How Two Sophomores Designed CU's Latest Club Phenomenon
Ryder Nicolaus & Oliver Welsh are smashing Leeds School of Business headlines. As Sophomores, they’ve already engineered the hottest new club and put themselves on the bigger stage.
Their main goal? To put their names out there and leave a mark on the community. After spending their first year getting involved across campus, they realized it was time to build something of their own, something that reflected their shared passions. Tracing back to their high school years, they had already established clothing brands, and it was their passion for fashion that kick-started their entrepreneurial careers.
Thus, the CU Fashion Case Club was born. After noticing the absence of design and fashion-focused communities on campus, they set out to fill that gap, and quickly exceeded their own expectations. While the club centers on fashion, its foundation is rooted in its entrepreneurial mindset.
An Inevitable Duo
Both Nicolaus & Welsh are well-rounded individuals. With eager mindsets, the two bring different perspectives and skillsets to achieve one goal.
Welsh, a finance major with a family accounting background, began his fashion career as early as a Sophomore in high school through a personal clothing brand.
“I’ve always loved drawing and design, and fashion just became the perfect way to bring that art to life.”
Originally, he aspired to be a comic book illustrator and writer, but ultimately recognized that there were few career opportunities. When his dad showed him an app where he could upload photos he drew on his iPad onto t-shirts and order them, a perfect path had been laid out for him.
Like Welsh, Nicolaus also has a clothing brand. Admittedly, he credits Welsh as a “better natural designer”, but Nicolaus’s profound interest in Marketing is what drives his skills. His discovery of the popular thrift and clothing app DePop kick-started his brand.
“I started my own clothing brand in high school, just for my love of fashion, and wanting to get a sense of what I’d be doing in college, which was business. I learned a ton about marketing and business analytics, which is what drove me to Leeds specifically.”
Together, their strengths created a natural partnership. Though their paths into fashion were different, their shared ambition, and the opportunities they found through Leeds and the Deming Center, brought them together at exactly the right time.
Only a Matter of Time
Both Nicolaus and Welsh grew up in Longmont, Colorado, a mere 30-minute drive from Boulder. They’re the same age, graduated in the same class, and walked the same high-school hallways. On paper, it seems like the kind of setup that would naturally lead to a long-standing friendship.
But a closer look tells a different story. While they knew each other and got along, they never ran in the same circles and had no idea their paths would eventually collide in such a meaningful way.
“We’ve always been friends, and we’ve not necessarily always been the same friend groups. I mean, coming to college, we were friends, but we didn’t really know what we were gonna be doing or anything. We’ve just kept intertwining with one another. With fashion, having our own brands, that’s really connected, really everything.”
In the workplace, their dynamic feels natural. They push each other to think more creatively and aren’t afraid to give honest feedback. When one of them has an idea, the other helps shape it, and that balance has become a core part of how they lead the club.
As friends, their relationship is steady and easygoing. They give each other space, but always reconnect through their shared interests in fashion and business. Building the club has strengthened their bond and proven that a strong partnership can grow from mutual ambition rather than a long shared history.
Involvement is The Key
The founders’ commitment to the Leeds School of Business was the beginning of everything. As freshmen, they said yes to everything, encouraging everyone to follow suit. Through clubs, staying engaged in classes, and making connections in and outside of Leeds, they obtained the necessary foundation for the Fashion Case Club.
One of the first ways they marketed their club was through a tabling at Leeds’ kickoff event, Leedsapalooza. In an attempt to connect with students, they also connected with staff, particularly CJ Riggins, program manager of the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. As of this year, however, she took on an advisor role for the new club, giving them resources and confidence to scale their club to the next level.
“We were really lucky to come across her. We talked for a while, and she was interested in sharing her experience in the outdoor industry. From there, we kept meeting, and she eventually became our official advisor.”
From there, their club has sprung off the ground. Through guest speakers and valuable insights, they’ve caught traction quickly.
An Open Environment
The CU Fashion Case Club is designed for Leeds students with passions for design and, of course, fashion. However, they emphasize it doesn’t stop there. It’s open to anyone looking for inspiration.
The club takes a “business is fun” approach, preaching that mindset to all of its members. Through intriguing events, including guest speakers like Ryan Broida from the North Face, they’ve already created a perfect nonverbal pitch to potential new members.
However, the club didn’t gain so much traction by chance and luck. Their astute entrepreneurial and managerial skills did that. Recognizing the need for overall recognition, they established an executive board, dedicating three members solely to marketing. That tactic has ensured a steadily increasing social media following, along with event building and involvement.
Limitless Possibilities
The CU Fashion Case Club is just the beginning of what should be illustrious careers for Nicolaus and Welsh. Driven by confidence and involvement, and supported through their managerial and entrepreneurial skills, they hope to take not just this club, but their careers to the next level.
Neither of them has the details ironed out yet, but it certainly involves their clothing brands. For Welsh, his dream is for the brand to eventually become his full-time focus, though he’s open to balancing both paths.
Nicolaus sees his future in Marketing, particularly in consumer analytics and trends. He’s drawn to the creative side of marketing and wants to find ways to merge that creativity with business strategy. His marketing mindset is what drives his work in fashion and what he hopes to carry into a future career blending creativity and data.
Through the Fashion Case Club, Welsh and Nicolaus are learning what it means to turn passion into opportunity. For both founders, it’s not just a student organization but rather a reflection of their shared belief that business can be as creative as the art it supports. As they continue to shape their own paths, they’re simultaneously shaping Leeds’ future in fashion.
