What implications do consumer business and confidence have on the future of economic growth? How does fear of the unknown come into play with tariffs taking effect, and how will that play into the Federal Reserve’s stance on interest rates?

Richard Wobbekind is the Associate Dean for Business and Government Relations at Leeds School of Business, and Brian Lewandowski is the Executive Director of the Business Research Division at Leeds School of Business.

In this episode, Maria talks with Richard and Brian about the current state of the economy. Despite the cooling of Colorado's economy after years of robust growth, there are reasons for cautious optimism. They discuss the impacts of national policy changes, tariffs, and inflation on both the U.S. and Colorado locally. Colorado has seen slower growth in key economic metrics and migration rates, impacting sectors like housing and job market dynamics. Nevertheless, resilience in job growth, positive wage trends, and new business formations show bright spots.

This conversation was recorded on June 12, 2025 and does not reflect any economic news or developments since that date.

Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.

EPISODE QUOTES:

On Colorado’s current economic conditions predictions

28:18: [Richard Wobbekind] We're not in a recession, and we don't think we're going into a recession. We do think a slow growth environment is very likely, but it's a growth environment.

When expectations shape the economy

16:41: [Brian Lewandowski]  I think I am cautiously optimistic. I don't think things are all rosy. I think there's many risks that we're keeping an eye on in the economy right now. And personally, I think there are more risks to the downside right now, especially when we think about Colorado. We have some unique exposures to some of the changes happening right now. We may not be as exposed to the tariffs, but I think we are perhaps more exposed in Colorado to the federal restructuring. We have a high concentration of federal labs in Colorado. We have federal space and defense institutions and Colorado that are perhaps at risk. And then our universities receive a lot of federal funding for early-stage research that is also at risk right now. So, I think there certainly are downside risks that we need to be keenly aware of.

Why do tariffs matter?

07:19: [Richard Wobbekind] When we think about them from, sort of, broad macro policy, tariffs impact the supply side of the economy. They raise the cost of production in the economy. And supply-side inflationary types of issues that tariffs would fall into are very difficult to address with policy.

Looking at Colorado’s slower population growth as a general concern

06:17: [Brian Lewandowski]  Colorado is a state that, for most of its statehood, has had positive net in migration, meaning that more people are moving to the state than moving away from the state. It's rare for Colorado to have net out migration, but for the past few years, we've had very slow migration to the state.

And that's important. And it's a concern because many of those people who are coming to Colorado from other states or even other countries are already trained…[06:56] So, it ended up filling the vacant jobs that we had in the state and fueling a lot of the growth that we've had in Colorado. So, we look at Colorado's slower population growth and slower net migration as a general concern.

SHOW LINKS:

• Richard Wobbekind | LinkedIn
• Richard Wobbekind Leeds School of Business Profile
• Brian Lewandowski | LinkedIn
• Brian Lweandowski | Leeds School of Business Profile
• Colorado’s economic forecast for 2025

AI is everywhere, sparking both excitement and anxiety, especially in education. But what if we shifted our perspective from fear to partnership?

Jeremiah Contreras is an assistant teaching professor and the Kala and Shiv Khatri Endowed Faculty Scholar at the Leeds School of Business. Jeremiah is also at the forefront of incorporating the newest AI technologies into business school education across various disciplines.

In this episode, Jeremiah shares his journey into AI, his early experiences with OpenAI's GPT, and using AI in the classroom. Jeremiah and Mariah also discuss the Leeds AI initiative and how AI is being integrated into core business courses to prepare students for the future job market. As a daily user of AI technologies for several years, Jeremiah has developed tactics and techniques for using AI openly and transparently with his students to foster trust in it as a powerful tool to help efficiency when used correctly. The conversation also touches on the Colorado AI Act, the future of AI in various industries, and Jeremiah’s advice for newcomers exploring AI technology.

Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.

EPISODE QUOTES:

Why AI literacy is essential for success

[04:18] AI isn't necessarily just a topic. It's really embedded in everything we do, and it's becoming more and more so. And so, what we decided to do is we have 15 core business classes, and so we made sure that we're adding AI into every single core class that all of our freshmen and sophomores take.

What does it mean to use AI effectively?

[06:11] I would say that it's treating it as a partner, more than a doer. And so, it's a collaborative effort. There's a saying that AI could be reversed and you could call it IA or “intelligence augmented.” And so, when we use it to augment our intelligence, not replace our intelligence, I think that's when it's the best partner.

On preparing students to lead with technology

[16:18] Education oftentimes is a bit lagging. When it comes to incorporating technology. I think we really have an opportunity to help become part of the leadership, as far as predicting and foreseeing what can happen and almost being an incubator space to test some of these business ideas and help students grow these skills so that, when they enter the workforce, they're able to help these companies grow.

How AI boosts productivity in business

[14:39] What this new AI era is doing is businesses are having to really rethink, where can I use it? I think one obvious place is increasing productivity. So, when it's used as a thought partner for people or to create PowerPoint slides as an example, when it's used to make you more efficient, you still own as an individual, as a worker, as an employee, I would still own the judgment. I would still own the product and the output, but I have an assistant or I have a partner who can help me become that much more efficient.

So, in that case, it's definitely changing how people do their jobs.

SHOW LINKS:

• Learn AI Fundamentals with Google AI Essential | Google Course
• MCP vs API: Simplifying AI Agent Integration with External Data | YouTube Video
• AI Explained - YouTube Channel
• Jeremiah Contreras | LinkedIn
• Jeremiah Contreras | Leeds School of Business Profile

2025 has been designated the International Year of Quantum by UNESCO, marking 100 years since the creation of quantum mechanics. In that century, the ideas have moved from laboratories and lecture halls to everyday products and a wide general understanding of some principles. How can businesses position themselves to take advantage of the opportunities quantum will create going forward?

Scott Sternberg is the executive director of the University of Colorado Boulder CUbit Quantum Initiative. Scott has an extensive background in leadership and business development, and has a strong commitment to encouraging the long-term sustainable growth of the initiative and Colorado’s quantum economy as a whole.

In this episode, Scott explains the basic principles of quantum science and its evolution over the past century. He highlights how recent advancements have led to practical applications like quantum computers and sensing technologies that promise to revolutionize various industries. With a focus on Colorado's leading role in quantum research and economic development, Scott and Maria talk about the goals and strategies of the CUbit Quantum Initiative. He also emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, student engagement, and community awareness to foster growth in the quantum economy.

Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.

EPISODE QUOTES:

Quantum, explained simply

[01:05] So the word quantum actually relates to the physics or the mathematics that occurs at the very, very small scale—that is to say, at the scale of atoms or even at some atomic levels. And when you start to observe what is happening in terms of the interaction between light and atoms, or atoms with other atoms, you start to see a very different behavior than what we experience in what we call the macroscopic world. So, as we throw a ball and it follows an arc and someone catches it on the other end, we're very in tune with exactly the physics that dominates that trajectory. But when you go into the atomic level and the subatomic level, things behave much, much differently. So, about a hundred years ago, this observation of this new world was starting to come into view, and there was a whole new mathematics around what we call quantum mechanics that was created.

Quantum’s around us

[05:46] Quantum's around us; you may not realize it, but it's this recent awareness that the impacts to society from quantum computing have really brought this to the forefront for conversation.

Why Colorado needs to be at the center of this innovation hub

[09:18] We have been recognized by the Economic Development Administration through a technology and innovation hub grant that was submitted by an organization called Elevate Quantum as the tech hub for quantum science in the nation. And so, it's this long history that we have—investing in fundamental science, growing into engineering, growing into the interdisciplinary spaces in the other colleges and departments—that has spawned these companies to come out that have kind of taken traction here in the region. And that was, quite frankly, the core of our argument as to why Colorado needs to be at the center of this technology and innovation hub.

SHOW LINKS:

• Scott Sternberg | LinkedIn
• Scott Sternberg | CU Boulder Profile
• CUbit Quantum Initiative
• CUbit Update | Newsletter

What does it look like to move from a life of intense athletic competition into the realm of business? What aspects of being an athlete translated well into entrepreneurship, and what strong career motivation can be derived from understanding a simple bell curve?

Ryan Heckman is a two-time Olympian, Leeds Business School Alumnus, and a longtime entrepreneur.  Ryan co-founded Rallyday Partners, an investment firm dedicated to providing holistic support to company founders and their employees, where he serves as CEO and managing partner.

In this episode, Ryan discusses his unique career path to the world of private equity. Ryan shares personal anecdotes about his college journey, career challenges, and his midlife crisis-turned-awakening that led to the founding of Rallyday. He emphasizes the importance of integrating left brain, right brain, heart, and soul in business, and how Rallyday Partners is shifting the paradigm within the private equity industry through its focus on humanizing the journey and fostering aggressive humility among its leaders. Check out this fascinating conversation.

Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.

EPISODE QUOTES:

The higher the goals the greater the humility

[12:11] The higher we set our goals, the more humility we generally have because the chances of you reaching those goals are very slim. And so, I think I've shown up, particularly the last 10 years, with a great deal more humility because of the audacity of the goals that I had established for myself seems so farfetched most of the time.

What differs Rallyday from traditional private equity firms?

[14:48] “We lead people. We don't manage assets.” And what I mean by that is the objective is obviously professional. We want to create a lot of value, but the journey is very personal, you know. Whether it be for the CEOs that we partner with or their executive teams, the middle managers, the employees, they're showing up at our workplace. And we treat that like the privilege that it is. And our obligation is to not manage them. No one likes to feel managed. We want to earn their followership, and we want to be their leaders and take them personally to places they didn't think they could before meeting us and take their companies even further because they're growing so much as individuals. And so, when we talk about what we do for a living, it's all about humanizing that journey very personally.

What does it mean to be aggressively humble at the same time

[15:51] I think that everybody at Rallyday strives to be two things at the same time. We strive to be aggressively humble. And what that means, there's a lot of people that I know who are super aggressive and super not humble. I also know people that are really humble, but typically not very aggressive. And so, we look for this duality of character. And, you know, as it turns out, it works because there's nothing more special than someone that is both of these things at the same time.

SHOW LINKS:

• Ryan Heckman | RallyDay Profile
• Ryan Heckman | LinkedIn

Recent events have put more of a spotlight on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and its role in all organizations. What can research tell us about how these initiatives affect institutions, and what could change were they not in place?

Dr. Rebecca (Becca) Mitchell an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Leeds School of Business at University of Colorado Boulder.  Her research seeks to understand how organizations can improve the effectiveness of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices, and how time influences team hierarchy and team affective processes.

Becca breaks down key concepts in DEI, explaining visible “surface level” and invisible “deep level” diversity characteristics. She provides insights into each facet of DEI, including the historical and theoretical background, and how the elements work together. The conversation explores Becca’s research motivations, inspired by her personal experiences and desire to create better organizational environments. Maria and Becca talk about cross-training, mentoring, and social accountability, and Becca presents some of her research findings on affective diversity—the mix of emotional states in teams—and employee resource groups, emphasizing the need for strategic alignment and community building.

Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.

EPISODE QUOTES:

How diversity, equity, and inclusion intersect today

[04:53] Diversity is really beneficial, but we get the most out of diversity when we also have equity and inclusion. If we don't have those pieces in place, then we really can't realize the full value of the diverse perspectives that we have in the room.

Navigating the gap between DEI intentions and impact

[06:54] One trend that I've noticed recently is more research is happening on what we call performative diversity management. I'd like to think that a lot of it isn't that folks are not committed to DEI, but maybe just don't have the resources or the confidence to do it well. So, I think there's a lot of work on initiatives that maybe sound really good but, in practice, don't actually do a lot.

Why a diverse team needs both positive Paulas and negative Nancys

[24:17] What we found is that teams really benefit from having both—like what I call the positive Paulas and the negative Nancys on the team, right? We want both of them on our teams because the people with positive emotions, we found, really help us to seize opportunities. So, we're seeing those opportunities and going after them. We're taking those risks. And then, our negative Nancys are helping us be a little bit more cautious. They're helping us bring things back in and recognize where there might be some threats or pitfalls in our environment. And so, that combination really helps teams navigate complex tasks that require a bit of both, right? We want to be taking risks, but we also don't want to be too risky in our decision-making.

SHOW LINKS:

• Rebecca Mitchell | Leeds Faculty Profile
• Rebecca Mitchell | Google Scholar Page
• Rebecca Mitchell | LinkedIn
• Why Diversity Programs Fail | HBR
• We Just Can’t Handle Diversity | HBR
• Fighting Backlash to Racial Equity Efforts | HBR

It’s never too early to start building your personal brand and to be aware of the social footprint you are creating. Why does it pay to get specific when it comes to your own branding, and what ways can you maximize your brand for your professional growth?

Olivia Omega is a personal branding specialist, author, and the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at the Denver Scholarship Foundation. er upcoming book shares a title with her new podcast, Through Her Eyes.

Olivia shares how to be intentional about building your brand, sharing her journey from CU Boulder to her career in marketing, and how developing her personal brand was integral. Olivia clarifies common misconceptions about branding, defines what a personal brand is, and explains why a personal brand is relevant in both entrepreneurial and corporate settings. Olivia also provides practical advice on how to start building a personal brand. Additionally, Olivia and Maria discuss Olivia’s advocacy for diversity and inclusion and her collaboration on a generational memoir with her daughter.

Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.

EPISODE QUOTES:

What truly is branding?

[02:08] Brand goes so far beyond visuals, logo, colors, photos; I think that's a lot of the fun stuff that people like about what a brand is, but a brand is sort of this gathering of emotions, promises—we call them value propositions—qualities, tangible versus more emotive, are perceptions. It could come in the area of sounds even that all come together to make up how much we're willing to pay for, champion, support one thing, one brand, over another.

Lessons Olivia is learning from today's youth

[18:20] I have learned that young people, this current generation, are so incredibly inclusive and empathetic—way more than I think my generation was at that age or is now. And so, it's a breath of fresh air to see that. I also think that this current generation and young people are extremely ambitious in their dreams and imaginative in what they want to do and where they think they can go. Because we have this world of social media and influencers, we've seen people go from no one to someone over what appears to be overnight. We've seen people make their dreams happen. And so, I think they have that—the example in the visual of what that could look like. And so, their dreams are real. Sky's the limit, which I definitely, truly admire.

Examining who you are through the lens of other people helps build your personal brand

[09:52] Find the person—there's probably usually one or two people—that you truly feel like you could be yourself around and that know you really well, and ask them to describe who you are; ask them to write down words that describe you. Because a lot of times, we can't see our differences because it's us, and we live with us every single day. And so, stepping outside of our body can be hard, and you'll learn a lot when you start asking these questions about just really the impact you have on people's lives and how you make them feel.

SHOW LINKS:

• OliviaOmega.com
• Olivia Omega | Denver Scholarship Foundation
• Olivia Omega | LinkedIn
• Olivia Omega | Instagram
• Olivia Omega | X
• Beautifully Branded - The Girl's Guide to Understanding the Anatomy of Brand You
• Through Her Eyes | Podcast

Technology is an integral part of work for most of us, but it’s also an undeniable cause of workplace stress. So how can we avoid burnout and start trying to find balance?

Jason Bennett Thatcher holds the Tandean Rustandy Esteemed Professorship at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder and researches how the interaction of people and technology change the world we work in

Jason explains how the interaction of people and technology affects work dynamics. Maria and Jason cover different types of technostressors like techno-overload, techno-invasion, and techno-ambiguity, as well as strategies to manage these different stressors. The discussion also delves into the impact of remote work, the importance of setting boundaries, and how employers and employees can take proactive steps to mitigate stress caused by technology.

Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.

EPISODE QUOTES:

Understanding technostress and why stress affects everyone differently

[05:24] We were really interested in this core set of five variables that are looked at in technostress, like techno-invasion, techno-complexity, and whatnot, and how combinations of those led to job satisfaction and burnout. What was really cool about the study was that we found that, for every person, it's not the same. So, it's different combinations of stress that result in different outcomes for different people. And this was a really important thing, even though it's a very simple finding, right? Because what it lets you think about, as a manager, is, okay, what do I need to give my employee to manage the specific set of things that they're facing that result in them feeling more or less stressed out?

On the different types of technostressors

[02:02] There's this general idea that just all the ways the technology touches me is technostress in general. And then you have different consequences, like, you have techno-overload where technology makes me feel like I have too much going on. I have techno-invasion where I feel like the technology is letting people intrude into my life and it's causing me stress. I can have ambiguity introduced by technology. So, before, I knew what I was doing, and now I have all these competing demands placed on me, which makes me feel harder. So, this ambiguity about what I should be doing, or I may even have, like, techno-conflict where I feel like I'm getting competing demands sent to me by different people at the same time, or I have different technologies asking for different things.

What are the biggest barriers to reducing workplace stress caused by technology?

[19:43] I think one of the barriers is really establishing healthy patterns for your communication because we're habitually… this came into our lives; none of us were trained. We set up these high-speed, 24/7 cultures. We said, “Hey, go work anywhere you want to,” but the tax for that was, “Be available all the time.” We've got to change that culture. We've got to become much more mindful, a little bit slower so people can get that reflection and the release from constant pressure so that they can actually do good work. Because what we know is if you're not super busy all the time, you feel better and you do higher-quality work.

SHOW LINKS:

• Jason Bennett Thatcher | Leeds School Of Business Faculty Profile
• Jason Bennett Thatcher | LinkedIn
• Jason Bennett Thatcher | Instagram
• Mitigating technostress is not easy, but it’s doable | London School of Economics Blog
• How to fight ‘technostress’ at work | CU Boulder Today

This episode is all about attainable housing, and how innovation may be able to help first-time home buyers with new options.

Jamie Saunders is a Leeds MBA alumna and the founder of Affix Communities, a startup with a mission to create new ways for potential home buyers to become homeowners. Jamie was inspired by her sister's struggles with fluctuating income and rent increases, shifting from architecture to developing innovative, smaller homes in Colorado for people also struggling.

Jamie explains how the concept of prefabrication, creative land use, and designs that allow for short-term rental income can help make housing more affordable. This episode delves into zoning laws, the housing market, and the strategies being implemented to address the affordability crisis. Jamie also outlines what her company's future could look like, aiming to create a replicable system for developers nationwide and foster accessible homeownership.

Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.

EPISODE QUOTES:

On innovative paths Affix is taking to affordable homeownership

[19:37] One thing that we learned that was kind of mind-boggling while we were doing all of these interviews of potential homebuyers is that it came up again and again that younger folks, they're like, I would love to offset some of the cost of my mortgage by renting out a room, maybe not all the time, maybe just occasionally, maybe just on weekends, whatever works for them. But it did come up quite a bit that that's something that the younger buyer is interested in. So we listened to that, and we designed our pilot home with an area in the back that can be locked off that has its entry bedroom and a private bathroom. So that enables people to make the decision if they want; they can just lock off that area and rent it whenever they want.

How Affix is trying to create affordability in housing

[20:29] There's only two ways to make housing more affordable. The most common way that we see right now is through government subsidy. That's what people usually think of when they hear “affordable housing.” And in that scenario, a house is built, same house, same materials, same, in a lot of cases, almost the same finish quality, even. And then the government will just pay for a portion of the construction costs, which makes the end product cheaper to the consumer. That is not the way that Affix is trying to create affordability. We're trying to create naturally occurring affordability, which means that we are looking for innovative ways to build, more affordable ways to build the actual construction costs, basically. And land costs themselves are actually lower. So, we're not using any kind of government subsidy to accomplish this.

On the impact Jamie hopes to create for Affix in the coming years

[24:32] In five to 10 years, my hope is that we've created a system that can be replicated by developers across the country. And I'm really hoping that we can all work together to bring real starter homes back to America. I think, historically, homeownership has been one of the top ways that Americans have built wealth for themselves and for their families. And that's something that everyone deserves access to. I think there are a lot of developers out there who share my opinion on that. And I think if we all work together, we could really make a big difference in this.

SHOW LINKS:

• Affix Communities | Website
• Jamie Saunders | LinkedIn
• Jamie Saunders | Email Address
• Deming Center for Entrepreneurship | Leeds School of Business
• Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate | Leeds School of Business