Labovitz School of Business and Economics, UMD

Wednesday evening was the last day of Summer classes for these relentless grinding-it-out Labovitz 4+1 students. Another amazing group of future business leaders, and that's their short description. We could add about 20 pages on what these folks have accomplished and WILL accomplish, but we wanted to keep this Friday set of 3 photos to one paragraph. Anyway, great group - and can't beat having your last day of classes led by Dr. Yufei Ren, one of the best in the biz. 🙌

Circles and hexagons and squares and CIA Labs and Financial Markets and

LSBE puts out a bi-annual newsletter. And in each newsletter, we highlight one LSBE alumni who exemplifies everything great about our business school here at UMD.

For this upcoming issue of our Labovitz newsletter - which we anticipate dropping early September - we highlight none other than the great George Goldfarb.

If you're unfamiliar with Mr. Goldfarb, you're going to enjoy the piece on him in this upcoming issue.

For now, all we're going to tell you is that he's the EPITOME of a leader. In any context, any place, any time.

And...he just so happens to be a born-and-raised Duluthian and UMD LSBE grad....which is pretty fortunate for us AND the Duluth-Superior region.

Along with the alumni piece on George Goldfarb, we'll like to also preview some other Labovitz stories on social in the next month as well.

And we hope you enjoy the piece on George Goldfarb AND look forward to the rest of the stories in the Fall 2026 newsletter!

Photo captions
Photo 1: maurices CEO and Board Chair George Goldfarb stands with ALLETE VP, CAO and Controller Colin Anderson, Communications Expert and former UMD Faculty member (and LSBE employee communication executive trainer! 👏) Trista Anderson, and ALLETE VP and ALLETE Clean Energy President (and LSBE Dean's Business Advisory Council member!) Nicole Johnson. (Mr. Goldfarb is also the current board chair for ALLETE)

Photo 2: George Goldfarb delivers a heartfelt keynote during LSBE's 50th Anniversary celebration.

Photo 3: George Goldfarb with an official photo after being inducted into the Twin Cities Business Hall of Fame in 2023.

Photo 4: George Goldfarb stands with maurices summer 2026 college interns, many who are current UMD LSBE students!

Just your average, everyday 97° degree here in good ol' Duluth, Minnesota - home of UMD's Labovitz School of Business & Economics AND the world's longest freshwater sand bar...

..where 40+ years ago the gales of November literally tossed a 600-ft. Greek ocean-going cargo ship onto shore because the captain didn't believe "Lake" Superior was a threat to his ship's stability because it's "just a lake." True story. True, hilarious story. Look it up.

Also, we have an amazing building and amazing business school opportunities to match.

If you're on UMD campus for LSBE o-o-o-orientation in the next few weeks, take a photo in front of our backdrop. Or choose these other options:

• Grab a sign
• Don't grab a sign
• Take a photo with a sibling, mid-argument
• Take a photo with a parent or guardian, because they're PROUD of you and it'll make them happy
• Take a photo by yourself, letting everyone know you're starting business school in Duluth, which are TWO cool things
• Post it and tag Labovitz School of Business + Economics so we can also brag about you
• Or just take a nice photo and don't tag it. Your smiling face is cool enough. You might have lettuce in your teeth.

See you at Orientation, LSBE 'Dogs! 📸

It's orientation szn. Parents, we see you.

We're extremely proud to call Curt an alum, and also know first-hand just how much he supports LSBE and the Financial Markets Program in a multitude of ways.

Folks like Curt are the behind-the-scenes driving forces for many of our programs, and we're fortunate to have such invaluable support from such wonderful people!

Champions Circle Spotlight: Curt LaChappelle

Curt LaChappelle’s connection to UMD is rooted in gratitude for an experience that helped shape both his career and his life. As a participant in the Labovitz School of Business and Economics Financial Markets Program, Curt gained hands-on, real-world experience managing money. This preparation allowed him to “hit the ice running” when he entered his career.

While the technical skills and financial knowledge were invaluable, Curt says the program’s greatest impact was how it helped develop him as a young adult. Exposure to new perspectives and ways of thinking reshaped his life trajectory and reinforced the importance of remembering where you came from.

“I was taught to not forget where I came from and to support those who supported me,” Curt shared.
By supporting the LSBE Financial Markets Program, Curt hopes to multiply his experience for future students and ensure they receive the same opportunities, mentorship, and personal growth that helped launch his career.

Learn more about joining the Champions Circle: z.umn.edu/championscircle