deming community

Deming Wins Another Top Award from Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Deming Wins Another Top Award from Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 01/18/2024 - 00:00

Stefani Harrison

Deming is once again ranked as a top entrepreneurship program in the world. This time, for the trailblazing initiative Demystifying Entrepreneurship: Rural Colorado Workshop Series.

The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship leadership team posing with their GCEC award. From left to right: Jeff York, Erick Mueller, Brad Werner, Betsy Klein, Stefani Harrison and Katie Morton.

The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at Leeds School of Business celebrated an impressive win at the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) conference in October 2023, when it received the Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Education 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 Native American and rural entrepreneurs across the state of Colorado—particularly through the Demystifying Entrepreneurship: Rural Colorado Workshop Series (RCWS) program.

“We’re thrilled to contribute our part in making Colorado one of the best places in the world to be an entrepreneur.”

Erick Mueller, Executive Director, Deming Center for Entrepreneurship

Working with the Communities

“Entrepreneurs in rural communities often lack the access to education and resources available in more urban areas. To do our part to help, we partner with rural Colorado communities around the state to help spur economic activity by teaching topics like customer discovery, marketing and finance,” explained Mueller, who launched RCWS with other faculty members with the Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation back in 2015.

In the past nine years, RCWS has launched in eight locations, including Eagle County, Las Animas County, Logan County, Routt County, San Miguel County, Southern Ute Tribe/La Plata County and Western Slope/Montrose County. Each RCWS location receives a customized, five-year commitment to community leadership with the first two years focusing on turning ideas into businesses, the third and fourth years focusing on growing & scaling, and the final year honing the most important parts of a business.

Katie Morton, the Deming Center’s program coordinator, supported RCWS in the 2023 season, as the Deming team traveled across the state to Montrose, Sterling, Ignacio, Telluride and Craig. Katie states “as someone who has called Colorado home for many years, it’s such an honor to connect entrepreneurs across the state with resources from the ��«��Ƶ. It’s especially rewarding to watch someone turn an idea into a business in these beautiful small communities in Colorado.”

The Deming Center Wins Again

Betsy Klein, Deming Center Program Manager, accepting the 2023 GCEC award on behalf of Deming during the conference in Dallas, Texas.

The Deming Center crew has won multiple awards from GCEC, the preeminent organization in entrepreneurship education worldwide. In 2021, they received the Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines award for CU’s student-athletes, Buffs With a Brand program in partnership with CU Athletics and the Scripps Leadership and Career Development Program that was the first program of its kind to teach student-athletes how to profit using the Name, Image and Likeness legislation. The team also won the 2019 GCEC Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation award, for its signature High Growth Venture (HGV) Fellowship program, a two-year program that immerses a select group of MBA candidates in academic and experiential learning unique to growth-stage companies. The Deming Center has also been a two-time finalist for the GCEC award celebrating top entrepreneurship centers.

In addition to the GCEC awards, the Deming Center has won global acclaim in the 2020 Innovations That Inspire Challenge by the AACSB International for RCWS and the 2019 MBA Roundtable Innovator Award for their HGV program.

All Ideas Welcome

Although the RCWS program dominated the spotlight for the recent GCEC award, the Deming Center also offers amazing cross-campus offerings. Any CU ��«��Ƶ student, staff or faculty member with an entrepreneurial spirit is invited to their inspiring programs:

The Innovation 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 ��«��Ƶ’s flagship entrepreneurial “flight simulator,” giving aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to build a startup through support and mentorship.

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: “We’re thrilled to help every student, staff, faculty, community member and more further explore their entrepreneurial mindsets and contribute to making Colorado a wonderful place to start and grow a business!”

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Harmonizing Life's Symphony: The Journey of Keith Gruen and the Practice of Conscious Leadership

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Harmonizing Life's Symphony: The Journey of Keith Gruen and the Practice of Conscious Leadership Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/14/2023 - 00:00

Emily Iliff

“Conflict becomes a liability on the balance sheet of the company.”

Keith Gruen's journey from the vibrant city of Boston, Massachusetts, unfolded as a symphony of both musical notes and conscious leadership principles. He danced to the rhythm of his own aspirations, pursuing classical piano and business during his undergraduate years at Gordon College. However, the melody of his passion was not discovered in the spotlight of performance but in the intricate orchestration behind the scenes. Initially a concert promoter and tour manager for university orchestras, Keith discovered his passion and career resonated with supporting nonprofits in Boston. Drawn to those with remarkable missions who struggle with basic business challenges, Keith struggled to choose between furthering his arts and music education or pursuing a Master in Business Administration (MBA). After finding his passion for conscious leadership through helping nonprofits strengthen their basic business principles, he pursued an MBA from the ��«��Ƶ Leeds School of Business. Keith graduated in 2013 with a dual focus in marketing analytics and organizational change.

Captivated by the allure of ��«��Ƶ, Colorado's community, Keith chose to make it his home and pursue his passion by venturing into the wellness industry. Engaging in personal development work, he not only contributed to the community but also underwent significant self-discovery by facing his fear of conflict and deciding to make a career out of it. In 2016, Keith became one of the visionaries behind MeetMindful, a revolutionary dating app catering to individuals seeking connections in the wellness realm, like Tinder for singles who shop at Whole Foods." In spring 2016, this venture led them to be accepted into the prestigious Techstars ��«��Ƶ Accelerator. This program became a catalyst for funding and company growth. Navigating various roles, Keith seamlessly integrated the facets of his MBA education.

Navigating Uncertainty

“The majority of people have no idea what they're doing. There’s an attitude, especially in undergrad, where you have to know exactly what you are doing.”

Kieth notes that he had a plan, and that plan blew up. So did Keith’s second plan, third plan, fourth plan and so on. Through the ups and downs, Kieth continuously asked himself: “What are the things that bring me energy, and how can I do more of those?” Looking back, Kieth notes that that is the theme running his entire career. Kieth describes himself as having five or six different careers. Although unconventional, the idea of trying something out and finding something new, talking to different people and experimenting with what he likes and did not like was exciting and valuable. Keith says,

“Coming out of the MBA program, even with all the amazing connections and networks we meet through there, I applied for 106 jobs and got one. As long as something fit within my skill set, I was ready to learn and ready to apply myself. Be open and curious about what you can learn about any situation you get yourself into. Even that first job, that meeting, that interview that didn’t go well, what was that there to teach you?”

Embracing the unknown became a guiding principle for Kieth, turning setbacks into opportunities for exploration and self-discovery. In a society that often pressures individuals to have their entire lives mapped out, Kieth's journey defies conventional norms. His willingness to pivot, reassess, and embrace diverse career trajectories has taken him to a career he loves today. Through each transition, Kieth's determination to find what energizes him propelled him towards uncharted territories, unveiling experiences that ultimately shaped his professional and personal life. Kieth urges young individuals to find what they love and not settle for less, even in a wave of rejection.

Embracing Conscious Leadership through Mindful Decision-Making and Conflict Resolution

Mindful leaders acknowledge their behaviors and invite feedback from others to help guide their decisions, this is called conscious leadership. For Kieth, conscious leadership is not just a role, it is a dynamic practice fueled by an awareness of himself and those around him. Through his journey with an intensive job search, Keith’s guiding principle was finding a career that energized him and gave him a purpose. Kieth's love for conscious leadership began when he decided to support nonprofits that were failing due to a lack of fundamental business principles. His journey brought him in contact with a facilitator and coach in the world of conscious leadership. This realm, based on the insightful book The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman and Kailey Klimp, inspired a new chapter in Keith's narrative. As Coach in Residence for ��«��Ƶ Techstars, Kieth helps startup founders and entrepreneurs figure out how to build great companies. This starts with learning to be great leaders, who are aware of themselves and the people around them. Keith says one of his favorite parts of working in this role is meeting entrepreneurs, like himself, who had a similar journey of struggling with conflict.

“A world without conflict is like going through life with an I don't care attitude. You check out of life, and you don’t actually get to experience things. You can’t experience all of the joy you potentially have if you don’t also experience all of the sadness and conflict in life.”

To Kieth, conscious leadership is about leveraging this awareness to craft a reality that aligns with his vision for a better world. Yet, he acknowledges the challenges inherent in this journey. In a world where many of us find ourselves caught up in the whirlwind of day-to-day routines, practicing mindfulness can be demanding. The art of staying present in the whirlwind of life requires intentional effort. Kieth's evolution is an illustration of this conscious leadership journey. A self-professed conflict-avoidant individual in his earlier years, he would instinctively retreat when faced with disagreements. Fast forward to today, and Kieth has become a beacon in conflict resolution. He now guides individuals, who, like his past self, yearn to confront conflicts head-on. Through his work, he advocates for the power of self-awareness, encouraging others to navigate life's challenges with authenticity and resilience. Kieth has two pieces of advice for readers who want to practice conscious leadership in their own lives. The first is not to try to avoid conflict, but to become aware of our actions when conflict arises, and practice navigating it in a healthy way. The second is to learn the difference between facts and stories and empathize with how those facts and stories translate differently to the people you are with.

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Revolutionizing Rural Colorado: $5,000 Grant Win to Escalate Entrepreneurship!

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Revolutionizing Rural Colorado: $5,000 Grant Win to Escalate Entrepreneurship! Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 10/26/2023 - 00:00

Katie Morton , Stefani Harrison

Nine years ago, the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the Leeds School of Business launched the first-ever Rural Colorado Workshop Series (RCWS) in Chaffee County, Colorado. In the town of Buena Vista by the Arkansas River Valley, entrepreneurs gathered to learn how to grow their ventures. In this historically agriculture-based economy, the first workshop attendees launched ideas unique to their water-loving, mountain town community. The success of this workshop launched the larger vision that promotes economic growth in Colorado’s rural communities.

Fast forward to 2023, the ninth year of RCWS, and communities in Montrose, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Telluride, Craig and Sterling have enhanced the businesses in their communities by hosting yearly workshops across the state that focus on everything from value proposition to scaling to marketing and much more! Thanks to the ��«��Ƶ’s Office for Outreach and Engagement, the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship received a $5,000 Community Impact Grant in the ninth year of RCWS to continue driving impact in Colorado’s rural communities. This grant will further support economic growth in rural Colorado communities for future years as the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship continues to provide first-rate entrepreneurship education throughout rural communities.

But why rural communities? According to the 2021 United States Bureau of Economic Analysis, 12 of Colorado’s 64 counties contribute to 88.69 percent of Colorado’s Gross Domestic Product. These 12 counties are all located in urban areas such as Denver, ��«��Ƶ, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. Colorado’s rural counties have historically relied on agriculture, mining, oil and gas, and similar industries, which have seen significant reductions in the labor force over recent decades. Alongside local partners such as regional Small Business Development Centers, chambers of commerce, venture networks, and Native tribes, implementing RCWS in rural communities seeks to spur economic growth and empower the next generation of economic leaders.

Founder of RCWS and Executive Director of the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship Erick Mueller had this to say about the award:

“I want to give a huge thanks to CU ��«��Ƶ’s Office of Outreach and Engagement. The Deming Center and its faculty and staff have made huge impacts in Colorado’s rural communities, helping over 700 rural and Native entrepreneurs. This $5,000 grant will help us make an even bigger impact, and we cannot wait to see what the amazing future RCWS participants do.”

The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship’s five-year commitment to each rural community brings Leeds School of Business faculty to various parts of the state who provide the university’s world-class education to these burgeoning entrepreneurs. Thanks to the $5,000 Community Impact Grant, RCWS can continue strengthening its current community partnerships and launch in new locations as the five-year workshops in Telluride and Sterling conclude in 2023. This financial support of the workshop series will help the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship to continue creating unique cohorts of entrepreneurs across Colorado that support and prompt each other and other ventures in rural communities.

You can learn more about RCWS, current workshops, news, and stories by visiting their website. Interested in starting RCWS in your rural community? Reach out to the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship’s Program Coordinator Katie Morton at kmorton@colorado.edu.

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StartUp to ScaleUp in Northwestern Colorado: Rural Colorado Workshop Series Yampa Valley Returns!

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000

StartUp to ScaleUp in Northwestern Colorado: Rural Colorado Workshop Series Yampa Valley Returns! Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 10/12/2023 - 00:00

Lauren Gwyn , Katie Morton

The Demystifying Entrepreneurship Rural Colorado Workshop Series (RCWS) in partnership with Northwest Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is coming to Craig, Colorado, on October 20th and 21st for their fourth year of the Rural Colorado Workshop Series: StartUp to ScaleUp Yampa Valley! This two-day event allows entrepreneurs with second-stage businesses to help shift out of their startup phase and onto “what’s next”.

Taught by award-winning professors and entrepreneurs Erick Mueller and Visda Carlson, this weekend-long workshop supports entrepreneurs at any stage in their venture, especially those working on scaling their operations. Attendees will learn how to develop marketing strategies, evaluate their business, finance/fund, and more! By the end of the workshop, entrepreneurs will have expanded their entrepreneurial toolkit and receive a University of Colorado Leeds School of Business Certificate of Completion. Everyone is welcome to attend and learn from this workshop’s incredible speakers and mentors!

Tammie Delaney, owner of Wild Goose Coffee at the Hayden Granary, attended the workshop in Yampa Valley in previous years. She mentions

“As a business owner, I rarely have time to step back and look at the big picture. The Demystifying Entrepreneurship workshop was a great opportunity to have the space and time, along with incredible expertise, to focus on long-term strategies and truly plan for the future.”

Northwest Colorado SBDC has hosted RCWS in Yampa Valley for the past four years. The organization focuses on no-cost consulting, training and funding support for small businesses in Northwestern Colorado. Since their inception, they have seen “thousands of entrepreneurs launch successful startups, expand existing businesses, or return a business to profitability”. SBDC believes that with persistence, education, and networking opportunities, entrepreneurs are more likely to grow into established and successful companies.

RCWS is kicking off the weekend on Friday, October 20th at 518 Wine Bar in Craig, Colorado, where attendees will introduce their business concepts and listen to a dynamic panel discussion. The following day, participants will attend a classroom-style workshop at the Colorado Northwestern Community College to hone in on their business and evaluate what is next. Don’t miss out! Be sure to register for this event here! We can’t wait to see you there!

For those interested in attending a future workshop, check our Rural Colorado Workshop Series site to learn more about other locations and our 10th year of the workshop series starting in Spring 2024.

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Shore Up Your Business: Rural Colorado Workshop Series Finale in Telluride!

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Shore Up Your Business: Rural Colorado Workshop Series Finale in Telluride! Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/28/2023 - 00:00

Lauren Gwyn

Over the past four years, the Telluride Venture Network (TVN) and the Leeds School of Business at the ��«��Ƶ have hosted the Rural Colorado Workshop Series (RCWS), a workshop series dedicated to providing college-level business education from award-winning professors to entrepreneurs in rural Colorado. This year, TVN and RCWS are hosting their fifth and final year of the series! Entitled Shore Up, attendees will learn from the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship’s Erick Mueller and Brad Werner how to leverage creativity, keep ahead of the curve of new technology, tighten up financial skills, and more for their current venture.

Anyone is welcome to come together and attend RCWS hosted by TVN in Telluride. Attendees will hear from an all-women panel of entrepreneurs including Stephanie Breedlove, founder of Care.com HomePay. Stephanie took the leap of faith and left the corporate world to build her startup while simultaneously raising two young children. She eventually sold HomePay for $50 million. The panel also includes past participant Natalie Binder, who now runs Camp V in Naturita, Colorado. This camp was inspired by her desire to transform a coal-impacted community into a place that connects people through art and experience. Last but not least, the panel also includes past RCWS participant Olivia Pedersen, who was inspired to start her company Sustaio through the sustainable work she did in her master’s program centered around human-based design. She is pioneering an application that rewards users for their sustainable outputs and inputs. All three panelists have immense knowledge about the business world and are eager to share their insights with the 2023 RCWS attendees!

Marketing Director for Telluride Venture Network, Annemarie Jodlowski, loves seeing people from southwestern Colorado get support for their ventures from high-level business professionals. She says

“It's fantastic to have such high-caliber professors facilitate the weekend, especially with their exceptional understanding of the challenges faced by rural entrepreneurs in our region. While Brad Werner and Erick Mueller cover a lot of ground over two days, they do so in such an enthusiastic and engaging manner that many of our participants return year after year."

On top of collaborating with the Deming Center for this workshop, the Telluride Venture Network supports their community with quarterly boot camps, investment strategy, programs geared toward Latinx entrepreneurs, and even access to capital for local businesses. They also provide mentorship programs, where entrepreneurs can seek guidance from CEOs, attorneys, marketing experts, and others. All of these resources can be found on their website.

Through the partnership with the Telluride Venture Network and the Deming Center, entrepreneurs in southwestern Colorado continue to grow their businesses and gain needed skills. Erick Mueller says

“It is always amazing to see the cohort of change-makers and people coming together from Norwood, Telluride, and the surrounding communities. The cohorts are always collaborative, and [it’s] inspiring to see [them] grow and innovate. I am certain that the groups that have participated in RCWS will elevate and continue to elevate the Southwest Colorado community!”

The Telluride Shore Up Finale will take place at Wilkinson Public Library on Friday, October 6th, and Saturday, October 7th, 2023. Click here to register
for this event and learn more about other RCWS locations by visiting the Rurual Colorado Workshop Series website.

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The Third Rendition of the Demystifying Entrepreneurship Workshop Comes to Ignacio, CO

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 06:00:00 +0000

The Third Rendition of the Demystifying Entrepreneurship Workshop Comes to Ignacio, CO Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/24/2023 - 00:00

Katie Morton

[Ignacio, Colorado, August 17, 2023] The Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the ��«��Ƶ hosted the third year of the multi-year entrepreneurial workshop series, “Demystifying Entrepreneurship – StartUp to ScaleUp” on August 11th - 12th, 2023.

Taught by award winning faculty members from CU’s Leeds School of Business, Erick Mueller and Eric Bruno, this year's program focused on the core elements of a startup, how to launch, and how to grow along with basics such as marketing and funding.

Throughout the weekend, a group of 15 local entrepreneurs and innovators from La Plata County and surrounding areas joined together at the Sky Ute Casino to learn and build community. The weekend was full of positivity and entrepreneurial spirit as the group explored their unique value propositions and runways for growth. The varied group was comprised of companies such as a tortilla burger restaurant, a linguistic preservation service, and a coffee roaster.

“Don’t underestimate your competition and understand your why,” one participant shared as their most valuable take away. Each participant felt they could gain something from every module in the workshop, with some carrying more significance based on the stage of their venture. One of the keystones of the workshop series is the creation of a cohort – the attendees gained a community of like-minded individuals with whom to brainstorm ideas, overcome challenges, and celebrate victories.

One participant, and panel member, Diane Millich ran her tortilla burger business through the workshop and also shared her journey to date with the cohort. A serendipitous moment also surfaced when Millich realized her mother’s artwork was displayed in the event space, demonstrating the significance of family legacy and the creative spirit in this community. Another participant workshopped her venture to preserve Native languages, further emphasizing the deep roots this cohort had to its culture and heritage.

In the last three years, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe has collaborated with the ��«��Ƶ and invited community members far and wide for the workshop. This year’s participants came from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Navajo Nation Tribe, Lakota Tribe, and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, as well as local La Plata County. “This year’s cohort was amazing!” says Erick Mueller, Adjunct Professor and Executive Director of the Deming Center. “Not only did the cohort come together to push their ventures forward, but we had multiple meaningful moments among the cohort that took our relationships and the workshop that much deeper. We are looking forward to coming back again next year!”

“I really enjoyed being a part of this great rural Colorado workshop series for another successful year,” says Colton Black, Economic Development Manager at the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. “The level of expertise and years of real-world experience that Erick and Eric bring to these workshops as instructors is incredible. They make the learning fun too! The smaller cohort size this year also really allowed the instructors the opportunity to provide more personalized attention to each aspiring business leader we had in attendance. It provided an elevated level of support and tailored advice that really seemed to help make things click and start coming together for each attendee and their different business ideas. It was a special thing to see!”

This series of workshops is put on in partnership with CU’s Leeds School of Business, Deming Center for Entrepreneurship and is available in every major rural region in Colorado. The next Demystifying Entrepreneurship Workshop is being offered in Telluride, Colorado on October 6th and 7th in collaboration with Telluride Venture Network. To register for this event, please visit: https://tellurideventurenetwork.com/shore-up-your-business/

And to learn about all locations, visit : /business/deming/community/demystifying-entrepreneurship-rural-colorado-workshop-series.

Many thanks to those who made this event possible.

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Rural communities get demystified when starting their businesses

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 16:56:22 +0000

Rural communities get demystified when starting their businesses Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/02/2023 - 10:56

Colette Czarnecki - staff writer for The Journal

University of Colorado teams up with the Southern Ute Tribe to help business ideas come to life

Southwest Colorado Demystifying Entrepreneurship workshop. Erick Mueller/Courtesy photo

One day in 2017, Yuma resident Tanya Flemister was distracted at a workout class by a woman in front of her who had, she estimated, 50 bobby pins holding her hair back.

That day, Flemister also had bobby pins that kept her bangs in place during the session, but not as many as the woman near her. On her way home, she thought about easier ways to keep hair out of people’s faces. At home, she pulled out her sewing machine and with the help of Google, made a headband prototype with six clips that secured the hair. That prototype still hangs in her shop as her business, SWAY, continues to grow.

In collaboration with the CU Leeds Business School and the Southern Ute Tribe, an intensive entrepreneurial workshop, will take place on August 11 and 12. Geared toward rural communities, Southwest Colorado Demystifying Entrepreneurship StartUp to ScaleUp supports people who want to start or continue growing their businesses.

Flemister took part in a workshop this spring about pitching a company in northeast Colorado. On top of gaining valuable pitching skills, she received accolades from the knowledge she obtained.

“I went home and totally reworked my whole pitch and ended up winning [the Colorado Pitch Competition in Yuma]. The judges commented and said I totally paid attention to the rubric. So that was nice,” Flemister said. “Erick [and Hunter] were absolutely amazing. They brought energy to it and totally kind of revitalized my life for my company, because you can get bogged down in the day-to-day things of it. I wish I would have found them earlier in my entrepreneurial journey.”

In its third year working with the Southern Ute Tribe, the two-day workshop covers necessary steps to aid businesses, with the guidance of award winning business leaders from the University of Colorado Leeds School, the Southern Ute Economic Development and local entrepreneurs.

Erick Mueller, facilitator of the Rural Colorado Workshop Series and executive director and adjunct professor of the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at CU ��«��Ƶ, has been teaching this workshop for nine years. He said it leads to economic vitality, job creation and a better quality of life in rural communities. Together, he’ll work with Eric Bruno, who is an adjunct professor and a chief marketing officer with many creative awards in the advertising field.

Mueller is thrilled to have been working with the tribe for the past three years. The program commits to each community they work with for five years in Colorado, and with much care and communication they are in their third year with the Southern Ute Tribe. The core of the program is to build bridges and grow ventures among local communities.

“Our Native communities are a bigger community that we really want to continue to focus on and help any way we can. We believe that they haven't had as much access to some of these workshops as we would like them to, and so we’re happy to contribute our part,” Mueller said.

Anyone is welcome to join at whatever stage their business idea may be in, even if they never attended a previous workshop. Mueller also said that community members who reside within a 100-mile radius from Ignacio are welcome to attend.

the course

The three key folks who would find value in the workshop include current entrepreneurs who are looking for a refresh, aspiring entrepreneurs who want to learn how to act on their ideas; local leaders, such as city council members, mayors and local economic development offices.

The workshop goes over three separate levels for business development and growth within the five years it's held in each community. The first level is called Demystifying Entrepreneurship, a 101 course that teaches about value propositions, marketing and how to fund your business.

The second stage is called StartUp to ScaleUp, which focuses on growth. A common mistake Mueller found is that people grow on very shaky foundations, so they teach tools to evaluate if a business is ready to grow.

Last, ShoreUp educates on how to pitch business ideas, meaning how to present the organization in a compelling way that could help bring support.

Why rural communities?

Mueller realized how important the workshop is to rural communities when a Chaffee County economic development officer invited him to bring one of his executive courses to Buena Vista. They thought a dozen people would attend, but they found 66 community members standing in a small room waiting for that first workshop to begin. It became a success and since then Mueller has taught rural communities over the past nine years, bringing what is more accessible to the Front Range into rural life.

As with SWAY Headbands, another recent example was with a workshop held in Northwest Colorado in the Yampa Valley. Derek Martin attended the workshop last October and soon after pitched the wine bar he now owns with his wife at a pitching event. They won and were awarded $10,000 to bring the business into fruition. Mueller said the workshop was one piece of the journey where Martin brought the tools to action and Alpenglow at the Granary opened this summer in Hayden, Colorado.

“It kind of changed my mindset on how to approach business as an entrepreneur,” Martin said. “More often than not entrepreneurs end up working in their businesses rather than on their business.”

Olivia Pedersen attended two workshops based out of Norwood while she worked on her graduate degree. With the help of the workshops and networking, she launched Sustaio, a free sustainability app that measures the carbon footprint in people’s homes – natural gas, electricity and water.

“I thought it was really cool that it supports people who live in rural Colorado and brings entrepreneurship to the community. But entrepreneurship is everywhere. It’s like everybody’s relying on their neighbor to provide a service or product like the local butcher and our local florist,” Pedersen said. “I would definitely recommend the workshop or any workshop like it for people who are considering starting a business. It’s a low-risk way to have some outside input, which is super-important."

Challenges to rural entrepreneurship

Mueller said that challenges exist with rural communities when it comes to entrepreneurship. For one, access to talent is difficult to obtain. It’s hard to find people to relocate to rural areas, such as coders, in Pedersen’s case.

Another challenge is access to capital. Mueller said that although capital is key, it’s not always the answer. Creativity and thinking outside the box is crucial.

Last, logistics, such as shipping and supply chains, are more difficult to come by. This doesn’t mean that it’s impossible, it’s just more strenuous as compared with cities.

Overall, he found that bringing talent to rural communities is the most challenging.

“The more people that learn the way of innovative thinking, the stronger our rural communities and the state and the world would be,” Mueller said.

Over the nine years that the Rural Colorado Workshop Series has been in progress, they helped over 700 entrepreneurs and local leaders throughout rural Colorado.

Their goal is to help at least 1,000 entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses in rural communities.

To register, go to eventbrite.com and search for SW Colorado Demystifying Entrepreneurship. Scholarship opportunities are available.

Article originally published in The Journal on Friday, July 28, 2023. See the original article here.

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Empowering Native American Communities: Kayla Toledo’s Journey with RCWS Ignacio

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Empowering Native American Communities: Kayla Toledo’s Journey with RCWS Ignacio Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 07/06/2023 - 00:00

Lauren Gwyn

Kayla Toledo, a member of the Jemez Indian Tribe located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been caring for children her whole life. Since the age of 12, Kayla has played a huge role in raising her family's children and caring for the “little ones” during the summer, some as young as six months old. With six siblings and countless cousins, Kayla has worked long hours contributing to their upbringing. Her story is one of many for people in her community, as childcare options are sparse. That’s why Kayla was first inspired to create change in the Native American childcare space and pioneer an initiative to bring daycare centers to Native American families where they can learn and be educated on their culture.

When Kayla entered high school, she noticed a change in her friends and classmates. Some of them were getting pregnant, and there was limited access to adequate childcare. Driven to provide opportunities to those with limited options, Kayla sought to "offer something that hasn't been offered before." She decided to begin her entrepreneurial journey senior year of high school, and in the process was connected with US Secretaries, mentors, and community leaders to help get her vision across. One of these mentors recommended she attend the Leeds School of Business’ Rural Colorado Workshop Series (RCWS). She knew it was going to be a great opportunity, so she took the trip from Albuquerque to Ignacio, Colorado.

Preserving Heritage: Kayla’s Vision for Cultural Empowerment

Kayla’s vision extends beyond conventional childcare; she aspires to establish a learning center where children up to 5 years old can embrace their culture and language. She aims to give parents from Native American communities opportunities while creating an immersive environment where each child can explore their unique heritage. By incorporating representation and knowledge from all 19 pueblos (tribes), Kayla strives to ensure that every child receives a comprehensive education about their cultural background so that future generations of Native Americans know values, traditions, and beliefs to have a sense of belonging. She also hopes to provide knowledge on lessons learned from ancestors and the history behind how Native American people came to be.

Guided by the Rural Colorado Workshop Series

Kayla was able to be asked tough questions, and ultimately set on the best path for success with her company by attending RCWS’s annual workshop last year. She says:

“It was nice attending the workshop. It really pushed me even more actually to figure out and understand what I want within my program because during the workshop they asked me questions that I never thought about. It would either push people to come up with an answer or kind of give them a stopping point where they needed to think more about their business.”

The Rural Colorado Workshop Series is renowned for helping entrepreneurs set foot on the right path to startup success. Workshops are held annually over five years and are led by award-winning professors Erick Mueller and Eric Bruno in partnership with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. This August in Ignacio, RCWS will have its third year where entrepreneurs can focus on scaling up their startups. This two-day workshop is where participants can shift their thinking to “what’s next.” No matter what the startup is, RCWS provides useful tools for any entrepreneur to dig deeper into what’s to come for the next phase of their company.

Join the Journey: Register for RCWS Ignacio

Interested in attending the third annual Native Entrepreneurship Rural Colorado Workshop Series in Ignacio on Friday, August 11th, and Saturday, August 12th? Register Here! If you are a member of the Southern Ute Tribe, the cost of admission is free through scholarships. For more information on the event, make sure to check out the RCWS Ignacio registration page. We can’t wait to see you there!

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Logan County Celebrates their Fifth and Final Year of the Rural Colorado Entrepreneurial Workshop

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Logan County Celebrates their Fifth and Final Year of the Rural Colorado Entrepreneurial Workshop Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 06/15/2023 - 00:00

Katie Morton

[Sterling, Colorado, June 12, 2023] The Logan County Economic Development Corporation and the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the ��«��Ƶ hosted their fifth and final year of the multi-year entrepreneurial workshop series, “Demystifying Entrepreneurship - Shore Up Your Small Business” on June 2-3, 2023.

Taught by award winning faculty members at CU’s Leeds School of Business, Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, Erick Mueller and Hunter Albright, this year's program focused on the core elements that create critical resiliency in every successful business venture, regardless of stage, to help strengthen and reinforce strategy.

During this finale, a group of 30 local entrepreneurs and innovators from Logan County joined together at Sky Ranch Golf Course and Tennant Art Gallery to celebrate five years of successful collaboration. The weekend was full of positivity and entrepreneurial spirit as the group took their business concepts to the next level. The varied group included a camel milk for kiddos with certain allergies, a hair band that won’t fall out and with great style and an English tea experience on a 50-acre oasis.

“I would like to believe that today set me on a new path,” says a 2023 attendee. Other attendees emphasized the value of learning how to create a good pitch, and the one on one opportunities to connect with other attendees. Attendees “enjoyed the passion, energy and willingness to share,” as they heard from both local entrepreneurs and the instructors of the program.

Michelle Meade joined the final Demystifying Entrepreneurship workshop with her soap company, Meade’s Pure Soap. Her company manufactures a variety of soaps from locally sourced ingredients and that includes an element of art. She shared,

“The CU Demystifying Entrepreneurship workshop is a high energy experience packed with practical tools along with great action steps that will help propel Meade’s Pure Soap to new heights!”

Collaborating with over 100 community members throughout the five years, Mueller shares his thoughts about rounding out this series with this year's cohort.

“What a wonderful finale with these Logan County changemakers! We had participants from over the years of the workshop – ranging from brand new in their venture to seasoned entrepreneurs. It was super fun to watch this cohort collaborate and support each other in starting and growing their ventures. And what a celebration! Five years of impact and growth. I’m positive the graduates of this program will continue to elevate Logan County’s overall economic vitality. This community will always have a special place in my heart."

“The finale year definitely didn’t disappoint; we had another fantastic group of entrepreneurs and Erick and Hunter delivered a great program,” says Trae Miller, Executive Director of Logan County Economic Development Corp. “The impact that this program brought to the community over the last five years has been huge. We’re excited to continue building on the entrepreneurial ecosystem by bringing more programming through resources like The Annex coworking facility.”

Local Logan County entrepreneurs are also invited to come watch the final companies pitch at this year’s “Shark Tank” style competition on Wednesday, June 15th at Sky Ranch Golf & Grill at 17408 Colorado 14, Sterling, Colorado. These entrepreneurs will have a chance to compete for $30,000 in funding to take the next steps in their entrepreneurial journey. The finalists include She Will Amaze You (SWAY), Anywhere Cam, Camelot Dairy, Akro Co Colorado Craft Beer, and Wickedly Good Treats.

This series of workshops is put on in partnership with CU’s Leeds School of Business, Deming Center for Entrepreneurship and is available in every major rural region in Colorado. The next Demystifying Entrepreneurship Workshop is being offered in Ignacio, Colorado, on August 11th and 12th in collaboration with the Southern Ute Tribe. To register for this event, please visit the Eventbrite Registration page. You can learn about all locations, by visiting the Rural Colorado Workshope Series website.

Many thanks to those who made this event possible.

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Transforming High School Education: The Impact of the $5 Challenge on Colorado Students

Anonymous — Thu, 18 May 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Transforming High School Education: The Impact of the $5 Challenge on Colorado Students Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/18/2023 - 00:00

Stefani Harrison

Erick Mueller with a group of 20 students and two high school staff celebrating the conclusion of the 2019 $5 Challenge.

For nearly 20 years, Erick Mueller has strived to create a lasting positive impact for everyone interacting with the ��«��Ƶ (CU ��«��Ƶ) through entrepreneurship education provided by the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. Although the last six years have been anything but predictable, Mueller has continued to lead and extend entrepreneurship education to CU ��«��Ƶ’s students, staff, and faculty through various workshops, classes, and consultations. Over the past nine years, Mueller has expanded his impact to the broader Colorado community through the Rural Colorado Workshop Series, but also on a smaller scale by working with and inspiring Colorado high school students through the “$5 Challenge” workshop.

In 2018, Mueller began traveling to local high schools, spreading the message that anyone can be an entrepreneur and demonstrating this with $5.

At the start of every $5 Challenge workshop, Mueller defines entrepreneurship (the process of taking advantage of a unique combination of resources to leverage an opportunity) and then invests $5 into student teams of three to five students with the challenge to make a positive impact that maximizes the return for themselves, their team, their school, and their community. After the students come up with a business idea, they pitch it and its successes to a panel of judges, and one team from each class is declared the $5 Challenge winner!

Scaling the $5 Challenge

For years, the Deming Center’s $5 Challenge has only been able to deliver the workshop sporadically, mainly due to limited time and lack of ability to scale. Thanks to the Deming Center’s newest Program Coordinator Katie Morton, that has all changed. Within her first semester working for the center, Morton transformed the $5 Challenge by mapping out processes, creating a curriculum, sharing the opportunity with the community, and implementing strategies to scale.

Morton’s proudest accomplishment thus far has been getting CU ��«��Ƶ’s faculty, staff, and students involved in teaching and judging the high school student teams. Morton said, “High schoolers are more likely to listen to someone closer to their age. [This] gives college students the chance to give back and use their education in simple ways. Many are so focused on finals and internships that they don’t see the value in what they are doing. [The $5 Challenge] empowers our Leeds students to see that they are valuable and can give back.”

Success in Colorado High Schools

Local high schools that have offered the program end up adding it to their standard curriculum. Fairview High School teacher Michael Mowen heard about the program in 2018 when he contacted the Leeds School of Business to help prepare his juniors and seniors for college. Michael said,

“The $5 Challenge goes well every year that we do it. The students get exposure to professors and students at the next level. It gives them some exposure to the next level of expectations that are coming their way. In addition to the entrepreneurship piece, it is a unique opportunity for the kids to work together and work outside of school on a fun project.”

Ninth grade teacher and creator of Peak-to-Peak Charter School’s Innovation Program, Kristie Letter has a similar experience. She said,

“Erick Mueller brought up the $5 Challenge in a conversation we had about potential collaboration between CU Leeds and our new Innovation Program at Peak to Peak… and shockingly, he was willing to try it with ninth graders! I had to navigate a nervous administration, who were worried about handing cash to fourteen-year-olds, but the results were SO encouraging… I definitely want to do it again, if CU Leeds is willing!!!”

Thanks to the work of Mueller, Morton, Mowen, and Letter, this spring saw the most successful $5 Challenges to date. But don’t take our word for it, instead listen to the students.

“I thought that the $5 Challenge was an amazing opportunity for my class. When the Leeds team first presented it to us we were intimidated but eager to do our best. The challenge was set up with clear instructions and guidelines and that really helped my team lock down on the route we were going to go with our five dollars. We chose to focus on social responsibility and ecological sustainability. Using our five dollars, we purchased compostable plates, a poster board, and whipped cream. We then set up a fundraising stand for our Fairview Make-A-Wish kid, Claire. Our fundraiser consisted of letting strangers hit us in the face with whipped cream pies for five dollars and all of our proceeds went straight to Claire.”
– Lexi Goldstein (Junior at Fairview)

“Something I loved about the $5 Challenge is how I was able to make an impact out of basically nothing - and I learned how with such limited materials and time, I could really make a change and generate value. It was really cool to be able to interact with my community and do something I wouldn't normally be doing - entrepreneurship - which I used to think was only for adults.”
– Miralisa T. (Freshman at Peak-to-Peak)

“The $5 Challenge was a fun and educational experience because I learned entrepreneurship and how to use my money wisely in a way that was helpful to my community.”
– Emily S. (Freshman at Peak-to-Peak)

“I got so excited when I saw how interested the judges were in our actual idea, and it was incredible to see that they thought something we were so passionate about was a good idea and a good investment!”
– Skye A. (Freshman at Peak-to-Peak)

“I learned the importance of marketing because since we posted on social media what we would be selling, people knew where to find us and knew what they wanted.”
– Aralynn K. (Freshman at Peak-to-Peak)

This year students made a big impact from selling sweets during their lunch period to utilizing their artistic talents to brighten people’s day and raise funds for a fellow student in need. We can’t wait to see what they do next!

Thanks to the internal reworkings of the $5 Challenge, the program is equipped to take on even more classes. Are you interested in having a $5 Challenge at your high school in ��«��Ƶ County? Reach out to us at deming@colorado.edu. Or show your support for the success and expansion of the program by donating here.

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