Founder, Boulder鈥檚 Best Sports Cards and Memorabilia and Intern, L鈥橭real
He鈥檚 completed three internships as a Leeds student while running his own small business, but that hasn鈥檛 kept Connor Lacey from being heavily involved on campus.听
Lacey is the student business chair for the CU Conference on World Affairs, serves as a teaching assistant, is involved with the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity and, as he puts it, 鈥淚鈥檓 a lunch lady for the athletes, which is the best job ever,鈥� because it gets him good food that he doesn鈥檛 have to make himself.听
Lacey isn鈥檛 much of a cook, but he is an expert on marketing. He鈥檚 built a small business that deals in flipping sports cards, and is fresh off an internship with L鈥橭real that led to a full-time offer in marketing management.
鈥淭hey gave me this multifaceted role to tap into these different business disciplines and give me ownership of a new product鈥攚hich was incredible, as an intern,鈥� Lacey said. 鈥淚 secured an $11 million media budget鈥攚hich was really mine to lose鈥攂ut I was pitching to the second-in-command of L鈥橭real USA, and she鈥檚 listening to me, asking hard questions that I had the answers to, and challenging me to fight for work I was proud of. It was so rewarding.鈥澨�
Lacey already runs a successful business of his own, Boulder鈥檚 Best Sports Cards and Memorabilia. It鈥檚 something like fantasy sports鈥擫acey tries to determine who鈥檚 due for a big year, then buys and flips that player鈥檚 cards online.听
鈥淚f Lebron James drops 40 points in a game, his card value goes up overnight,鈥� Lacey said. 鈥淚t started as just a side hustle in high school, but it鈥檚 turned into a fun way to use my excitement for sports to further my interest in business.鈥澨�
鈥淚t鈥檚 turned into a fun way to use my excitement for sports to further my interest in business.鈥�
Connor Lacey (Mktg鈥�24)
An Ohio native, Lacey came to Colorado courtesy of his sister, who graduated from CU Boulder last year. It didn鈥檛 hurt that he was accepted to the Leeds Scholars Program, as well.
鈥淕oing to a big state school far from home is kind of scary,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 knew I wanted to get involved early, and the Leeds Scholars Program made me part of a great group of students and allowed me to connect and build relationships early on.鈥澨�