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is a student-led program within the CU Boulder Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative at the University of Colorado Boulder that brings together students interested in entrepreneurship, venture capital and startup culture.��

“Supporting the amazing student leaders of the Boulder Venture Club is an absolute delight, and the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative is thrilled to have BVC as part of our programming. Their energy, initiative, and collaborative spirit are a powerful force in CU Boulder’s thriving innovation and entrepreneurship community.” - Leah Jean Shafer, program manager, CU Boulder's Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative��

Through weekly meetings that include speaker panels and workshops, the club gives members a chance to hear directly from professionals with experienced backgrounds who are actively building companies.

Beyond the presentations, the goal is to create a space where students can enhance their entrepreneurial mindsets and career paths. While its focus revolves around business and venture capital, BVC draws students from across campus. Members come from all majors, creating a community where different perspectives come together around a shared interest in building and learning.

Their current executive team is now focused on enhancing this image, while continuing to grow the club to anyone around CU.

Maria Goergen (Co-President)

first discovered BVC as a freshman while walking through a campus club fair. Drawn in by an interest in entrepreneurship but unsure where to start, she decided to attend a meeting and quickly connected with the energy of the room.��

“Entrepreneurs are just so excited and passionate about what they have going on and about other ideas. I love that energy.”��

Now a psychology and public health major with a minor in business, Goergen saw BVC as a way to explore entrepreneurship without needing to center her degree solely around business. The collaborative atmosphere and passion from other members fueled her involvement, and over time she became deeply invested in the club’s growth.

Her first step into leadership came when she organized a nonprofit entrepreneur panel, an event she planned before even holding an official role. That paved the way for her position as Vice President of Professional Development, where she worked to connect students with internship opportunities and career resources related to entrepreneurship. The experience further cemented her place within the organization and eventually led to her current role as co-president alongside Sam Benton.

Today, Goergen helps lead the club by coordinating meetings and shaping programming that reflects the interests of its members. While earlier versions of the club focused more heavily on practice pitch nights, recent semesters have incorporated a broader mix of speaker events and workshops that expose students to different sides of entrepreneurship and venture capital.��

Looking ahead, she’s pushing BVC to widen its member base across campus. Goergen believes entrepreneurship benefits from a wide range of perspectives and wants to attract more students from fields outside of business. She also hopes to see greater gender diversity within the organization, creating an environment where more women feel comfortable exploring the entrepreneurial space and contributing their ideas.

Samuel Benton (Co-President)

is a sophomore studying finance in the Leeds School of Business and is also the Managing Director of Spark CU. He regularly attended meetings as a freshman, and it didn’t go unnoticed, as he built relationships with former exec members who encouraged him to eventually step into a leadership role.��

He did just that, taking on his first executive position as Vice President of Marketing despite having no prior marketing experience. In true entrepreneurial fashion, Benton quickly adapted, learning how to manage flyers and promotional materials, social media, and general club outreach.

“I was just excited to help out in any way I could, so I jumped on it despite not really having any marketing experience.”

His work soon led to a larger role, quickly becoming a co-president of BVC, where he and Maria Goergen reorganized the executive team and continued the club’s mission of supporting student entrepreneurs.

Today, Benton’s role centers on organizing weekly meetings and bringing experienced professionals into the room. Much of the preparation happens before the semester begins, when the executive team reaches out to industry speakers and plans the schedule. During the semester, the focus shifts to confirming logistics and ensuring meetings run smoothly.

Since stepping into the role, Benton has noticed a shift in engagement. What was once a sporadic attendance now includes consistent participation from sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students, many of whom stay after meetings to connect with speakers and continue the conversation.

Looking ahead, Benton hopes to leave BVC in a strong position before his term ends later this semester, as he prepares to study abroad. His focus is on building the next executive team and expanding the club’s reach beyond the business school, encouraging students from other majors to explore how entrepreneurship could fit into their own paths.

“A lot of students across campus might not think about entrepreneurship as part of their career path, but it can apply to almost anything.”

Fletcher Boyd (Vice President of Marketing)

is a sophomore in exploratory studies, but he’s always had an interest in entrepreneurship. The curiosity began long before arriving at CU Boulder. Raised in San Francisco, he grew up surrounded by the Bay Area’s culture of technology and startups, which sparked an early fascination. Boyd spent much of his childhood experimenting with new ideas and projects, leading to his first small business in elementary school, when he sold handmade paracord bracelets outside local sporting events.

After taking a gap year working several hands-on jobs, Boyd arrived at CU eager to explore the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship. He is exploring paths such as creative technology and design while continuing to work on several independent projects and startups of his own.��

He first discovered BVC during his freshman year while searching for a community focused on venture capital and startup culture, and quickly became a regular attendee at meetings. Today, as VP of Marketing, he helps connect students with speakers and perspectives from across the entrepreneurial ecosystem, while promoting upcoming events. Drawing from his background, he works to broaden the club’s reach beyond traditional business majors. By bringing in speakers from a variety of fields, Boyd hopes to show students across campus how entrepreneurship and venture capital can apply to their own ideas.

“Venture capital applies to most things if you understand how it connects to what you’re building.”

For Boyd, BVC represents a space where curiosity and ambition intersect. He sees the club as a place where students can challenge themselves and learn directly from founders and investors who have navigated the startup world firsthand. In his view, that environment is what makes BVC such a valuable community for aspiring entrepreneurs at CU.��

Ken Herrmann (Vice President of Finance)

, BVC’s Vice President of Finance, is a sophomore studying finance who grew up in Boulder. With a passion for traveling and trying new things, he was drawn to CU’s entrepreneurial community early on. Herrmann first learned about BVC through connections he made during Startup Summer, a program hosted by Silicon Flatirons, as well as through a founding member of the organization.��

Eager to become more involved in entrepreneurship at CU, Herrmann saw BVC as a natural way to combine his interest in finance with the startup ecosystem. Since joining the executive team, he has found the club to be an inspiring environment where students can learn from experienced professionals while exchanging ideas with one another.

One moment that stood out to Herrmann came during a recent meeting when a guest speaker sparked a thoughtful discussion about finding purpose and what that means as students move into their professional lives. For him, BVC represents a community of motivated individuals who push each other to grow. And looking ahead, he hopes to continue building that community, while maybe convincing the team to bring Cane’s to a meeting along the way.

Looking Ahead

As Boulder Venture Club continues to grow, its leadership hopes to expand the sense of community even further. A key focus moving forward is reaching more students across campus who may not initially see entrepreneurship as part of their path, but who could benefit from understanding how ideas turn into ventures.

For the executive team, that means continuing to build on what has already made the club successful. BVC creates a space where students can learn from experienced professionals while exploring their own ideas, helping students take their first steps into entrepreneurship.

In doing so, the club is building more than just a meeting space. It is helping cultivate a community of students who are willing to learn. Now, the foundation is in place for BVC to continue growing.