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Boulder is known for its entrepreneurial spirit (see links below) and we noticed this spirit with our 60 CUBIC students this year. CUBIC runs during Maymester for three weeks (8:30-5:00) and is open to non-business majors with at least 60 credits or recent graduates. The participants learn about accounting, marketing, finance, personal finance, business & government along with leadership & management. There are also two career days that covers résumé writing, networking and interviewing skills.

During the three weeks, each participant is placed into a group of 3-4 other students and they work on a business plan project and present it to a panel of judges on the last day. Over the past few years, only about 20% of the students indicated an interest in starting their own company; but this year over 60% were interested!!! To add to the competition, Ronda Phillips of S3 Talent Management awarded the top three teams with gift cards. Members of the first place (Gold) team each received a $150 gift card, 2^nd place (Silver) received a $100 gift card and 3^rd place (Bronze) received a $50 gift card. There were 14 teams total.

The Gold team's business plan was around a restaurant that was also involved with community giving. The team included: Mark Arnoldy, Todd McPherson, Funmi Ogunremi and Julia Schroeder. The Silver team promoted a product to enhance study habits of students. The team was comprised of James Caine, Justin D'Atri, Laura Hoch and John Kelly. The Bronze team focused their efforts on an outdoor recreational service. Team members included Zack Feirer, Sean Hanley, Samantha Kirberg and Spencer Sinclair. All of the teams had great concepts. We can't wait to see what kind of business plans next year's class will develop and present to the panel of judges. CUBIC 2011 will be held from May 9-27.

Boulder, Colo., a Magnet for High-Tech Start-Ups 

Claire Cain Miller, New York Times.  Published May 13, 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/business/14boulder.html?src=me&ref=general

Why Boulder is America's Best Town for Start-Ups

Vivek Wadhwa, Business Week.  Published April 22, 2010

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/apr2010/sb20100421_531161.htm

Right now there are a number of CU students who are wondering "What's next?" as they approach graduation. One good step may be to complete the CUBIC program at the Leeds School and turn a passion into a job.

The CU Business Intensive Certificate (CUBIC) program is an opportunity for juniors, seniors, and recent graduates who are or were not business students to pick up basic business skills and techniques. Coupled with a college degree, CUBIC will help students discover viable careers that await them. A business intensive certificate from a top-ranked program like the Leeds School demonstrates to employers and companies that you are serious about making the transition from college to career.

Participants are exposed to business fundamentals such as accounting, finance, economics, marketing, leadership, management, and personal finance. A business certificate complements any degree, allowing our graduates to walk across the stage and into a job. The CUBIC program allows participants to also live what they've learned through an entrepreneurial, integrated team project (you know, just like how it is in the real world, working with others who come from different backgrounds, work experiences, skill sets, and talents).

CUBIC is designed for those who have studied an emphasis they love, say in art history or environmental science, and then translate that knowledge and skill set into a career, like at a museum or at a renewable energy company.  The intensive three-week program goes beyond the academic and theoretical: it's an application of how these business fundamentals apply to the individual student. It's an investment in themselves, drilling down from the "we" mentality in a classroom to making the "me" stand out in the marketplace: How can I best market myself? How do I manage my personal and professional finances? What can a business plan do for me?

I, like my CUBIC faculty colleagues, look forward to the rich and diverse environment provided through this program, both with the students and the instructors. People in the seats come from a variety of disciplines, from linguistics to mathematics to engineering, causing us to stretch our skills as educators as we condense critical business principles into a three-week course that will enhance their skill set.

If you or a student you know is struggling with "What's next?" then help them sharpened their focus on their future with CUBIC. For more information, visit leeds.colorado.edu/cubic.

Cathleen Burns
Accounting Professor and CUBIC Instructor

One of the teams that won the business plan challenge in 2009.

On Friday, April 2nd, the 50 for Colorado leadership participants learned about Sports & Recreation in Colorado.  They started out in the morning at Invesco Field and the participants heard from CU Athletics, Kroenke Sports, Denver Broncos and Além International (Olympic Torch Race) and then they toured Invesco Field.

In the afternoon the group headed over to Coors Field and heard from more speakers, including representatives from Colorado Rockies and USA Rugby.  Afterwards they toured the stadium and had a chance to check out the Rockies' locker room, which isn't open to the public.

Even if the participants weren't major sports fans, it gave them a great overview of the economic impact sports has in Colorado and why so many people in this state love the variety of sports and recreation opportunities here. 

As an employee at CU, we hear from a lot of students that part of the reason they attend school here is the proximity to recreational activities.  With that in mind, the Leeds School of Business created the Business of Sports program for college juniors and seniors-which you may have read about in earlier posts.  Application and registration forms are due on April 9, so if you know of any students who would be interested in this program, let them know soon (it will also be held in the Summer 2011).  We are looking forward to meeting those students who really have a love of the game. 

Undergrads,

We have added more info sessions for CUBIC and the Business of Sports certificate programs. Business of Sports application and registration forms are due by April 9.  CUBIC registration is due by May 3. 

Koelbel Building (S233)-inside the Executive Education & MBA Suite (S230):

April 7, 12, and 14 | 5:00pm

April 8 and 19 | 10:30am

We will also have an info table at the UMC from 11:00am-2:00pm on these dates:

April 5, April 12, April 13, April 20, April 21.

Registration and application forms will be available on February 1, 2010. If you would like to receive more information on BOS, please e-mail me at Robin.Miglarese@colorado.edu.  We are very excited about this program and are looking forward to having a great group of students in it.