Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The Washington University in St. Louis Office of Technology Management (OTM) and BioGenerator are proud to sponsor the Venture Fellows Program for Postdocs. The Venture Fellows Program is currently available to Washington University postdoctoral researchers and offers an intensive 6-month curriculum that provides experiential learning in venture capital investing and company creation, as participating Fellows work alongside entrepreneurs, investors, and faculty in the St. Louis ecosystem. In addition, the program offers exposure to biotech startups, with hands-on training to develop capabilities across the spectrum from deal flow generation to exit opportunity evaluation.  

The Small Business Initiative from Olin Business School works to positively impact the St. Louis economy. Undergraduate students work on consulting and recommending best practices aimed at the success of St. Louis businesses. Past initiatives include LifeBridge Partnership, the Salvation Army, and Sew St. Louis. Businesses are able to apply for them to be included.

The Taylor Community Consulting program from the Olin Business School works to impact the local nonprofit sector. Students, across all disciplines, work in team-based learning projects with the hope of creating positive change in the St. Louis community.

Serving as local nonprofit board members, WashU students provide service for United Way through engagement with community leaders. Students are able to develop valuable skills in board governance, interpersonal communication, and leadership while providing pro bono work to this corporation. Even as the yearlong program concludes, typically over half of the board fellows continue to serve.

The Finance Metrics Clinic connects St. Louis startups with WashU students to provide data-driven financial consulting. Students lead and work on these projects for 6-8 weeks.

The Marketing Metrics Clinic connects St. Louis startups with WashU students to help address marketing challenges and foster continuous growth.

The Olin Family Business Program engages both the off-campus business community and WashU by delving into topics that impact family businesses. The program combines a mix of special events, symposiums, and seminars, for larger audiences and smaller communities.

Olin’s Center for Experiential Learning links the classroom with the world of business. With faculty support and guidance, talented Olin students apply leading-edge practices and practical management solutions to business challenges.

In this course from Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship at WashU, students pursue their own business idea or support community entrepreneurs. They work in the St. Louis area to create a program that caters to individuals mostly in the St. Louis area. Over half of the ventures launched have taken place in the St. Louis area with over two-thirds of the program still taking place. They have created over a hundred jobs in the St. Louis area.

The St. Louis Entrepreneurial Fellowship program gives WashU undergrad students a chance to explore entrepreneurship at WashU and in St. Louis. The program requires students to take a course as they engage in innovation and entrepreneurship in St. Louis. In the summer, students participate in an internship at a St. Louis-based startup and record what they have learned. Students are required to implement a capstone project aimed at identifying and addressing a perceived gap in the St. Louis entrepreneurial ecosystem.