Leeds Ecosystem

Hugo Leenders (PhD’25)

Jane Majkiewicz — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 15:02:33 +0000

Hugo Leenders (PhD’25) Jane Majkiewicz Fri, 06/13/2025 - 09:02

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Hugo Leenders (PhD’25)
Hometown: Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Leeds Division: Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Upcoming Position: Assistant Professor of Management at New Mexico State University

Leeds Mentors: First and foremost, Janet Bercovitz. Tony Tong and Jeff York have also been great teachers, mentors and inspirations.

Highlight: Successfully defending my dissertation has been the greatest accomplishment of my professional life. Nothing comes close to it.

Research Inspiration: Initially, I was inspired by scholars around me. Later on, my own experiences as a former entrepreneur started to play an increasingly important role.

“Successfully defending my dissertation has been the greatest accomplishment of my professional life. Nothing comes close to it.”

Dissertation: “Conflict and Competitive Tensions in R&D Alliances”

Summary: My dissertation examines how firms strategically manage the risk of knowledge misappropriation and other exchange hazards inherent in R&D alliances, with a particular focus on the influence of partner reputations.

Why is this research impactful? 
Reputations are self-enforcing, and firms rely on them to make inferences about each other's current and future behaviors, especially when they have imperfect information about each other, which is generally the case in the R&D alliance context. We can thus expect reputations to play an important role in this context. However, this topic has not been researched enough, which is why I pursued this in my dissertation. In addition to contributing to theory, my research also has important practical implications, as it may help firms make better decisions with respect to partner selection, design, and overall management of their R&D alliances.

Hugo Leenders is headed to the University of New Mexico, where he will be an assistant professor of management. Completing his dissertation has been his greatest accomplishment to date!

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Maggie Wellman (MBA’25)

Jane Majkiewicz — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 15:00:51 +0000

Maggie Wellman (MBA’25) Jane Majkiewicz Thu, 06/12/2025 - 09:00

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Maggie Wellman
Major: Business Administration
Hometown: Pueblo, Colorado

Why did you choose to come to Leeds for your MBA?
After completing my undergrad at CSU and bouncing around a bit, I wanted to return to Colorado and pursue my master’s in a new academic environment. Leeds offered a dynamic, supportive community that aligned with my interests in business and sustainability.

How has Leeds shaped your perspectives about business?
Before Leeds, I was fairly confident in my understanding of the basics of business. Leeds really flipped me on my head and exposed me to all of the different angles that you can approach businesses with to make them successful. It really is difficult, and I believe that sometimes people look at businesses assuming concepts like strategy or operations are straightforward, but everything must be done intentionally and with careful thought to stay above water in the market.

What experiences have stood out?
The MBA is a packed program, and there is a ton that I loved being a part of. I really enjoyed the Barney Ford Scholarship Fundraiser and leading it as president of the planning committee. It reflects the dedication of Leeds, supporting their students and enabling everyone who wants to pursue higher education.

On a fun note, I enjoyed the tailgates hosted by the MBA board, as everyone came together, whether they were a football lover or not.

In terms of professors, it is hard to say who stood out the most. Our accounting professor Henry Laurion was undoubtedly a class favorite, but also Rich Wobbekind, Heather Kennedy and Jamie Cheston all shared their expertise and support to help me figure out the direction I should be facing for the future. Overall, the program gave me the opportunity to learn more about myself and make friends that I will have forever.

What are your plans after graduation?
I am about to get married and would love to stay in Colorado. I am applying to jobs in event/program management as well as marketing and brand management. I have a ton of interests, and I am extending my efforts to get where I am meant to be.

How has Leeds prepared you for your career?
When I came into the program, it was a stall. I wanted to do something in sustainability (still do), and I know I am good at a lot, but I was feeling disheartened by my job experiences up to that point that I wanted to gain some perspective and learn something new.

I changed the trajectory of my path a lot, and every time I did, I leaned on the career office, networking opportunities, and the incredible advice from others who had been through similar struggles. Through all of that, I found more clarity and direction.

Leeds taught me a lot, through classes, but also through events and the value of the community. I am coming out of this program more prepared than I was going in.

“Leeds taught me a lot, through classes, but also through events and through the value of the community. I am coming out of this program more prepared than I was going in.“

Maggie Wellman departs Leeds with greater clarity, direction and preparedness as she seeks to shape a career integrating sustainability into event and program management and marketing and brand management.

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Oliver Casis (Fin’25)

Jane Majkiewicz — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Oliver Casis (Fin’25) Jane Majkiewicz Wed, 06/11/2025 - 09:00

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Oliver Casis
Major: Finance
Hometown: Greenwood Village, Colorado
Leadership Award: Air Force ROTC

What are your plans after graduation?
My plan after graduation is to move to commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force in Pensacola, Florida, and begin Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training (UCT).

How would you sum up your experience at Leeds? My experience at Leeds was incredible. Surrounding myself with peers and mentors to push me out of the comfort zone to achieve higher goals is something that I will forever be grateful for.

How do you plan to stay connected to Leeds?
I plan to stay connected with Leeds through the alumni network and all social media platforms.

“My experience at Leeds was incredible. Surrounding myself with peers and mentors to push me out of the comfort zone to achieve higher goals is something that I will forever be grateful for.“

Oliver Cassis is leaving Leeds with gratitude for learning how to pursue his goals with confidence. He is headed to Pensacola, Florida, to begin Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training (UCT).

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James Anderson (MBA’26)

Jane Majkiewicz — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:17:15 +0000

James Anderson (MBA’26) Jane Majkiewicz Mon, 06/09/2025 - 11:17

Jane Majkiewicz

From biochemistry to business, James Anderson is driven by curiosity, courage and just a little bit of magic. He attributed those traits to helping his team, the Green Beans, clinch second place at Leeds’ Sustainability Case Competition this spring.

�� a year ago, James Anderson decided to trade pipettes and microscopes for pitch decks and pro formas. It’s no surprise that he was drawn to the world of startups, which prompted his decision to pursue his MBA at Leeds. Startups demand adaptability, agility and optimism—qualities he has relied on through career pivots, cross-continental moves and personal reinventions. He even joked that he was once a hard “no” on cats—that is, until Fred, his roommate’s cat, won him over.

Just getting started

New experiences will shape Anderson’s summer, too, as he doubles down on the startup life. He is stepping into a leadership role as one of two managing directors of Startup Summer, a flagship program hosted by Silicon Flatirons at �� Boulder’s law school. The initiative will bring together 40 Leeds undergraduate students for a deep dive into Colorado’s vibrant startup ecosystem.

Students will have the opportunity to explore the new venture creation process, create and build a startup with a team of their peers, and compete in a pitch contest for cash prizes. Anderson is focused on creating a tight-knit, high-impact experience.

“We’re inviting local Colorado startup legends to come and teach students how to pitch, network and raise capital for a venture. It’s a big program, with 40 students, but our goal is to make it feel like 12,” he said.

He knows the value of meaningful peer connection—that’s been his own experience in the High Growth Venture (HGV) Fellowship at the Deming Center, which includes eight MBA students selected to study startup growth and gain hands-on experience helping local startups through the HGV Impact Project initiative.

“It’s a fantastic family. Even before I started at Leeds, the HGV Fellowship felt like home,” he said.

“Even before I started at Leeds, the High Growth Venture Fellowship felt like home.”

James Anderson (MBA’26)

From Johannesburg to Penn State

Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Anderson moved to the U.S. at the “supple age of 19” to study biochemistry at Pennsylvania State University. Although it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the experience was by no means easy. Bridging the cultural gaps and differences between the U.S. and South Africa was a unique challenge for Anderson that—although jarring—sparked a deep resilience and an ability to adapt to changes.

“Although a lot of the processes (laundry, groceries, social norms) were similar, it felt as though every tool I picked up was a left-handed one,” he said.

After graduation in 2020, he worked in a Denver environmental testing lab, Origins Laboratory, and later joined a biotech startup in San Francisco, X-Therma. Both roles gave him a front-row seat to the inner workings of early-stage companies and clarified his path toward an MBA.

“This is something that I've learned from Erick Mueller, and it’s that the people you’re working under are who you’re going to learn from. That’s where the real value in any opportunity comes,” he said.

“Just by chance, all the people in my executive suites were incredible. They had a clear vision, clear goals and the clear desire to execute.”

Though he once considered pursuing a PhD in his science field, Anderson discovered he was more drawn to the operational and strategic challenges of business—things like optimizing systems and building teams.

“I wanted to switch my career from the ‘whats and whys’ to the ‘who’s and hows’: ‘Who is the right person to handle this project?’ and ‘How can we get the funding needed to get this idea off the ground?’”

He realized founders don’t have to master technical expertise—they can hire PhDs. What matters most is that they have the vision to bring the right people together.

Lessons from rugby … and reinvention

Rugby was a defining part of Anderson’s identity and a key factor in choosing to study in the U.S., where the sport is rapidly growing. But a health condition cut his rugby career short.

That pivot opened the door, though, to an unexpected reinvention. As a resident advisor, he connected with a student who encouraged him to come support her at cheerleading tryouts. Anderson gave it a shot himself—and made the team.

"It was a great opportunity,” he said. It not only helped him stay close to competitive sports, but he enjoyed the travel and camaraderie—this time on the sidelines of Penn State’s lively college football scene.

Dream Big. Spark Change. Ignite Fires.

Anderson’s summer is jam-packed. Alongside Startup Summer, he’s working full-time at Denver Ventures, an opportunity he discovered through the Deming Center. The role will deepen his understanding of venture investment—especially in the seed and accelerator stages, where his interest lies.

“I don’t have one straight path right now, and that’s OK. My goal is to keep as many doors open as possible.”

His email signature reads: Dream Big. Spark Change. Ignite Fires. To Anderson, it’s a mindset.

“There’s no point in dreaming small. To me it’s about momentum. Innovation is like a wildfire—it starts with a spark, a little oxygen and some wind.”

“There’s no point in dreaming small.”

James Anderson (MBA’26)

A community that fuels growth

Now halfway through his MBA at Leeds, Anderson reflected on how much he’s grown.

“From late nights prepping for case competitions to early morning networking calls with some of Colorado’s most inspiring entrepreneurs, I’ve never felt more energized or embedded in a community,” he shared on LinkedIn.

He’s found Colorado’s startup scene to be more dynamic and driven than he expected—and he’s all in.

“It’s been a pleasant surprise. The ecosystem here is incredibly tapped-in and supportive. I’m excited about building my career here in Colorado and beyond grateful to Leeds, the Deming Center and Silicon Flatirons for not just supporting me, but for handing me a launchpad. Now it’s time to see how far I can fly.”

James Anderson is pursuing his MBA at Leeds and taking a deep dive into Colorado’s startup scene: He’s co-directing �� Boulder's Startup Summer and championing entrepreneurs through Denver Ventures. And he’s just getting started.

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Spring Guest Speakers Share Industry Experience and Expertise with Business Students

Kelsey Cipolla — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 15:38:02 +0000

Spring Guest Speakers Share Industry Experience and Expertise with Business Students Kelsey Cipolla Mon, 06/09/2025 - 09:38

Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Manna Tree Ross Iverson speaks to students during the Leeds Professionalism Summit

Every semester, the Leeds School of Business welcomes thought leaders, innovators and industry experts to share their insights with students. These opportunities are more than guest presentations—they’re dynamic experiences that enrich learning, provide professional inspiration, and bridge the gap between academic theory and real-world practice.

This spring, students heard from accomplished professionals across industries, from real estate to tech to sustainability. Here are highlights from a few standout speakers who inspired us.

Inspiring voices

Alumna Dana Lorenze (Bus’88), senior VP of global customs for Expeditors, spoke to Teaching Professor and MBA Faculty Director Lori Seward’s International Operations Management class, discussing her career path, her 30 years of working at Expeditors, and how her company has responded to the many changes in U.S. trade policies.

Seward said Lorenze provided an eye-opening overview of how products from other countries make their way into the U.S. Lorenze answered students’ questions about how Expeditors handled customer data security, what was happening around the world with shipping, and where Expeditors saw its value proposition with international customers.

“I am so grateful that our Leeds external partners and alumni want to engage with our students,” Seward said. “Their real-world experience complements our curriculum, and my students tell me these speakers are highlights of any course they take. Hearing from business experts about how business actually works better prepares our students for their careers.”

CBRE Senior Vice President Jon Weisiger spoke with students in the Real Estate Project Competition course, led by Lecturer Craig Ferraro. Weisiger’s talk on retail real estate—covering demand, potential rents and more—inspired students to think big about their own class project: creating a development plan for a commercial site in Thornton, Colorado.

In February, two graduate classes heard from Daniel Ivanoff, founding owner and managing member of Schnitzer West, LLC, who shared his experiences in negotiating.

And students in Assistant Teaching Professor Visda Carson’s Consulting Skills class benefited from meeting Leeds alumnus John Min, the managing director of Accenture Operations, who shared his journey into consulting and how his career has evolved at Accenture. His impact didn’t stop there—after the talk, he joined several Leeds students for a coffee chat about how to pursue their professional goals. 

Overall, Leeds students had the privilege of learning from more than 600 industry leaders and experts during the spring 2025 term. More speakers whose visits left a lasting impression included:

Shannon Sisler (right), Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer, Crocs

Saber Sherrard, Partner, Bain & Company

Tyler Huggins, Co-Founder, Meati Foods

Jamie Saunders, Founder, Affix

Grace Trahan, Software Investor, Five Elms Capital

Jonathan Tress, Vice President, Media Marketing, Matter Communications

Ross Iverson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Manna Tree

Braeden Mayer, Co-Founder & Partner, Enosis Capital

Jennifer White, Director of Marketing for Oikos, Danone

Chris Joeckel, Senior Manager, GTM Enablement-Career Acceleration, LinkedIn

LeAnn Nichol, Director of Marketing, Ancillary Analytics, Vail Resorts

Danny Goldman, Goldman Property Group

Stephanie Savage, Senior Director, Energy Analytics, Microsoft

Matt Bruehl, Senior Hardware Infrastructure Engineer, NVIDIA

Leon McBroom, Senior Managing Director, JLL

Jackie Marquis, Chairman of the Board, Girls on the Run of the Rockies

This spring, students heard from accomplished professionals across industries, from real estate to tech to sustainability.

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Meredith Maney (Mktg, Mgmt’18)

Jane Majkiewicz — Wed, 21 May 2025 17:19:26 +0000

Meredith Maney (Mktg, Mgmt’18) Jane Majkiewicz Wed, 05/21/2025 - 11:19

Wyatt Humble

The first thing Meredith Maney did after graduating from Leeds was join the Leeds Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Board. She was inspired to give back and stay connected with a diverse group of Leeds grads, gaining insight from peers as they pursued different career paths.

“It’s great to have this community of young people who go from having very similar experiences to having very different experiences out in the world, and to bring it all together to build great outcomes for Leeds that improve the student experience.”

Besides that, she knew it would be fun.

Seven years later, that decision has paid off. She holds the esteemed position of being the longest tenured GOLD Board member, serving in a variety of roles. And she manages to stay highly engaged despite being across the globe in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she moved in 2023 when her husband was offered a job there after earning his PhD.

A foundation in belonging

As a Leeds undergraduate, Maney was part of the Diverse Scholars Program and earned the Outstanding Sophomore Award for academic excellence and positive contributions to the community.

From late nights in Koelbel prepping for case competitions (including an unexpected caper with her family dog), to collaborating with faculty mentors, her college experience was defined by connection—at Leeds, ��, and in Boulder. She was a member of several student organizations: the Multicultural Business Students Association, Leeds Association for Information Systems and Leeds Ambassadors. She also volunteered for three years with the Conference on World Affairs.

Those experiences all contributed to a worldview that proved valuable as she later immersed herself in an entirely new culture.

From Denver to Down Under

After graduation, Maney started as a business technology analyst at Deloitte in Denver, advancing to a consultant role after two years. Exposure to diverse industries, from fashion to defense, ultimately sparked her passion for the medical technology field. She found it refreshing to be working with smart people on breakthrough technologies that ultimately could transform lives.

That desire to be of service led her to Salesforce, where she worked as a senior customer success manager in the healthcare and life sciences sector.

“The company tries to foster a community of learners together, which is true not only in software development collaboration, but also as an overall ethos that permeates the Salesforce corporate culture,” she said.

“I’ve been lucky to work at companies that want to support professional development.”

Meredith Maney (Mgmt,Mktg’18)

“They want you to learn more. They want you to be the best you can be. I‘ve been lucky to work at companies that want to support professional development.” With that support, she earned five Salesforce certifications, continuing her professional growth.

Now a senior consultant at Brighter Days, an organization that improves workplace productivity, Maney specializes in marketing strategy and technology, working with the organization’s largest clients to identify and train teams on ways to continuously improve and deliver added value.

Global moves, local ties

For Maney, encouraging people in their professional and personal growth epitomizes the Leeds spirit. As an active member on Leeds’ social media channels (even leading a GOLD Board Instagram “takeover” last year), when Maney announced her move to New Zealand on LinkedIn, she received immediate support.

“I posted something on LinkedIn announcing my transition to New Zealand. It was really rewarding, because some of the first people to reach out were connected to Leeds. They gave me the names of other alumni who were in New Zealand,” she said.

That network proved invaluable. “They want you to go off on a new adventure, and then to have the wind at your back and all of these Leeds resources.”

The Elle Woods of Leeds

Reflecting on graduation, in 2018 Maney likened her experience to Elle Woods in the film “Legally Blonde”—a character who transforms and faces challenges with the support of her community.

“I think that is genuinely like the Leeds experience. The people who are around her [Elle] at the beginning of the movie, who believed in her, who helped her to get into Harvard, are also the people who continue to believe in her as a lawyer as she succeeds down the path.”

As a mentor, Maney strives to help students build confidence and networking skills, advocating for their success, just like Elle’s support network of friends.

“The scary conversation that you‘re fearing is never as scary as you really think it's going to be. … That‘s the practical advice that young grads always need to hear. You can build up a horrible conversation with your boss, a difficult conversation with a client, making it seem like it’s going to have way bigger repercussions than it really will.”

She reminds mentees: “At the end of the day, I think everyone‘s figuring it out, and everyone‘s human. So, it’s really about not allowing fear to stifle you.”

“At the end of the day, I think everyone‘s figuring it out, and everyone‘s human. So, it’s really about not allowing fear to stifle you.”

Meredith Maney (Mgmt,Mktg’18)

Lifelong learning and connection

Living abroad has further strengthened Maney‘s mindset, exposing her to a variety of new perspectives about innovation and risks in business and life, as well as about the importance of community.

One way she and her husband have embraced their new surroundings is by taking up fly fishing, even joining a local club—just one more way she continues to cast lines and build connections, wherever she goes.

“I’ve learned that there are a lot of different ways that you can find the chance to be out there. And I think that‘s really exciting.”

With 10 siblings, Maney joked she’s “basically always on the phone”—a fitting detail for someone who’s made a lifestyle out of keeping connections alive, no matter the distance.

Meredith Maney exemplifies what it means to be a lifelong Business Buff, joining the GOLD Board right after graduation. Now the longest-serving member, she continues to champion the Leeds community from New Zealand, proving that distance is no barrier to impact.

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A Lively Season of Case Competitions: Practical Lessons and Real-World Readiness

Jane Majkiewicz — Tue, 20 May 2025 20:49:17 +0000

A Lively Season of Case Competitions: Practical Lessons and Real-World Readiness Jane Majkiewicz Tue, 05/20/2025 - 14:49

Jane Majkiewicz

From ethics to algorithmic trading, Leeds students demonstrated their business acumen this spring at case competitions across the country.

This spring, Leeds students and faculty returned victorious from case competitions of all kinds—local, regional, national and beyond. Each year, both undergraduate and graduate students participate in case competitions, bringing home glory, prestige and prize money—and, most importantly, confirmation that classroom lessons are directly applicable in real-world business environments.

In addition to collaborating with talented classmates, students benefit from working closely with Leeds faculty and mentors from Leeds Centers of Excellence.

Here are highlights from three national-level competitions.

Rising talent in real estate

Three Leeds real estate majors—juniors Yashwant Chapagain, Ali Marcus and Sehaj Singh—earned second place in Boston University’s School of Hospitality’s 2025 Hospitality Real Estate Competition. The inaugural event brought together 21 teams and nearly 100 students from 17 universities.

The team placed second out of 12 national teams and was awarded $3,000 in prizes, said Chapagain. “The challenge focused on the development of a high-profile air rights parcel near Fenway Park, where we proposed a luxury hotel, an indoor food and beverage mall, and a modern office tower,” he explained.

The team used a strategic storytelling approach to pitch “Fenway Heights” to an audience of more than 180 industry professionals, Chapagain said. He noted that they leveraged AI tools to visualize market dynamics and support the team’s design rationale.

Team member Sehaj Singh emphasized that the site came with both high potential and plenty of challenges. “Our concept aimed to meet growing demand for high-end hospitality, attract year-round foot traffic beyond game days, and connect key parts of the neighborhood through improved pedestrian access and transit integration.” He added that the opportunity allowed the team to consider various audiences, including business travelers and local professionals, positioning the site as a vibrant new destination.

“It was a great hands-on experience that challenged us to apply financial modeling, design and strategy in a real-world context. Case competitions like this are invaluable for learning, networking and testing ideas under pressure,” said Singh.

“It was a great hands-on experience that challenged us to apply financial modeling, design and strategy in a real-world context.”

Sehaj Singh (RelEst’26)

At the regional level, another Leeds real estate team secured first place in the Sherman Miller Case Competition at Colorado State University. Seniors Emma Bedrick, Jackson Eskridge, Jonah Duran, Madison Fanshawe and Blake Kuykendall, along with sophomore Dane Westen, competed against CSU and University of Denver teams to win $4,000 in prize money.

�� team shines at the Daniels Fund Case Competition

Under the guidance of Joshua Nunziato, a team representing �� Boulder earned second place in the Daniels Fund National Ethics Case Competition, advancing from an original pool of 83 teams across 38 universities to compete in person as one of the top 20 finalists. Their impressive performance earned them an $80,000 prize.

The team—Mitali Desai, Jesse Hettleman, Marina Levine and Aaditya (Aadi) Pore—were all �� seniors from outside Leeds but were heavily involved with the Leeds Consulting Group.

“It’s a big prize and symbolic milestone in these hardworking students’ journeys: They’ve been developing their consulting and teamwork skills for years as active members of the Leeds Consulting Group and Presidents Leadership Class,” said Nunziato. “After graduation, Aadi will be joining NASA, while Mitali, Jesse and Marina have all accepted positions at McKinsey.”

Top honors in quantitative trading

Darrell Zechman, senior director of Career Development and Experiential Learning at Leeds, mentored three �� students—two from Leeds and one from engineering—at the 13th Annual UChicago Algorithmic Trading Competition. ��’s team—Ephram Cukier from Engineering, and Caden Patel and Yusuf Hanif of Leeds—earned recognition in several categories.

“To see engineering and business students collaborate and perform so well was such a wonderful feeling,” Zechman said. “This is the premier collegiate quant trading competition in the country and attracts teams from places like MIT, CalTech, Carnegie Mellon, Harvard and Princeton,” he added.

The two-day event included cases on market making, options trading and time series analysis, and featured networking opportunities with over a dozen trading and financial firms. The winnings exceeded $13,000.

“I’m excited to announce we ended up winning second place overall,” Patel shared on LinkedIn, “while taking third place for Algorithmic Trading and 4th place for Portfolio Optimization.”

His teammate Yusuf Hanif noted, “It was an incredible opportunity to apply quantitative strategies and classroom concepts to real-world inspired challenges, all the while meeting with many other fantastic students and learning more from professionals about the quantitative finance industry as a whole.”

Developing a solid business acumen

Case competitions offer students more than just accolades—they are transformative experiences that foster collaboration, critical thinking, valuable networking and real-world readiness.

“Leeds students have an impressive track record of performance, often competing against teams from the top business schools in the country.”

Julie Gibson, Sherman R. Miller Executive Director of the Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate

“Everything we do at the Klump Center is in partnership with the industry, giving students opportunities to deepen their learning outside the classroom from industry experts,” noted Julie Gibson, the Sherman R. Miller Executive Director of the Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate at Leeds.

“Case competitions offer an incredible opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning on real projects. Leeds students have an impressive track record of performance, often competing against teams from the top business schools in the country,” Gibson said.

The Leeds Edge

Across the curriculum, Leeds students have consistently proven they have what it takes to apply their academic experiences to complex business environments.

At the 2025 Leeds Sustainability Case Competition, which brought in top students from leading business schools, Leeds MBA student James Anderson was a member of The Green Beans team, which won second place.

The experience took “a mix of hard work, practice and maybe a little magic," Anderson said.

“I came in with limited knowledge of the sustainability space, so learning from my teammates was awesome. It also gave me great practice in translating technical knowledge into digestible insights that resonated with a broader audience, including the judges.” He also enjoyed participating in the Venture Capital Investment Competition, organizing logistics for five visiting teams and supporting the Leeds competitors with research and diligence screening.

A few other competitions where Leeds students grabbed the spotlight this spring included the NAIOP Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge, the Bascom Undergraduate Real Estate Competition and the New Venture Challenge. Smaller competitions also offer big benefits, like the Leeds semiannual Communication Strategy Case Competition, in which winning students developed an innovative solution for client Blue Sport Stable.

From ethics to algorithmic trading, Leeds students demonstrated their business acumen this spring at case competitions across the country.

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2025 Teaching and Staff Award Recipients Shine

Kelsey Cipolla — Fri, 09 May 2025 16:00:53 +0000

2025 Teaching and Staff Award Recipients Shine Kelsey Cipolla Fri, 05/09/2025 - 10:00

Anna Sheffer

Leeds faculty do more than just teach—they encourage, mentor and advocate for their students. Meanwhile, Leeds staff show up every day to help students have the best student experience possible and achieve their goals. These faculty and staff are recognized annually for their contributions to students’ education and experience. Here’s a look at some of our award recipients this year.

Frascona Teaching Excellence Award

Established by the Falkenberg family in 1992, the Joseph L. Frascona Teaching Excellence Award honors Leeds faculty who go the extra mile.

The recipient of the 2025 Frascona Teaching Excellence Award is Lev Szentkirályi, an assistant teaching professor in the Social Responsibility and Sustainability (SRS) Division. Szentkirályi called receiving the award “humbling and validating,” as he worked to reinvent himself as a teacher and scholar since joining Leeds in 2022, while noting that “faculty are only as good as their students.”

“You can have the best intentions and the best topics in a class, and if the students aren't there to help carry that burden of creating an engaging classroom, it's going to fail,” he said. “This award is on behalf of all those students who make teaching a privilege.”

Szentkirályi holds a PhD in political science from �� and a master’s in philosophy from the University of Connecticut. He also holds bachelor’s degrees in political science and environmental science. Before teaching at Leeds, he taught skills-based academic writing courses at the �� College of Arts and Sciences. No matter what he is teaching, he uses his multidisciplinary background to focus on applied ethics.

In the classroom, Szentkirályi consistently challenges students to make personal connections with course content, such as asking his first-year World of Business students to look at local Zillow listings and to critically reflect on the limited availability of affordable off-campus housing when discussing resource scarcity.

“If I can get them to be thinking about the relevance of these different topics that we talk about, and they can carry it with them into the future, that's where I hope the intangible meets the tangible,” he said. “I would like to think we're creating thoughtful generations of future community leaders.”

Finalists for the 2025 Frascona Teaching Award also included David Gross, a teaching professor and the associate chair in the Finance Division, and Erin Lionberger, an assistant teaching professor in Professional Effectiveness. Gross was recognized for his in-depth teaching materials and his sense of humor. He noted that humor is part of his natural communication style, which then shows up in his teaching.

“In any relationship or any situation in which you’re interacting with people, a connection is important,” he explained.

Lionberger garnered praise for her student engagement, which she does by relating the material to students’ lives.

“To be relatively early in my teaching career and reach finalist status feels pretty surreal,” she said. “I have to give a huge shoutout to my division and my colleagues—I definitely wouldn’t be here without their support and guidance.”

Innovative Teaching Award

Matthew Brady, 2025 David B. Balkin and Rosalind & Chester Barnow Endowed Innovative Teaching Award winner

The 2025 David B. Balkin and Rosalind & Chester Barnow Endowed Innovative Teaching Award has been awarded to Matthew Brady, an assistant teaching professor in the Organizational Leadership & Information Analytics (OLIA) Division. Brady’s courses are united in their entrepreneurial approach and embrace of AI technology.

“I try to bring these techniques into the classroom because I don't know another way,” Brady said. “I am an entrepreneur and I'm thinking about the students being entrepreneurs and future business leaders, and so I want to equip them accordingly.”

Brady’s courses often focus on “low-code” development—enabling students to use AI to build their own applications. As an instructor, he models his classroom after the boardroom, asking students to familiarize themselves with resources before class and then ask questions about what they have learned.

“I try to give them the tools and let them become the artists, and they can learn art by way of watching other artists learn,” he said. “That's a real joy.”

Brady has also helped found several hands-on learning opportunities for students, including the Sustainability Hackathon and the newly launched Boulder Founder Summit, which connects students to funding and mentors in the start-up world.

The runner-up for this year’s Balkin Award is Sina Khoshsokhan, assistant professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship.

Leeds Values Awards

The Leeds Values Award recognizes one staff member and one faculty member who best embody Leeds’ values. This year, the winners are Tracy Sanders and Yonca Ertimur.

2025 Leeds Value Award Winners Yonca Ertimur and Tracy Sanders

Yonca Ertimur is the Tandean Rustandy Esteemed Professor and the recipient of the 2025 Leeds Values Award for faculty, which she won due to her unwavering dedication to excellence and impact. Before her current position, she served as the senior associate dean for faculty, the acting dean of the Leeds School of Business and as the chair of the Accounting Division.

Tracy Sanders is the assistant to the division chairs at the Office of Finance and Administration. She is the recipient of the 2025 Leeds Values Award for staff for embodying Leeds values in all she does.

Leeds faculty do more than just teach—they encourage, mentor and advocate for their students. Take a look at some of our award recipients this year.

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Dongoh Shin (PhD’25)

Jane Majkiewicz — Fri, 09 May 2025 15:36:32 +0000

Dongoh Shin (PhD’25) Jane Majkiewicz Fri, 05/09/2025 - 09:36

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Dongoh Shin (PhD’25)
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Leeds Division: Accounting
Upcoming Position: Assistant Professor in Accounting at Wayne State University

Leeds Mentors: My dissertation co-chairs, professors Clare Wang and Nathan Marshall, have been invaluable guides throughout my PhD journey, particularly during my critical fourth and fifth years. They consistently challenged me with high-level questions and encouraged me to position my research within the broader context of existing literature. Additionally, Professor Henry Laurion has provided both emotional support and practical research guidance. I am particularly grateful for our research discussions, which evolved into a productive co-authorship.

Highlight: The highlight of my time at Leeds was successfully defending my dissertation proposal—a significant milestone that represented my first independent academic achievement within the program.

Research Inspiration: My experience as both an analyst and institutional investor in the equity market shaped my research interests. During my time in these roles, I became fascinated by the information flows that connect capital market participants and get them to make decisions. I was also drawn to examining how financial reporting serves as critical conduits for transmitting this information. This market experience sparked my curiosity about the underlying dynamics of information transfers in capital markets.

“My dissertation co-chairs consistently challenged me with high-level questions and encouraged me to position my research within the broader context of existing literature.”

Dissertation: “Who are my roommates: Corporate co-tenancy and information environment”

Summary: My research examines how firms who share their headquarters buildings with others (i.e., corporate co-tenancy) potentially influences the information environment of corporate managers.

Why is this research impactful? This trend has become increasingly common in recent years. Given the prevalence of this trend, understanding potential information spillovers within an office building has important implications for corporate decision-making.

Dongoh Shin will begin a new role as an assistant professor of accounting at Wayne State University. His PhD journey at Leeds was enriched by the invaluable guidance and support of his mentors.

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Rachel Warren (Acct, RelEst’25)

Jane Majkiewicz — Fri, 09 May 2025 15:15:24 +0000

Rachel Warren (Acct, RelEst’25) Jane Majkiewicz Fri, 05/09/2025 - 09:15

Faces of Leeds Snapshot

Name: Rachel Warren
Hometown: Lakewood, Colorado
Major: Accounting and Real Estate with a minor in Political Science
Leadership Award: Leeds Scholars Program

What are your plans after graduation?
My plan for after graduation is to work a restaurant job to save money while I continue networking and applying for jobs in commercial real estate, specifically focusing on brokerage.

How would you sum up your experience at Leeds?
My experience at Leeds has been a game-changer. I found an incredibly supportive community within my peers, professors and program advisors at Leeds that has helped shape me into who I am today and has been invaluable in guiding me toward the career path I want to pursue. I feel incredibly grateful to have been set up for such great success from my Leeds experience over the past four years.

How do you plan to stay connected to Leeds?
I plan to stay connected to Leeds through continued alumni involvement in the Leeds Scholars Program. It is really important to me to give back to the community that gave so much to me during my four years at Leeds.

"My experience at Leeds has been a game-changer. I found an incredibly supportive community that has been invaluable in guiding me toward the career path I want to pursue."

Rachel Warren feels well prepared to pursue a career in commercial real estate, thanks to a supportive network at Leeds.

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