After nearly two weeks of exploring and learning, the University of Colorado Denver Business School students are back from Ireland. From the 19th of May to the 31st, CU Denver Business School students were immersed in the culture of the Republic of Ireland in Dublin with excursions to Belfast in Northern Ireland as participants of the Leadership and Entrepreneurship Maymester.
The expedition was led by Instructor Jan Rutherford Senior Instructor at the Business School for over a decade, Jan teaches ‘Leadership in New Ventures’ to MBA students and Doctor of Nursing Practice candidates. He also teaches ‘Leadership & Entrepreneurship in Ireland’ (delivered on-site in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) to business students.
The group visited Kilmainham Gaol (Jail), Trinity College, The Dail (Ireland’s Legislative body), and Northern Ireland Science Park among many other sites to gain a feel for the culture and business opportunities in Ireland. Students spent the second half of the trip in three teams, working with startup companies in Belfast and Derry before concluding their trip. The trip helps students gain leadership & entrepreneurship experience and skills.
“My big take-away from the trip was that it is all about connections, and the “secret” is that reciprocity is key. And it’s best to invest in givers than takers. The other bit is on the business side, and that is it’s almost always a math problem. There is always a number to solve for…” Rutherford said.
