming’s podcast, Creative Distillation, hosted by Werner and Jeff York, the faculty director of the Deming Center and associate dean for strategic initiatives, has helped put the program on the map, bringing together entrepreneurs and researchers from around the globe to review their research and share insights.
“We’re not only doing work that’s important to Boulder…we’re doing work that’s world-class,” Werner pointed out.
Colorado, one of the technology hubs for quantum computing, leads the world in terms of quantum organizations and jobs. Faculty 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 Boulder, is now a faculty member associated with the Deming Center.
Currently, Werner is looking to create a Founder’s Program that will build a support system to help founders who raise money while they’re in their early stages. Intuitive Foundation will fund the program, which could morph into regional chapters that provide support to students long after they graduate from CU Boulder.
“We have this amazing area of talent that they’re 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.
“It’s not just helping students, it’s 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 Boulder region and has led to many companies launching in the area.
“It’s a place where people care deeply about environmental issues but also social issues,” York said.
This special interest—along with the university’s involvement in environmental ventures on and off campus—is unique to CU Boulder. York pointed out that many visitors to the university’s Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute also collaborate with Deming to bring innovations to life in the business world.
“The university’s willingness to collaborate throughout campus and throughout the community is a real driver of change,” Werner said.
Student success contributes to Deming’s notoriety in the entrepreneurial education arena.
For example, Jamie Saunders (pictured right, center), a Leeds MBA graduate, took part in the New Venture Launch, where she drilled down her idea and created Affix Communities. The startup makes tiny homes that become legal year-round residences in most jurisdictions, paving the way for more affordable homeownership.
Icarus Quantum, which was pioneered by Poolad Imany, Kaden Sisk and Christian Wagner, is developing quantum dot technology to further secure quantum communications and better protect new computers. It provides expanded data security that’s about 70 times more efficient than competitors, according to Werner.
Sristy Agrawal, Cameron Ghia, Ty Silver and Madeline Maersk Moller founded Mesa Quantum to 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.
“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 Agrawal, the current CEO. She completed her PhD in physics from CU and took the New Venture Launch class.
“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 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.
Aloukika Patro, a sophomore leaning toward majoring in finance and management, along with pursuing the entrepreneurship certificate, is grateful for the resources and support she has gotten from Deming—especially in the Innovation Workshop Series.
“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.”
Find out more about the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship.
