University of Denver Winter 2023

EDUCATING LEADERS New program to train leaders for the outdoor recreation industry

outdoor industry,” says Steve Rendle, chairman, president and CEO of VF Corp. To ensure access for outdoor industry professionals, the interdisciplinary coursework will be taught fully online in a “sprint” format, consisting of focused one-credit courses. This will provide the program sufficient flexibility to tailor offerings to students’ and organizations’ specific needs. Topics covered in the sprints will include financial models, marketing, sustainability in the outdoor industry, legal issues in land use and access, supply chain, public policy and data driven decision-making. The program launches in 2023 with two 16-credit graduate certificates—one in outdoor recreation industry business (ORIB), targeting individuals new to the industry or those within the industry seeking to transition to busi ness-oriented roles; and another in outdoor recreation industry leadership (ORIL), serving experienced individuals looking to expand their leadership roles.

The University of Denver has partnered with the Denver-based VF Foundation to create the interdisciplinary Leadership in Outdoor Recreation Industry (LORI) program, a first-of-its-kind initiative that aims to diversify the talent pipeline in the rapidly growing outdoor industry. Thanks to a $3 million grant from the VF Foundation, LORI will offer coursework across three academic units—the Daniels College of Business, Sturm College of Law and Josef Korbel School of International Studies. The curriculum is designed for existing and emerging leaders in the industry, allowing them to get tailored workforce development and professional education. The VF Foundation is the philanthropic arm of VF Corp., one of the world’s largest outdoor apparel, footwear and accessory companies. Its iconic brands include Vans, The North Face, Timberland, Dickies and Smartwool. “Denver is an important center for the outdoor industry, making DU the perfect home for such a program. Through the foundation’s targeted support of scholarships for un derrepresented individuals, combined with DU’s expansive offering of business and industry-relevant coursework, we hope to spark the next generation of diverse leadership in the

Learn more about LORI at daniels.du.edu/leadership in-outdoor-recreation.

ONE TO WATCH Business student gets bitten by the entrepreneurship bug

to food and water—than producing beef, pork or poultry. Additionally, insects emit considerably less methane, a greenhouse gas more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide, than their animal counterparts. With a convincing argument and a business plan to back it, Whetzel took first place in the competition. She used the $1,000 prize to buy all sorts of ingredients—and a variety of bugs—to begin experimenting with. Initially, Whetzel tried cooking with crickets and beetles before deciding to use mealworm powder. On top of finding the right insect to use, it took countless tries to perfect the recipe. “I made cricket fried rice. I made mozzarella sticks that had ground up crickets in the batter. I made macaroni and cheese that was baked with cricket crumbles on top. All of it tasted horrible,” she says. “But I kept trying it as I went, and the granola stuck.” By summer, Whetzel was finding success selling Illegal Oats at farmers markets. She went on to win a second pitch competition at DU in fall 2021 and later convinced a local store owner to stock her granola. And Illegal Oats’ fast growth didn’t stop there—Whetzel has since appeared on Good Day Sacramento, Denver7 News, 9News and Great Day Colorado, convincing potential customers of the health and environmental benefits of eating insects.

Tucked in between stands selling fresh produce and other wares at the Highlands Farmers Market in Denver, senior Clare Whetzel offers samples and pitches customers on her unique product: Ento-granola, or for those not in the know, meal

worm-infused granola. While eating insects might be a hard sell, Whetzel has what it takes to make her company, Illegal Oats, a house hold name.

For an assignment in one of her first business courses at DU, Whetzel began brainstorming ideas for mock compa nies. She quickly put together a list of more than two dozen pitches. As the weeks passed, she realized that she wanted to take her ideas outside the classroom—just in time for the sustainability-focused Entrepreneurship@DU Spring 2021 TikTok Pitch Competition. Her pitch: Protein-rich foods made with bugs, rather than meat or poultry. Insects, Whetzel says, offer our diets far more than just a novel snack. Producing insect protein requires significantly fewer resources—from land area

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