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Choosing a college is often defined by uncertainty. The pressure, the opportunity costs, the change, it’s all piling onto one big decision.

Luckily for Olivia Needham, her process couldn’t have been more straightforward.

As a high school applicant, Needham sat down with a specialized programs advisor and made her intentions clear: where could she start building right away and could support her immediately?

“I remember sitting down with a specialized programs advisor, back when I was an applicant, and just nailing him down on what can I do to start a venture as soon as possible? And he said that everything at CU had, including the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, was gonna get me there.”

Her clarity set the tone for her time at CU ������ý����, along with her startup. A project that began as a Sophomore in high school has turned into her biggest passion, and now, she’s using the Deming Center to perfect it.

Ahead of the Competition

A core problem for Gen-Z is the unreliability and lack of trust in the news. Endless sources cause stories to get muddled and changed across not just news outlets, but also social media.

“No matter how hard I tried to look for stuff at my level that I could read, I could not find something that was factually accurate. I had to search through a sea of misinformation in order to find something that was truthful, and it deeply angered me.”

Her solution is Wagyl, a customized newsletter that highlights primary resources, making news easier to consume without pushing political sides.��

It’s been her passionate and driven mindset that’s pushed Wagyl to where it is today. While many in 2020 spent time surfing social media, she was teaching herself how to code. She began working with early forms of NLP and fact-checking tools, and built an early prototype around a narrow dataset. This created the foundation of knowledge for these systems, and it internally confirmed that she��loved��building things.��

Needham intentionally frames Wagyl as something different from traditional news platforms and Substack-style commentary. Instead of prioritizing opinions or secondary reporting, Wagyl is designed to elevate primary sources.��

The name reflects this philosophy as well, naming it after an ancient serpent god associated with wisdom. She draws a parallel between how people avoid snakes and how people now avoid the news, even though both can be powerful and necessary when approached correctly.

Needham has also been using her resources at CU ������ý����. When she arrived, she immediately connected with advisors from Deming, including CJ Riggins and Betsy Klein.��

“I got treasure troves of information from the two of them. What to do, how to do it, things to join, clubs to look at.”

She spent her first semester exploring the ecosystem rather than rushing to build, something she encourages everyone to do. Once her second semester began, that’s when she started pushing Wagyl forward more seriously. She notes that it’s constantly evolving, and the Deming Center is constantly supporting it.

But it hasn’t stopped there.

Going Above & Beyond

No name.��

That’s the name of her new project. It’s something that just started in an environmental class, but has now quickly turned into something bigger.��

“It doesn’t even have a name. We’re doing it. People are interested in it, and everyone around me has been extremely excited to see what its implications could be.”

The original idea focused on using moss as a natural carbon-capture tool, attaching to buildings so it can absorb carbon emissions in urban environments. A simple class concept quickly turned into a class competition winner, realizing this might actually be viable.

“It’s going to change the world. And I very seldomly say that things will change the world. This, even in the past 24 hours, has changed my life.”

The passion she exudes is the same energy she pours into her startups every single day. She’s now developing the project through ������ý���� Climate Ventures, a zero-credit program where interdisciplinary teams work intensively over about 18 weeks. During that time, the team aims to build an MVP and ultimately pitch to a panel of investors.

The project may not have a name yet, but it’s already attracted strong interest from the community and peers.

All In on What Matters

At the center of everything Needham builds is a belief that entrepreneurship is more than a side hustle. It’s a full-on commitment, and for her, building a company means putting her values and identity above all else.

“Entrepreneurship is taking a risk all the way down to your core, your guts, and your values. It’s you, with a company, pouring every single part of yourself into it.”

That mindset also shapes how she balances the intensity of building. Rather than slowing down, Needham thrives on momentum, believing that activity fuels her rather than drains her. With endless things all moving at once, she’s learned that staying busy is what keeps her focused and grounded.

“I think there are people who are drained by activity, and I think there are people who are energized by it. And I’m somebody where the more things I have to do, the more successful I am at all of them.”

As she continues developing Wagyl and pushing forward her climate-focused project, the Deming Center remains a constant throughline in her journey. That straightforward college decision has evolved into a long-term support system. For Needham, the work is far from finished, but it’s clear that she’s continuing to build with purpose.