This two-year program immerses a select group of MBA candidates in academic and experiential learning unique to growth-stage companies. This MBA honors experience will provide knowledge, skills and relationships that will enable you to join any startup or growing company and help them scale. The highly competitive program offers financial support in addition to master classes, exclusive networking opportunities, and career support.

What is a High Growth Venture?
A company ambitiously going after double-digit growth and creating a scalable business model in order to significantly impact the market.

Why High Growth Ventures?
High growth ventures are key drivers in economic development across the world, and the competencies and skills necessary to guide ventures from startup through scale-up are highly valuable. Facing a future shaped by the ongoing disruption of technology and innovation, the Leeds School of Business and the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship are leading high growth venture education.

HGV Fellows on balcony with Flatirons in the background

What the program provides MBA candidates

Knowledge & Skills

How do you launch, build and innovate within a high growth company? Leveraging academic coursework and sessions with founders, builders and industry leaders throughout the Boulder/Denver region, HGV Fellows will learn the competencies, traits and experiences high growth companies need and expect from their employees.

  • Kick-off the year at our annual fall fellowship retreat

  • Attend monthly master classes (we call them 鈥楬uddles鈥�!)

  • Learn from Leeds鈥� portfolio of Management and Entrepreneurship courses

  • Work in teams on a purpose-driven project that puts entrepreneurial leadership skills into practice and makes an impact in the community

  • Join entrepreneurship workshops and events offered by CU and the Colorado business community

鈥淥ur speaker was engaging, authentic, and obviously experienced in business and entrepreneurship. I really enjoyed the content and learned a lot about my peers via the exercise where we had to be introspective and actively participate - it was fantastic!鈥� - Feedback from HGV Huddle

Network & Relationships

Fellows will build valuable relationships within the program and its mentor and alumni networks, while connecting with leaders in the local startup and scale-up communities.

  • Connect with fellowship alumni, as well as an exclusive local network of startup leaders

  • Join professional and social events with fellowship cohort

  • Share internship experiences during summer check-ins

鈥淭he best part is spending time with like-minded students who are excited about working with growing companies.鈥� 鈥斕�Sandy MacDonnell, 2019 Cohort

Career Support

This program will blend your professional and academic experiences with the skills local startups need to make an impact, making our fellows desirable new hires. We'll support your search for both internship and full-time employment.

  • Introductions to local network of startups and business leaders

  • Job search resources, networking tips, and career guidance

鈥淲e were impressed by the professionalism and drive that the intern from the High Growth Venture Fellowship program brought to our firm this summer! We definitely hope to recruit interns from the program in the future.鈥� - Larry Middle, CFO @ JumpCloud

How To Apply

We are now accepting applications for the Class of 2026:

Early application deadline: February 1, 2024

  • Evaluation and Interviews: February 5 - March 8, 2024
  • Decisions: by March 31, 2024

Second round application deadline: May 1, 2024

  • Evaluation and Interviews: May 15 - 31, 2024
  • Decisions: by June 21, 2024

Note: These dates are subject to change.

Applicants are required to submit a single PDF that includes:

  1. Current CV / resume
  2. Cover letter outlining your entrepreneurship interests and goals, career objectives, and what you expect to both contribute and gain from the fellowship
  3. Additional information highlighting your qualifications for this program (letters of support, certifications, etc.)

Applicants are also encouraged to submit a short video sharing a fun entrepreneurial experience from your life.听

Please email betsy.klein@colorado.edu with any questions.