Former Special Forces Officer Finds New Heights to Climb in Business

After 20 years in the U.S. Army, Sam Colby ’26 MBA knew it was time for a new challenge. Colby began his career as an engineer officer and later joined U.S. Army Special Forces, retiring as a major. His final role involved advising the 10th Mountain Division on mountaineering, cold weather and special forces operations. 

Those two decades of service took him to Iraq, Afghanistan, Tunisia, Jordan and countries across Eastern Europe. Each deployment, Colby says, brought its own unique story.  

“Every one of these trips and the trainings involved working with great Americans, all dedicated to supporting goals and objectives larger than themselves,” he says. 

When Colby began looking toward his next chapter, he knew he wanted to remain in the New York North country and earn an advanced degree in business. Looking ahead, Colby has set his sights on two ambitious goals: helping the United States transition away from fossil fuels to a fully electric system and launching North Country Rock Gym, an indoor climbing facility he is building in Watertown, New York. Whitman, he says, is giving him the foundation to make both a reality, along with the University’s strong reputation for working with veterans and active duty military. 

“Syracuse and Whitman both have great reputations in the military for their long running ROTC and comptroller programs,” he says, noting that discovering a rock climbing wall in the Barnes Center was an added surprise. 

Once in the program, Colby quickly found that the connections he built with classmates became one of the most rewarding parts of his MBA experience.  

“Meeting my classmates was by far the best part,” he says. “Everyone I’ve met has such a diverse path to get to where they are and also different dreams about where they are going.”  

The classroom has also been a place for Colby to reinforce lessons he first learned in uniform.  

“This counts as re-learning for me, but the importance of a team with different skills really stood out,” he says. “Our survey courses on accounting, marketing, research and strategy drove home the idea that if you want to accomplish big things in business, you need a team of good people with diverse skills. That’s similar to the way things work in the military.”  

Two courses in particular have shaped his approach to problem solving: Business Strategy with Associate Professor of Management Cameron Miller and the Business Plan Laboratory with Professor of Entrepreneurial Practice Ken Walsleben.  

“Both provided useful tools and frameworks to think about problems,” Colby says. “As an aspiring small business owner, I’ve also appreciated the resources and mentorship of the Couri Hatchery.”  

The discipline and teamwork that carried Colby through his military career continue to guide him in business school.  

“Focus on the end goal, set aside time and resources to do it, surround yourself with people with the same goals, and you’ll be successful,” he says. “The program has given me the tools, the network and the confidence to take these ideas from concept to reality. It’s been an incredible experience so far.”