One of the bedrocks of the Boulder startup community is University of Colorado Boulder, which churns out more than its share of entrepreneurs into the startup ecosystem in Boulder and beyond. That’s why we at Boulder Startup Week love having CU Boulder as one of our staunch supporters. Thanks CU Boulder for returning as a BSW sponsor!
CU Boulder is thrilled to sponsor BSW17 in order to connect “town and gown.” By getting involved, CU Boulder hopes to engage with the amazing startup community of Boulder, understand what entrepreneurs need, and determine how CU Boulder can be of support to entrepreneurs and the startup ecosystem. It’s all about connecting the communities, and BSW welcomes the opportunity.
CU Boulder aims to be a leader in addressing the humanitarian, social, and technological challenges of the twenty-first century. This vision informs the Chancellor’s three strategic imperatives, namely:
- Shape tomorrow’s leaders,
- Be the top university for innovation, and
- Positively impact humanity.
These aims translate to the cross-campus Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, including:
- Collapse the campus,
- Connect the town and the community,
- Create meaningful growth across the ecosystem, and
- Build awareness around opportunities to engage in and gain entrepreneurial experiences.
In the words of Phil Weiser, Faculty Director of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative:
For over the last decade, CU Boulder has built an increasingly impressive set of activities and collaborations in the innovation and entrepreneurship arena. I am delighted to work with Vice Chancellor Fiez and leaders across the campus and community to take it to the next level.
In a way, CU Boulder is like a 150-year old startup. While that may sound funny, the origins of CU Boulder are very entrepreneurial. Citizens had to find space (6 citizens donated 49 acres of land), raise money (the state legislature approved $15,000 for construction of the university as long as the community matched the amount), and get buy-in from the community and would-be customers. In 1875, Colorado citizens laid the cornerstone for the university’s first building, Old Main, and officially founded CU in 1876, the same year Colorado joined the union. The university opened its doors the following year with 44 students, a president, and one instructor. It took grit, innovation, and creativity — the same traits today’s startup entrepreneurs have. CU’s origin story and continued “scale up” growth continue to fuel our strategic imperatives (mentioned above)–especially to be the top innovation university. That entrepreneurial is alive and well today, as the CU Boulder Class of 2017, which just graduated last weekend, launch into the startup world. Here is one relevant story: Class of 2017: Entrepreneurs revolutionize business education
The 10+ BSW sessions in which CU Boulder is are listed here.
Some highlights include:
- Tuesday May 16, 9AM at BMoCA: Building a Better Ecosystem for all Boulderpreneurs (a coffee chat with CU Boulder)
- Tuesday May 16, 1pm at BMoCA: Reimagining Higher Education for the 21st Century Workforce
CU Boulder supports its entrepreneurial students, staff, and faculty, as well as the startup ecosystem into which these entrepreneurs launch their ideas. We appreciate all you do, CU Boulder. Go Buffs!
