Education That Pays Dividends
Craig Harrison, BSBA '03 and Ryan Boykin, BA '02, were roommates here at DU. Now, they're business partners.
The pair has created a number of Denver businesses, the latest being the Cherry Creek-based US Capital Investment Management. The firm operates differently than most venture capital firms, investing money during the final stages of a company's push to open its doors. The strategy lowers risk to investors while giving entrepreneurs a last-minute boost.
US Capital is actually their third business. They've also started Scout Cleaning and Maintenance, a commercial cleaning business, and HouseFront, a real estate text messaging service.
Harrison, a Daniels College of Business alumnus, and Boykin, a Graduate School of International Studies alumnus, talk of how much DU gave them—access to influential business leaders, life-changing learning experiences, engaging professors, top-notch guidance and a solid knowledge for successful entrepreneurship.
How did going to DU impact your career choices?
Ryan: The quality of the professors and people provided incredible exposure to successful enterprises. It created a strong desire to pursue business. I also met a number of other students interested in entrepreneurship, such as Craig, that continued to foster my interest.
Has DU opened up any doors for your or your businesses?
Ryan: There are some great people associated with the school. They have become mentors and have helped Craig and me to sculpt and direct our business toward success.
Why is it important for alumni to stay connected to DU after graduation?
Craig: It is obviously good for the University to have an active alumni base, but there are a ton of perks alums can take advantage of after graduation such as networking, access to a world-class knowledge base, and plenty of social activities.
Why would you tell a young person to go to DU?
Craig: DU has a progressive vision and wealth of resources. It's constantly on the cutting-edge of change, which is traditionally very difficult for institutions to do. Many of the programs and curriculum have been modeled after other leading institutions. Going to DU is about as close to a "sure bet" as anything I can think of.
Who was your favorite DU professor?
Craig: It would have to be Mark Levine in real estate management. He challenged me more than any other professor and taught me how to be efficient with my time and resources. He is also a heck of a great guy and his dedication to his job is unsurpassed.
Ryan: Dr. Robert Prince. He was fun, charismatic, interesting and did a great job of tying international economics and politics to business. And, I met my fiancé in his class.
Published on July 31, 2007