deming

Behind the Scenes of Boulder Venture Club

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:30:00 +0000

Behind the Scenes of Boulder Venture Club Colton Sontrop Thu, 03/05/2026 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

Boulder Venture Club (BVC) is a student-led organization at the University of Colorado Boulder that brings together students interested in entrepreneurship, venture capital and startup culture. Through weekly meetings that include speaker panels and workshops, the club gives members a chance to hear directly from professionals with experienced backgrounds who are actively building companies.

Beyond the presentations, the goal is to create a space where students can enhance their entrepreneurial mindsets and career paths. While its focus revolves around business and venture capital, BVC draws students from across campus. Members come from all majors, creating a community where different perspectives come together around a shared interest in building and learning.

Their current executive team is now focused on enhancing this image, while continuing to grow the club to anyone around CU.

Maria Goergen (Co-President)

Maria Goergen first discovered BVC as a freshman while walking through a campus club fair. Drawn in by an interest in entrepreneurship but unsure where to start, she decided to attend a meeting and quickly connected with the energy of the room.

“Entrepreneurs are just so excited and passionate about what they have going on and about other ideas. I love that energy.”

Now a psychology and public health major with a minor in business, Goergen saw BVC as a way to explore entrepreneurship without needing to center her degree solely around business. The collaborative atmosphere and passion from other members fueled her involvement, and over time she became deeply invested in the club’s growth.

Her first step into leadership came when she organized a nonprofit entrepreneur panel, an event she planned before even holding an official role. That paved the way for her position as Vice President of Professional Development, where she worked to connect students with internship opportunities and career resources related to entrepreneurship. The experience further cemented her place within the organization and eventually led to her current role as co-president alongside Sam Benton.

Today, Goergen helps lead the club by coordinating meetings and shaping programming that reflects the interests of its members. While earlier versions of the club focused more heavily on practice pitch nights, recent semesters have incorporated a broader mix of speaker events and workshops that expose students to different sides of entrepreneurship and venture capital.

Looking ahead, she’s pushing BVC to widen its member base across campus. Goergen believes entrepreneurship benefits from a wide range of perspectives and wants to attract more students from fields outside of business. She also hopes to see greater gender diversity within the organization, creating an environment where more women feel comfortable exploring the entrepreneurial space and contributing their ideas.

Samuel Benton (Co-President)

Sam Benton is a sophomore studying finance in the Leeds School of Business and is also the Managing Director of Spark CU. He regularly attended meetings as a freshman, and it didn’t go unnoticed, as he built relationships with former exec members who encouraged him to eventually step into a leadership role.

He did just that, taking on his first executive position as Vice President of Marketing despite having no prior marketing experience. In true entrepreneurial fashion, Benton quickly adapted, learning how to manage flyers and promotional materials, social media, and general club outreach.

“I was just excited to help out in any way I could, so I jumped on it despite not really having any marketing experience.”

His work soon led to a larger role, quickly becoming a co-president of BVC, where he and Maria Goergen reorganized the executive team and continued the club’s mission of supporting student entrepreneurs.

Today, Benton’s role centers on organizing weekly meetings and bringing experienced professionals into the room. Much of the preparation happens before the semester begins, when the executive team reaches out to industry speakers and plans the schedule. During the semester, the focus shifts to confirming logistics and ensuring meetings run smoothly.

Since stepping into the role, Benton has noticed a shift in engagement. What was once a sporadic attendance now includes consistent participation from sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students, many of whom stay after meetings to connect with speakers and continue the conversation.

Looking ahead, Benton hopes to leave BVC in a strong position before his term ends later this semester, as he prepares to study abroad. His focus is on building the next executive team and expanding the club’s reach beyond the business school, encouraging students from other majors to explore how entrepreneurship could fit into their own paths.

“A lot of students across campus might not think about entrepreneurship as part of their career path, but it can apply to almost anything.”

Fletcher Boyd (Vice President of Marketing)

Fletcher Boyd is a sophomore in exploratory studies, but he’s always had an interest in entrepreneurship. The curiosity began long before arriving at 91��ý. Raised in San Francisco, he grew up surrounded by the Bay Area’s culture of technology and startups, which sparked an early fascination. Boyd spent much of his childhood experimenting with new ideas and projects, leading to his first small business in elementary school, when he sold handmade paracord bracelets outside local sporting events.

After taking a gap year working several hands-on jobs, Boyd arrived at CU eager to explore the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship. He is exploring paths such as creative technology and design while continuing to work on several independent projects and startups of his own.

He first discovered BVC during his freshman year while searching for a community focused on venture capital and startup culture, and quickly became a regular attendee at meetings. Today, as VP of Marketing, he helps connect students with speakers and perspectives from across the entrepreneurial ecosystem, while promoting upcoming events. Drawing from his background, he works to broaden the club’s reach beyond traditional business majors. By bringing in speakers from a variety of fields, Boyd hopes to show students across campus how entrepreneurship and venture capital can apply to their own ideas.

“Venture capital applies to most things if you understand how it connects to what you’re building.”

For Boyd, BVC represents a space where curiosity and ambition intersect. He sees the club as a place where students can challenge themselves and learn directly from founders and investors who have navigated the startup world firsthand. In his view, that environment is what makes BVC such a valuable community for aspiring entrepreneurs at CU.

Ken Herrmann (Vice President of Finance)

Ken Herrmann, BVC’s Vice President of Finance, is a sophomore studying finance who grew up in Boulder. With a passion for traveling and trying new things, he was drawn to CU’s entrepreneurial community early on. Herrmann first learned about BVC through connections he made during Startup Summer, a program hosted by Silicon Flatirons, as well as through a founding member of the organization.

Eager to become more involved in entrepreneurship at CU, Herrmann saw BVC as a natural way to combine his interest in finance with the startup ecosystem. Since joining the executive team, he has found the club to be an inspiring environment where students can learn from experienced professionals while exchanging ideas with one another.

One moment that stood out to Herrmann came during a recent meeting when a guest speaker sparked a thoughtful discussion about finding purpose and what that means as students move into their professional lives. For him, BVC represents a community of motivated individuals who push each other to grow. And looking ahead, he hopes to continue building that community, while maybe convincing the team to bring Cane’s to a meeting along the way.

Looking Ahead

As Boulder Venture Club continues to grow, its leadership hopes to expand the sense of community even further. A key focus moving forward is reaching more students across campus who may not initially see entrepreneurship as part of their path, but who could benefit from understanding how ideas turn into ventures.

For the executive team, that means continuing to build on what has already made the club successful. BVC creates a space where students can learn from experienced professionals while exploring their own ideas, helping students take their first steps into entrepreneurship.

In doing so, the club is building more than just a meeting space. It is helping cultivate a community of students who are willing to learn. Now, the foundation is in place for BVC to continue growing.

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How Mackenzie Culver Redefined the Ambassador Role

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:30:00 +0000

How Mackenzie Culver Redefined the Ambassador Role Colton Sontrop Thu, 02/26/2026 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

When Mackenzie Culver (Bus, Mktg ’26) first stepped onto campus, she already knew she loved entrepreneurship. DECA in high school had introduced her to business plans and creative problem-solving, and she arrived eager to build something of her own.

Four years later, that excitement has only evolved.

Now a business analytics and marketing double major with a minor in creative technologies and design, Culver has balanced the creative and analytical sides of business while serving as a Deming Center Ambassador. Though she doesn’t currently run a startup of her own, her impact on CU’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has been unmistakable.

As graduation approaches and a role in data analytics at Fisher Investments awaits her in the Pacific Northwest, she’s still certain that entrepreneurship is very much part of her future.

Positioning Herself for Opportunity

Long before she became a Deming Center Ambassador, Culver made it clear she wasn’t going to sit on sidelines throughout her time at CU.

She quickly immersed herself in campus life, including joining Alpha Kappa Psi, CU’s professional business fraternity. The fraternity has honed her leadership skills, giving her a fantastic opportunity to expand her professional network. She’s also built long-term relationships with her peers through business practices and a friendship-oriented culture.

At the same time, she took on a role with CU’s Career Development Office, where she interacted directly with employers visiting campus. It initially seemed like a small operational position, involving greeting recruiters and coordinating logistics. However, she took advantage, gaining firsthand access to companies which ultimately helped her secure the post-graduation position she’ll begin this year.

She’s also been involved in the classroom. She understands the importance behind creating relationships with her professors. By majoring in both marketing and business analytics, she’s able to develop both hard and soft skills.

Business analytics has given her opportunities to develop personal number-skills and access to specific analytics certifications, strengthening her resume. On the flipside, marketing exercises her creativity every day, creating the perfect balance. It’s a common double-major for Leeds students, and it’s clear as to why through Culver’s story.

“I like the balance, because I like the creative, I like the analytical, so I like to be able to do both.”

Shaping the Ambassador Role

Culver’s path to becoming a Deming Center Ambassador began through connection. A friend introduced her to the opportunity during her freshman year, and she jumped at the chance. Then, it was a way for her to just get involved. Now, it’s much more.

Over the years, she has witnessed multiple iterations of the Deming Center, working alongside different leadership teams and helping shape what the ambassador role could be. Some of her most memorable moments came in the lead-up to events like Shark Tank. Her and other ambassadors would spend hours blowing up balloons and finalizing details. Through the Deming center’s trust and their creativity, Shark Tank was just one of the many events that occurred through Culver’s tenure.

Not every event unfolded perfectly, but that didn’t stop her from turning it into triumph. When her and other former Deming Ambassador Sean Boselli (Bus, Entr’25) had an event go array, they didn’t quit. They turned it into a success story, handing out leftover pizza and spreading the word about Deming, creating one of her best memories.

“It ended up being so much fun… and we would have never considered that as an opportunity until we had to pivot on the spot.”

Being an ambassador has given Culver intangible but invaluable skills. It gave her confidence to take initiative and see how meaningful impact can happen behind the scenes. Now, Culver was learning and putting her leadership skills to work.

A Vision Taking Shape

If there’s one thing Culver has learned about entrepreneurship during her time at Deming, it’s that there is no single mold.

“There’s no mold for an entrepreneur, it’s just people who care.”

Every student who walks into the center brings a different perspective. Some arrive with fully developed ventures. Others simply have a spark of curiosity. Watching those sparks turn into action has consistently re-inspired her.

While she doesn’t currently run a venture, Culver’s entrepreneurial interests remain clear. Fashion and sustainability have long been central to her identity. As a lifelong thrifter, she's always been drawn to the idea of taking what others discard and transforming it into something valuable. That future possibility is still very much in the cards.

Just Getting Started

As she prepares to begin her career at Fisher Investments, Culver is comfortable stepping into the corporate world - for now. She values the culture she found there, prioritizing balance and people-first leadership. But long-term, she envisions building something of her own.

To her, entrepreneurship is not limited to startup headlines or venture capital pitches. It’s about recognizing a problem and caring enough to solve it. It’s about being fearless enough to act, and self-assured enough to trust your approach.

“I think every day, everyone has their business idea in their back pocket, but it’s the people that are actually ignited enough and passionate enough and kind of fearless enough to make it happen.”

Her journey at CU has culminated in confidence in her ability to create, and now lead. And wherever she lands next, that entrepreneurial mindset is going with her.

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Vintage, Vision, and the Power of Starting with Aidan Ellwood

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:30:00 +0000

Vintage, Vision, and the Power of Starting with Aidan Ellwood Colton Sontrop Thu, 02/19/2026 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

When 91��ý Leeds School of Business student Aidan Ellwood (Fin’ 28) lost his restaurant job in 2023, it was abrupt, and disappointing. That feeling however, didn’t last long,

When he needed to cover basic essentials like gas and food, he turned to selling vintage, forgotten apparel. A few flipped pairs of Carhartt pants turned into curated racks of tees. Now, he’s got celebrities like Nikki Glaser showcasing his gear, and a growing network of buyers who look to him for their next standout piece.

That side hustle evolved into a passion, and now a business. Aido Vintage sources rare finds and moves product through various platforms including Instagram and Depop. In-person pop-ups and larger events like ThriftCon are now a haven for Ellwood, giving him the freedom to instill life into something previously overlooked.

In a world built on fast production and constant newness, his business proves that sometimes entrepreneurship begins with what’s already hanging on the rack. For Ellwood, it’s now about taking his momentum and evolving it into a larger-scale venture, and it starts here at CU.

Sharpening the Eye

It started small. A few pairs of Carhartt pants pulled from thrift store racks and resold for a margin. Over time, covering things like gas and food evolved into something more intentional. Ellwood sharpened his eye for quality, shifting from workwear to higher-tier vintage pieces. The more he sourced, the more he understood that it was more than just flipping clothes.

As Aido Vintage took shape, so did his approach. Instagram quickly became his digital storefront, and pop-up events across Boulder and Denver translated his online presence into a real-world community. Now, he had begun thinking more than just someone who was clearing racks.

He was curating them.

He started sourcing more with intention. By paying closer attention to what resonated at pop-ups and online drops, he was able to appeal to his target market more effectively. He’s also taking his personal learnings and incorporating them into his business. As a finance major, he’s constantly applying newfound knowledge into the real life situation that is his business.

Business-Defining Moments

The evolution of his side hustle into a business didn’t just happen with just time alone. Certain moments enhanced his outlook on Aido Vintage.

One of the most surreal moments came when a vintage Rockies jersey he had sourced made its way, through a local store, into the hands of comedian and actress Nikki Glaser. It reminded him how far a thrifted find could travel.

“I was able to take an item that was just sitting around, and put it in the hands of Nikki Glaser… and she wore it for a tour show, which is pretty sweet.”

Events like ThriftCon amplified the feeling, bringing even more excitement to his venture. Buyers from as far as Japan flew into events and picked up tees, and he quickly realized: these items were leaving the country. His reflection revealed he had created an actual business.

“It’s pretty incredible… I’m subtly growing an international network of buyers and connections.”

Using & Expanding his Ecosystem

While Aido Vintage was growing outside the classroom, Ellwood was sharpening a different set of tools inside it.

As a finance major, many of his courses focus on large-scale companies and high-level strategy, but he began pulling what he could into his own operation. Concepts like contribution margin started shaping how he thought about pricing and sourcing, and Excel became an actual tool in his everyday life.

His exposure to CU’s broader ecosystem also expanded his perspective. His first introduction to the Deming Center was meeting CJ Riggins at a Fashion Case Club event. The connection introduced a new perspective. He was now paying closer attention to the mentors and professionals CU brings into the room, broadening and familiarizing his perspective of entrepreneurship as a whole. Everything now felt more tangible than ever.

A Broader Entrepreneurial Perspective

It’s clear that Ellwood is going to continue growing his venture, with no end in sight. He’s got the resources and knowledge to make it happen, and now it’s just a matter of time.

However, his day to day activities are sure to continue. Vending at ThriftCon and other pop-ups is a passion of his. Connecting with others in that space is invaluable to him, and it ensures he will continue to build from the heart.

At the same time, his entrepreneurial curiosity is expanding. Over the past few years, he’s developed a growing interest in nutrition and health, and he’s begun brainstorming ideas in the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods space. And why shouldn’t he?

“College is such a great time to try new ventures and new ideas, because you’re not in the working world yet. You still have time.”

Through all of this, he’s learned that entrepreneurship is about freedom, and it’s shown through Aido Vintage. The entrepreneurial mindset has allowed him to act on an idea without waiting for permission, and now, that abrupt ending in 2023 became an open door.

And for him, that door is still wide open.

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How Kiara Blacher is Brewing More than Coffee

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:30:00 +0000

How Kiara Blacher is Brewing More than Coffee Colton Sontrop Thu, 02/12/2026 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

With a position and passion already rooted in coffee, Kiara Blacher is looking to make her mark.

Blacher’s relationship with coffee runs deeper than a morning routine. With nonprofit entrepreneurial experience dating back to high school and hands-on work as a barista at the Violet Peak Leeds Café, her path toward building something of her own has been steadily taking shape.

Her startup, Caffi, reimagines the traditional Italian moka pot by combining its familiar design with an electric base. The result is a fast, counter-top style espresso experience without the pods and without the cost of a high-end machine.

Now, she’s using Spark CU, 91��ý’s first startup incubator, to grow the venture. A customer she met through Violet Peak first encouraged her to apply, and since joining the program, Blacher has leaned fully into the learning process. As a first-generation American with limited family exposure to entrepreneurship in the U.S., Spark has become a space to build foundational knowledge, growing her business inside and out.

Rooted in Purpose

Kids for a Cure was a nonprofit initiative Blacher founded during high school, with the original idea forming as early as middle school. Inspired by her own experiences with chronic illness, she wanted to create something that could support others facing similar challenges.

The organization was fully nonprofit. There was no personal compensation, and more than $5,000 in proceeds were donated directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Blacher organized two annual benefit concerts that brought together live music, community partnerships, raffles, and in-person donations. The initiative reflected who she was at her core, blending her desire to help others with her creative passions.

Music played a central role in Kids for a Cure. Growing up in a rock band program, Blacher leveraged her existing network of musicians to bring the concerts to life, even landing on the front page of a local newspaper. That connection to music has stayed with her. Today, she can play eight instruments and can even identify a musical note by knocking on a piece of wood.

“I love playing music, so being able to bring two things I care a lot about together… it was really important to me.”

This experience shaped how Blacher defines entrepreneurship. For her, building something from the ground up and watching it grow carries just as much weight as turning a profit. It’s a philosophy she now brings with her into every stage of Caffi.

Building Caffi

For Blacher, Caffi is a passion project, not just any business. While profitability matters, she has expressed interest in eventually creating product lines or colorways that donate proceeds to charities and nonprofit causes, keeping impact at the center of growth.

Caffi modernizes the Italian moka pot by pairing it with an electric base, creating a simple, one-button espresso experience. Positioned as an alternative to expensive machines and wasteful pod systems, the concept grew directly out of Blacher’s frustration with existing coffee options. That same firsthand perspective now guides her work inside the Spark CU incubator.

“I think Spark is really helping build my confidence in the idea… it’s hard coming up with an idea and getting validation for it, but I really do think Spark has helped a lot.”

Blacher has found value through Spark, using her founder circles to expand her knowledge. With growing exposure to startup fundamentals and a supportive cohort around her, she and the Spark team are gearing up for the New Venture Challenge, an experience that continues to push her idea forward while reinforcing the foundation she’s built.

At its current stage, Caffi is moving from concept toward execution. Blacher has begun assembling a small, complementary team drawn from her immediate circles, bringing together skill sets that reflect the needs of a physical product startup. With support from Spark, she’s working through early decisions, and how to best translate her idea into something tangible.

As Caffi continues to take shape, Blacher remains focused on learning through the process rather than rushing toward an end result. With Spark as a testing ground and the New Venture Challenge on the horizon, she’s embracing the uncertainty that comes with building something new.

More than a Bottom Line

Blacher has always thrived from pouring creativity into something and watching it grow. She’s done it with kids for a cure, she does it with her everyday life, and now, she’s doing it with Caffi.

“For me, it’s watching something important to you grow, even if it’s not necessarily for revenue - just seeing the reach your idea has and the impact it has.”

To her, nonprofits and mission-driven work are equally as entrepreneurial as turning a profit, and she remains in that headspace as Caffi continues to grow. Her experiences through Spark along with the upcoming New Venture Challenge pose an exciting new chapter.

For Blacher, the journey has always been more than just coffee. And in many ways, she’s only just getting started.

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Spencer Rogers' Side Hustle Turned Main Calling

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:30:00 +0000

Spencer Rogers' Side Hustle Turned Main Calling Colton Sontrop Thu, 02/05/2026 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

Spencer Rogers’ career is rooted through new experiences. From the moment he completed his undergrad he’s been through a wide variety of jobs and industries. But one thing has remained constant: bartending.

From studying computer science, to joining the ETA world, Rogers’ story is full of twists and turns, but it's how he's taken each experience and opened a new door with it. Even completing grad school at the University of Colorado Boulder just last year was a strategic refinement of entrepreneurship.

When he graduated from Duke as an undergrad in 2014, a full time internship turned product manager at Apple kick started Rogers’ career. The things he accomplished were monumental, including heavy additions to the iTunes TV store and launching Apple TV+, literally pressing the button that made the service live.

Still, it didn’t stop him from being in hospitality, Large sacrifices were made, most notably time and sleep.

“I’d get done at Apple at 5 PM, drive to the bar, change my clothes, take a five-minute nap in the car, and then work a shift.”

His time at Apple was intended to be 2-3 years, but when it was all said and done, he had spent 8 years doing some of their most valuable product work. Hospitality was prevalent throughout his tenure, just as a side hustle to make some extra cash, and do what he loved.

The First Leap Away From Apple

ETA wasn’t his first introduction to the world of startups and entrepreneurship. Eventually, Rogers did end up leaving Apple, but it wasn’t a jump from one large company to another. In fact it was towards the other side of the spectrum - a mental-health startup.

For him, it was a necessary equilibrium between high-intensity tech world and a decelerated, caring, human-centric service, as the startup with his co-founder stemmed from a traumatic experience of hers, leading to severe PTSD. Treatment was on the other side of a 7-month waitlist, unless she paid an outrageous $7,000 out of pocket. It was still a no brainer for her, and she immediately received prolonged exposure therapy, the gold standard PTSD treatment.

But still, with the price of money and/or time being too high, they decided to do something about it.

With her engineer husband and Rogers, they built an app that replicates the full therapeutic protocol. It’s HIPPA-compliant, and stores data locally on the phone for maximum privacy. She had taken a personal, serious problem, and exercised an ability to think outside herself in order to help others. Rogers had followed suit, making the huge pivot from big tech to mental health, just to help others.

One heck of an introduction into the world of entrepreneurship.

Solving a Problem Too Big to Ignore

While he remembers the tech industry as a life-changing experience, and helping a mental-health startup meant more to him than anyone could understand, it was clear for Rogers that hospitality meant different to him.

Yup, he had still continued bartending through the demanding process of starting a company. It gave him immediate feedback from real people, and human connection, even if it was random people. He could be himself.

“It’s the only place in my life I’ve ever felt artistic, which I think means something.”

Yet, he had always received advice to not make a career out of your passion. He had kept it strictly a part time gig, a place to simply get the energy up. But it called to him, and it was time to let go of said fear, embarking on another journey.

Finding Art Behind the Bar

Once he let go, he blossomed. He quickly emerged as the beverage director of LocaMafia bar, essentially the product developer/manager, building on his previous experience from Apple.

Here, he was able to exercise his experimentation and ownership. The burnout never came, and he unlocked his true potential. Behind the bar, the work became immediate and human, offering feedback in real time rather than through dashboards or metrics. For the first time he could shake and pour his creativity into every interaction.

Around this time, Rogers made another unexpected move: returning to school. He completed his MBA at the University of Colorado Boulder just last year, using the experience less as a reset and more as a refinement. Deeply involved with the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, Rogers became a familiar face around Boulder, building close relationships with faculty like Erick Mueller and regularly stopping by campus to stay connected to the community shaping Colorado’s entrepreneurial future.

Rogers took learning from both bartending and school, to keep building. He took his love for hospitality and paired it with his experience in entrepreneurship, leading him to the creation of his start-up, Third Place Hospitality.

“It’s called Third Place Hospitality because your first place is home, your second place is work, and your third place is where you go to build community.”

Inspired by the diminishing availability of community hubs, Rogers founded Third Place Hospitality to restore one's 'third place', which he describes as the essential social layer between home and work.

He created a mission to acquire independent bars from retiring owners, preserve their soul and culture and improve operations, without stripping identity.

It wasn’t a smooth start by any measure. His first LOI fell apart, and several others followed. But success finally struck in late 2025.

The Acquisition

Lady Jane is a cocktail bar in Denver’s LoHi neighborhood. The acquisition was built on years of relationships and love, and was actually off-market. By knowing the seller, the general manager, and even the bars culture, Rogers was able to instill his booming personality.

“I had known the seller for a few years… knowing the general manager, knowing the bar, loving the bar. It was one of my favorite cocktail bars in the city, even before I knew there was ever a chance I could own it.”

The aforementioned culture is what makes Lady Jane such an appealing “third place”. Every staff member is a hospitality professional, every staff member has a cocktail they created on the menu. It emphasizes ownership and experimentation, but above all, community.

His years of different experiences had come full circle. At Lady Jane he can provide his startup knowledge, his product management insights, his hospitality skills - a bar embodying Rogers.

Still Jumping, Still Learning

His career is still early, but there’s already a lot to reflect about. Now rooted in a place of entrepreneurship, startup culture and ETA, to him, entrepreneurship as a whole is about taking the leap.

“To me, it has always just been this deep desire and willingness to take the jump. Whatever the jump might be. There is no way of knowing if you’re going to be able to take the leap until you get there. And so the first leap I took was leaving Apple and doing the startup. And I fell kind of hard. I didn’t land softly. And so then the question is, am I going to do it again?”

Now, Rogers is more under pressure than ever, but he’s also happier than ever. Entrepreneurs aren’t fearless, they’re compelled to keep jumping anyways, and that’s clear after hearing Rogers’ story. But everyone needs a constant, that thing or passion that keeps them going, and Rogers just turned his into success.

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Inside Finn Conway Reiser's Playbook for Online Presence

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:30:00 +0000

Inside Finn Conway Reiser's Playbook for Online Presence Colton Sontrop Thu, 01/29/2026 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

Getting started early was never a problem for Finn Conway Reiser.

He’s already seen rapid success during his first year at CU, but his story begins far earlier than his time on campus.

As a fourth grader, he began posting content on social media, an age when most people have little understanding of what social platforms even are, let alone how they work. While others were simply consuming content, Reiser was experimenting with it, learning how videos were made and how audiences responded.

“I started posting on social media every day when I was in fourth grade. I was just experimenting, and learning what worked and what didn’t.”

While some creators stumble into success through a single viral moment, Reiser’s rise followed a very different path. His online presence, Finnontrack, was built through seven years of trial, error, and refinement before he gained real traction.

By his sophomore year of high school, Reiser had built an audience of roughly 30,000 followers through his lifting and track content For someone his age, it was an impressive milestone, but for him, it was only the beginning.

That momentum signaled it was time to take what he had learned and apply it on a larger stage.

Featured on the Big Stage

Reiser’s consistency became his defining advantage. Every video posted came with a lesson learned, and each lesson sharpened the next attempt. Over time, his ability to create engaging content developed into a genuine skill set, one from repetition rather than luck.

“For those first 6+ years, I was just editing videos over and over again. I wasn’t getting views at all, but every video taught me something, so I just kept going.”

His hard work eventually grew into credibility, leading to partnerships with major supplement brands, including Fairlife, GNC, Liquid IV, and Cutler Nutrition. Content creation quickly evolved into real business exposure, offering Reiser an inside look at how brands leverage creators.

The results were undeniable. One Fairlife video alone generated roughly half a million views and earned Reiser his largest paycheck at the time. It was a moment that felt like a breakthrough.

But that feeling did not last long.

Despite the video’s success, the compensation barely reflected the value being created. The commission-to-revenue percentage was far lower than expected, especially considering all the elements that went into it were his own. That gap revealed a deeper truth. Sponsorships offered exposure, but ownership offered control.

In recognizing that ownership mattered far more than promotion, Reiser decided it was time to build something of his own.

Taking Ownership

Thus, a turning point was created. Reiser’s experience working with large supplement companies gave him firsthand insight into just how powerful well executed content could be. More importantly, it showed him where creators often lose leverage.

As a result, he launched Rocky Mountain Supplements. For the first time, he controlled the message, the brand, the upside. Every sale now contributed directly to his own cause rather than someone else’s bottom line.

“Once I started my own company, everything I was doing finally made sense, because I was building something for myself instead of promoting someone else’s brand.”

The company operates on a white label model, allowing Reiser to scale without managing physical inventory. Its direct-to-consumer structure provides flexibility while keeping overhead low. For him, the model made sense. It removed unnecessary friction and allowed him to focus on digital strategy and storytelling, what he does best.

The company’s beating heart is his existing online presence. Years of content experience now serve a different purpose, and as a result, Reiser reaches customers organically. The shift represented a broader change in mindset, one centered on building systems that can sustain a business long term.

Learning Through Automation

As his ventures grew, so did Reiser’s curiosity about automation.

After arriving at 91��ý, he quickly immersed himself, joining the newly formed Spark CU incubator. It was there that his interest in artificial intelligence was ignited.

He expanded that learning by joining Boulder Venture Club and the CU AI Club, surrounding himself with others exploring similar tools and ideas. However, Reiser was interested in using AI beyond shortcuts for assignments or a replacement for thinking.

He quickly learned AI can run operational problems, simultaneously.

Rather than treating AI as a novelty, he approached it with a hands-on mindset. He began applying automation directly to his businesses, experimenting with workflows that could handle repetitive tasks and reduce friction.

Learning from peers was part of the process, but much of his progress came from self directed exploration. Reiser spends hours testing automation frameworks and building custom systems designed to replicate real business processes. Each experiment builds on the last, creating a feedback loop where AI becomes more capable as it absorbs real context.

“We spent probably four to five months just creating the seed prompt. It was ten pages long, and it was all trial and error, testing things, breaking things, and seeing how the system learned over time.”

Together with his co-founder, Rowan O’Dwyer, Reiser invested in physical infrastructure to support that vision. They built systems capable of running thousands of autonomous AI agents simultaneously. The breakthrough was more than speed, and he realized that AI could operate continuously. To him, this is where the competitive advantage lies with AI.

Solving Problems, Helping People

He’s only in his first year at CU, but it's clear Reiser’s resume turns heads. With more than one billion total views across his platforms, a supplement company built from the ground up, and a growing AI venture, it’s clear he has impressive entrepreneurial instincts.

“Every company I’ve built has come from a problem I ran into myself. Once you solve your own problem, you usually realize there are thousands of other people dealing with the same thing, it’s just about figuring out how to fix it better and faster.”

All in all, Reiser’s work is driven by a desire to make things easier for others. It could be helping brands reach audiences more effectively or building systems that remove inefficiencies or advocating for better access to practical AI education. Whatever it is, his projects are beyond himself.

For Reiser, staying ahead has always been about learning early and then applying those lessons. He’s built an audience since fourth grade, launched a business in high school, developed AI driven systems in his first year of college, and each step builds on one another.

His life may be constantly changing, but one his personal brand will always be here. It’s what opened doors in the first place. Wherever his path leads next, consistency is the constant.

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How Olivia Needham is Rebuilding Trust in the News

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:30:00 +0000

How Olivia Needham is Rebuilding Trust in the News Colton Sontrop Thu, 01/22/2026 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

Choosing a college is often defined by uncertainty. The pressure, the opportunity costs, the change, it’s all piling onto one big decision.

Luckily for Olivia Needham, her process couldn’t have been more straightforward.

As a high school applicant, Needham sat down with a specialized programs advisor and made her intentions clear: where could she start building right away and could support her immediately?

“I remember sitting down with a specialized programs advisor, back when I was an applicant, and just nailing him down on what can I do to start a venture as soon as possible? And he said that everything at CU had, including the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, was gonna get me there.”

Her clarity set the tone for her time at 91��ý, along with her startup. A project that began as a Sophomore in high school has turned into her biggest passion, and now, she’s using the Deming Center to perfect it.

Ahead of the Competition

A core problem for Gen-Z is the unreliability and lack of trust in the news. Endless sources cause stories to get muddled and changed across not just news outlets, but also social media.

“No matter how hard I tried to look for stuff at my level that I could read, I could not find something that was factually accurate. I had to search through a sea of misinformation in order to find something that was truthful, and it deeply angered me.”

Her solution is Wagyl, a customized newsletter that highlights primary resources, making news easier to consume without pushing political sides.

It’s been her passionate and driven mindset that’s pushed Wagyl to where it is today. While many in 2020 spent time surfing social media, she was teaching herself how to code. She began working with early forms of NLP and fact-checking tools, and built an early prototype around a narrow dataset. This created the foundation of knowledge for these systems, and it internally confirmed that she loved building things.

Needham intentionally frames Wagyl as something different from traditional news platforms and Substack-style commentary. Instead of prioritizing opinions or secondary reporting, Wagyl is designed to elevate primary sources.

The name reflects this philosophy as well, naming it after an ancient serpent god associated with wisdom. She draws a parallel between how people avoid snakes and how people now avoid the news, even though both can be powerful and necessary when approached correctly.

Needham has also been using her resources at 91��ý. When she arrived, she immediately connected with advisors from Deming, including CJ Riggins and Betsy Klein.

“I got treasure troves of information from the two of them. What to do, how to do it, things to join, clubs to look at.”

She spent her first semester exploring the ecosystem rather than rushing to build, something she encourages everyone to do. Once her second semester began, that’s when she started pushing Wagyl forward more seriously. She notes that it’s constantly evolving, and the Deming Center is constantly supporting it.

But it hasn’t stopped there.

Going Above & Beyond

No name.

That’s the name of her new project. It’s something that just started in an environmental class, but has now quickly turned into something bigger.

“It doesn’t even have a name. We’re doing it. People are interested in it, and everyone around me has been extremely excited to see what its implications could be.”

The original idea focused on using moss as a natural carbon-capture tool, attaching to buildings so it can absorb carbon emissions in urban environments. A simple class concept quickly turned into a class competition winner, realizing this might actually be viable.

“It’s going to change the world. And I very seldomly say that things will change the world. This, even in the past 24 hours, has changed my life.”

The passion she exudes is the same energy she pours into her startups every single day. She’s now developing the project through Boulder Climate Ventures, a zero-credit program where interdisciplinary teams work intensively over about 18 weeks. During that time, the team aims to build an MVP and ultimately pitch to a panel of investors.

The project may not have a name yet, but it’s already attracted strong interest from the community and peers.

All In on What Matters

At the center of everything Needham builds is a belief that entrepreneurship is more than a side hustle. It’s a full-on commitment, and for her, building a company means putting her values and identity above all else.

“Entrepreneurship is taking a risk all the way down to your core, your guts, and your values. It’s you, with a company, pouring every single part of yourself into it.”

That mindset also shapes how she balances the intensity of building. Rather than slowing down, Needham thrives on momentum, believing that activity fuels her rather than drains her. With endless things all moving at once, she’s learned that staying busy is what keeps her focused and grounded.

“I think there are people who are drained by activity, and I think there are people who are energized by it. And I’m somebody where the more things I have to do, the more successful I am at all of them.”

As she continues developing Wagyl and pushing forward her climate-focused project, the Deming Center remains a constant throughline in her journey. That straightforward college decision has evolved into a long-term support system. For Needham, the work is far from finished, but it’s clear that she’s continuing to build with purpose.

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A New Chapter for Donny McCauley and Shredhead

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:30:00 +0000

A New Chapter for Donny McCauley and Shredhead Colton Sontrop Thu, 01/15/2026 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

At first, it was clothing. Then, the jump was made to an app. Now, it’s more professional and streamlined than ever.

When Donny McCauley and Shredhead were last seen on The Pulse, it was a completely different company. The app connects skiers and snowboarders to encourage shredding with new faces, but when it had a “swipe-to-match” interface, McCauley was focusing on a world of different things. Now, he’s making a splash in local news headlines, including CBS, and another upcoming story with 9 News.

As a senior in the Leeds School of Business, McCauley has now already found his great idea, his unique solution, and his methods for scaling and lifting his project.

His lifetime passion, along with his willingness to help and connect others, has led to years of hard work. It wasn’t always easy for him, and he admits there have been bumps along the way, but now he has an avalanche of momentum, and it’s only up from here.

“It’s been a project I’ve worked on for years, and it definitely hasn’t been straightforward, but once you keep applying the idea, that momentum really starts to build.”

Now, he’s finding ways to push across the brand's new positioning and identity, with the ultimate goal of Shredhead becoming the go-to app for what used to be just skiers and snowboarders…

Not Just Any App

Over the past year, McCauley’s focus has primarily been on refining the app and brand to create a more professional and user-friendly interface. His inclusive personality has now directed the app into other hobbies.

“Eventually, we just want people to get used to the concept that this is a space for all kinds of shredding sports. Long term, it can be anything, whatever sport someone wants to connect around.”

The app has also expanded its functionality limits, including mutual connections and resort check-ins to expand shredder outreach. It’s also working on implementing a carpooling feature, which could function as a massive update to the CU ski/snowboarding club systems.

A New Look

McCauley outlines Shredhead’s broader vision as a freemium, licensable platform for organizations and individuals. Large ski towns like Breckenridge have already expressed interest, allowing him to promote at events and reduce congestion through coordinated carpooling.

In fact, McCauley is already slated to promote at events, most notably the upcoming Hill Jam. The Hill Jam is a high-energy winter event hosted by Boulder Freeride, bringing together skiers and snowboarders from around the community.

For Shredhead, the event represents a pivotal real-world launch moment.

“This Hill Jam event is the opportunity to pull the trigger and start posting Google Ads, Instagram ads, and start launching our full-on campaign.”

McCauley and his team will be set up with a branded tent, using the space as both a visibility play and a hands-on demo environment where students can immediately understand how the app solves real pain points within ski and snowboard social interaction. Rather than relying on passive promotion, Shredhead is meeting its core audience where they already gather.

With the Hill Jam, students have the opportunity to become an ambassador for Shredhead. It’ll be a chance to support and promote an up-and-coming student business while gaining hands-on experience in brand promotion and social media collaboration. It also grants early access to future roles & partnerships as the company continues to scale.

Together, McCauley and the student ambassadors will focus on shaping and amplifying Shredhead’s evolving brand image. Ambassadors will help communicate Shredhead’s laid-back but polished identity. As Shredhead continues to grow, this grassroots approach ensures it is built by the same students and riders it’s designed for.

What’s Next for Shredhead

Of course, Shredhead is destined to build off of this momentum, both on campus and in the mountains. With increasing traction through downloads and ski towns, along with local media coverage, it’s clear Shredhead is beginning to resonate beyond its initial student base.

Rather than rushing to scale, McCauley remains focused on refinement. His priority is ensuring the app delivers the best value to users, guaranteeing that when he does eventually scale, he’ll be putting his best foot forward.

“We aren’t particularly too worried about the user count, because we want to make the app perfect before we start scaling it.”

Events like the Hill Jam are just a starting point, and as the platform expands into new markets, it represents years of persistence paying off. His initial personal problem has now evolved into the next big app.

Since Donny McCauley's last edition in The Pulse about a year ago, there have been significant changes to his app, Shredhead. A new interface, new markets, and a new brand image are just some of the things he's doing to build on his momentum. With multiple news segments, Shredhead is becoming the next big thing...

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The Best Way to Tour the Hill...

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 12:30:00 +0000

The Best Way to Tour the Hill... Colton Sontrop Thu, 01/08/2026 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.

That’s the philosophy of Tour the Hill co-founder Ben Chwalek. It’s the ideal that shaped the entire company. From how it was founded to how they carry out day-to-day marketing activities to how they plan to grow in the future.

Tour the Hill was born from simple yet repeated questions about life outside the classroom at 91��ý. Campus tours are great for understanding a student's daily academic life and an overall campus vibe, but they can’t encapsulate everything. Factors such as post-freshman housing, Greek Life, and other social scenes all influence where an aspiring student spends four of the most important years of their life.

That’s where Tour the Hill comes into play. The Hill in Boulder is the most iconic social spot for students at CU. When Chwalek, along with his other co-founders, Liam Zirkle and Parker Henrichon, began answering these questions, it became the perfect opportunity to launch their company.

Their insights into extracurricular activities and clubs as CU students are what differentiates them from traditional campus tours. Make no mistake, however, as they aren’t trying to replace campus tours, but rather complement them.

Pursuing an undergraduate degree can reveal a lot about an individual's personality, friend preferences, hobbies - everything about themselves. Tour the Hill can help guide aspiring students to the right spot. With CU being the desirable school it is, it's no wonder people want to learn its social side.

“After a little while, you look at Boulder once, and you realize if you don’t go there, you feel like you’re gonna be missing out on something.”

That perspective was shaped long before Tour the Hill existed. The founders’ own journeys to CU, and to each other, laid the groundwork for what the company would become.

Founders From All Over

Tour the Hill didn’t start as a polished business plan. It started with three students whose paths crossed in unlikely ways. But it was their interests that kept pulling them back to the same conversations.

Chwalek and Zirkle met in their freshman year in Willard Hall. They came from opposite parts of the country, one from Colorado Springs and one from Massachusetts, but bonded over the shared curiosity for business and how students were finding success in the world of entrepreneurship.

They had received questions from family friends regarding outside life. But it wasn’t until Henrichon entered the picture that the company was finally able to take off. Henrichon and Chwalek met abroad, where the two immediately hit it off and became perfect co-workers and founders.

Henrichon’s insights as a campus tour guide really sparked their idea. He was able to amplify what CU tours showed, but more importantly, what they didn’t. Pair that with Zirkle’s technical skills and Chwalek’s people-first approach to business, and that idea was now a fully operational business.

Guerrilla Marketing

It all ties back to Chwalek’s opening statement: “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.”

Tour the Hill officially launched in August of 2025, beginning with a small number of tours during welcome week. Like all startups, their start was a little slower than anticipated, but it’s been their “guerrilla marketing” that has brought them to light.

Email outreach, alumni networks, Google ads, social media, printed flyers, everything. These are just some of the extensive things they’ve done to get it up and running. It was their email outreach that slowly opened new doors for them, most notably partnerships with the Sink and other Pearl Street businesses. These efforts have already led to community partnerships that provide discounts and added value for tour participants, reinforcing the company’s position as a local, student-embedded business.

“There’s so many school resources that we’re really trying to leverage… We’ll just hit people up and be like, ‘Hey, this is what we’re doing, do you have any ideas?’”

This idea has also tied into other aspects of their business. Their pricing has been full of experimentation, trying different price ranges for different groups. At one point, it was per person; now it’s per group. Although it may be subject to change, their main goal is to position themselves as a premium company that offers authentic tours.

Authenticity's Role

Authentic. That’s the keyword for Tour the Hill. While they strive for professionalism in each tour, that doesn’t stop them from traditional formality. Their private tours allow them to showcase Greek Life, the best restaurants/bars, and which housing companies to pursue, or more importantly, avoid. Tour the Hill showcases outside life at Boulder through the general opinion and understanding of an undergraduate at CU.

“Because they’re private, dads will just ask ridiculous stuff, things they would never ask in a group tour, and that’s where the real value comes from.”

That authenticity is also represented through their VIP option. Families get the opportunity to spend an entire day in Boulder, providing a more immersive experience. It’s fully customizable, built around the interests and priorities of the visiting family. The idea isn’t just to show buildings, but to simulate what a real day in Boulder might feel like as a student. They don’t just showcase the aforementioned areas, but they dive right in with the families, giving them a full-on experience.

While it’s still early and adoption has been limited, the option reflects how Tour the Hill is willing to test unconventional ideas and meet families wherever they are. For the founders, experimenting now is part of building something that can last beyond a single admissions cycle.

A Helping Environment

Tour the Hill is still in its early stages, but its direction is already clear. Built by students who understand Boulder beyond brochures and scripted tours, that authenticity is what drives their company.

For the founders, progress isn’t about getting everything exactly right. Each decision they make becomes an opportunity to better understand what prospective students and their families actually care about when choosing where to spend the next four years.

Looking ahead, success for Tour the Hill won’t be defined solely by volume, even as growth remains a clear focus for 2026. Their bigger ambition is to become part of the natural rhythm of a CU visit. Most importantly, they’re here to help people, which ties into their philosophy about entrepreneurship as a whole.

“When we picture entrepreneurship, we picture something that has no constraints or ceiling, something you can take anywhere. But it’s also about helping people and holding yourself accountable. You can’t build something meaningful and then show up late, bail on people, or cut corners. It’s kind of chaotic, but it’s all effort toward a goal.”

It ties back into everything they do. They strive to educate about CU in the highest possible capacity. By stepping in after the campus tour ends, families begin asking the questions that truly shape their decision. They’re about commitment while creating value for others throughout the whole process. It’s that mindset that continues to guide them.

Three founders. Endless questions. One mission. Tour the Hill is striving to provide a unique tour experience. For aspiring students eager to learn about life outside the classroom at 91��ý, Tour the Hill is here to help. Learn how each founder is bringing their skills and vision to their private and personal tours.

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How Jackson DeAndrea is Building a Captivating Personal Brand

Colton Sontrop — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:30:00 +0000

How Jackson DeAndrea is Building a Captivating Personal Brand Colton Sontrop Thu, 12/11/2025 - 05:30

Colton Sontrop

One post.

That’s all it took for Jackson DeAndrea to get his personal brand off the ground.

It’s the pinnacle of entrepreneurship. One post, one moment, one action. Everyone says to “just start”, but that statement is vast.

For DeAndrea, it was one TikTok post about Jamal Murray’s buzzer-beater in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs that kick-started his online presence, Gotta Talk Sports. He wasn’t expecting much, but his start was a surprising success.

“The video got like 1,000 views and like, I don’t know, 15 likes, and I was like - I was so happy about that… I think 1,000 views for a first video is genuinely incredible.”

And he built on that momentum. As a third-year student in the Leeds School of Business, DeAndrea has already built a larger social presence than millions of aspiring content creators could ever dream of.

This past year, his account skyrocketed from 10K total likes to now amassing 500K. But it took years of grinding to get to that point.

“Content creation kind of dawned on me, I’d say like sophomore, junior year of high school… I created a TikTok account, didn’t post on it. I was so scared to.”

He went from being afraid of posting at all to growing his account 4,900% in a single year.

The exponential growth has given DeAndrea the confidence and opportunity to capitalize. Like all things, there was a large underlying root and motive for his beginning.

An Outspoken Family

For as long as he can remember, DeAndrea has cherished talking about sports. Specifically, his brother, Brooks DeAndrea, heard the most of it. He credits him with the inspiration that started his online presence.

Brooks is forging his own path in politics, something Jackson describes as “unexpectedly entrepreneurial.” It’s a field where personal branding and public presence matter just as much as policy.

Watching that has shaped Jackson more than expected. Seeing his brother confidently articulate what he stands for has pushed him to do the same in sports media. Showing up, speaking clearly, being consistent, taking ownership of his voice are all things Jackson now implements into his daily life, only in an online environment.

Fostering conversation with his brother around sports sparked an idea: to expand the conversation among others. Whether it’s controversy or agreement, he's constantly sparking activity on his page.

“I always try to just put something out there that's going to start a conversation and get people talking… it just starts a conversation between you and the people around you, and between other people that are consuming sports.”

It’s rooted in the idea that “all press is good press”, a backbone concept of sports media. These ideas and actions have been enhanced by DeAndrea’s participation in his sports media minor.

Like all entrepreneurs, DeAndrea has capitalized on his success, but not just by growing his online presence. He’s making a concrete, in-person presence as well. As a statistician for KOA sports, his experiences there have flowed into his online presence, creating a symbiotic ecosystem.

The Mind Behind the Mic

Behind every post is a process that looks far more intentional than most people realize.

DeAndrea does more than provide in-the-moment reactions. All of his videos involve extensive preparation and studying.

His giant Excel spreadsheets with predictions for every college basketball team. His outlines for every NFL team and what they bring each week. It’s a fluid framework that makes his videos so successful.

“I did a lot of prep before the season started looking at players I wanted to follow, teams I wanted to follow, storylines… so as the season goes on, there’s just things already in my brain that I see and I’m like, I want to talk about that.”

It ranges anywhere from broad storylines to specific players to track. It’s a level of pre-work uncommon for creators his age, but essential for the volume and quality of content he pushes out.

Part of this discipline comes from understanding the true product of sports media. He knows that entertainment is beyond surface-level humor and drama. The way he captures someone’s curiosity within seconds is the key piece.

“Rule one of content creation is capturing someone's attention… If you're not getting to a point, like immediately in the video, if you take too long to get to the point, people are going to scroll and they're going to move on.”

But consistency isn’t the end goal. DeAndrea sees content creation as the foundation for something larger. He envisions a future in sports journalism or reporting, using the platform he’s built to springboard into professional storytelling.

The skills he develops online are the same ones required in the field he hopes to enter, and his current success is only chapter one. Together, they paint the picture of someone who isn’t just posting for fun. He’s building a craft. He’s building a brand. And most importantly, he’s building a path forward.

A Newer Form of Entrepreneurship

As all entrepreneurs understand, entrepreneurship can take place in unlimited forms, and building a personal brand fits right into that category.

“Rather than like, ‘oh, this is my business,’ this is me - Jackson DeAndrea. This is Gotta Talk Sports. What people can grow to know.”

It’s something he’s built from the ground up. It’s not specifically a physical business, creating a physical product. The product in this case is entertainment.

Perhaps the greatest triumph of DeAndrea’s story is his consistency. With millions of different videos on the internet and even more global viewers, it’s essential to maintain stake in a constantly changing environment. His vast knowledge across all sports is what makes his account so appealing.

“That entire NBA and NHL playoffs, I made a video to every single game that happened… and then NFL season rolled around, and I just took it and ran.”

Now, he creates videos not just about game recaps, but also offers different takes and ideas that many people don’t think about. It’s videos that trigger endless emotions: nostalgia, excitement, controversy, agreement, all emotions that tie right back into that idea that “all press is good press”.

“It could be a video I see, or it’s something really funny I stumble across in a game that leads me down a rabbit hole of me researching something… like Seahawks-Cardinals 2016… and I dive into that. There’s so many things in your everyday life that you can just have an angle on or opinion on that you can turn into something.”

Owning the Process

What makes DeAndrea’s journey distinctive isn't just the volume of content. Every post has intentionality, has iteration. Every take is a learning opportunity, every conversation a doorway to something new. His entrepreneurial instinct shows up not in a traditional venture, but the discipline is still extremely present.

What started as one reluctant post has become his own growing media ecosystem. And like all strong entrepreneurs, he treats his brand as a living project, something he refines and elevates every day.

For DeAndrea, sports aren’t just games. They’re stories waiting to be told, conversations waiting to happen, and opportunities waiting to be captured. And he’s only just getting started.

Jackson DeAndrea, third-year student in the Leeds School of Business, has already built a strong personal brand through his online presence, Gotta Talk Sports. Learn how he started, his process behind each video, and how he's growing everday.

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deming

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