С»ÆÊé

has been building things since before most people had heard of startup accelerators.Ìý

A serial entrepreneur who co-founded his first company as a college sophomore in 2011, Seckel arrived in Boulder a decade ago for a startup accelerator and never really left. Now finishing his MBA at Leeds, he's closing out one chapter and stepping into another without skipping a beat.

What makes Seckel's story compelling is the pattern underneath his journey. Every venture, every pivot, every new industry traces back to the same instinct to find the problem first, then figure out how to solve it.Ìý

It carried him from a collegiate marketplace in Ohio to a cannabis accessory company that went viral, through a stint in cybersecurity, and now to the investor side of the table as managing director of the Deming Center Venture Fund. He's also currently serving as interim CEO of a deep tech startup connected to him through С»ÆÊé's Venture Partners office.

Even with all of this, he’s finishing the MBA program he chose, at least in part, because Boulder already felt like home.

Smoke and Mirrors

Seckel's founding story begins where a lot of good ones do, with a small, niche frustration. Around early-mid 2010s, he was packing his final bowl of cannabis, and spilled it. So, in true entrepreneurial fashion, he started brainstorming how to prevent it from happening again. That problem became Simple Accessories, a cannabis accessory company built around an innovative grinder-dispenser. The plan was to develop patented and trademarked products and establish a strong brand presence ahead of broader legalization.

Getting there was anything but smooth. Because they couldn't market the product specifically for what it was, the team got creative. They filmed it dispensing and crushing up herbs and passed it off as a high-end kitchen gadget. The video went viral, reaching 30 million views, and on one particular day the company did over $100,000 in revenue.

"I think that's when I was like, okay, we've got something here. I'm gonna be able to pay my bills for at least the next few months."

But the feeling, as Seckel describes it, didn't last long. The goalpost always moved. Get into an accelerator, and then you need a prototype. Get the prototype, and then you need pre-orders. Ship the pre-orders, and there's already something else to chase.Ìý

Simple Accessories never got a clean ending. They manufactured products in Wuhan, China in 2019 and 2020. Enough said, and when the factory shut down and supply chains fell apart, they made the call to wind things down and salvage what they could.

What he walked away with, however, was over a decade of hard-won startup experience, and a clear sense of what he wanted to do next, something no exit could have given himÌý

All In on the Ecosystem

When Seckel decided to pursue an MBA, he narrowed his search to two schools: Ohio State, where he's from, and С»ÆÊé Boulder, where he already was. The choice came down to the networking aspect. He wanted to expand it beyond his hometown, and build his roots in the Front Range. С»ÆÊé's entrepreneurship offerings made the decision easy. TheÌýDeming Center Venture Fund (DCVF), theÌýHigh Growth Venture Fellowship (HGV) and theÌýVenture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) team were all programs he had identified before even applying, and all three delivered.Ìý

"That's experience you just really can't get anywhere else. Hands-on investor experience, talking to founders, getting into their data rooms, going through the whole diligence process. You just don't get that kind of opportunity elsewhere."

He joined DCVF as an associate and eventually became managing director alongside partner Mackenzie Friedman, with the clear goal of leaving the fund better than they found it. The role shift was subtle in some ways, but the sense of ownership that came with it was anything but.

On the VCIC side, the team competes as mock venture capitalists, receiving three companies, selecting one to invest in and defending a full term sheet and diligence package in front of judges. This past year, С»ÆÊé's team traveled to Austin and beat out Michigan, American, Georgetown and Rice to win their regional. That result carried extra satisfaction for the Columbus native who had lost to Michigan the year before. Now, they’re on to the global competition at UNC Chapel Hill.Ìý

The HGV Fellowship, meanwhile, gave Seckel a sense of community he didn’t know he needed. The fellowship's pre-retreat meant he already knew a handful of classmates before orientation even started.Ìý

"They're all just amazing and doing such incredible things. Having that caliber of people to bounce ideas off of has been great."

Seckel's career has touched collegiate marketplaces, pickup sports apps, cannabis accessories, cybersecurity and now venture capital and deep tech. The range might seem scattered until you trace the logic underneath it. It has always been problem-first. The first company addressed the sketchiness of Craigslist by requiring .edu email verification. The sports app addressed the gap for people who couldn't commit to a structured league. Simple Accessories initially addressed a spilled grinder.

Now, Seckel is serving as interim CEO of a radiative cooling company he connected with through С»ÆÊé'sÌýVenture Partners office. He walked in with no deep tech background and was upfront about it. But he has done this before. At Simple Accessories, he was the business side while a mechanical engineering co-founder handled the technical work. The structure was familiar even if the technology was entirely new.

Progress Worth Appreciating

If there is one thing Seckel would want other founders to take from his experience, it's something he had to learn the hard way. Burning out after eight years and walking away from Simple Accessories left a mark, not just financially but personally. The trap, he says, is always moving the goalposts and not appreciating progress.

"When things don't go well and you have to shut your company down, and you just spent eight years on something and are walking away with not very much, you kind of get down on yourself."

He understands that the first idea won't always work. Things will pivot. What separates the people who make it is the willingness to keep going through the pivots long enough to find the version that does.

Deep down, Seckel believes that Boulder's entrepreneurial community punches well above its weight in terms of accessibility and willingness to help. The people will always be there for him, and he can reach out to a deep tech VC through his HGV or DCVF network, someone who has been doing this for years, and have a call within a week. No gatekeeping, no friction.

"The networks and how great the people are is always something to mention."

He graduates in a matter of weeks. Whatever comes after the interim CEO role, the foundation is already in place.