Entrepreneurial Solutions

  For MBA students looking for an unconventional internship alternative, Entrepreneurial Solutions (ES) provides students at Leeds School of Business with the opportunity to start their own consulting business. This year’s team including Jenny Swonger, Evan Land and Hayden Siekman, with the support of advisors from the University of Colorado, faced a challenge no previous Entrepreneurial Solutions teams have faced before - starting a business during a global pandemic. About 6 weeks into the launch of Entrepreneurial Solutions 2020, the team was advised to consider scrapping the idea of turning a profit, and to instead seek out pro-bono work. Despite a collapsing economy, Jenny, Evan and Hayden decided to test their luck and seek out paid projects after much deliberation. With the exception of one unpaid project helping the University of Colorado - Boulder prepare for returning to classes online, this year’s team was not only happily surprised to become profitable, but have learned so

We often get asked - “How hard is it to run a consulting business during a pandemic?” Our answer never seems to change, we haven’t known anything different!  While every new company has its challenges, starting a company when COVID-19 hit was, and still is, a risk. After committing to Entrepreneurial Solutions in March, one of the first meetings the team had with our highly experienced advisors was a brainstorming session on how to move forward given the state of our world. The meeting ended with a suggestion that the team would have never dreamed of: to spend the next year opening our own consulting business and taking on work pro-bono.  After kicking the idea of pro-bono work, the team decided to go against the advice of their advisors and seek out paid projects. Apprehensive and questioning our decision to plunge forward into the unknown economic setting of a global pandemic, we were pleasantly surprised when we landed our first client. Five months into our new company, we recen

The newest Entrepreneurial Solutions team could not be more excited to dive headfirst into everything ES has to offer. Coming from a variety of backgrounds while also looking to concentrate in different areas of business, the Entrepreneurial Solutions 2020 team offers a significant amount of diverse insight. Evan’s consulting experience allowed him to develop strong analytical and problem solving skills, and during his MBA he is focusing on Finance and Entrepreneurship. Hayden brings sales, marketing, and business analysis skills to the team from his experience in the Beverage Industry while also complementing his MBA with a Masters of the Environment. Prior to joining Entrepreneurial Solutions, Jenny worked as a Wildlife Biologist which allowed her to developed her management, research and marketing skills. She is specializing in Renewable Energy and Marketing during her time at CU Boulder. While each team member presents different work experience, tool kits and perspectives, each mai