$2 million investment in Leeds School of Business launches two new programs

The Anschutz Foundation has committed $2 million to launch two new initiatives at the University of Colorado Boulder designed to make the Leeds School of Business a more powerful economic contributor to Colorado and beyond.

The contribution from the Anschutz Foundation will be divided evenly between two undergraduate programs.

The first, a new business minor, will give CU-Boulder students studying in other fields—from arts, to engineering, to humanities, to sciences—a sound overview of business and the market-based economy. Faculty at Leeds designed the program to have a unique, state-of-the-art modular structure unlike other programs of its type. Through the minor, CU-Boulder graduates will be better able to apply business acumen in diverse professional roles, be more attractive to Colorado employers, and be better equipped to advance the Colorado economy.

The second, a business honors program, will provide an intense academic and professional development experience for the highest caliber students. The goal is for a program so robust in nature that top high school graduates within and beyond the state will choose to pursue an education at Leeds, and careers in Colorado. In doing so, the program will heighten the appeal of Leeds to top faculty and researchers, and to select students locally, nationally, and internationally—ultimately helping attract and generate new businesses to Colorado and bolstering the region’s economy.

“Our programs, with our emphasis on the ‘whole student,’ are aimed at making students exceptionally high performers in their careers,” said David L. Ikenberry, dean of the Leeds School of Business. “The Anschutz Foundation grant toward these two initiatives will indeed propel our school forward, helping us attract the very best talent and give tomorrow’s business leaders tools for great success.”

Both programs are connected to a series of key strategic initiatives under way at Leeds, aimed at keeping the school at the forefront of economic trends in today’s hypercompetitive business environment. The school’s strengths in business-related research and connections with the Colorado business community provide it a great opportunity for impact.

CU-Boulder Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano echoed Ikenberry’s sentiments, highlighting the gift’s implications for the campus and the state.

“This vital gift from the Anschutz Foundation helps the Leeds School of Business attract outstanding talent and expand its offerings to CU-Boulder undergraduates in numerous diverse fields. In so doing, Leeds will cultivate tomorrow’s business leaders who will shape the economic future for Colorado and beyond,” DiStefano said.

The Leeds commitment is the most recent of numerous significant contributions to support the University of Colorado made by the Anschutz Foundation—the most generous donor in the university’s history—including a transformational series of gifts that led to the establishment of the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.

“The Anschutz Foundation has indeed been a strong supporter of the University of Colorado for many years,” said CU President Bruce D. Benson. “This latest commitment not only will support key programs in our Leeds School of Business, but also demonstrates the confidence the leadership of the Anschutz Foundation has in business education at the university.”