Staff Spotlight: Mari Grodahl - Student Marketing Intern

From startup competitions to community connections, the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship is the place to enhance creativity, learn business skills, build connections, and get the resources you need to succeed. Located in room 236 in the Leeds School of Business next to the second-floor Violet Peak cafe, the Deming Center is filled with light, ideas, and community to help you connect and succeed, which is what brought me here. My name is Mari Grodahl, and if you've ever visited the Deming Center or seen one of our news articles, we've probably met!

When I applied to be the student marketing intern for the Deming Center in March of 2021, I had no idea how much this role would impact my life. I am amazed by the constant energy and excitement buzzing through the office, the endless number of resources provided for students, and the support I have received from the Deming team.

Experience with Deming

As the student marketing intern, I conduct weekly interviews with local entrepreneurs and share their stories in our weekly e-newsletter, The Entrepreneurship Pulse, and in an article on our website. These weekly interviews have given me insight into the many roles of an entrepreneur. Not all entrepreneurs build and maintain a business. Instead, they can be the catalyst for driving innovation and growth within organizations. These internal entrepreneurs, or intrapreneurs, possess very similar qualities as an entrepreneur, as they must also think creatively and be skilled at identifying or solving problems.

At the Deming Center, I took on an intrapreneurial role by creating marketing campaigns, generating social media content, and developing new events for student engagement. In the Fall of 2021, I implemented the first-ever Desserts with Deming event where freshman students had the opportunity to conduct a Q&A with the Founder of Lily’s Sweets Jane Miller, while enjoying a delicious bag of her candy. I also implemented a new segment of spotlight articles that showcase the stories of entrepreneurs who failed. The Deming team is always open to hearing new ideas and has supported me tremendously throughout my time here. 

This ability to work freely and creatively has contributed to my love for Deming. In addition to enhancing my intrapreneurial skills, I have seen my writing abilities grow, learned to publish content through Salesforce and on Deming’s website, and made lifelong connections along the way.

Many of the connections I’ve made through Deming have openly offered to assist me in navigating my post-college journey. Although I am sad to leave the Deming Center at the end of this semester, I can confidently say that I have gained the skills and knowledge I need to be successful in the workforce after college. 

I encourage anyone interested in becoming the next student marketing intern to apply now! This is an opportunity you do not want to miss!

Advice

My advice for current students and aspiring entrepreneurs is to try something new. It can be as small as trying a new flavor of coffee, or as big as living in a new country. Regardless, I’ve learned that exposing yourself to as many new experiences as possible only increases your knowledge of the world around you. You might also find your new favorite thing along the way!

If you are interested in learning more about my role as Deming’s student marketing intern, I would be happy to connect with you! Please contact me via email at marian.grodahl@colorado.edu.