The Barney Ford Diversity Scholarship

The Barney Ford Diversity Scholarship is dedicated to promoting diversity within the MBA program at the Leeds School of Business.

The scholarship is named for Barney L. Ford (1822-1902), a former enslaved person who became a leading Denver businessman. The annual Barney Ford Diversity Scholarship Fundraiser is our way of maintaining a tradition that serves to carry on his legacy and benefits a number of diverse Leeds MBA students every year.

Buy Tickets

If you are unable to attend the fundraiser you can make a donation directly to the Scholarship Fund below.

Donate to the Barney Ford Diversity Scholarship Fund

The Barney Ford Diversity Scholarship is proud to partner with the Leeds MBA Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee and to introduce the Racial Equity #BeTheChange challenge during Black History Month. 

The Leeds MBA JEDI Committee invites you to participate in a racial equity habit-building challenge to celebrate Black History Month and support diversity and inclusive excellence at Leeds. The #BeTheChange Challenge includes daily engagement with music, articles, podcasts, and films to learn about current and historical issues of racial inequity and ways to be part of the solution. Please register and learn more on the Center for Inclusion and Social Change Website.

Sign Up To #BeTheChange Here

The 29th Annual Barney Ford Diversity Scholarship Fundraiser

Date: March 11, 2022

Time: 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Location: Touchdown Club at Folsom Field

Theme: Black and Gold

Dress: Cocktail attire welcome

This year we are excited to again gather in person for the 29th Annual Barney Ford Diversity Scholarship Fundraiser, which last year was celebrated virtually due to COVID. The event, organized by current MBA students in support of future MBA students, brings together MBA students and alumni, faculty and staff, and friends of our programs—all with the common goal of increasing scholarship funds for students and to improve diversity at Leeds.

Net proceeds help fund student scholarships, with the overall goal of building diversity into the MBA program and contributing to the strong sense of community we work hard to achieve.

We are excited to announce the Keynote Speaker for the VIP experience at the 2022 Barney Ford Diversity Scholarship Fundraiser will be Dr. Peter McGraw.

Dr. Peter McGraw is a behavioral economist, business school professor, and bachelor who is turning his attention to the opportunities and challenges of single living. His projects include hosting Solo—The Single Person’s Guide to a Remarkable Life, The Solo Salon, and A Single Insight: The Science of Solos.

As the Director of The Humor Research Lab (HuRL), McGraw has authored Shtick to Business and co-authored The Humor Code. A professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business, he is a sought-after speaker—giving talks at organizations, conferences, and universities around the world. His work has been covered by NPR, Nightline, the BBC, Wired, Scientific American, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Financial Times.

Important: CU Boulder is taking proactive actions to minimize opportunities for the transmission of COVID-19 within our community. Event-specific details will be shared at a later date. Please direct any questions to Trevor Mayo (trevor.mayo@colorado.edu). 

Support The Fundraiser

There are many was to support the Fundraiser:

       Buy Tickets

  • Donate Directly to the Scholarship Fund 

      Donate To the Scholarship Fund

Our Prior Year Sponsors

Become a Sponsor 

Contact:

Todd Fichman at Todd.Fichman@colorado.edu

Barney Ford - The Man

Barney Ford

A former enslaved person from South Carolina, Barney escaped at age seventeen, taught himself how to read and write and achieved great business success, becoming the most noted caterer and restaurateur in the Rocky Mountain region and Colorado’s most notable black businessman. Mr. Ford was also very active in civic and education causes.

More About The Man