Trailblazing Excellence: The Award-Winning Innovation of the New Venture Launch Class

When you undertake the entrepreneurial journey in New Venture Launch (NVL), it is more than just a class. Thanks to the University of Colorado Boulder Deming Center for Entrepreneurship Faculty Director Brad Werner and the Intuitive Foundation, students accepted into the class receive hands-on learning, expert advice and financial support that launches a viable business. In NVL, students learn to translate products and services into functioning ventures, gaining skills in various business aspects, including legal literacy, fundraising, web presence, sales, marketing, cash management and operations. While fostering collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship with cross-disciplinary teams aiming to launch ventures, New Venture Launch also offers students the opportunity to pitch their ventures for up to $25,000 in non-equity funding and prepares students for the New Venture Challenge, with two of the 2023 New Venture Challenge finalists having completed NVL. Thanks to the class’s success and innovation, Brad Werner received the 2023 MBA Teaching Excellence Award for Elective Course.

Charting New Horizons 

If you are an ambitious student with a passion for startups and an eagerness to embark on your entrepreneurial journey, the New Venture Launch class is for you!  The course provides the tools to thrive in the dynamic realm of business. Whether your concept is a mere spark of inspiration or a fully-fledged venture with clientele and funding, the NVL class is a masterclass to transform abstract ideas into tangible, operational enterprises. Throughout this journey, participants foster an environment of collective success. This class offers funding for legal counsel, branding and website design, as well as guest speakers and world-class mentors to the teams. Brad Werner says: 

 "We're trying to create diversity and balance skill sets. We want this to be the most desired class on campus. It combines your personal strengths, excellence in other people and their strengths, and that's amazing."

The New Venture Challenge at CU Boulder is a fantastic opportunity for students passionate about forging tangible impacts in the real world through innovative startups, organizations and ventures. In 2022, the New Venture Challenge was awarded Top 20 Largest Collegiate Entrepreneurship Competitions, and over one thousand total CU Boulder startups have participated to date. The New Venture Challenge is a stage where aspiring problem-solvers and visionaries can nurture impactful ventures amidst a whirlwind of entrepreneurial events. The challenge is community backing, offers invaluable mentorship and, most exhilaratingly, the prospect of winning the coveted funding prize. Finalists in this challenge include LingDisco, placing third in the challenge, Evan Baltman took his $15,000 prize to launch his innovative and creative startup that makes learning new languages thrilling and riveting. The New Venture Launch Challenge has provided finalists like Evan with the opportunity to bring their aspirations to life and ambitiously reach for the stars.

The Impact of the Intuitive Foundation on Entrepreneurial Education

The success of the class and its venture are only possible thanks to the support of the Intuitive Foundation. The Intuitive Foundation has allowed Brad Werner and Betsy Klein the chance to collaborate intimately, weaving together the threads of this opportunity tailor-made for students. The foundation collaborates with leading college entrepreneurship courses and innovation fellowships to equip the next generation with the skills to address real-world challenges and successfully establish tech startups. Their commitment extends to offering comprehensive training in entrepreneurship and mentorship to guide young individuals. Through these partnerships, students are actively developing pioneering, sustainable solutions that make a meaningful positive change in the lives of others and excel in their professional careers. With this generous funding, NVL has provided invaluable resources and guidance to its students. In the words of Brad Werner: 

“We are continuously thinking about how to raise more money to provide even more support for our students. The class allows students to manage high-performing teams, it teaches them to create a values framework and create a values-based decision-making process. You can articulate problems and solutions here very clearly by going through these programs, and it allows for personal growth. All of these are valuable whether you’re trying to start a company, or even if you’re just trying to survive this world.”

Interested in supporting this class and its students? Contact Betsy Klein at Betsy.Klein@colorado.edu to learn more.