Snapshots

Sebastian Villa Betancur, Assistant Professor of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations

Jane Majkiewicz — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 20:42:33 +0000

Sebastian Villa Betancur, Assistant Professor of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations Jane Majkiewicz Thu, 01/09/2025 - 13:42

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Sebastian Villa Betancur
Title: Assistant Professor of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations
Education: PhD, Economics, Università della Svizzera Italiana (Switzerland)
MSc, Systems Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Colombia)
BSc, Chemical Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Colombia)

The ability to serve as a faculty affiliate of the Renée Crown Wellness Institute was a key factor in Sebastian Villa Betancur’s decision to join the Leeds faculty. Driven by a passion for equity and justice, his research focuses on helping vulnerable populations and improving the operations and profitability of family-owned retail businesses, which dominate developing economies. He arrives with extensive experience at three leading business schools in the U.S: the University of New Mexico, Indiana University and the University of Texas at Dallas.

“Leeds is a leader in sustainability, social impact and business research, which resonates strongly with my own values and academic interests. Leeds’ world-class business programs and connections with the industry and local communities make it a place of excellence and innovation where I can contribute meaningfully to teaching and research.”

Sebastian Villa Betancur is a champion for vulnerable populations and family-run businesses that dominate developing economies.

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Nithya Shankar, Assistant Teaching Professor of Marketing

Jane Majkiewicz — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 20:31:03 +0000

Nithya Shankar, Assistant Teaching Professor of Marketing Jane Majkiewicz Thu, 01/09/2025 - 13:31

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Nithya Shankar
Title: Assistant Teaching Professor of Marketing
Education: PhD, Marketing, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
MS, Information Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
BS, Computer Science and Engineering, Anna University (India)

Nithya Shankar is excited to be at Leeds for two reasons: No. 1, she was looking for a teaching-focused role in academia; and No. 2, she wanted to relocate to be closer to her husband, who works in Denver. She was thrilled that the right opportunity came up at Leeds, offering a tenure-track position in line with her previous faculty role at SUNY Plattsburgh, where she earned the State University of New York’s Chancellor Award in Teaching in 2023. She looks forward to sharing her expertise in marketing strategy, bringing unique insights to Leeds with her knowledge of marketing in the wine industry.

“Leeds is a very reputed school, so it was everything I was looking for in an employer and leading business school.”

Nithya Shankar brings award-winning teaching experience to Leeds and a unique focus on wine marketing.

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James (Jamie) Cheston, Assistant Teaching Professor of Marketing

Jane Majkiewicz — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 20:20:37 +0000

James (Jamie) Cheston, Assistant Teaching Professor of Marketing Jane Majkiewicz Thu, 01/09/2025 - 13:20

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: James (Jamie) Cheston
Title: Assistant Teaching Professor of Marketing
Education: MBA, Marketing & Sustainable Global Enterprise, Cornell University
BS in Human & Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University

Jamie Cheston has been an adjunct faculty member at CU’s College of Media, Communication and Information for several years and is excited to follow in former marketing colleagues’ footsteps by joining the Leeds faculty. He knew Leeds would be a great next step for his professional career and looks forward to sharing his expertise in both agency-side advertising and client-side marketing, with a special focus on brand strategy and product innovation. He plans to combine concepts with practical applications by sharing extensive real-world and personal experiences to make learning more engaging and relatable.

“As a brand manager at WhiteWave Foods/Danone, I led development of a number of products … from Horizon Organic Growing Years yogurts to Silk Oat Milk. I also led Horizon’s sponsorship of the Peanuts movie—including a trip to the red carpet!—targeting many of our Leeds students as younger kids.”

Jamie Cheston brings extensive industry experience in product marketing and innovation to his teaching at Leeds.

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Nathrine Mensah Afrifa (MSupCha’25)

Jane Majkiewicz — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:25:34 +0000

Nathrine Mensah Afrifa (MSupCha’25) Jane Majkiewicz Wed, 12/18/2024 - 12:25

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Nathrine Mensah Afrifa
Hometown: Accra, Ghana
Major: Supply Chain Management (now Supply Chain Analytics)

In her time at Leeds, Nathrine Mensah Afrifa (MSupCha’25) has gained both technical knowledge and soft skills. Inspired by the creative teaching methods of Assistant Professor of Operations Övünç Yılmaz and the emotional intelligence of Assistant Professor of Marketing Quentin Andre, she hopes to build a career that combines industry and academics. Above all, her goal is to mentor the next generation of business leaders, just like she was mentored here at Leeds.

“The opportunity to master core business principles while focusing on advanced supply chain and operations strategy, along with engaging in experiential projects, has made Leeds more than just an academic destination—it has become the perfect environment for my professional growth.”

As Nathrine Mensah Afrifa (MSupCha’25) gains experience in supply chain strategy, she has been inspired by her professors at Leeds and hopes to mentor future students in the same way.

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Tanner Ryan (Mgmt’14, MSupCha’15)

Jane Majkiewicz — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 21:13:58 +0000

Tanner Ryan (Mgmt’14, MSupCha’15) Jane Majkiewicz Tue, 12/17/2024 - 14:13

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Tanner Ryan
Hometown: Westminster, Colorado
Major: Operations and Information Management, International Business and Leadership; Supply Chain Management
Position: Senior Category Manager at Danone

Tanner has always been a self-starter: he worked to essentially craft his own "engineering of business" focus with his college majors and figured out a way to get credit at Leeds for learning Mandarin on his own to help his friend start a business in China. Through his new job as a buyer at Danone, he’s had to learn new ways of communicating, processing information and working with teams to complete complicated projects. He's relied on numerous support structures to get through difficult times in life and create goals that align with the rapidly changing world. His current goals are traveling and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.

“Beyond the impacts work can have on life, life can impact your performance and motivation at work. I am learning to activate my support networks, restructure what my network looks like as life changes, and build resiliency for the future.”

Tanner Ryan said Leeds gave him a tailor-made college experience that enabled him "to build a well-rounded portfolio and show employers I had the experience they were looking for."

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Cory London (Fin’24)

Jane Majkiewicz — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 22:04:21 +0000

Cory London (Fin’24) Jane Majkiewicz Wed, 12/04/2024 - 15:04

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Cory London
Hometown: Englewood, Colorado
Major: Finance, minor in music

A sports fanatic, Cory London (Fin’24) is excited to graduate this December and explore a couple paths: either working in wealth management or making the Ball Arena his office in the hopes of working with the Colorado Avalanche. He solidified his sports expertise through Leeds' Business of Sports Program. He also started a podcast called the "Captain Avalanche Fancast" about his passion in sports and hockey media, which he’s excited to continue after graduation.

“With professional sports, positive outcomes are special and indescribable feelings that cannot be replicated by anything else; if I can somehow be a part or an aspect of that and help bring that to the fans and the people, it would genuinely be a dream come true.”

As a longtime sports fan, Cory London (Fin’24) is graduating this December with aspirations to work for the Colorado Avalanche.

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Sarah Rego (Fin’24)

Jane Majkiewicz — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 21:13:44 +0000

Sarah Rego (Fin’24) Jane Majkiewicz Wed, 12/04/2024 - 14:13

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Sarah Rego
Hometown: Allendale, New Jersey
Major: Finance and Global Business Certificate
Upcoming Position: Incoming analyst at BlackRock in San Franciso

For Sarah Rego (Fin’24), Leeds opened doors to the world, with unparalleled experiences in cross-cultural communications and international business. She was the first person in her family to go to college in the U.S. She completed the global business certificate and participated in FGX, study abroad and a workaway program in Switzerland. After graduating this December, she’s traveling to Nepal to volunteer and hike before starting an analyst position at BlackRock. Her love of travel also factors into her future goals: She hopes to go to all 50 states and explore Asia.

“I have met some amazing mentors, whether staff or alumni, who have guided me throughout my college experience and have set me up for success. They have shown me great opportunities in the professional and personal world.”

December graduate Sarah Rego (Fin’24) is leaving behind her beloved Rocky Mountains to start her new career, but she's taking with her a broad worldview, thanks to transformative global experiences at Leeds.

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Tyler Bianchi (Fin’24)

Jane Majkiewicz — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 18:42:48 +0000

Tyler Bianchi (Fin’24) Jane Majkiewicz Wed, 12/04/2024 - 11:42

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Tyler Bianchi
Hometown: Carmel, California
Major: Finance

As Tyler Bianchi (Fin’24) nears his graduation this December, he‘s reflecting on all the opportunities Leeds has provided him: world travel, a network of successful alumni, and a few best friends. Most of all, he says he owes a lot of his success to his mentorship experiences within Leeds.

“The Leeds School of Business has provided me with the invaluable opportunity to grow from a mentee into a mentor, allowing me to support and guide younger students as I once was, fostering a culture of collaboration and community.”

After graduating this December, Tyler Bianchi (Fin’24) is looking forward to leveraging his technical and interpersonal skills to make finance and real estate happier and more enjoyable experiences for his clients.

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Ava Kics (MSupCha’25)

Jane Majkiewicz — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 19:46:24 +0000

Ava Kics (MSupCha’25) Jane Majkiewicz Wed, 11/20/2024 - 12:46

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Ava Kics (MSupCha’25)
Hometown: Master’s in Supply Chain Management
Position: Palatine, Illinois

After studying at CU for her undergraduate in environmental studies, Ava Kics believes that continuing to pursue a master’s in supply chain management has been the best decision she’s made to date. In her career, she hopes to combine the knowledge and skills learned from both her degrees to help organizations minimize their environmental impact while supporting a growing economy. High personal expectations along with a wide plethora of travel experiences—Costa Rica, Spain and Japan—have helped her grow into the person she is today.

“Being able to learn so much about the world’s dynamic supply chains in such a short period of time helped me gain stronger time management and teamwork skills, both of which are vital for successful futures in this industry.”

Learning about the world’s dynamic supply chains in a short period of time has helped Ava Kics gain stronger skills in time management and teamwork.

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Amruta Kelshiker (Fin, Mgmt’24)

Kelsey Cipolla — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 17:30:29 +0000

Amruta Kelshiker (Fin, Mgmt’24) Kelsey Cipolla Wed, 11/06/2024 - 10:30

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Amruta Kelshiker
Hometown: Aurora, Colorado
Major: Finance and Management
Upcoming job: Incoming analyst at Black Rock

When deciding to come to Leeds, Amruta Kelshiker was interested in a collaborative environment, practical experience, and, of course, the location. As she finishes up her last year, she has benefitted from supportive faculty and gaining skills she’s confident will take her far into her finance career, where she aspires to integrate sustainable practices into investment strategies. She wants to help clients navigate the financial market’s complexities while promoting responsible, long-term growth. This past year, she lived in Seville, Spain, and San Franciso, two cities where she didn’t know anyone—a testament to her spirit of personal and professional growth.

“Navigating life in a different culture and environment was both challenging and rewarding. It taught me resilience, adaptability and how to embrace new experiences. This period significantly broadened my perspective and helped me grow personally and professionally.”

As she prepares to launch her career at BlackRock, Amruta Kelshiker says the supportive faculty and collaborative environment at Leeds helped her step out of her comfort zone.

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Snapshots

Sebastian Villa Betancur, Assistant Professor of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations

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Nithya Shankar, Assistant Teaching Professor of Marketing

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