Boulder’s Economic Vitality is Rooted in CU Boulder

Originally published by The Daily Camera, August 29, 2026. 

In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is the great World Tree with roots and branches connecting and sustaining the many realms around it. I only know this because it's often mentioned in countless video games or Marvel-esque movies I enjoy. Oddly enough, it is a fitting metaphor for the University of Colorado Boulder.

Like Yggdrasil, CU is deeply rooted in Boulder while reaching far beyond campus. Its students and graduates provide talent, its researchers drive innovation, and its partnerships connect businesses and institutions across the region. Its economic value is not simply measured in dollars, but in the people, ideas and opportunities that flourish under its canopy.

As I write this column, nearly 40,000 students prepare to begin the 2026–27 school year at CU Boulder. Some are arriving in Boulder for the first time. Others have been here for years and consider themselves seasoned Boulderites. Either way, they are about to become part of something larger than a university. They will become part of Boulder’s workforce, its businesses, its neighborhoods, and, in many cases, its future.

CU Boulder is the largest economic contributor in the city and one of its largest employers, with more than 38,000 students and more than 9,600 employees, excluding student workers. Its research, educational programs, entrepreneurial activity and alumni network also contribute to a workforce that supports Boulder’s diverse economy, with industries ranging from aerospace and quantum computing to bioscience, software, cleantech and professional services.

The financial scale of that contribution is substantial. During fiscal year 2024–25, CU Boulder generated an estimated $5 billion in economic impact across Colorado. The University’s direct economic impact was $2.3 billion, while another $2.7 billion came through indirect and induced activity, including company growth and job creation associated with research, technology transfer and university spinouts. The campus also generated an estimated $1.3 billion in economic activity through its research expenditures alone.

But CU Boulder’s most important economic contribution may be less visible on an economic impact statement. It's the people. That is what makes CU such an important part of Boulder’s economic story. The University doesn’t simply educate students and send them on their way. It creates a steady flow of talent, ideas, and connections that extend throughout the community. For a city whose economic competitiveness depends so heavily on its ability to attract and retain highly skilled people, that role is difficult to overstate.

Businesses need talent to grow, and Boulder’s ability to attract and retain talent is a central component of its unique competitive edge. The Boulder metropolitan area has one of the most highly educated workforces in the country, with more than 60% of adults holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. CU Boulder is an important reason that such a deep talent pool exists here.

The challenge, however, is making sure that talent and local employers find each other.

A student can spend four years -- or more -- building connections in Boulder without ever developing a professional relationship with a local company. Likewise, a Boulder employer may have an excellent opportunity for a graduating student but struggles to reach the right candidate. If those connections aren’t made, Boulder risks educating talent that ultimately leaves the community for opportunities elsewhere.

That is where Boulder Hires Buffs becomes particularly important.

A collaboration between the Boulder Chamber and CU's Leeds School of Business, Boulder Hires Buffs is designed to create stronger connections between CU students, recent graduates and Boulder-area employers. The initiative provides students with access to experiential learning, networking, and job opportunities, while helping businesses develop a more direct pipeline to emerging talent.
For employers, Boulder Hires Buffs provides multiple ways to engage with CU talent. Companies can recruit students for internships and full-time positions, participate in networking opportunities and work with Leeds on student-led projects addressing real business challenges. Those projects can include market research, go-to-market strategy, competitive benchmarking, data analysis, and other business needs. In the process, employers gain access to talented students while students gain practical experience and a better understanding of the companies and career opportunities available in their own community.

That local connection matters for economic development. Recruiting a student who already knows Boulder can be fundamentally different from recruiting someone from across the country who has never lived or worked here. Students who develop professional relationships with local employers are more likely to understand the career opportunities available in Boulder and envision the community as a place where they can live, work, and grow -- not just 'where I went to school'.

For businesses, a program like Boulder Hires Buffs can translate into a stronger recruitment pipeline, lower recruiting friction, and potentially better retention. For Boulder, it means a greater opportunity to capture the economic value our university generates and retain the human capital it helps develop.

The next opportunity to strengthen those connections comes September 9, when the Leeds School of Business will host a Graduate Student Networking Event from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at the Limelight Hotel on the CU Boulder campus. The event will connect employers with talented Leeds MBA and Specialized Master's students who are building their professional networks and exploring career opportunities. Businesses will have an opportunity to introduce their organizations, share career insights, and develop relationships with the next generation of business leaders.

Events like this illustrate why CU Boulder should be viewed not only as an educational institution, but as a core part of Boulder’s economic infrastructure. Research and innovation may attract companies to the region, but talented people are what power those companies to grow and stay rooted in Boulder. By creating stronger connections between the university and local employers, Boulder can turn its exceptional concentration of talent into a competitive advantage that benefits businesses, students and the broader community.

Boulder clearly has sought after talent. The task at hand is to ensure local businesses can connect with that talent, and the business community provides compelling reasons for graduates to stay. Like Yggdrasil, CU’s strength comes not from any single branch, but from the network it supports. Boulder Hires Buffs helps strengthen those connections, linking students with employers and creating relationships that can turn CU’s remarkable talent into lasting economic prosperity for the entire community.

More information: http://www.bouldereconomiccouncil.org/boulder-hires-buffs/