News

Colorado and the AI Revolution

Jane Majkiewicz — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:36:29 +0000

Colorado and the AI Revolution Jane Majkiewicz Mon, 12/16/2024 - 12:36

Jane Majkiewicz

Colorado is at the forefront of the AI revolution, adopting applications across industries and leading with the Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act. This topic was a spotlight at the 60th annual Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum.

Audience members at the AI in Action: Transforming Business and Education in Colorado pre-conference session at the Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum contributed to a word cloud describing AI. The photo was enhanced using the AI tool in Adobe Photoshop.

After 60 years of forecasting economic trends in Colorado’s mainstay industries, something that couldn’t have been predicted even two years ago took center stage at the December 2024 Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum: artificial intelligence.

The topic warranted a dedicated pre-conference workshop: “AI in Action: Transforming Business and Education in Colorado.” �鶹��Ƶ 150 attendees participated in the workshop led by Jeremiah Contreras (pictured below on the left) and David Kohnke (right). Contreras, a teaching assistant professor at Leeds, won a teaching award for integrating AI into the classroom. Kohnke, Leeds’ senior IT director, has been assisting staff and faculty in developing best practices for integrating AI into the workplace to realize efficiency gains. 

Their presentation ranged from the history and practical applications of AI to its future directions, ethical considerations and legal implications.

Colorado in a leading role

Like the rest of the world, AI is transforming Colorado’s industries. Compared to other states, Colorado has emerged as a national leader in AI adoption and regulation.

This leadership is exemplified by the Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act, passed in May 2024, demonstrating Colorado’s proactive approach to safeguarding the responsible use of AI. It’s the first comprehensive state law in the U.S. regarding AI development and deployment. The law, which takes effect in February 2026, aims to prevent algorithmic discrimination in AI systems used for job screening.

Understanding the landscape

Since the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022, Contreras has studied how society and businesses are responding to the rapid evolution of AI. He has spearheaded initiatives to train Leeds faculty and students, ensuring that future leaders are equipped to navigate this transformative era.

“After I got over the fear, there was excitement,” said Contreras, reflecting on the initial reactions to AI’s rapid advancements.

AI adoption is accelerating, with statistics underscoring its explosive growth. Large companies have been the frontrunners, but small businesses are now adopting AI at a faster rate than medium-sized enterprises, Contreras explained. For these smaller businesses, AI offers efficiencies and automation that level the playing field.

“To put it into context, ChatGPT had 1 million users in the first five days of release,” said Contreras. “Today, there are 300 million new users every week, with about a billion messages being transacted daily.”

Real-world applications of AI

Kohnke and Contreras gave examples where AI applications are already in play.

Energy and sustainability
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is leveraging AI to forecast energy demand and optimize smart grids, resolving faults in real-time and enhancing use of alternative sources like solar panels. On an individual level, tools like Google Nest thermostats use AI to adapt to user preferences and weather conditions, providing energy savings.
Healthcare
AI is revolutionizing healthcare through predictive tools that analyze medical imaging for early disease detection. Helping medical practitioners capture notes in real-time and assist with diagnoses—even for veterinary care—are just the beginning of AI’s potential.
Finance
AI is enhancing fraud detection, streamlining audits and providing personalized financial advice. Major firms, including the Big Four accounting firms, are investing billions in AI over the coming years.
Education
From K-12 to higher education, AI is enabling personalized learning experiences and transforming the way students and educators interact with information.
Real Estate
AI tools are refining property valuation and helping people find and purchase their dream homes.
Agriculture
AI is enabling precision farming, from advanced weather forecasting to plant disease identification. Autonomous farming equipment, like John Deere’s AI-powered tractors, are on the horizon.

AI’s evolution

From early human-based algorithms and neural networks to today’s generative AI, including large language models (LLMs), the progression has been rapid. These models rely on vast datasets for training, enabling them to perform increasingly complex tasks.

However, the reliance on data also raises concerns about privacy, bias and ethical use.

Ethical implications and challenges

AI’s imperfections are a key consideration. Kohnke noted that AI still frequently produces hallucinations, meaning it can generate incorrect information or misleading results.

“The secret is data. LLMs need a lot of data to train,” said Contreras. This dependency introduces risks, however, including potential misuse of sensitive or proprietary information.

Both Contreras and Kohnke also pointed out potential issues with an overreliance on AI, which can compromise critical thinking and creativity.

Trust, ethics and privacy remain essential areas that demand ongoing scrutiny and will guide emerging regulations and standards.

Key recommendations for using AI now

Kohnke and Contreras shared actionable insights for navigating the AI landscape.

Validate your results: Always verify the outputs of AI tools.
Challenge assumptions: Use generative AI to test hypotheses and refine ideas.
Leverage AI as a thought partner: Generative AI excels at synthesizing large datasets, summarizing and brainstorming new ideas.
Break traditional search habits: Experiment with AI’s unique capabilities, such as asking it to generate questions.
Keep a human-in-the-loop approach, always integrating human oversight of AI-generated results to ensure accuracy.
Be curious: Try low-stakes projects to explore AI’s potential without significant risks.

The path forward

“It’s impossible to keep up with everything that’s going on in the AI space right now,” said Kohnke. He noted that the pace of change is staggering, with breakthroughs occurring on an hourly, daily and weekly basis.

Education plays a crucial role in preparing future leaders to harness AI’s potential, said Contreras. “We are always looking for opportunities to collaborate. That has to be how we move forward in understanding how to help businesses. No one has all the answers.”

As the world navigates the complexities of AI, Contreras invoked a guiding principle from Albert Einstein: “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious.”

Apropos of this topic, this article was enhanced by the use of OpenAI’s ChapGPT.

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Colorado’s Economic Forecast for 2025: Slower Growth Amidst Uncertainty

Kelsey Cipolla — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 18:35:14 +0000

Colorado’s Economic Forecast for 2025: Slower Growth Amidst Uncertainty Kelsey Cipolla Tue, 12/10/2024 - 11:35

Despite a complex national and global economic landscape, Colorado’s economy will continue to grow in 2025, according to the 60th annual Colorado Business Economic Outlook.

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What New Faculty Learned This Fall

Jane Majkiewicz — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:52:39 +0000

What New Faculty Learned This Fall Jane Majkiewicz Tue, 12/10/2024 - 09:52

Jane Majkiewicz

Ying Zeng, Michael Gropper, Xiaobo Yu and Rodrigo Dias joined Leeds’ faculty this fall, bringing fresh ideas, diverse expertise and a shared passion for shaping future business leaders. Leeds asked them to share their reflections about their journey so far.

From left to right, Ying Zeng, Michael Gropper, Xiaobo Yu and Rodrigo Dias.

What has been the most rewarding or surprising aspect of teaching at Leeds so far?

Leeds students are truly motivated
Ying Zeng, assistant professor of marketing, has been impressed with the way students dedicate time to their courses, even if they are also working and fulfilling extracurricular duties. “They are active, persistent, careful and professional—important qualities to grow as future business leaders.”

Michael Gropper, visiting assistant professor of finance, agrees. “One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching at Leeds has been the students’ engagement and curiosity regarding the connections between classroom content and what goes on in the financial industry.”

Teaching and learning
Xiaobo Yu, assistant professor of finance, has appreciated the challenge of figuring out what students already know and what they don't—“what we economists call ‘higher-order beliefs,’” he said. It gave him the opportunity to break down concepts into “unambiguous steps,” reconsider assumptions and make things simpler. “Realizing this indeed improved my understanding of the basic principles of corporate finance."

Exploring rapid market changes
“Marketing has been evolving rapidly as a discipline, reflecting various technological changes in the marketplace, such as the rise of AI, the increasing importance of social media and the focus on data-driven decision-making,” said Rodrigo Dias, assistant professor of marketing. He’s excited to teach Principles of Marketing this spring and looks forward to the enriching experience that students from diverse disciplines and intellectual backgrounds will provide as they reflect on these changes.

How will you continue to build relationships with students, faculty and the broader Leeds community for the spring semester?

Research collaboration
After a rewarding semester with undergraduate students, Zeng looks forward to spending more time with graduate students on research collaborations. She’s also excited to have more time to connect with faculty and the wider Leeds community to “reciprocate the kindness and help I have received from this big family during my first semester as a faculty member."

Gropper looks forward to continued collaborations with Leeds community members as part of the Center for Research on Consumer Financial Decision Making. “The work done to understand how households make their financial decisions is important and can have wide-ranging policy implications.”

Talking more with students
With the experience gained from his first semester, Yu is excited to earmark more time before class to get to know students better. “I believe that will be a way to encourage more student participation in the class as well.”

Fulfilling goals
Having spent the fall semester focusing on research, Dias is excited to teach his first class this spring, learning about students’ career goals and exploring how Leeds can help them achieve those goals. He’s also eager to collaborate on research with Leeds’ “extremely talented PhD students” and mentor them through their academic journeys.

What’s your go-to spot to unwind after a busy day at Leeds?

Pensive on Pearl
Yu has found his sanctuary at the Boulder Bookstore on Pearl and the gym in his apartment (depending on whether he is physically or mentally exhausted!). Meanwhile, Dias enjoys strolling along Pearl Street Mall, “observing the charming atmosphere with the view of the mountains in the background.”

Staying active
After teaching her classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, you’ll find Zeng attending adult swim classes at The Rec. You'll also find Gropper walking with his dog along Boulder's wonderful trails. Dry Creek Trail in East Boulder is one of his dog's favorites.

Do you have any goals or resolutions for the new year?

Moving mountains
From plans to exercise each month (Zeng) to getting a driver’s license (Yu), and delving into research projects (Dias), one unanimous goal is to keep exploring Colorado’s majestic mountains and outdoors.

Gropper wants to learn how to cross-country ski; the others are eager to hit the slopes!

Four new faculty members who started this fall have found Leeds students to be highly motivated and self-directed—essential skills for the next generation of business leaders.

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Career Paths: How Two Leeds Students Turned Internships into Careers Before Graduation

Jane Majkiewicz — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 22:33:16 +0000

Career Paths: How Two Leeds Students Turned Internships into Careers Before Graduation Jane Majkiewicz Mon, 11/25/2024 - 15:33

Anna Bedell (Mktg’25) and Spencer Taliaferro (Mgmt’24) have managed to do something that many students dream of—head into graduation with a job offer already in hand.

Anna Bedell (Mktg’25) and Spencer Taliaferro (Mgmt’24) share a few things in common: They both came to Leeds with an interest in marketing, they’re both student workers at Leeds, and they both managed what many students dream of—getting full-time jobs even before they don their graduation caps.

Bedell will graduate this spring with a marketing major and journalism minor. After that, she’s headed to Europe for a month, and then on to Austin, Texas, where she’ll join IBM in marketing. Meanwhile, Taliaferro, who majored in business analytics and information management, will step into Boeing as a competitive intelligence specialist after he graduates this December.

Their secret? Internships.

Starting early to build experience

Students at Leeds hit the ground running, and Bedell and Taliaferro are no exception.

Bedell started working part-time as a Leeds ambassador freshman year. From her sophomore year on she has built a portfolio of published articles working with Leeds’ marketing team. On top of academics and student government, she’s also done “almost every Leeds’ abroad experience possible,” including a  First-Year Global Experience and a semester abroad, adding to her resume and worldview.

Bedell talked with mentors each year, and one alumni mentor connected her with Assistant Teaching Professor Meg Winter. “She had a lot of insightful things to say to give me advice on what could be best for me,” Bedell said.

Taliaferro has worked at Leeds in various capacities since the first time he stepped into Koelbel, where he now works with the Advancement team. He considers his student employment to be the biggest influence on his work experience.

“It has really helped evolve my professional development,” he said, listing essential skills: how to talk with colleagues, manage deadlines and collaborate with a team. “So that's been very monumental, not just to me getting the job, but to the success of my internship last summer,” he said.

He also credits his success to three interview prep sessions with the Career Development Office, two of which involved behavioral interviews. “I sometimes ramble, and the biggest practice I learned was how to be concise with my answers. Career services was great at teaching me the STAR [situation, task, action, result] method." (See "Ace Interviews with the STAR Method.")

A foot in the door

Bedell’s proactive approach led her to IBM’s Accelerate Summer Program, a virtual career readiness program. After that, securing an internship with IBM the following summer was a natural next step.

“They already knew me as a person. They already knew the effort I'd put in for the project that we had. I was one of the presenters for our final project as well, so it put me on the radar at IBM.” Her internship led to her job offer without even having to interview.

“They already knew me as a person. They already knew the effort I'd put in ... so it put me on the radar at IBM.”

Anna Bedell (Mktg’25)

Taliaferro was seeking an internship in a STEM-based organization where he could enhance his knowledge of data analytics. Working in a well-established industry like aviation, known for its great opportunities for advancement, appealed to him.

So, he attended career fairs to hone his networking skills and connected with a retired aerospace industry professional through Leeds’ Professional Mentorship Program. Those efforts helped him gain the confidence to connect with a recruiter on LinkedIn to express his interest in an internship at Boeing. Within four days, the recruiter responded, leading to the internship Taliaferro started last summer. He was excited to tackle three major projects that allowed him to gain real-world data analytics skills, and he has been interning since while completing his last semester.

For Taliaferro, the support from managers and colleagues won him over immediately. “I was very lucky to have the flexibility to be able to learn and to train myself, and I had a lot of opportunities to fail in a safe environment,” he said.

“I was very lucky to have the flexibility to be able to learn and to train myself, and I had a lot of opportunities to fail in a safe environment.”

Spencer Taliaferro (Mgmt’24)

Planning for work-life balance

As large employers call employees back to the office five days a week, both Bedell and Taliaferro are grateful they have hybrid options.

They both had a clear sense of their goals, including being able to consider further education through their employers if they choose to pursue graduate degrees.

By interning, they could get a sense of how their new work environments align with their values and goals.

“IBM is an old company, but it’s such a fun, youthful culture in its working environment,” said Bedell. She now is also familiar with what life will be like in her new home of Austin. That helped her weigh out the job offer in hand, adding, “There’s still so much room for mistakes and growth, and to know that I'm not pushed toward anything specific right now.”

Taliaferro is looking forward to settling in Denver and diving into his career, especially after moving every year of college. Grad school may be five years down the road, he said, and he may even go for his pilot’s license.

Keeping longer-term goals flexible

One of Bedell’s greatest discoveries during her college years is that the whole world is her classroom. It has led to a sense of optimism she hopes to share. “I want to tell other students not to put an exuberant amount of pressure on themselves … even if something doesn't go to plan, that just means there’s a new opportunity waiting for you elsewhere.”

As Taliaferro prepares to graduate in December, he’s realistic about the ups and downs of any industry but is also optimistic. Having witnessed his father go through two layoffs has steeled his reserve for facing unpredictable events. In fact, his manager at Boeing had informed him in October about the looming layoffs at Boeing, although Taliaferro’s department, to date, has been unaffected.

Taliaferro remains confident about his future. “I'd love to be with Boeing for at least the next five years, because I love my team. I love my coworkers and I would love to be an expert in my field.”

Ace Interviews with the STAR Method

The STAR method stands for "situation, task, action, result." It's a behavioral interview format that helps you frame a story by succinctly describing a situation, task, action and result. Jessica Baumgarten, assistant director of career coaching at Leeds, shared the following example.

Situation: In my XX class, my group was assigned a project centered on ABC. As my team delved into the project, I realized everyone had very different opinions on the direction we should take to complete the assignment.

Task: Due to the differing opinions, I realized we were not going to be able to successfully move the project forward.

Action: I stepped into the leadership role and asked each team member to come prepared with research to present why their idea would be the best approach to take. This gave each person the floor without interruption. We then asked follow-up questions and voted as a group once all the evidence was presented.

Result: Once we agreed on a direction, my team and I completed the project and earned an A.

Anna Bedell (Mktg’25) and Spencer Taliaferro (Mgmt’24) leveraged their internships to launch their careers.

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Save the Date: Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum on Dec. 9

Jane Majkiewicz — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 16:44:48 +0000

Save the Date: Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum on Dec. 9 Jane Majkiewicz Mon, 11/25/2024 - 09:44

The 60th annual Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum will look ahead to what’s in store for 2025.

The 2025 Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum will be held on December 9, 2024, at the Grand Hyatt Denver.

This year marks the 60th edition of the annual outlook, which forecasts Colorado’s economy for the next year, including projected job numbers, industry predictions and potential economic challenges. It provides analysis of 11 industries across the state.

The annual forecast is compiled by the Leeds Business Research Division (BRD) in partnership with several businesses, nonprofits and government entities.

This year’s event will feature a new, pre-conference workshop focused on artificial intelligence and its role in the state’s economic and educational landscape. Additional breakout sessions will look at key Colorado industry clusters, real estate and energy.

Get the Forecast

The annual Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum takes place Dec. 9 at the Grand Hyatt Denver.

The event is free to attend, but registration is required.

Agenda
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Optional AI workshop
12:30 p.m.—Check in
1 p.m.—Opening remarks, Colorado economic outlook for 2025
2 p.m.—Keynote
3-4:30 p.m.—Breakout sessions: energy, key industry clusters, real estate
4:30-5:30 p.m.—Networking reception

The 60th annual Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum will look ahead to what’s in store for 2025.

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Career Paths: How Mary Boling Made a Major Career Pivot

Kelsey Cipolla — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 16:53:51 +0000

Career Paths: How Mary Boling Made a Major Career Pivot Kelsey Cipolla Thu, 11/14/2024 - 09:53

Jane Majkiewicz

By pursuing her MBA at Leeds, Mary Boling orchestrated a career pivot from education to a rewarding role in the clean energy field.

Right after graduation, Mary Boling (MBA’24) started an exciting role as an associate with the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA). She works on the market insights team tracking clean energy deals—an entirely new direction from her previous career in education.

So, how did she make such a dramatic shift?

For Boling, it boiled down to self-awareness and seizing opportunities.

“No one is going to work harder for you to get a job than you,” she said. “You have to connect the dots.”

The value of an MBA

Boling had been teaching in Houston for three years as part of the Teach for America program when she and her husband moved to Colorado. She didn’t have a job lined up when they arrived, but through networking, she found roles in enrollment and student recruitment at Rocky Mountain Prep, a Denver-based charter school network.

After five more years in education, Boling felt ready to deepen her roots in Colorado. It also felt like the right time for a career change. She saw how colleagues had expanded their skills through advanced degrees.

“A master’s degree is one of many levers you can use to help shape your career,” she said. For her, pursuing an MBA helped craft a narrative around her career transition. It also created opportunities she knew would have been challenging to access or orchestrate without a program to offer resources.

But Boling didn’t go to grad school knowing she wanted to work in sustainability. She just knew she wanted to make an impact, and she believed she could do that outside of education. She approached the graduate school experience as an opportunity for self-exploration: What skills do I already have that are transferable? And where are my blind spots?

Then, she actively sought the answers.

“No one is going to work harder for you to get a job than you.”

Mary Boling (MBA’24)

The power of asking questions

She began to clarify her direction while attending conferences on combating climate change. She reflected on parallels she had noticed with how people advocate for educational equity, and it resonated with her background in teaching, advocacy and pushing forward efforts like DEI initiatives.

“The first thing that struck me was the clear action around procuring clean energy,” she said. That ultimately led Boling to pursue the Clean Energy MBA Pathway through the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility at Leeds.

“CESR, in general, was a great resource,” Boling said, pointing to the Energy Finance Bootcamp and networking events as highlights. She was even honored by the center with an Impact Buff Award in 2024 for her contributions.

Being a networker

Boling’s work experience had already helped her flex her networking muscle, but she further developed it at Leeds, she said. She was intentional about tapping into every available resource: career guidance, internships, conferences, one-to-one conversations and classes, such as one that involved a semester of consulting work with Optera, a Leeds alumni-founded company, where Boling made great contacts and better understood which skills she could transfer to the climate tech space.

“There’s only so much you can learn on the Internet about a company’s culture or what they’re looking for,” she said. Networking helped her discover job opportunities she might not have found otherwise. “You might know the shiny names of big companies, but through conversations, you find out about startups or smaller companies doing similar things.”

In fact, it was through a conversation that Boling discovered the Clean Energy Buyers Association. A contact pointed out that Boling’s education experience was well aligned with the organization’s mission to create awareness around clean energy. She began monitoring CEBA’s job board, and when the right opportunity came along, she already had a networking connection to help her resume stand out.

Leeds also equipped Boling with two components required for her job application: For a presentation sample, she waa able to use material from the International Duke University Energy in Emerging Markets Case Competition, for which her team pitched to Okra Solar, an Australian climate tech startup. For her writing sample, she submitted a final paper from her Socially Responsible Enterprise MBA class.

Being the solution

Sustainability is a field with immense potential for growth. Green job seekers are 29% more likely to get hired, according to Forbes.

“There’s a great deal of momentum [in sustainability], so that means there’s also a lot of competition,” Boling said. “You have to know what you’re going to provide. At the end of the day, they're paying you to help them push their work forward. Are you bringing in a network, or do you have experience solving similar problems?”

During her internship as a change manager at Alterra Mountain Company, Boling’s manager helped her connect with the company’s sustainability team, and while onsite for a project in Vermont, she connected with the sustainability lead. She also talked with a fellow CU MBA student who was working there as a sustainability intern. Through her work and those discussions, Boling got to see how change management plays a crucial role in launching sustainability initiatives. She could frame her skills as a competitive edge.

Being resilient

Like most job seekers, Boling faced some rejections and lack of responses along the way. She learned not to take those as a sign of being incompetent or incapable, knowing they could be related to other circumstances, like an internal hire. Her friend gave her a great analogy: “A job search is like water finding cracks to flow through—you just need to keep moving.”

As Boling dives deeper into the clean energy industry, her practice in resilience will come in handy.

She was inspired by a recent webinar that discussed mental fatigue when confronting the daunting task of climate change. “One thing they brought up is that to see progress, you need to make sure you’re replenished,” she said.

“I think the questions I always have in the back of my head are, ‘Where can I be plugging in? Do I feel like what I've done has had an impact, whether it’s at a macro level, or even at a micro level?’” It helps to focus on small, incremental wins to stay positive, she emphasized. “You have to pay attention to what you can control.”

By pursuing her MBA at Leeds, Mary Boling orchestrated a career pivot from education to a rewarding role in the clean energy field.

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How AI Can Enhance the Accuracy of Eyewitness Identification

Kelsey Cipolla — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 20:42:16 +0000

How AI Can Enhance the Accuracy of Eyewitness Identification Kelsey Cipolla Thu, 11/07/2024 - 13:42

New research examines how natural language processing tools can help mitigate bias in eyewitness lineup statements.

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How Frida Formann Is Mastering Basketball and Business

Kelsey Cipolla — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 18:24:19 +0000

How Frida Formann Is Mastering Basketball and Business Kelsey Cipolla Thu, 11/07/2024 - 11:24

Jane Majkiewicz

Basketball is in Frida Formann’s (EvnSt’24, MBusAn’25) DNA.

Her parents met in the gym, and her father coached her mother when they were dating. “I don’t know how they made it through that, but they did,” Formann laughed.

Fast forward four kids and several grandchildren later, and the whole family is in on the game back in her homeland of Denmark. Her sister and brother even started a team called Baby Sharks for 2-to-5-year-olds. Formann’s mother, at 60, still plays once a week.

So, there’s that family legacy, and one other thing: Formann, a guard now in her fifth year on the CU women’s basketball team, also happens to be good at the game. Really good. Last year, she became Colorado’s all-time 3-point leader. Headlines regularly followed her success, like March Madness’ “Colorado’s Frida Formann lit up LSU with 7 threes” and ESPN’s “Frida Formann sinks it from downtown.”

CU’s BuffZone.com featured a Daily Camera article quoting the team’s assistant coach Shelley Sheetz: “It’s really cool to have a front row seat watching Frida. … I see her work ethic. I see her getting extra shots up. I see her being a student of the game.”

Formann foresees basketball playing a role in her life for a “very, very long time.”

“My plan after graduating is to enter the WNBA draft and see what the options are, and then definitely continue with a professional basketball career, in whatever country that might be.”

Boosting confidence

Formann isn’t only a student of basketball. She returned to CU for a fifth year to earn her master’s in business analytics, a program now in its tenth year at Leeds. It appealed to her for the ways it could complement her bachelor’s in environmental studies, bringing in the business lens of “what is valuable to a company and where they might not want to spend as much time or money.”

“The business analytics program has taught me how to be able to talk to executives, how to develop a strategy that they can use,” she said.

Through that she’s gained something she can take onto the court and equally into the boardroom: confidence.

“I think I came here and kind of was trying to hide a little bit,” she said. “I've learned now from the American culture that it’s OK to really think highly of yourself—as long as you put action behind it, and as long as you’re still kind and a good teammate. It’s OK to know that you’re one of the best.”

“It’s OK to know that you’re one of the best.”

Frida Formann (EvnSt’24, MBusAn’25)

Formann has found parallels between excelling in sports and succeeding in business. Working with big datasets has given her an even deeper appreciation for small details.

“It reminds me of going back and watching film on a game or going back and looking at a scouting report and figuring out what are the little key moments where you could change something. What are little things that were good or bad, and then trying to figure out together how to implement new strategies. I can do that with data, and I can do it with basketball.”

Building a sense of community

For Formann, developing a fluency in data, as with basketball and English, is ultimately underpinned by the universal language of culture and community.

“My parents always preached building community and showing up not just for kids, but for everyone who needed it. That’s something I try to apply to being a leader on the team. Everyone is deserving of a spot there and everyone needs to feel valued,” she said.

Although this year’s team includes 10 new teammates, Formann is optimistic about the season. “With a new team, it just shows what culture we’ve built here at CU—that it’s a culture of consistent work, and no matter what players come in, we are true to CU and to basketball.”

Cultivating a culture of care

Formann knew nothing about CU when she applied, but she wanted to get into a bigger market for basketball, fell in love with the school and was thrilled to get a scholarship. She arrived in 2020 during the pandemic. Between that and being an international student, she knows what it’s like to feel out of place.

“It was very isolating, you know, coming from Denmark and not knowing anyone. I only had my teammates and my coaches that I actually could interact with,” she said. Due to COVID, all her classes were on Zoom, and she ate all her meals alone.

“It was hard to navigate socially, but I was so focused on just coming here and playing basketball and doing the best I could. And luckily, I could do that. I could play a full season and actually perform,” she recalled.

“I think culture is everything because, you know, when someone gets injured or you have things that don’t go as you want them to go, the culture is really what carries you through,” she said.

Taking her best shot

This year, Formann wants to focus on leaving her mark and helping others as a team veteran, a leader, and as a female athlete. She’s passionate about advocating for women’s sports, particularly advancing salaries for women athletes and increasing media visibility to promote growth. She believes women athletes work equally as hard as men and are equally as inspirational.

As this year’s basketball season gains momentum, Formann knows when she steps on the court, her hours of training and studying all come into focus.

“Every time a game is about to start, it’s always exciting. It’s what you work so hard for,” she said.

“Knowing that I’ve put in the work, that I’ve had great preparation, makes me relax and just feel the joy in the moment.”

CU Boulder’s women’s basketball standout Frida Formann (EvnSt’24, MBusAn’25) blends her competitive edge with strategic insights from her graduate studies in business analytics at Leeds.

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When Will Singles’ Day Find Its Place in the US?

Kelsey Cipolla — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 20:47:34 +0000

When Will Singles’ Day Find Its Place in the US? Kelsey Cipolla Mon, 11/04/2024 - 13:47

With 25% of millennials projected to never marry, independence is becoming profitable. It’s time that U.S. businesses adapt to this growing trend, according to CU Boulder Professor Peter McGraw.

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The 5-Day Office Mandate: A Tipping Point for Employee Well-Being?

Kelsey Cipolla — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 19:54:31 +0000

The 5-Day Office Mandate: A Tipping Point for Employee Well-Being? Kelsey Cipolla Wed, 10/23/2024 - 13:54

Large companies like Amazon and Dell are enforcing a return to office five days a week. Assistant Professor Christina Lacerenza shares insights on the potential effects on employees.

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News

Colorado and the AI Revolution

Colorado in a leading role

Understanding the landscape

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