Meet Matias

Studied... Business

Became... Entrepreneur & Innovator

Restaurant Founder
Grew Up in Colorado
Alum Who Gives Back
CU Denver Graduate (MBA '18)

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I always knew I wanted to get an MBA, but it was on my back burner. Then I learned about CU Denver’s 11-month accelerated MBA program and realized there was no reason to wait.

Matias sitting backwards in barstool at his Denver restaurant

Matias' Moment

After growing up in a family business, Matias Gutknecht was certain that he wanted to be an entrepreneur. CU Denver’s 11-month MBA program gave him a chance to launch that career. During the program, he wrote and refined a business plan that—two years later—became Taco Uprising, a restaurant with a focus on sustainability and community impact.

Real World Experience

In the MBA program, Matias saw an opportunity to level up his education by using real-world examples in class projects, including his business plan. “That was very rewarding,” Matias said. “It was a good learning opportunity, but this is the dream, right? You actually create something in class that you can use. That’s amazing.”

Matias working with employee in restaurant

I knew I loved entrepreneurship, but after getting my MBA, I was empowered to leverage new skills with experience to bring my company to life.

Matias in building on CU Denver campus working on laptop

Alum Network

As a student, Matias saw that CU Denver alums were very involved. As a graduate, he wanted to continue that. “Real-world opportunities are impactful, and I’ve noticed that CU Denver MBA alums circle back,” Matias said. “And being a part of that—that circle and community—is really neat. When you’re in a program and being offered work that is really valuable.”