Skandalaris Center

Entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in this year’s Olin Cup competition with $70,000 in seed money at stake. A record-breaking 38 teams entered the annual business formation contest operated by the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. Five finalists are now in the final stage of the competition which concludes with business plan presentations in January; winners will be announced Feb. 5, 2009.

On May 3, the winners of the second annual Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition were announced, with six awards totaling $125,000 presented to four local nonprofits and two students.

On May 3, the winners of the second annual Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (SEIC) were announced at the Awards Ceremony on Washington University’s Danforth Campus. Six awards totallyin $125,000 were presented to four local nonprofits and two students. The winning groups are: The Bridge St. Louis, One World Neighborhood Cafe, the Miriam Center, the Nest, MOAR for Life and Cents City.

Three early stage companies received commitments for funding and mentoring support at the annual Olin Cup Awards Ceremony Feb. 1. The top prize of $50,000 went to medical device company Neurolife. Two other companies received $20,000 in funding: Senetric, a company that developed software to reduce the cost of Radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor networks; and Smart DNA Solutions, a company that offers affordable genetic testing. The $5,000 student award went to Peter Braxton of Neurolife.

The winners of the inaugural Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (SEIC) will be announced at a special awards ceremony held on Washington University’s campus. The competition is designed to foster growth for social entrepreneurs who craft innovative processes, approaches, and solutions to help resolve social issues. Over $100,000 is available to winners under a variety of categories.

Finalists for the inaugural Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation Competition have been selected after a half-year of preparation. The eight finalists include entirely new business proposals and existing non-profit organizations. The winners will be announced at a special presentation May 11.

Thursday, March 30 at 5 p.m., the finalists will be announced for the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition, co-sponsored by Washington University and the YouthBridge Association. The event features Theresa Wilson, founder of The Blessing Basket, as a keynote speaker. Currently there are 14 semi-finalists. The finalists will be selected based on their two-minute presenations about their projects. The event takes place in May Auditorium in Simon Hall on the Washington University Hilltop Campus.