These Faces are Aces
celebrates members of our community on social media each week. Here are a few of our favorites.
Zach Baumann has been a gamer since he was a kid bouncing around the country with his four siblings during his fatherās military career. He never did put down the controller, but as an Air Force captaināa personnel officer and expert in human resources and business administrationāheās found incredible value in his passion for games. Itās why he co-founded Air Force Gaming, a digital platform that connects airmen with fellow players in the service. The platform has become so successful that last year, the military effectively acquired it, bringing in a startup called Rally Cry to help take it global.Ģż
āI was able to get insights on all the challenges we facedāfrom creating a social media presence, to building pitch decks, to refining our strategyāfrom my MBA classes.ā
Capt. Zach Baumann (MBAā21)
Co-founder, Air Force Gaming
āAt Leeds, itās not only the brilliant minds you get to learn from. This environment just lends itself to creativity and innovation.ā
Steffie Ungphakorn
PhD Program Manager
You may not expect an aspiring accountant to have a flair for fashion, but Megan Griffith can count stitches as well as beans. Luxury Redesigned, the apparel business she started during quarantine, is still going strong. āLeeds gives you the resources and the confidence you need to take the first step into something you want to do, and not be afraid to fail,ā she said.
Megan Griffith (Busā23)
Founder, Luxury Redesigned
āMy MBA was the first time I realized I was not the only one who was interested in sustainabilityāI was surrounded by a cohort that wanted to make an impact in the environment, in social equity or a related area.ā
Shannon Cox Baker (MBAā07)
Founder and Managing Partner, Rivet Development Partners
āIf Iām going to devote time, energy and the mental capacity to solve a problem, why not make it a big problem?ā
Frank Medina (Busā23)
Intern, Social Capital
Prospective students are no longer required to submit SAT or ACT scores when applying to a Colorado state school.ĢżThatās partly thanks to Eyob Abai, a former president of Leeds Student Government, who testified before the Colorado Legislature in support of removing the requirement.
āMy focus was ensuring all students are able to be successful at Leeds,ā he said. āI wanted to be a voice for different groups of students and bring different perspectives to the table.ā
Eyob Abai (Busā21)
Business Analyst, McKinsey
Though heās completed two degrees at Leeds already, Victor Bjorlow isnāt done with his education. But heās not returning to a University of Colorado classroom. Instead, heās off toĢżQ School. Aspiring pro golfers must complete the grueling European Tour Qualifying School before joining the continental equivalent of the PGA Tour.
āGolf is important to me, but I have this passion for finance, as well,ā Bjorlow said. āWhatever happens next, my lessons from the golf course and classroom will both be importantĢżgoing forward.ā
Victor Bjorlow (Busā20, MFinā21)
Golfer
āWeāve gone back to the well frequently with Leeds grads and have not been disappointed.ā
Carl Koelbel (MBAā10)
Chief Operating Officer, Koelbel & Co.
