Fire Awards: Finalist - Fire starters/community builders
Responsible for leading entrepreneurship initiatives at Washington University, the Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship helps the university’s students, faculty and alumni launch and grow their own startup ventures. With that, the center has had an active role in developing the next generation of local entrepreneurs. In the 2021-22 academic year, it provided nearly $100,000 in nondilutive funding to startups. It supports an array of programming designed to bring students from across academic disciplines to learn about entrepreneurship. It also places a focus on engaging with members of the St. Louis community to participate in its programming and mentor young entrepreneurs.
What was your organization’s biggest achievement in the past year? 100-plus student startup concepts developed through Skandalaris initiatives and programs and $225k-plus in non-dilutive support committed to startups in St. Louis.
What is your organization’s top goal for the next year? Enhancing the connection between WashU-founded companies and resources in St. Louis and beyond – investors, accelerators, etc – to take more ideas from launch to scale.
For links to profiles of winners and finalists in the 2022 Fire Awards and Startup Exit Awards, go here:
