Ken Harrington (second from right), managing director of the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, jokes with members of team Edele, which was awarded $10,000 from the center and the $5,000 student prize during the annual YouthBridge Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (SEIC) April 14 in Simon Hall’s May Auditorium. Edele means “opportunity” in Amharic and is a social enterprise selling running apparel with the proceeds funding organizations addressing malnutrition in developing nations. The big winner at this year’s event was Angel Baked Cookies, which was awarded a total of $42,500. The company empowers youth in North St. Louis by providing employment, training and character development through production of all-natural cookies. SEIC was launched in the fall of 2005. Since its inception, the competition has awarded more than $650,000 in cash and in-kind prizes to 23 social ventures, including an annual $5,000 prize to the best student-founded or supported team. A total of $102,500 in cash grants was awarded this year, and winners also are eligible for in-kind support from Skandalaris sponsors RubinBrown and Polsinelli Shughart. For more information and a full list of winners, go to sc.wustl.edu/Programs/Pages/PastYouthBridgeSEICWinners.aspx.
