{"id":156444,"date":"2024-05-20T10:11:47","date_gmt":"2024-05-20T16:11:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/?p=156444"},"modified":"2024-05-20T10:14:01","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20T16:14:01","slug":"a-student-entrepreneurs-journey-to-professional-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/?p=156444","title":{"rendered":"A student entrepreneur\u2019s journey to professional leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lee Haider’s trajectory from student entrepreneur to a leader at a major corporation showcases the transformative power of the entrepreneurial ecosystem at UCCS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haider, who graduated from UCCS in 2020 with a\u00a0bachelor of innovation degree<\/a>\u00a0in marketing, now is a professional at Xero, a multibillion-dollar accounting software company. Haider’s journey highlights not only his success but also the broader impact of a university that empowers its students to excel as entrepreneurs and leaders in their chosen fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople often say you are as good as your environment. I disagree with that,\u201d Haider said. \u201cI believe you are as good as what you do within your environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haider\u2019s environment at UCCS included the Garage<\/a>, the university\u2019s vibrant hub for entrepreneurial endeavors. The Garage isn\u2019t just a space, but a dynamic environment where Lee and his peers immersed themselves in the entrepreneurial culture of Colorado Springs.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"A
Haider and fellow students at the Garage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In the incubator program, UCCS students learn to develop and execute business venture ideas. One of the Garage\u2019s standout features is its weekly pitch sessions, where students present their startup ideas in front of a supportive audience and receive valuable feedback. For Haider, these sessions were instrumental in breaking down the fear of failure and building confidence in articulating innovative ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through regular pitching and feedback, Haider honed his presentation skills, learned to adapt his ideas based on constructive criticism, and ultimately became a more confident and effective communicator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program’s emphasis on practical, hands-on learning fosters a sense of community where students feel empowered to share and refine their ideas, knowing they have the support and guidance needed to turn their visions into reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Garage also provided a rich networking environment, not just among students but also with experienced faculty members who offer real-world insights and mentorship. Interacting with these mentors enriched Haider’s learning experience and expanded his entrepreneurial acumen beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Describing his mentorship experience, Haider recalls the guidance of professors including Tom Duening, Ph.D., director, Center for Entrepreneurship, and Terrance Boult, Ph.D., El Pomar Endowed Professor of Innovation and Security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boult praises Haider for the exceptional adaptability he showed while in the Garage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLee did a great job with the Garage and learned important lessons about meeting with and listening to customers,\u201d Boult said. \u201cI see Lee\u2019s adaptability as a great example of what we hope students to learn in the bachelor of innovation and the Garage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haider calls the Garage cohort \u201cthe secret sauce,\u201d underscoring the importance of being surrounded by individuals who are striving for excellence. The collaborative atmosphere fostered within the Garage fueled creativity and problem-solving, propelling Haider and his peers forward in their entrepreneurial endeavors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haider\u2019s entrepreneurial spirit extended beyond the campus, as he actively participated in startup competitions and statewide Angel investment competitions. These experiences not only provided exposure for his startup, but also served as valuable learning opportunities, refining his business acumen and resilience in the face of challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Garage, Haider found a supportive environment where he could experiment, fail and learn quickly, all without the repercussions he might encounter in the outside world \u2014 a realization that proved invaluable to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equipped with the mindset and skills nurtured at UCCS, Haider now leads the social media strategy for the entire U.S. market at Xero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked for advice he has for current and future students, Haider emphasized the importance of seizing every opportunity and embracing discomfort as a catalyst for growth, echoing his journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSuccess favors momentum, and it’s our responsibility to seize it,\u201d Haider said. \u201cMuch of my success stems from my alma mater, UCCS, which not only provided me with resources and support, but also fostered a culture of innovation, resilience and collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lee Haider’s trajectory from student entrepreneur to a leader at a major corporation showcases the transformative power of the entrepreneurial ecosystem at UCCS. (More)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":156450,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1,427],"tags":[88,40,332,60],"class_list":["post-156444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-alumni-stories","tag-bachelor-of-innovation","tag-college-of-business","tag-more-news","tag-student-success"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/haider-Communique-Newsletter-B-Story-300x170px.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1mBpJ-EHi","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=156444"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156444\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156451,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156444\/revisions\/156451"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/156450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=156444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=156444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=156444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}