On October 1, the inductees of the 2024 class of the St. Louis Business Journal’s “Inno Under 25” were honored at Spark Coworking in downtown St. Louis. Erik Siemers, St. Louis Inno Editor, introduced the group of talented innovators who are already making their mark in St. Louis and beyond.
Six of the eight honorees are WashU students, all with ties to the Skandalaris Center through the Skandalaris Venture Competition or the Launchpad summer accelerator program. They have been regular faces around the Center, and we are thrilled to see each of them recognized for their accomplishments. Learn more about each of the WashU honorees below.
Samuel Brehm (MBA ’25, MD ’26)
Age: 25
Brehm is president of Sling Health, a student biotechnology incubator, and has invented a number of neurosurgery devices, including one that could serve as a treatment for some types of cerebral aneurysms. He participated in the Skandalaris Launchpad program in 2023, and multiple cycles of the Skandalaris Venture Competition. Learn more about Brehm’s work here.
Mona Jawad (WUSM PhD)
Age: 23
A graduate research fellow in speech and hearing science, Jawad founded ASL Aspire, which provides digital education tools for deaf and hearing-impaired students. Jawad won funding through the Skandalaris Venture Competition in 2023, and participated in the Skandalaris Launchpad program this past summer. Read about Mona’s journey with ASL Aspire here.
Michael Lee (BS ’26)
Age: 20
Lee created Connect, a video chat platform linking high school students with a support system for post-graduation decision-making. He also started Panda Provisions, which sells Asian snacks and personal care items as part of the Student Enterprise Program (StEP) on the WashU South 40. Lee participated in the Skandalaris Launchpad program in 2024 and represented WashU at DePaul University’s Pitch Madness competition over the summer. Learn more about Michael’s journey as a student founder and entrepreneur.
Christina Trivisonno (BA ’25) and Mary Trivisonno (BA and BSBA ’25)
Age: 21
Christina and Mary Trivisonno are the creators of Chick, a skincare line that uses probiotics to work with the skin’s own microbiome. The sisters won funding through the Skandalaris Venture Competition in 2023, participated in the Skandalaris Launchpad program in 2024, and represented WashU at DePaul University’s Pitch Madness competition this past summer. Learn more about their probiotic skincare line here.
Dani Wilder (AB ’21, MD ’26)
Age: 25
Wilder, a student at WashU’s School of Medicine, created nCase, a patent-pending keychain attachment that holds naloxone nasal spray, which can be used to reverse an opioid overdose. This past summer, a beta tester carrying nCase was able to use Narcan to save a life. Wilder won funding through the Skandalaris Venture Competition in April 2024. Read more about Dani and nCase here.