Lee Haider BI '20, Bachelor of Innovation

I was born and raised in a small town in North Dakota. I chose to attend UCCS because I knew I wanted to leave North Dakota to pursue my entrepreneurial passion. I wanted to attend a college that could provide me the resources, network, and overall environment to help launch a startup, which is something I couldn't find in North Dakota. I learned about the Bachelor of Innovation program and knew it was exactly what I was looking for.

My emphasis is marketing and I am in the Bachelors of Innovation program. I chose this degree because I believe marketing is crucial for any business to succeed. If no one in the world knows about your product or service, then your business will fail. I enjoy experimenting with all the different ways to tell the world about a company. I also have worked two internships in marketing and realized this is the area of business I enjoy the most.

My favorite part about studying in the College of Business is the faculty. Many of the professors have great experience in their industry. They all want to see students succeed and are always willing to help a student achieve their goals.  Many of my professors so far have taught me so much through their personal experiences and have helped push me to achieve my goals.

Currently, I am the president of the Entrepreneurship Club here on campus. Being the president of the club has been such an amazing learning experience. I am also involved with my own startup with three other co-founders who attend UCCS. We are currently working out of “The Garage” accelerator here on campus. Our startup has competed in international startup competitions as well as state-wide angel investment competitions. I try to get involved in almost anything startup related on campus and in downtown Colorado Springs.

My career aspirations are to continue to build and scale my current startup and make that my full-time job out of college. If that doesn’t end up working, I plan to go work for a startup in an industry I am interested in. Then, when the time is right, try and launch another startup! 

The Bachelors of Innovation program through the UCCS College of Business creates an amazing ecosystem to help students succeed. The program helps students learn how to take their passion and make it a reality. All the professors really want to see students succeed and help push them to reach their full potential.

I enjoy hiking, snowboarding, and pretty much anything outdoors. Coming from North Dakota, I never had access to mountains. I love having the mountains right outside my door in Colorado Springs. I try to get outdoors as often as I can and explore all the amazing things Colorado has to offer. If I am not outdoors, then I am probably playing video games. I have been playing video games since I was young and don’t see that stopping anytime soon!

The community aspect of the city is my favorite part. I moved here not knowing anyone and within the short time I have been here, I have met so many amazing people. The community on campus and downtown is very welcoming, especially if you get involved. The Colorado Springs community has provided me with so many awesome experiences.

I would tell anyone interested in attending UCCS to get involved. Going to UCCS is definitely what you make of it. Getting involved in clubs or organizations will make your experience way better than if you just go to class and go home. I have met so many amazing people and had some awesome experiences all because I got involved on campus!