Skandalaris Center

In response to a growing number of alumni and expanding research and education partnerships in China, Washington University in St. Louis is opening an office in Shanghai’s Knowledge Innovation Community. “The Shanghai office will serve as a key resource for our alumni, prospective students and friends,” Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said.

Five teams focused on serving children and youth recently won the 10th annual YouthBridge Social Enterprise and Innovation Competition (SEIC). Hosted by the Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Washington University in St. Louis in partnership with the YouthBridge Community Foundation, the competition also receives support from the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis and the Daughters of Charity Foundation of St. Louis.

Following a four-month rigorous training and selection process among 46 exceptional applications to the Bear Cub Challenge at Washington University in St. Louis, grants have been awarded to the top applicants. 

Interdisciplinary student teams presented innovations designed to solve problems in health care at IDEA Labs’ Demo Day last month. Engineering student Matthew Burkhardt (seated) won a summer internship through the university’s Skandalaris Center to continue developing his team’s invention. His teammates are (from left) Yuni Teh, Katrina Leyden, Adina Stoica and Elizabeth Rosenberg.​

The ninth annual YouthBridge Social Enterprise and Innovation Competition has announced the year’s winners and its $155,000 in awards. Winning teams represented community and Washington University in St. Louis social entrepreneurs. Their social venture ideas ranged widely, covering youth, teens, education, science and more.

Bob Harris wanted to help people living in poverty who had an entrepreneurial streak, so he donated $20,000 of his money to individuals he found on the micro loan financing website, Kiva.org. Then he set out to meet them. Then he wrote a book about them. Harris will talk about his philanthropy and his travels for the Skandalaris Cenetr for Entrepreneurial Studies’ YouthBridge lecture on April 10.

Calling all entrepreneurs! WUSTL’s two annual business plan competitions are ready to get underway. The kick off event for commercial and nonprofit business plans takes place September 16 in conjunction with an Assembly Series speaker, Matthew Bishop who will talk about capitalism and philanthropy.

What do ballroom dancing, fresh farm produce and paper beads from Africa have in common? They are central to the business plans of award-winning ventures in the 2010 YouthBridge Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition. Five start-up businesses dedicated to helping others shared a total of $155,000 in cash grants presented at a ceremony April 13 at Washington University.

Entrepreneurs dedicated to helping empower and build strong communities have reached the final stage of the annual business plan competition sponsored by the YouthBridge Foundation and the Skandalaris Center at WUSTL. The seven finalists have presented their business plans to the judges who will award $155,000 in seed money to the winners. The award ceremony takes place April 13 after a keynote speech by Kevin Salwen who has just published a book about his family’s experience with selling their home, living with less and giving back to their community.

Being named the Wells Fargo Advisors visiting lecturer in entrepreneurship at the Olin Business School and Skandalaris Center is a homecoming of sorts for Robert E. Wilson III, JD. The international investment banker, lawyer and entrepreneur grew up in St. Louis but now calls Rio de Janeiro home. He is on campus April 5-16 and will return again in the fall.