Philanthropy puts learning to work at the Leeds School of Business
When Boulder-based Brock USA wanted to explore how artificial intelligence could drive efficiency and support the company’s growth, four Leeds School of Business students took on the challenge.
In just six weeks, the students identified AI strategies and provided strategic search engine optimization recommendations to support organic sales growth and piloted a tool to streamline email management, completing both high-priority deliverables on an accelerated timeline.
The project was made possible through the donor-funded Badami Office of Experiential Learning (BOEL) at the University of Colorado Boulder. Launched in spring 2026, BOEL connects Leeds students with businesses and nonprofit organizations to tackle challenges, putting their education into practice while building the skills, experience and confidence to succeed inside and outside the classroom.
Brock USA, which manufactures shock pads and organic infill for artificial turf systems, was among the first organizations to partner with BOEL, and the results demonstrated the value students can add through these community partnerships.
“The deliverables exceeded our expectations across the board,” said Zan Sawyer, Brock USA’s marketing manager. “The depth, strategic thinking and execution made it difficult to identify any meaningful gaps or areas for improvement.
“In fact, we were so impressed with the quality of the work and the team’s professionalism that we extended an internship offer to one of the students involved in the project.”
Hands-on learning for business students
The Brock USA project shows how BOEL brings together academic learning and professional experience. Through the program, businesses and nonprofit organizations bring real challenges into the Leeds learning environment, giving students opportunities to apply their knowledge while delivering meaningful work for participating organizations.
Projects take two forms. Some are embedded directly in Leeds courses, allowing an entire class to engage with an organization throughout the semester. Others, such as the Brock USA project, bring together small, competitively selected student teams for intensive six- to eight-week engagements. Faculty affiliates and student project leads provide guidance and oversight, helping ensure that the work delivers value for participating organizations and meaningful professional experience for students.
Importantly, students participating in co-curricular projects are compensated for their work, helping make valuable professional experiences accessible to students regardless of their financial circumstances.
“What makes this model so powerful is that everyone benefits,” said Sarah Cowan, a faculty affiliate for BOEL and an assistant teaching professor in the division of Social Responsibility and Sustainability. “The organizations gain fresh thinking and meaningful work, students gain real-world experience that prepares them for what comes next and Leeds benefits from stronger connections between the classroom and the professional world.
“Because students are competitively compensated for their work, these opportunities aren’t limited to those who can afford to take on unpaid experiences. That makes it both an incredibly effective and a more equitable model.”
Connecting students, classrooms and the business community
The value of BOEL extends beyond any single project. By connecting Leeds students with businesses and nonprofit organizations, the program strengthens relationships between the university and the broader community and exposes students to diverse industries, challenges and potential career paths.
In its first year alone, BOEL students have tackled projects spanning research and data analysis, market and landscape analysis, custom GPT systems, competitive benchmarking and customer discovery. Each project gives students an opportunity to apply what they are learning at Leeds while developing the problem-solving, communication and collaboration skills that will serve them throughout their careers.
The learning also flows in both directions. Students bring classroom knowledge to their projects and return with experience that deepens their understanding of what they are studying.
“The experience students gain through these projects comes right back into the classroom,” said Giselle Wipper, a BOEL student lead and senior studying finance and business analytics. “When you’ve built a financial model, developed a custom AI agent, created a go-to-market strategy or tackled other real business challenges, you have a foundation to draw on when those concepts appear in your coursework. You enter the classroom with more knowledge, more context and more to contribute to the conversation.
“These experiences don’t just prepare students for what comes after graduation. They make us better students while we’re still here.”
Students in the BOEL program present their work with Brock USA.
As part of a project with the Peace Corps, students in the BOEL program traveled to Guairá, Paraguay.
Students learn about Brock USA's work at Folsom Field.
A gift inspired by experience
CU Boulder alum John Cumming and the Cumming Foundation helped establish BOEL through a generous gift to the Leeds School of Business. Inspired by his experience with professional mentors and hands-on learning, Cumming sought to give today’s students access to opportunities that help them succeed in the classroom and beyond.
He named the office after his mentor and friend, Nicholas Dante Badami, whose guidance helped shape his career and taught him the value of adaptability, emotional intelligence and learning through experience.
Through BOEL, that spirit of mentorship and discovery now extends to a new generation of Leeds students, who gain opportunities to stretch beyond what is familiar, work alongside different leaders and teammates and develop skills that cannot be learned solely in the classroom.
“The Cumming Foundation’s vision gave us the opportunity to think intentionally about what experiential learning can look like at Leeds,” said Erin Penberthy, associate director for BOEL. “We’re creating opportunities for students to test what they’re learning, discover what they’re capable of and build confidence through meaningful work with real organizations. At the same time, those partnerships bring Leeds and the business community closer together. That combination creates an experience that is valuable for students today and continues to serve them well beyond graduation.”
In its first year, BOEL is already demonstrating what is possible when philanthropic vision, academic excellence and industry partnerships come together.
Students gain experiences that deepen their education and prepare them to lead. Organizations benefit by building a proven talent pipeline and accessing innovative ideas without the operational burden. And CU Boulder strengthens a model of education that prepares students for the workforce and for contributing to Colorado, the nation and the world.