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The Spark Samuel Benton Gave to CU

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 12:30:00 +0000

The Spark Samuel Benton Gave to CU Colton Sontrop Thu, 11/06/2025 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

He’s only a sophomore, but he’s making a huge impact in the startup incubator world.

A student-run study showed that schools throughout the nation, including prestigious universities like UC Berkeley, have incubators for founders in the extremely early stages of their companies. �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder didn’t, until Samuel Benton changed that.

Spark CU is a brand-new startup incubator initiative run and supported by the Deming Center. It’s the driving force behind programs like Startups & Sandwiches and the Innovation Workshop Series, and Benton is right at the center of it all.

A company run by Benton’s grandfather sparked his interest in entrepreneurship from a young age. When COVID-19 hit, Benton began teaching himself about business and market communities through YouTube videos. These interests drew him to the Deming Center, where he participated in their numerous programs, most notably Startup Summer and Boulder Venture Club. There, he exercised startup and pitching skills that created the foundation for his program.

A Breakthrough for Aspiring Founders

It all began when Gabe Moltz and Jesus Soto performed the aforementioned study for startup incubators. Finding the lack of programs at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, they made it happen. Now, Benton has brought his mindset and passion to fruition through Spark CU, an incubator for student founders with extremely young companies. It provides resources and knowledge to bring a startup to life.

Spark �鶹��Ѱ��operates on two levels. Spark Founders involve the six selected founders, who receive constant targeted mentorships, workshops, and resources. They meet weekly in founder circles, where they share progress and tackle challenges together. They also have access to special opportunities, like hearing from guest speakers and mentors from across Boulder’s entrepreneurial network. These sessions allow founders to learn directly from experienced entrepreneurs while supporting each other through the ups and downs of starting a company.

“They’ve fostered a really great community. When we have our meetings, they’re all talking and helping each other—I don’t even have to facilitate that myself. They’ll sit in a circle and start chatting about different things, asking questions, and offering help. I think that’s going to be one of the best parts of the program if that can continue.”

The other level, Spark Community, involves anyone interested in entrepreneurship. Benton emphasizes it isn’t limited to the highlighted founders, representing its uncharted opportunities. Through featured events like Startups & Sandwiches and Innovation Workshop Series, students have the opportunity to learn and network with founders throughout the community. It gives aspiring entrepreneurs a front-row seat to see what the founder experience looks like, helping them gain confidence to one day apply for the program themselves.

A Symbiotic Relationship

Benton’s relationship with the Deming Center began early in his �鶹��Ѱ��journey, when he sought out programs that would challenge his entrepreneurial curiosity. Drawn in by the center’s reputation for hands-on learning, he joined initiatives like Startup Summer and Boulder Venture Club. These two programs gave him real experience in ideation and collaboration, and helped him see entrepreneurship wasn’t just about launching a business, but about surrounding yourself with a community that pushes you to grow.

“That’s when I really started to see what entrepreneurship was all about. It wasn’t just launching a company, it was learning from people and being part of a community.”

Those early experiences also introduced Benton to mentors like CJ Riggins and Betsy Klein, who encouraged him to bring his ideas to life. Through Deming’s support, he began to understand the power of creating something student-driven, something that would give others the same access to guidance and community he had received. This environment of encouragement and experimentation became the springboard for what would soon become Spark CU.

Of course, the creation of Spark �鶹��Ѱ��wouldn't be possible without Gabe Moltz, a senior at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. Benton credits the "spark" of the program to him, as he was a driving force in lifting it off the ground. Moltz was instrumental in the summer before launch, taking charge of many logistics to ensure success.

Today, Spark �鶹��Ѱ��and the Deming Center share more than just a partnership. Deming provides the structure, resources, and visibility, while Spark �鶹��Ѱ��brings the next generation of founders ready to build and learn. Together, they’re cultivating a space where students can take their first steps toward becoming entrepreneurs.

Fostering the Next Generation of Founders

Now, Benton is taking the needed steps to ensure Spark CU’s future growth, as he views it as a large addition to Boulder’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The goal is to continue growth through new cohorts and criteria.

The vision is to create an inclusive incubator that supports all founders “starting from zero,” while building a strong and collaborative community of founders. He can’t stress enough the value of the relationships between the current founders.

“It’s like a professional friend group. We’re all feeding off each other’s energy, making sure everyone succeeds together.”

Looking ahead, Benton hopes Spark �鶹��Ѱ��will become a long-term fixture at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. He envisions future cohorts expanding into new industries, welcoming founders from every background and discipline. Most importantly, he wants Spark �鶹��Ѱ��to remain a place where students feel empowered to take risks and learn from one another.

A Community Effort

For Benton, entrepreneurship is about persistence and the willingness to keep going when things get difficult. To him, the best founders aren’t always the ones who move the fastest, but the ones who continue learning every day.

He’s quick to remind others that entrepreneurship isn’t a solo journey. The community you build around yourself is what keeps an idea alive. Those who challenge you, support you, grow alongside you: those are the ones who will be imperative to your success. Spark CU’s founders have become just that for each other.

Benton also sees entrepreneurship as a mindset that anyone can develop. It’s about taking agency and believing that you can make an impact, even if you’re starting from zero.

“To me, entrepreneurship is someone who continues to go after something. It’s about trying, failing, learning, and not giving up, because that’s how you grow.”

Benton is putting Spark �鶹��Ѱ��in the best possible situation to succeed, whether it’s through the founders or the community. The supporting environment for founders is something he hopes to maintain for a long time, regardless of who’s running it. It’s the beginning of a friendly and entrepreneurial ecosystem that’ll foster innovation for years to come.

Sophomore Samuel Benton brought a Spark to �鶹��Ѱ��that aspiring founders needed - through Spark CU. Learn his story and how he's supporting Leeds' entrepreneurial community.

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Inside Chris Bentley’s Vision for MALA

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 11:30:00 +0000

Inside Chris Bentley’s Vision for MALA Colton Sontrop Thu, 10/30/2025 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

Lifelong eco-warrior and “eco-preneur” Chris Bentley is the kind of connector who seems to know everyone, and more importantly, makes sure they know each other.

He has a vision to spread peace and love not only within local communities, but also across states and the nation. While that may seem far-fetched, it’s through his good heart and healthy mindset that he believes it’s attainable.

Bentley has spent decades building and supporting sustainability-minded efforts. Through the creation of his many sustainability businesses, 13 to be exact, he’s been contributing to the environment for years on end.

It’s these qualities that have led him to proclaim himself as an “eco-preneur”. It’s self-explanatory, meaning he’s an entrepreneur well-versed within the realm of sustainability, but it suits him perfectly. From early visions that helped catalyze a Pet Sustainability Coalition to newer projects in Boulder, he’s heavily involved in the community.

Bentley recently celebrated his 70th birthday at the new Limelight Hotel where over 150 students, dozens of his mentees, city leaders, entrepreneurs, non-profit builders, �鶹��Ѱ��leadership, and our US Representative attended. However, he pushed that the celebration wasn’t about him, but about the community. He reflected on his years of connecting and mentoring others, highlighting specific stories that guided his career.

Through this, he introduced MALA, his aspiring movement to spread peace and love across communities. It’s not a pitch, but rather, a community practice. The “why” is peace, the “how” is participation, and the “who” is anyone willing to show up.

A Man Built for Connecting

The creation of MALA is an astute representation of who Bentley is. He loves and cares deeply about others around him and the environment.

Bentley’s focus is constantly on the future, and he keeps that focus through merging, mentoring, and MALA. He’s about connecting people, so they can share ideas, and contribute to new peace, his celebration being a perfect example.

He considers merging to be his lever to move the world. He pushed others at the celebration to branch out and talk to those they normally won’t, including students, founding fathers, government officials, and sustainability professionals, the list goes on. The point was, there were people of all backgrounds and all professions, and Bentley was there to connect them all.

This profound ability propelled him into the world of mentorship. It began 13 years ago at the alumni center, where he was attending a talk by Erick Mueller about happiness, and was inspired by his words.

“One of the biggest things that can make you the happiest and most successful is a great mentor.”

Right then and there, one of the MBA students he had been talking to turned and asked him to be her mentor. She became the first of his now hundreds of official and adopted mentees.

Bentley preaches the mentorship programs at CU, most notably, the Professional Mentorship Program led by Sally Forester. Even at his celebration, he explained its value, providing QR codes for easy program access.

He has a knack for finding mentees, with one of his more memorable ones being at a TEDx talk, when he simply observed someone actively taking notes and paying attention. It’s people with these qualities and traits he’s looking to help push the message of MALA and guide students into sustainability careers.

What makes mentoring so special is the scaffolding around it. With personalized matches and clarified expectations, both mentors and mentees are equipped with guidance on how to work together. There are touchpoints to kick things off with an encouragement to cross-pollinate. Bentley’s not trying to run a one-man show but setting up a system to scale mentoring without losing the human touch.

The Birth of a Movement

His philosophy sets the stage for MALA, his new movement and push to spread peace and love. Standing for Make America Love Anew, Bentley frames it as a movement that begins locally and spreads through conversations with family and friends.

MALA is a movement that brings everyone together, perhaps during a divided time. It isn’t about making things ‘great again’, but making them greater now. He encourages fellow eco-warriors to take a step forward with him, not back.

But the term “eco-warrior” isn’t limited. To him, it’s anybody with a pulse who fosters peace and environmental action.

Bentley says the L in MALA can stand for any optimistic L ideas, like laugh, learn, live, love, and lead. It represents the mindset he has, and it’s reflected through his character. Specific details like an Earth flag on the back of his wheelchair, or a wood peace sign, represent his push for a sustainable and loving planet.

Specific details in MALA accentuate it. The heart in the logo is big to represent love, not hate. It’s green to represent to color of the Earth in all of its glory. If you zoom out, MALA is Bentley in movement form. It merges people who wouldn’t otherwise meet. It mentors by empowering anyone to lead with care. It centers sustainability without turning it into a purity test. And it keeps the focus on what communities can do together this week, not on the noise of yesterday’s arguments.

To Bentley, the beginning of MALA came from the idea of starting fresh. We often hear calls to go back to a time when things were supposedly better. He preaches we can’t build tomorrow by clinging to yesterday, but rather choosing to create something new.

MALA is designed to create a future around love. It’s a movement inspiring a culture of open love, freely laughing and expressing our emotions, listening and learning deeply while critically thinking. But fostering it all is peace.

An Open Invitation

Back on campus, this translates to clear on-ramps for students. In Bentley’s world, sustainability is not a side dish. It’s baked into how teams form. MALA just gives that orientation a name and a recognizable mark.

As this takes shape, expect more micro-activations than grand pronouncements. Think mixers that end with three new collaborations. Think classes that pair case discussions with community meetups. Think city partners who adopt MALA as a friendly frame for service days and climate projects. The emphasis stays on love and care in action with small, repeatable moves that add up.

It’s easy to see why so many people take his call. He makes rooms feel bigger and paths feel closer. He leaves space for students, celebrates the veterans, and insists that everyone can contribute something useful. When you carry yourself that way for years, people notice and respond.

So, where does this go next? Keep the tone neutral and the mission local, then spread throughout our Mother Earth: kindness first, planet in view, entrepreneurship as the engine. MALA is a simple container for all of that, and it reflects the same principles that have guided Bentley’s mentoring and community building from the start. If you’re looking for a lever you can actually pull, that’s it.

The invitation is open. Bring your class, your club, your company, or your crew. Merge with someone new, offer your experience, and put a little more love into the mix. That’s how movements grow, and how communities get better, together.

Lifelong eco-warrior and “eco-preneur” Chris Bentley is the kind of connector who seems to know everyone, and more importantly, makes sure they know each other.

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Startups and Sandwiches: Failure, Fortune and Finding Your Purpose

Jane Majkiewicz — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 22:10:55 +0000

Startups and Sandwiches: Failure, Fortune and Finding Your Purpose Jane Majkiewicz Tue, 10/28/2025 - 16:10

Grace Garfoot

What do a finance consulting founder, a mirror designer-manufacturer, and a biotech entrepreneur turned artist have in common? At this week’s Startups & Sandwiches, they distilled their diverse entrepreneurial journeys into a shared theme: transforming lessons into meaningful careers and life paths.

“Failure, Fortune and Finding Your Purpose” was the compelling theme of the latest Startups & Sandwiches, a seminar series sponsored by the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. Three industry executives with different entrepreneurial backgrounds shared vulnerable stories about the highs and lows of their career journeys.

Guest speakers Carol Hansen, founder and CEO of Tatonka Ventures; Josh Mandel, president and CEO of Majestic Mirror & Frame; and Andy Sklawer, founder and former CEO of Fresh Tracks Therapeutics and current owner of a Boulder art gallery, inspired the audience with their insights and hard-won advice. Their personal stories brought a fresh perspective to timeless advice on building a fulfilling career and life.

Failing and finding yourself

Andy Sklawer willingly shared some of the tough circumstances that shaped who he is today.

As a child with undiagnosed ADHD, he explained how being given the space to heal changed how he approached failure and his capacity for success. “It was the first time in my life that I had the opportunity to focus on myself. What I realized is that it is OK to ask for help.”

Life Lessons to Take to Heart

As part of the Deming Center’s SPARK Initiative, Startups & Sandwiches brings students together with seasoned entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, venture capitalists, connectors and technology leaders ... and they leave each seminar with more than lunch.

At the “Failure, Fortune and Finding Your Purpose” session, panelists Carol Hansen, Josh Mandel and Andy Sklawer shared personal stories to embolden the next generation of business leaders to believe in themselves and take risks. Here is some of their shared advice.

Don’t hold yourself to an impossible standard. Even the people you look up to the most don’t have it all, so allow yourself to make sacrifices and be imperfect.
Recognize that mentorship comes in many forms. Observe characteristics and small details in the people and the world around you to find inspiration.
Don’t be afraid of change or failure. Embrace both and learn from them to avoid making the same mistake twice.
Do it. You don’t know if something is going to work until you try it.
Be grateful for where you are and acknowledge all aspects of your life that drive you. Don’t let your goals become entirely motivated by money.
Ask for help if you need it.
Don’t measure your success against someone else’s. Everyone’s path is different.

He also experienced a dramatic fall that plunged him into a significant life change. He descended 30 feet off a rock wall, leaving him with a shattered leg but miraculously still alive. “What I learned from that was to immediately go to gratitude, because it’s a beautiful thing that we’re all sitting here and we’re alive,” he said.

“It’s so easy to get in your head with business and school, but we are all here, and it’s important to be grateful.” The second thing is to be present, he emphasized, urging the audience to remember to “put your phone down.”

Changing the way you see success

Josh Mandel shared how his definition of success continues to evolve and has changed throughout his career and personal trajectory. After graduating from CU, his goals revolved around making money. Having children shifted his focus to to providing for and supporting his family. A self-proclaimed “girl dad,” Mandel highlighted how being there for his daughters became more important than the work trips that once consumed his time.

“Don’t judge your success by someone else’s scorecard,” he said. He reminded attendees that everyone defines success differently, and it’s OK for that definition to change over time. “The only constant is change, and you have to be open to it.”

Finding mentors everywhere

Carol Hansen's perspective was shaped by observing people whom she didn’t consider role models as much as by those whom she would want to emulate.

“What resonated with me was people along the way who I did not want to be like,” she said, referring to specific characteristics as well as to entire personalities. She summed it up: “Look for people who you don’t want to be like or ways you don’t want to behave.”

She also found that she derived meaning from her life’s work when she could see the direct impact her business was having on the community around her. “I don’t feel like I have a profound purpose,” she explained. For her, the overall goal has always been to be a good person and contribute to society.

“I found niches of purpose across each one of the businesses that we started,” she explained. Purpose doesn’t have to come in one grand package, she reassured the audience. “There’s nothing wrong if you don’t have that right away.”

What do a finance consulting founder, a mirror designer-manufacturer, and a biotech entrepreneur turned artist have in common? At this week’s Startups & Sandwiches, they distilled their diverse journeys into a shared theme: transforming life’s lessons into meaningful careers.

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Mary Hearding’s Approach to Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:30:00 +0000

Mary Hearding’s Approach to Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship Colton Sontrop Thu, 10/23/2025 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

The world of entrepreneurship offers vast opportunities and ideas. It gives many a chance to succeed differently, and founders get to build something from the ground up. However, with the creation of a business comes the prioritization of profits, and there’s considerable controversy surrounding the balance between social responsibility and financial gain.

Mary Hearding’s company, Karma Tutors, is the perfect representation of that balance.

Hearding is making a statement for social responsibility in entrepreneurship. For years, she and her husband were longtime educators, and while they loved their careers, they sought flexibility and autonomy. Naturally, they both left teaching to fulfill this, while keeping their passions intact. Karma Tutors has done just that.

While the company operates as a for-profit, its purpose reaches far beyond financial gain. From the beginning, Hearding built Karma Tutors on the belief that quality education shouldn’t be an exclusive privilege. Each tutoring session not only supports students directly but also contributes to funding the Karma Tutors Impact Fund, a nonprofit branch that provides free tutoring to families of limited financial means. In doing so, Hearding redefines what it means to be an entrepreneur, proving that business success and social impact can thrive hand in hand.

Tutoring Across all Zip Codes

At its core, both branches of Karma Tutors provide high-quality tutoring services to those in rural southwest. They recruit PhD students to be tutors, oftentimes from �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. These tutors not only understand their subjects at an advanced level but also can teach complex material clearly and effectively. They also have local teachers and educators, giving an opportunity to supplement their income while doing meaningful work.

When Karma Tutors was founded in 2020, Hearding and her husband saw great success. While the Coronavirus pandemic destroyed many jobs and businesses, it shifted the learning paradigm in a way that worked for their young business. Remote learning familiarized others with online tutoring, and the academic upheaval of the time prompted families to search for new and personalized learning models for their children.

Hearding even mentioned how the switch to online “normalized” this type of business. Suddenly, this distance barrier disappeared, and not only were they able to help more students in rural Colorado, but all over the world, including places like Switzerland and Abu Dhabi. They were also able to use tools more effectively online, enabling them to annotate essays in real-time or demonstrate math problems visually.

Karma Tutors didn’t grow through specific marketing campaigns, but through the effectiveness of Word of Mouth. As Hearding puts it, people will always gravitate towards good business.

“It’s (Karma Tutors) been steadily growing because if you deliver an exceptional product, people will find you.”

She credits the success to building a “lifestyle business,” a business built around quality of life and purpose, rather than strictly focusing on expansion. It’s this idea that represents who Hearding is: someone who’s always looking to improve others’ situations.

With this mindset, she took it and built something even more impactful. It wasn’t something entirely new, but rather an opportunity to give back through a non-profit branch.

Two Branches, One Purpose

The Karma Tutors Impact Fund (KTIF) is the non-profit sister company of Karma Tutors, which funds it. KTIF operates under the same purpose, but those who don’t normally have the luxury of tutoring now do.

“The question becomes, who are you doing this for? Who are you giving that edge to? And if it's only to the people who can afford a luxury service such as tutoring, then we felt that we would be driving a gap.”

And they worked hard to close that gap. At its heart, KTIF exists to make high-quality tutoring accessible to all students, regardless of background or income level, and this model flourishes. But beyond that, they’re also about valuing educators, understanding that the teaching market is perhaps underappreciated.

As KTIF rapidly expanded, Hearding no longer had the capabilities to manage both entities. It was a difficult decision, but she recognized she needed a full-time executive director. This move not only represents her selflessness but also her commitment to sustainable growth and leadership succession. There’s no doubt it was a large sacrifice, but both organizations could now grow exponentially.

“Now, I can really focus on the business and give it what it needs, and the nonprofit is thriving because it has someone’s full attention.”

KTIF is the soul of her entrepreneurial mission. She understands that business and a social mission don’t have to be separate; in fact, they should co-exist.

“If you’re going to go out and change the world through entrepreneurship, get your hands dirty with this world and build something that helps it. Whatever you’re passionate about, pick one thing and find a way to integrate it.”

Redefining Entrepreneurship

Clearly, Hearding believes the heart of entrepreneurship lies within purpose. Karma Tutors and the KTIF challenge the norm that doing good financially and socially are separate entities. Her work shows how businesses can thrive while serving communities that have long been overlooked, and that approach has inspired both her team and her students.

“It’s never been more urgent for the next generation of leaders to be nurtured academically, mentally, and emotionally.”

Her story demonstrates that the only ingredient you need to create impact is the willingness to act on what you believe in. She’s taken her teaching background and turned it into a lasting force for equity in education, one tutoring session at a time.

Karma Tutors continues to grow, fueled not by marketing campaigns or flashy promises, but by genuine trust and community belief in what they stand for. Her authenticity has allowed her to scale a business built on compassion, proving that success doesn’t have to come at the expense of conscience.

As Hearding puts it best, entrepreneurship isn’t just about creating something new; it’s about creating something that matters.

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How Charlie Tombazian Leads from Within

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 11:30:00 +0000

How Charlie Tombazian Leads from Within Colton Sontrop Thu, 10/16/2025 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

Many entrepreneurs recognize their instincts from a young age, and that was no different for Charlie Tombazian, a lifelong entrepreneur and intrapreneur.

His childhood was marked by a pattern of leadership, always ending up as captain of sports teams or club president, not particularly because of his talents, but his social skills.

It all started in a pharmacy, a simple job that would become the spark for a lifetime of opportunity. When he noticed leftover inventory, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and bandages, he didn’t let it go to waste. Instead, using his entrepreneurial instincts, he started taking those extra items to flea markets, selling them for a small profit and splitting the earnings with the pharmacist. The motivation didn’t just come from making a little extra cash, but about seeing a problem and finding a creative solution, a career-defining mindset.

Today, Tombazian is based in Boulder, a return to his alma mater. After 20+ years in corporate leadership and strategic consulting, he now focuses on emotional intelligence-based leadership training, strategic differentiation, and sustainability curriculum for universities. But the journey that led him back here was filled with defining moments, each one shaping his career.

Developing his Roots in Boulder

When Tombazian moved to Boulder from Los Angeles in the 1970s, he immediately fell in love with the town’s energy and entrepreneurial spirit.

During his senior year at CU, he was hired at the historic Hotel Boulderado as a busboy and bar-back at “The Catacombs.” Within six months, he was promoted to assistant manager, and soon after, General Manager. He followed that role with a similar experience at Boulder’s iconic fresh seafood restaurant, Pelican Pete’s. Being hired there as Boulder’s first full-time wine steward, and within 9 months being promoted to General Manager.

What made him stand out wasn’t just his fast learning ability, but being a “systems thinker” before the term was popular.

“I was always looking for ways to solve problems and maybe work across department lines. Even back then, I didn’t have a name for it, but it was about creating systems that made everyone’s job easier and the experience better for everyone.”

He constantly asked, How can we make this place better? By focusing on key factors like customer and employee satisfaction and engagement, he helped transform Catacombs and Pete’s into a model of service and innovation. Leading by example, he created processes and standards, reflecting not just good restaurant management but entrepreneurship in action.

Building on that foundation, Tombazian pursued his MBA at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and soon set his sights on the business world, ready to take his leadership and creativity to a larger stage.

Scaling his Talents

Towards the latter part of his MBA, he landed a staff position with The Taylor Group, an innovative Boulder consulting firm specializing in creative strategic planning. The founder, Matt Taylor, was trained as an architect at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West in Arizona. Naturally, the foundational principles of the firm were rooted in architectural design long before “design thinking” became mainstream. Additionally, Matt’s wife was a school teacher steeped in learning theory, which became the backbone of their 3–5-day strategic planning process.

Tombazian thrived in this environment, using his natural curiosity and cross-functional mindset to help organizations reimagine how they approached growth and innovation. When one of their corporate clients sought strategic guidance, they were so impressed that they offered to acquire the entire firm just to bring its creative thinking in-house.

“They said, ‘We need more of your time to trickle this down through the rest of our organization.’ We said, ‘We can do that, but we’re busy.’ They said, ‘Well, to hell with that, we’ll buy you.’”

Originally, Tombazian didn’t take them seriously. But, fast-forward six weeks later, and The Acacia Group (the client) sent a check for $250,000 and acquired the firm. Tombazian and his team moved from Boulder to Washington, D.C., where they were set up on the top floor of a building across from the U.S. Capitol.

This move marked the beginning of his corporate career. Once again, he showcased his profound ability to lead with care and think creatively, becoming an Acacia Group Vice President and an elected corporate officer. Through these roles, he developed new competencies in leading large company strategic innovation and organizational transformation.

After several years in Washington, Tombazian transitioned west to Arizona, where he spent nine years with Avnet, the Fortune 150 global technology distribution company. There, he served as Director of Strategic Planning and later, Vice President of the Voice of the Customer Office, overseeing international operations and refining how the company connected with clients worldwide. This new team was responsible for engaging customers in North America and centralizing customer data that was spread across different silos in Avnet.

It was the perfect culmination of everything he had learned, from hospitality and consulting to leadership and innovation.

Since leaving Avnet in 2009, Charlie has focused his consulting around three core specialties: differentiating strategy, customer and employee experience, and emotional-intelligence-based leadership development.

Coming Full Circle

After years of success in corporate America, Tombazian felt it was time to come home. In 2021, he and his wife, Debbie, moved back to Boulder, completing the full circle that had started nearly half a century earlier.

“My sister followed me here in the ’80s when I came to school at CU. She never left. As we got older, we wanted more time together. My wife loved Boulder whenever we visited, so I said, ‘We’re there.’”

Back in Boulder, Tombazian reconnected with the Fiske Planetarium, where he had once worked as part of the original staff during graduate school. Today, he continues to create and collaborate on new programs there, including music and seasonal shows, and was recently recognized at Fiske’s 50th anniversary as the only original staff member.

But his biggest focus now is sustainability and education, with an emphasis on the sustainability curriculum for CU. He has become a driving force behind Boulder Filmmaker, Nathan Havey’s documentary, Beyond Zero. The film, now used by over 500 universities worldwide, is paired with a curriculum that Tombazian helped design.

“It’s unbelievable what you can do when you think about a problem and solve it in a way that serves not just customers or shareholders, but all stakeholders, including the Earth.”

Through this work, he’s teaching future leaders more than sustainability itself and how to think ethically and apply it to everyday activities.

That mission brought him into contact with Erick Mueller. The two connected over their shared belief that entrepreneurship is about solving real problems and building with purpose. Tombazian shared with Mueller a book he helped co-author, Timeless Wisdom: An Advanced Degree from the School of Hard Knocks, a collection of stories from 23 entrepreneurs on lessons learned through experience.

The book, now part of the Deming Center’s library, embodies the power of lived experience, representing what Tombazian is all about.

For him, returning to Boulder was a full-circle moment. Starting from his early days managing The Catacombs and ending with mentoring the next generation of sustainable entrepreneurs, Boulder remains the place where his purpose continues to evolve.

Tombazian has been in all realms of the intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial world. All in all, to him, entrepreneurship is not about titles or trends, but about seeing problems and creating solutions, making the world a better place for everyone.

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How Shannon Jones is Growing the ETA Community

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:30:00 +0000

How Shannon Jones is Growing the ETA Community Colton Sontrop Thu, 10/09/2025 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

When Shannon Jones first moved to Boulder, he didn’t know many people. But what he did know was that Boulder’s “Give First” mentality and its growing entrepreneurial community were something he wanted to be a part of.

Fast forward many years, and Jones has not only become heavily involved in the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder ecosystem, but he’s also helped shape it. Through two MBA courses he created, he has brought students face-to-face with real-world entrepreneurial decision-making. His approach to teaching goes beyond traditional lecture and textbook methods. By focusing on creating a hands-on experience, students gain insight into the strategies and methods for starting, acquiring, or scaling a company.

Now, there’s an opportunity to experience Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) outside the classroom in Boulder. With the first Rocky Mountain ETA Conference (RMETAC) taking place in late October 2025, it promises to provide a vigorous and lively discussion about current activity and opportunity in the ETA field.

Laying the Groundwork for an ETA Ecosystem

Before joining �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, Jones had already built a storied career ETA. While many think of entrepreneurship as creating something new from the ground up, ETA offers a different perspective through acquiring existing businesses and applying strategic thinking and strong leadership to grow them.

“I actually think that entrepreneurship through acquisition is probably a more appropriate path to entrepreneurship for most MBAs… because you’re buying something that’s been around for decades, has employees, has customers — it’s much more easily understood, and the risk there is lower.”

Jones discovered this model after earning his MBA at Kellogg, where he was first exposed to the concept of “search funds,” an emerging idea at the time. Through his work with family offices and private equity partners, he went on to help dozens of entrepreneurs acquire and grow successful companies.

Jones spent more than a decade leading and advising these acquisitions, founding Halstatt Legacy Partners in 2013, a private equity group that specialized in mentoring MBAs and first-time buyers through the process. He worked to identify smaller businesses that had strong potential, but just needed new energy to scale. His approach is centered around showing others that acquiring a company is one thing, but the way to lead them is key. Over the years, he watched the ETA model evolve from a niche idea to a powerful entrepreneurial pathway.

That experience eventually led him to the �鶹��Ѱ��, where he saw an opportunity to bring ETA education to a new audience. Having taught at schools like Kellogg, Duke, and Carnegie Mellon, Jones recognized that �鶹��Ѱ��had both the community and the entrepreneurial culture to support it. With the help of colleagues like Erick Mueller and Tony Tong, he developed CU’s first ETA course, sparking significant momentum in the respective community.

The momentum has culminated in the first Rocky Mountain ETA Conference, a major event bringing together many from the ETA ecosystem. For Jones, the conference represents the next step in building on that ecosystem that helps students see that owning a business doesn’t always start with inventing something new. Sometimes, it starts with taking over something that already works and making it even better.

Learning Through Doing

In the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition course, created by Jones, students dive into the full lifecycle of buying and operating a business. As mentioned previously, Jones instructs it through a hands-on approach, exposing students to real-world experiences. Through real investors and operators, students learn directly from those in the ETA community.

The first half of the course introduces them to the fundamentals, including how to identify acquisition opportunities, negotiate details, and transition into leadership. As the class progresses, it transforms, evolving into a deeper exploration of what it really means to take ownership of a company.

Jones emphasizes that ETA isn’t just for the traditional risk-takers or founders. In fact, he believes it’s an especially valuable path for MBA students who might not see themselves as “traditional” entrepreneurs. Many students have exceptional leadership skills, but are unsure how to create something and build it from the ground up. Through ETA, these leadership skills are unlocked, allowing them to make an impact. The class has quickly become one of the most practical and eye-opening experiences for many students, challenging them to rethink what entrepreneurship means in today’s business world.

His other course, Projects in Entrepreneurial Companies, takes a different angle. While ETA focuses on acquiring existing businesses, this class gives students a chance to experience what life is like inside early-stage or scaling ventures. Students work directly with founders and small companies to see how leadership decisions play out in real time. For many, it’s their first exposure to a startup’s fast-paced and often chaotic environment.

Jones intentionally designed the course to simulate that unpredictability. The experience helps them understand how entrepreneurs operate while exploring if the type of environment fits them. As Jones likes to remind his students, realizing that entrepreneurship might not be the right fit is just as valuable as realizing it is.

Both courses are designed to push students out of their comfort zones, but in completely different ways. Rather than giving his students a list of steps or concepts to memorize, Jones structures each course to mirror the uncertainty of entrepreneurship itself.

“It’s less about the answer and more about the process you go through to find it — that’s what I’m trying to give them: an experience that feels like what an entrepreneur actually feels.”

Positioning Yourself to Get Lucky

While Jones built his career around teaching business strategy, his lessons go far beyond finance or deal structure. At the heart of everything he teaches is the belief that entrepreneurship is about tolerance.

Jones believes that being an entrepreneur doesn’t necessarily mean starting the next billion-dollar company. It means seeing the world as it is and having the courage to imagine what it could be. His philosophy aligns with Boulder’s entrepreneurial spirit, describing Boulder as uniquely open to experimentation and collaboration.

All in all, Jones reminds his students that nothing in entrepreneurship is truly given. Opportunities will come to those who ask for them. Students who take initiative and risks will succeed, because success isn’t about luck: it’s about preparation. So, those who experience more “lucky breaks” than others aren’t just by pure chance, but because they put themselves in a favorable position.

“People may wonder if the ‘give first’ mentality is really a thing, and in my experience, it absolutely is. But what I tell my students is that nothing is given to an entrepreneur — you get lucky by being prepared and by asking for help, advice, and feedback over and over again.”

Boulder’s ETA community is rapidly growing, through the classroom, and now with the first RMETAC. With the new conference bringing together universities across Colorado, Jones sees it as the beginning of a community where ETA becomes equally as recognized as founding a startup from scratch. For him, it’s not about building the next Silicon Valley, but about building better entrepreneurs, wherever they start.

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Fletcher Richman's Blueprint for Student Involvement

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 11:30:00 +0000

Fletcher Richman's Blueprint for Student Involvement Colton Sontrop Thu, 10/02/2025 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

In college, all students hear the phrase, “say yes to everything” at least once. Some take advantage of this advice, others don't, and some prefer not to be involved as much. Everyone approaches their college experience differently.

This is what happens when you say yes to everything.

As an undergraduate student in the engineering school, Fletcher Richman doesn't initially appear to be someone involved with the Deming Center. Fast forward 12 years, and they’ve practically adopted him as their own. The bigger question with Fletcher isn’t what programs he did, it’s what he didn’t.

"I participated in basically everything. Like, you name it, I was a participant, or an organizer, or a leading person around—New Venture Challenge, Startup Summer, anything that was happening."

Fletcher’s involvement with the Deming Center was monumental. He co-created multiple programs that are flourishing today. His ambitious ability to be a part of something bigger is what contributed to his success in school and now his career. Right out of college, at age 23, he immediately gained valuable experience in the venture capital world as an associate at Galvanize Ventures. Already, he had created a foundation and a mindset that would define his life. So what gave him the confidence to do all of this?

A Foundation Rooted in Engagement

For Fletcher, the confidence came not from already knowing what he wanted to do, but from the process of trying everything and forcing himself to figure it out along the way. He described how saying yes to opportunities eventually pushed him to his limit, which then required him to prioritize. It showed him that not every door needed to stay open forever. He could experiment widely, then commit deeply when he found the work that energized him most. By leaning into the discomfort of doing more than seemed possible, he discovered what truly mattered and built the self-belief to keep going.

That shift in mindset became obvious in the way Fletcher approached CU’s entrepreneurial programs. New Venture Challenge, for instance, gave him a platform to practice pitching and refine ideas, but what he cherishes most about it is the opportunity to sharpen his skills in public speaking and other areas he wasn't previously familiar with. The repeated exposure to high-pressure settings pushed him to grow in ways he never expected, and over time, he began to see these programs not as extracurriculars but as steps toward becoming the type of leader who could create something new.

Startup Summer took that growth a step further. Fletcher today describes the program as a fantastic alternative to spending a summer in a conventional internship. He chose an environment where he could absorb lessons directly from founders and mentors while building real relationships. The program was demanding, balancing daytime work with evening workshops, but he thrived in the intensity. He reflects on how the people he met there remain some of his most meaningful connections, proof that the entrepreneurial community he was diving into would continue to shape his career long after graduation.

These are just a few of the vast programs he participated in. What’s most notable about his journey through them is the hard and soft skills he acquired. From public speaking to networking to learning how to build something from scratch, Fletcher’s story provides a clear blueprint for getting involved.

Building What Others Only Imagined

Participating in programs is one thing, but Fletcher took his involvement a step further by building long-lasting initiatives as well. Fletcher’s ability to come up with ideas and create something meaningful for others is perhaps his best asset.

During his senior year, the Deming Center had attempted to create a co-working space for students but was unable to secure a suitable space or funding. That’s where Fletcher came in. Partnering with Ashley Tillman, he used a location he had already found and worked on turning it into the desired space Deming was looking for. They brought it to life, later becoming known as Spark Boulder, and while it eventually became a separate non-profit outside of CU, it remained close with Deming.

It didn’t stop there. Riding that momentum, he played perhaps the largest role in the creation of Catalyze CU, a summer-long startup accelerator designed for �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder ventures. Catalyze �鶹��Ѱ��demonstrated how summer programs could succeed, and it became widely popular among students.

Catalyze CU began when CU’s engineering school and the Deming Center researched accelerator models at other universities and set out to launch one of their own. With his connections, he played a central role in bringing it to life, and funding from both schools made the program possible. From the start, it showed promise, and its very first cohort included Shinesty, a clothing brand that would go on to gain national recognition.

Additionally, it's worth noting that Fletcher co-founded TedxCU, one of the largest Tedx organizations in the nation. These accomplishments and experiences quickly propelled him into a career, working at a Techstars-backed startup as a growth engineer. The position involved marketing and data analytics, areas Fletcher wasn't particularly familiar with. But, using his adaptability skills he had developed over the years, he thrived, largely contributing to the growth of the company. At age 23, he would then move to Galvanize Ventures, where he gained experience in the venture capital world, setting him up for the creation of his own venture.

Now, Fletcher is taking his talents to the next level with Stealth, an AI platform that transforms study materials into flashcards. Not only does this business reflect his passion for education, but it is also a culmination of the skills he learned over the years. Connections, adaptability, public speaking, pitching - the list goes on - but most notably his ability to construct things from the ground up. It’s the same mindset that carried him through CU’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, now channeled into creating tools that help others learn and grow.

The Value of The Student Card

Many believe being a student hinders chances for opportunities, thinking that reaching out to executives or people in dream positions won't be worth their time. Fletcher preaches the opposite, stating that being a student actually opens those doors, and it's time to take advantage.

“I played up the fact that I was a student to my advantage. I think a lot of students often think that being a student is a disadvantage. But it actually can get you in the door into a lot of things that you otherwise wouldn't be able to.”

For Fletcher, the “student card” became that secret advantage—an excuse to reach out and gain access to people who might otherwise have been unreachable. He sees it as a unique window of time when curiosity is not only acceptable but welcomed. By leaning into that identity, he built relationships and opportunities that laid the foundation for everything that followed.

Fletcher’s story proves that entrepreneurship isn’t reserved for those with the perfect idea or endless resources. It can simply start by saying yes and following through. Then, through involvement and connections, it can grow. This can be a campus program, a startup, or even banana bread for your neighbors, but the real lesson is to start where you are and make it happen.

The only question left is: what will you say yes to?

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Doing Things Differently: How Jonathan Wies Built MyMech

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:30:00 +0000

Doing Things Differently: How Jonathan Wies Built MyMech Colton Sontrop Thu, 09/25/2025 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

Have you ever taken your car in for repair, only for the problem to persist?

That’s exactly what happened to Jonathan Wies’ business partner, Gwendolyn (Gwen) King, co-founder of MyMech. Many people encounter problems like these and are taken advantage of by the automotive mechanical industry.

Jonathan's journey as a founder began at the �鶹��Ѱ��, where he immersed himself in the entrepreneurial ecosystem that �鶹��Ѱ��has become known for. With a background in Political Science along with experience in Sales and Marketing, Jonathan has channeled those experiences into MyMech, a company reimagining car maintenance for the everyday driver. Based in Boulder, MyMech is striving to keep people safer on the road through Artificial Intelligence, along with diagnostics specific to your vehicle.

Many car owners throughout the nation become frustrated with current solutions and the ever-increasing costs of repair. MyMech is here to fix that. Through its many features, including a plug-in OBDII sensor to decode an engine’s problems, an AI assistant to interpret those codes, or a forum connecting with experienced mechanics, MyMech successfully simplifies what is potentially an extremely stressful situation.

For Jonathan, MyMech represents a chance to apply his entrepreneurial mindset to a relatable problem, reflecting the same spirit that carried him through his years at CU.

Diagnosing Cars the Smarter Way

From the moment Gwen experienced her problem, the duo acted on it - not leaving it at frustration but turning it into inspiration. So, they built a digital mechanic that puts knowledge in the hands of car owners, allowing them to avoid being blindsided by unexpected repairs or unsafe conditions. From there, Jonathan and his team began building MyMech’s AI-driven platform.

In practice, MyMech functions as both hardware and software, but its real breakthrough is Mira, the AI brain behind the platform. Mira can work with an OBDII sensor, as well as the camera and microphone on your phone, to pick up sounds or spot issues under the hood. From there, it translates what it sees and hears into plain language, pointing out possible wear and tear and offering guidance for the next step. The experience is designed to give drivers the kind of clarity and confidence that usually comes only from a trusted mechanic, turning confusion into a plan of action.

This ability to turn problems into solutions didn’t come out of nowhere. At �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, Jonathan was heavily involved in programs that encouraged him to think like an entrepreneur. He participated in programs like Entrepreneurship and Empowerment in South Africa (EESA), Techstars (including recent events like Foundercon), and the Deming Center’s resources. All of these experiences built on one another, building his technical skills and reinforcing his entrepreneurial mindset, heavily contributing to the creation of his venture and experiences as a student.

Jonathan’s company reflects those lessons. The adaptability of the AI engine mirrors the adaptable mindset he adopted as a student, and his ability to take a real-world challenge and transform it into something valuable. Whether he’s in the classroom, in a rigorous program, or exercising his ability to create, Jonathan is always thinking differently.

Getting Ready for Launch

MyMech has moved past the early idea stage and is now positioning itself for growth. The technology is functional, the platform is built, and the team is aligned around a clear mission. Now, the focus turns to scaling, a challenge that requires the right kind of funding. Jonathan and his team are actively seeking investors who understand both the automotive and AI spaces and who are willing to support the vision of making car care more transparent and safe.

The timing is particularly important. With beta testing and market entry coming up, investment will fuel everything from marketing efforts to partnerships with parts suppliers and repair shops. Jonathan recognizes that the right funding will not only allow MyMech to scale but also accelerate the development of new features that strengthen the platform’s usefulness.

Still, he approaches fundraising with patience. While securing capital is a high priority, it’s also about finding investors whose values and goals align with the company’s. MyMech is built on solving a universal problem, and Jonathan knows the partners they bring on now will shape how far and fast the company can grow. For him, this moment represents both validation of the idea and the beginning of a larger journey.

Looking ahead, MyMech’s roadmap is ambitious. Beta testing is set for late 2025, with plans to expand sales and marketing across multiple states in 2026. To help them reach their goals, they are wisely using consumer and public opinion. Through their interest form and i nput survey (open to anyone to fill out), MyMech is methodically improving their product through the opinions that matter most. With each milestone, the company comes closer to fulfilling its vision of revolutionizing car maintenance.

Seeing the World Differently

What stands out most about Jonathan isn’t just the technology but the mindset driving it. He is deeply passionate about his company, and when he demonstrates the MyMech AI in action, that passion shines through. It’s an invitation to see how a simple idea, executed with creativity and persistence, can make a meaningful difference in lives.

Throughout his life, Jonathan has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. For as long as he remembers, he’s done things a little off the beaten path, finding creative solutions where others might only see problems. That mindset helped him through entrepreneurial programs, carried him into founding MyMech, guiding him as he steers the company toward growth, and has become an everyday part of his life that makes his story so interesting.

“I’ve always been this… can we do it better? This seems to be more effective... I see the opportunity and ask, how do we make it better?”

Jonathan is all about community, understanding CU’s ecosystem and how it supports its community. He’s built MyMech around that mindset, finding the right entrepreneurs with the right resources. His outlook is practical yet optimistic, knowing that building a company is filled with challenges, but he treats those obstacles as opportunities to test and refine his approach.

At the heart of it all, Jonathan Wies is a founder and a problem solver who thrives on rethinking the ordinary. MyMech is proof of that mindset in action. As the company continues to expand, his story is a reminder that entrepreneurship is about patience and building something methodically and with persistence.

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Boulder Climate Ventures’ Newest Addition: Meet Trent Yang

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:30:00 +0000

Boulder Climate Ventures’ Newest Addition: Meet Trent Yang Colton Sontrop Thu, 09/18/2025 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

A Career Defined by Sustainability

Trent Yang’s journey has taken him from Boulder to MIT and back, with stops in consulting, venture capital, and entrepreneurship along the way. Growing up in Boulder, he pursued aerospace engineering at �鶹��Ѱ��before heading to MIT for graduate school. It was there that he first immersed himself in climate and sustainability, pivoting into work that blended technology, economics, and environmental impact. Since then, his career has been shaped by building and scaling ventures that address climate challenges.

For nearly two decades, Trent has focused on entrepreneurship and investment in climate tech and sustainability. From founding his first company, Clean Membranes, to raising hundreds of millions at Galway Sustainable Capital, he’s consistently been a big face of climate solutions. His professional track record reflects his entrepreneurial drive and ability to mobilize capital and partnerships to bring ideas to life.

What makes his story especially compelling is that it circles back to Boulder. After years in high-stakes roles on the East Coast and beyond, he chose to return to Colorado and contribute to �鶹��Ѱ��and the local ecosystem. It’s fitting for someone who's rooted in the community and whose career has been defined by turning vision into action.

Now, Trent is joining Boulder Climate Ventures (BCV), a new program led by the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility (CESR) and the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, and made possible through a gift from Breakthrough Energy, Bill Gates’ global initiative on climate change. BCV is part of Breakthrough Energy’s University Climate Ventures program, which also supports programs at Stanford, MIT, Technical University of Munich and Nanyang University in Singapore. This opportunity combines all of Trent's past experiences and allows him to blend his entrepreneurial background with his passion for mentoring the next generation of climate innovators.

An Early Blueprint for BCV

Entrepreneurship has been the common thread through much of Trent’s career. After cutting his teeth in consulting and clean tech venture investing, he caught the entrepreneurial bug and began building companies of his own. In 2008, he spun out technology from MIT to launch Clean Membranes, a company that tackled water and filtration challenges. That step set him firmly on the path of founder and innovator, and led him into the world of climate.

His entrepreneurial mindset carried with him when he returned to Boulder in 2009. He built a public-private partnership that pulled in funding from the Department of Energy and the Department of Labor, along with 17 other companies. This program focused on clean tech commercialization and was, in many ways, an early version of what BCV is today.

Over the years, Trent expanded his impact by leading sustainability investment platforms at AMG National Trust before launching Galway Sustainable Capital. At Galway, he and his team raised just under $700 million in four years to support climate tech deployment. This massive achievement reinforced his reputation as someone who not only understands entrepreneurship but also the capital structures needed to support it. He has consistently seen the university as a hub of entrepreneurial energy, and his relationship with Deming helped cement his belief in Boulder’s potential as a leader in climate innovation.

Coming Home to Build the Future

With Boulder Climate Ventures, Trent is officially returning to CU. BCV is modeled after successful programs at MIT and Stanford, both of which have spun out dozens of companies and attracted billions in funding. Considering �鶹��Ѱ��was chosen as the first public university to receive Breakthrough Energy’s support speaks volumes about the strength of the Boulder ecosystem and its alignment with global climate priorities.

For Trent, the role is personal. He views BCV as a chance to give back to his alma mater while helping to put �鶹��Ѱ��on par with the top innovation ecosystems in the country. His excitement lies not only in creating new companies but also in preparing students to thrive in the climate space. He sees BCV as an opportunity to build an extensive program, helping �鶹��Ѱ��students understand what it takes to succeed in entrepreneurship while tackling society’s most pressing challenges.

“For me, it’s really coming back to my alma mater and helping to build an ecosystem and build a program that can have a lasting impact.”

His perspective is shaped by his earlier experience in 2009. At the time, it served as an unofficial version of BCV, pulling together people from many places to bring technologies out of the lab and into the market. Now, with formal support and funding, BCV has the chance to scale that idea in ways not possible before.

Beyond CU, Trent is energized by Boulder’s broader entrepreneurial community. With research powerhouses like NREL and NCAR nearby, and with a culture that values sustainability, he believes the city has all the right ingredients. Through BCV, he hopes to engage investors and companies early to create an ecosystem that fuels innovation.

Striving to Create Change

Looking ahead, Trent is poised to play a central role in an important addition to CU’s entrepreneurial landscape. The program builds on the community’s history of collaboration and positions �鶹��Ѱ��to be a national leader in climate innovation. For Trent, this moment represents both a continuation and a new chapter. BCV serves as another chance to identify gaps in the entrepreneurial world and find creative ways to fill them.

“Boulder Climate Ventures will hopefully be another stake in the ground in terms of what we’re able to do and create going forward.”

Trent brings a thoughtful perspective on entrepreneurship to his new role. To him, it’s about agency—the vision and tenacity to create change, even in the face of uncertainty. That perspective, coming from decades of experience, is what he hopes to pass along to �鶹��Ѱ��students.

As BCV launches, the excitement is clear. The program not only strengthens CU’s reputation but also reflects the growing momentum in Boulder’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. With leaders like Trent guiding the way, the future of climate entrepreneurship at �鶹��Ѱ��looks brighter than ever.

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Chasing Powder, Building a Business

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:30:00 +0000

Chasing Powder, Building a Business Colton Sontrop Thu, 09/11/2025 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

A Dream Come True

Many kids dream about being astronauts or firefighters. Others have great passions for particular things, which was the case for Joel Gratz. From a young age, he was captivated by snowstorms and the science that explained them. By elementary school, he was already telling people he wanted to be a meteorologist, a dream that would never waver as he grew up. That combination of passion and focus would eventually shape his life.

After earning a degree in meteorology at Penn State, Joel came to �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder to pursue a dual MBA and master’s in Environmental Studies. The move reflected his desire not only to understand weather at a deeper scientific level but also to connect it to the world of business and real-world applications. While many of his classmates had professional experience, Joel was eager to learn by doing, and �鶹��Ѱ��gave him the space to explore both sides of his interests.

His early career took him into the insurance industry, where he worked on hurricane and earthquake risk modeling. On paper, it was the perfect intersection of his skills: science, data, and business, but in reality, it didn’t completely scratch the itch that had been with him since childhood. Joel still spent evenings and weekends glued to weather models, trying to figure out where he and his friends could find the best skiing conditions. This personal dilemma turned into his career.

His fun experiment on the side soon revealed something bigger, and Joel had stumbled on a problem that a lot of people cared about. Forecasting snow was tricky, but when he got it right, his friends were thrilled. The joy he experienced from it reinforced his curiosity and gave him the first glimpse that this passion could be more than just a hobby.

That Contagious Feeling

For Joel, skiing was the center of his life. Powder days carried an emotional weight that he describes as the cornerstone of OpenSnow’s growth. When he nailed a forecast and his friends caught an unforgettable day on the mountain, the excitement was contagious. He quickly realized that it was more than just about snow itself; it was about creating shared memories. That spark would ultimately fuel a career.

He began small, writing forecasts just for his circle of friends. At first, he was wrong more often than not, and his friends didn’t hesitate to poke fun at his missed calls. But with each mistake came a lesson, and with each lesson his predictions improved. As his accuracy grew, so did his confidence, and he expanded beyond emails to a blog. Before long, he had a modest but loyal following of skiers who relied on his daily insights.

Joel’s audience gave him the courage to think bigger. A few years after completing his graduate degree, he quit his job and decided to see if he could make forecasting snow a full-time career, a leap many entrepreneurs dream about. With advertisers showing interest and a growing subscriber base, he launched OpenSnow, a platform designed to give skiers the tools they needed to chase the best conditions.

Today, OpenSnow is a global business that reaches far beyond Joel’s original email list. With apps on iOS and Android, as well as a web platform, the company delivers forecasts and detailed snow reports. And while the platform has scaled far beyond its humble beginnings, Joel’s original mission to help people experience the magic of powder days hasn’t changed.

Boulder: A Career Booster

Joel’s time at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder played a critical role in shaping his path. Programs like the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) gave him a crash course in analyzing business ideas and learning how to think critically about which ones truly made sense. At first, everything looked exciting on paper, but over time, he built the confidence to spot flaws and evaluate ideas more realistically. That skill set would later serve him well when making decisions for OpenSnow.

An entrepreneurship class with Erick Mueller further grounded him in the realities of building a business. Unlike the glamorous image of startups often portrayed, this course emphasized the everyday responsibilities of things like opening a bank account, filing paperwork, setting up bookkeeping, and handling customer emails. Joel appreciated this, as it reminded him that entrepreneurship is just as much about the basics as it is about strategy. These lessons helped him understand what it would take to transition his blog into a functioning business.

Beyond academics, Boulder’s entrepreneurial community gave Joel a support system. By attending events like Techstars and Boulder Open Coffee, he immersed himself in a culture of sharing and collaboration. The collective knowledge he absorbed complemented his MBA work. It wasn’t any single experience that set him up for success, but the combination of all of them working together.

"None of them were the exact right ingredient to make all this work, but all of them working together were really helpful.”

Even with this foundation, building OpenSnow was a long and deliberate process. Joel describes the company’s growth as a series of slow inflection points rather than rapid leaps. The first came when he admitted he couldn’t do everything alone and brought someone on board to handle advertising sales. That move added professionalism and unlocked new revenue. Another turning point was when he introduced subscriptions, a bold step at the time. Charging users directly felt risky, but it gave the company control over its revenue stream and reinforced the value of the product.

Years later, another pivotal moment came when advisors encouraged Joel to put more of OpenSnow’s core features behind the paywall. At first, subscriptions only covered “nice-to-have” extras, but eventually, Joel had the confidence to ask users to pay for the full product. That shift transformed the company, and with each deliberate decision, OpenSnow became stronger.

Through it all, patience has been Joel’s constant companion. He laughs about moving at the “speed of molasses,” but he knows it’s always in the right direction. Building OpenSnow wasn’t about rushing to the next big thing; instead, it was about trusting that slow, steady progress would add up.

Patience is Key

Looking back, Joel’s journey reads like the perfect arc: a snow-obsessed kid becomes a meteorologist, sharpens his skills at CU, and builds a business that helps skiers around the world. But the reality is that it wasn’t an overnight success. OpenSnow’s growth came from years of hard work with a willingness to keep pushing even when the path forward wasn’t clear.

His story is a reminder that passion alone isn’t enough, but it has to be paired with persistence. Joel's ability to consistently do so well for 15 years is what turned OpenSnow into more than a blog. It became a business because he treated it as a long-term commitment rather than a quick experiment.

Joel believes that entrepreneurship is about making it happen, whatever it is. To him, it doesn’t matter if it’s a tech startup, a restaurant, or a side project. What matters is having the conviction to take an idea and bring it into the world in your own way.

“You better really care about the thing you’re gonna do, because this is not a 9-to-5 job. This is your entire life, so you better love it, or you’re probably just not going to stick through it.”

Joel’s success comes from passion and persistence. He chased powder days not just for himself but for a community of skiers who share the same thrill. In doing so, he built something lasting. He demonstrates that when you follow what excites you and keep moving forward, you can carve a path that’s uniquely your own.

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