We, like thousands of others, have had to reinvent our business. We feel that we have to balance two major responsibilities: protecting the health of our employees, their loved ones, and our greater community while protecting the livelihoods of our employees. We use those two responsibilities as the framework to make our daily decisions. As the news of the spread of the coronavirus intensified, we put a to-go, order-ahead, and curbside pickup model in place immediately. This has worked well, and the community continues to show up in a really powerful way. We waived our shipping fees and have been promoting our online store. We also partnered with a local produce distribution company that previously only distributed to restaurants in town to create a CSA-like delivery service. We’re certainly not designed to be a delivery service and we’re quickly learning how to handle being a logistics company, but we had so many orders in the first 24 hours after we launched the product that we had to limit orders on a weekly basis. The wholesale side of our business has been hit the hardest by this, but we’re navigating this day by day and so far, we’re hanging in! To be honest, the entrepreneur sides of the three of us find the ever-changing landscape and demand to innovate strangely inspiring. 

It’s hard to watch so many small businesses get hit so hard by this and it’s easy to get caught up in a negative spiral of thought. We believe small businesses are at the heart of the culture and personality of the towns and cities we love, and this moment is going to deeply impact our communities in such a profound way. None of this has been easy, but we’re doing everything we can to stay positive and keep our community smiling. Our team has been incredible and has embraced a role as the providers of smiles, air high-fives, and positive reinforcement. We just launched a social media campaign where we’re going to highlight the small businesses we work with, supply with coffee, or the ones that inspire us. We’re calling it #QueenCityStrong, and we really want to lean into the strength, grit, and power of community as we all take on this challenge together. This is hard, but we’re so incredibly proud of where we live and the people that make this place great, and we know we can come out of this stronger than before if we stick together. 

Coffee is one of the worlds most traded products and has direct economic impact on millions of people worldwide. When you look at the supply chain of coffee, the control and influence of the market tends to lean toward the end consumer and not the farmer or processing communities. Our goal with Queen City is to play a role in building a more equitable supply chain and to provide more agency to the farmers and producers we work with. There’s a lot of green- and whitewashing that occurs in the space - lots of certifications and claims that people lean into. We try to be really wary of the hyperbole that surrounds the industry and we want to be really honest with ourselves and our impact.

We have personal relationships with a majority of our farmers and suppliers. Scott spends time at origin working with farmers and co-op leaders on challenges and opportunities, and we have a profit-share model that we have utilized to invest in the communities we work with. The impact piece is not easy, though. We have to run a profitable and sustainable business here in the U.S. while working with communities and businesses abroad that face their own challenges. As a small startup coffee company, we have a long way to go, but we really believe that the insight we can gain from developing meaningful relationships with our suppliers will allow us to achieve the more equitable supply chain goals we have and make us a desirable company to work with for growers around the world.  

I have a friend that was in the GSSE program with me and he made the point once that learning business is easy (compared to, say, astrophysics or molecular biology) but executing in business is where it gets hard. The basics I learned during my time in the GSSE program – finance, accounting, marketing, etc. – created a great foundation, but what I really took away from my time at the College of Business came from the conversations I had with faculty and staff, visiting speakers, beers shared with business leaders and mentors. The nuanced little pieces of knowledge and learning that came from those conversations added to the foundation learned in the classroom. What I took away most from those nuanced learnings was that setting a strong of foundation in why your business exists, what values will drive your business, and how you will define success provides you with a strong foundation to use in those moments of hard choices or needed intuition. 

I’m not sure I can say there’s one singular best piece of advice I’ve ever received, but something that has always stuck with me and I often find myself reflecting on is a conversation I had with a board member of an organization I was previously with. I’m paraphrasing, but the advice in short is: “show up, do the work, and lead with listening.” The context of the advice wasn’t so much around showing up and working hard, which was implied, but more around the concept of small and incremental stepping stones in life. This person was reflecting on their own career and how serendipitous and impactful connections came from showing up to the meetings or events or situations that you would least expect to have impact on your life or career, how doing the work tied to any task led to many nuanced learnings that accumulated into a diverse tool set over time, and leading with listening allows you to hear the little things you’d often miss in the noise.

His main point was that success doesn’t often come in a loud and boisterous one fell swoop, but instead is small incremental building blocks that come together to form an ever evolving puzzle. I loved the guy because he had all kinds of stories. He was a “Deadhead” back in the day and had followed the Grateful Dead for a number of years straight. During the time of our conversation he was the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company and he had examples of how his “show up, work, listen” mantra tied his success at the helm of his company to his days as a Deadhead. 

I feel very fortunate to have been a part of the GSSE (now Impact MBA) program because the entire staff and all the faculty were so dedicated and committed to that program. It really felt like a collective and community effort in our growth and education, and I loved the culture that everyone had created. In particular, Tom Dean was a great mentor and sounding board for me during my time with GSSE, I have a lot of respect for Susan Golicic and what she’s done in the supply chain space, and Paul Hudnut has been a great resource and mentor to me as well. 

I recently read Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas, and he raises some really important questions and points that are incredibly relevant. There are some deeply entrenched systems and beliefs in business, politics, philanthropy, etc., and the polarities that exist within these systems require us to take a hard look in the mirror at how we approach our work in our respective fields. When we talk about economic development and using business to make the world a better place, I think there are some really hard questions that we have to ask ourselves and our respective businesses.

The hard work is not sexy and often difficult to wrap into a marketable soundbite that sells to the public, but I believe that we have to do the really hard and sacrificial work it will take to begin to unravel some of these knotted systems. For example, at Queen City we talk about creating a more equitable supply chain, but what does that really mean? Who designs the rules and the scorecard for a "more equitable supply chain”? What systems can we really change or influence to make a more equitable supply chain? What unseen biases, privileges, structures, etc., influence our decisions and work? These questions drive a lot of our work and discussions, but Giridharadas’ book provided some further food for thought for me and our work. 

The pandemic has shut down the volunteer element of our organization. We rely on volunteers at the construction site and in our retail store; however, closing the sites to volunteers for their safety was the first move we made. Our next step was to send our administrative staff to work remotely. For our construction program, we are only allowed one person at the construction site, which is critical because the home we are building is nearing completion and we have a family waiting to move into this affordable home. 

Although our retail store is considered essential, we found it to be more responsible to close to the public and move our sales to an online environment. Customers can pick up their orders by appointment, which keeps the interior of the building more sanitary. We are able to keep the inventory clean and sanitized. Financially, the pandemic shut down all our major fundraising events and even deferred some of our grant funding. Donations have significantly dropped, so we are focusing on keeping in communication with our community so they are aware of the work we are doing and can choose to support us financially when they are able. We are taking applications for our programs and continuing to work to provide decent and affordable housing in our service area.

I am working to help our organization operate more efficiently and more actively in the community we serve. Historically, our organization has built homes from the ground up as part of Habitat’s mission. While that will continue to be a major part of our mission, our community has a significant need for home repairs and blight reduction. To address this need, we started a new program which offers home repairs to current homeowners to help them have a safe and accessible place to live. We are also collaborating with other not-for-profit organizations in the counties we serve to provide more collaborative solutions to the people we all serve.

The experience I had at CSU matured my perspective of business and expanded my view of leadership. There are so many takeaways from my time in the College of Business that I was able to apply to my everyday life at work. The experience helped me be a more effective leader and a better communicator.

The most fulfilling aspect of my role is knowing that the work I do is directly impacting people in need in my community. There is no greater feeling than shaking the hand of a brand-new homeowner who thought they would never be able to have a home of their own. Many of the people we serve are coming out of unsafe or unhealthy living environments, and it is rewarding to find solutions that help people secure a safe and healthy place to call home.

The best book I’ve read is Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller and Katherine Leary Alsdorf. I have read this book multiple times since starting my doctoral program because it challenges me to keep my mindset focused on the purpose of my work. The day to day can at times be frustrating, disappointing, or overwhelming, but when I focus on the mission and the long-term goals of our organization, I am inspired to find new ways to overcome obstacles.

I am working on earning my Doctor of Business Administration from Liberty University with the goal of becoming a professor. I believe I will be connected with Habitat for Humanity for the rest of my life; however, my long-term goal is to teach business and leadership courses. I would love to teach online and help other people achieve their educational goals in the same manner that I did. Without the College of Business’s online program, I would not be where I am today, and I would love to give back to others

While at SpaceX, the system I worked on was used to track how we built rockets. Rockets need to be built with an incredibly high amount of quality and precision while also being efficient. This is important as the company works to drive down the cost of spaceflight.

I really respect that a large percentage of College of Business faculty have real-world experience and, in turn, push their students to intern and start to gain this experience. I believe that a large percentage of my peers (including me) benefitted from this emphasis on real-world knowledge, and it made us more marketable upon graduation. I also believe that the faculty have brought this real-world experience to the classroom and further benefit students by tailoring their curriculum to address real-world problems in business.

Don’t be afraid to learn more technical skill sets, even if they are not directly applicable to your job or what you plan to do straight out of school. For example, while in school, I purposely stayed away from the software development side of CIS (I did not enjoy coding), but I found later that learning this skill set will make you a more competent project manager in software. Even though you may not be the one putting these skills to work, you will be able to communicate better with your technical team, create better requirements, and gain some respect for having insight into your team’s field. The same can be said for supply chain and finance; with the technical skills you have learned, you may be able to automate a routine task while doing your work or mine data to provide insights to your team and leadership. With these technical skills, you don’t only find problems, you can solve them.

Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters. This short book covers some themes that are really appealing to entrepreneurs and those who want to understand what is driving innovation in business today (based on Thiel’s dot-com bubble experiences and later success).

I just started a new job with Google as a risk advisor at YouTube! I am excited to learn a new skill set and contribute to another awesome organization!

In my mind, pets are one of the greatest gifts anyone can have. Whether I’m working in Denver, Colorado, or Nairobi, Kenya, animals play a central role in the lives of humans. I’m lucky to work for a company who focuses solely on the production of medications and diagnostic equipment for veterinary medicine. My focus is exclusively small animals, and I get to help educate other veterinarians on ways to help pets live longer lives and to help alleviate suffering.

We are in an era where there are unbelievable advances being made in medicine, and veterinary medicine is no different. I’m able to improve the lives of so many more pets than when I was a veterinarian in practice because I’m helping elevate the standard of medicine for veterinarians across the U.S. Ultimately, their clients and patients receive the benefits.

I use so many of the tools I learned during my MBA training, especially around leading people, coaching, and communicating effectively.

Every day of my job is completely different. I get to interact with dozens of veterinarians and their paraprofessionals, as well as veterinary students and sales colleagues. There is never a dull moment!

Something that I hear often is “Oh, I really wanted to be a veterinarian when I was young, but I wasn’t good in math/biology/physics.” The biggest thing I can tell people who identify as animal lovers who didn’t go on to become veterinarians is that this is a huge profession and there are dozens of jobs for people who have strengths in other areas. Zoetis is a Fortune 500 company, and there are significantly more non-veterinarians than veterinarians working in the company! There are jobs in finance, marketing, sales, management, and development. You just need to have a passion for helping advance the health of animals and be dedicated to your chosen skill set.

I feel like I’ve been so blessed with good advice in my life. The two things that I reflect on the most are a seventh-grade teacher telling me that I could do anything I set my mind to and a hiring manager who told me “be the person everyone wants to work with” when I asked what would guarantee future success in the company. Both pieces of advice have taken me really far.

Dr. Hunt Lambert taught this amazing class on business strategy. It has been one of the most influential classes I’ve taken, as I use principles from that class to this day. It doesn’t matter what industry you are in – there are clear benefits to having a defined business strategy. His teaching method was so engaging!

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. By all standards, I am a busy person; I live in Denver and I commute to the Southeastern U.S. weekly for work. In order to prevent burnout, I have had to learn what is important and what can be let go. This book is a great resource for figuring out how to say “no” to things and how to identify what is truly essential in my life.

I’m actually hoping I can do more philanthropic work. I took two trips to Kenya last year to assist with the Rabies 2030 project, to reduce the risk of rabies to humans by vaccinating and sterilizing as many pets as possible. This was made possible through Vet Treks, which is run by another College of Business MBA grad! I sit on their board now, and I look forward to more opportunities to assist the global veterinary community.

Working in government, I have the privilege to serve my country. Profit margins and sales aren’t the bottom line. Our bottom line is improving the lives of every American.  Online communication is a powerful tool I use to market the life-changing legislation Congress passes.

The power of empathy and compassion. As an alum of Business Diversity Leadership Alliance (BDLA), we were taught to see situations from different perspectives. One person’s worldviews can vary greatly from another person’s views. If we know how to bridge those gaps through empathy and compassion, we can harness that power to create change.

When I leave the Capitol late at night to head home, exhausted after a long day, and I turn back to look at the white Capitol dome set against the dark sky, I feel grateful; grateful for the chance to fulfill my very own American dream. To wake up every day and have the opportunity to serve the speaker of the house, a figure who is an inspiration to millions of people, is an enormous honor. The opportunity to work on behalf of the American people makes even the most stressful days worth it.

It is extremely meaningful to document the impact of current events on people’s lives. One rainy day, I was photographing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi meeting with activists in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. It was incredible to see the emotion and excitement from the activists she spoke with while walking through the crowd. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to capture those moments of human connection, using the camera to share with the world what is happening in the Capitol.

Don’t lose sight of the big picture. A lot of people come to D.C. with the hopes of landing their dream job. In a very competitive market like the Hill, some succeed and some don’t. The greatest difference I have observed between the two is those who have a strong sense of why they want to serve and know how to convey it are the ones that not only land the initial job but continue to rise.

The future is already determined, because what you do today dictates it. That advice motivates me to always think a few steps ahead by asking myself, “What can I do today that I know will benefit me down the line

Bill Shuster (lecturer in the management department). I remember sitting in his business capstone course senior year, about to graduate, and not having a clue what I would do afterward. He shared a YouTube video with me called “12 Years in the Making.” The video showed a man who had spent 12 years building his digital empire, explaining there is no such thing as an overnight success, that our careers are a marathon and it can take decades to get where we want to go. I found solace in the reminder to be patient and persistent. No great career is created overnight.

Bossed Up by Emilie Aries was by far the best book I read. Before I began working for the speaker, I was working as an unpaid intern, living with my parents, and commuting an hour and a half to get into the city. It was the furthest thing from where I had pictured myself after graduation. A lot of days I would come home ready to give up and move back to Colorado. Bossed Up encouraged me to keep trying, and eventually my months of sacrifice paid off. That book helped me find the power within myself to remain strong and keep pushing. Without it, I don’t think I would have had the patience and fearlessness necessary to land my current job.

I have fallen in love with D.C. and don’t see myself leaving anytime soon. There are few places in the world with this much history and opportunity, and I see myself continuing to work in Congress in digital communication for many years ahead. My next dream is to serve in the White House one day. However, I am in no rush to get there, as I have never felt so strongly that I am exactly where I need to be.