This morning Michael and I presented our business model to a class full of Executive MBA (EMBA) students for them to pick apart and poke holes in, and what an exercise in vulnerability!

But let me tell you how we got there and why I would do it again in a heartbeat.

The Origin Story

At Boulder Startup Week in May of this year, we went to a podcast recording of Creative Distillation where Jeff York and Brad Werner, from the University of Colorado-Boulder’s Leeds School of Business, hosted a panel of entrepreneurs from the Boulder startup community. It was a fun conversation, full of heart and passion for supporting local entrepreneurs.

During the show, Michael and I got more of a vision for working with our neighbors at CU, lending support where we can, learning from each other, and just building community with budding entrepreneurs. It’s literally a 15 minute bike ride away, so why wouldn’t we?

We had a follow-up lunch in early summer with Jeff where we really got to see his heart and drive to give his MBA and EMBA students not only the best experience possible through his classes, but the best possible outcomes after they graduate. It was something we could tell was very important to him, and our visions for helping students successfully network by making authentic connections with the broader business community aligned well.

The Invitation

So he invited us to be guest speakers in his EMBA class in late September (which was this past Saturday, September 27). He was presenting an assignment to the class to create a Business Model Canvas, so he asked us to present our own business model canvas for People Work to the class. The idea was to let the class discuss it and give feedback. They were also totally free to critique and poke holes in our plan, which was honestly a thrilling idea to me. I greatly value honesty and the opportunity for course correction.

But I won’t lie; I was a bit nervous. There was a part of me that felt like I was putting my baby on display for everyone to say it was ugly. I don’t really get stage fright, but the morning leading up to our bike ride over to Leeds was a bit tense. I had no idea what to expect.

The Experience

We got to Leeds at 8:30AM and were warmly welcomed by Jeff and chatted with a few really kind students. We didn’t have to be there until 11:00AM when we were presenting, but hey, who am I to pass up a free EMBA class? We also thought it would be helpful to have the additional context for our presentation.

After a really entertaining, enthusiastic, and informative 2 ½ hours (Jeff joked that he runs his class like a 1990s reality show), we started our presentation. After the tense morning of uncertainty, what followed was such a surprisingly delightful time.

We did a quick demo so that the students could understand what our product is all about, then we presented our business model canvas. During both the demo and canvas discussion, it was a lively discourse of ideas, questions, and exploration. I had feared judgment, and what I got was engagement. I feared criticism and got creativity! What a gift, truly.

The Takeaway

Even though I approached the event cautiously, I write all this to tell you that you don’t have to!

If you’re thinking about getting involved with your nearby university in any way, do it! It’s so rewarding for all parties involved, provided that you bring your authentic self. CU, in particular, holds the outstanding achievement of launching the most startups based on university discoveries than any other US university last year.

But even at the university that is closest to you, you’ll likely find an entrepreneurial student group that is eager to connect with local folks doing cool stuff. Find out how to contribute, meet the professors, volunteer when you can, invite them to the meetups you attend, whatever it is - you won’t regret it.