On Thursday, April 18, the Skandalaris Center hosted the Washington University Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards in Crowder Courtyard. This celebratory year-end gathering marks the culmination of the dedication and achievements fostered by our vibrant community of innovators and entrepreneurs. As part of the program, we recognized students, faculty, and community members who have been selected through a nomination process. While the Skandalaris Center has witnessed the spirit and commitment shown by each of these individuals, we’re delighted to see that others have taken notice as well.
The Excellence in Student Innovation & Entrepreneurship award was presented to two students and one startup who have all greatly impacted and improved the entrepreneurial ecosystem here at WashU.
From student to founder to summer intern and everything in between, Helen Telahun has exemplified what entrepreneurship can look like during a Washington University college experience. After engaging with the Skandalaris Center during an IdeaBounce® two years ago, Helen quickly immersed herself in other programs and opportunities. Helen is passionate, confident, and resourceful – having leveraged many mentors and relationships to continue building her venture, Article 26. Seeing the growth from both a personal and professional lens has been a pleasure, and we look forward to continuing the relationship in St. Louis after graduation. We are excited to celebrate Helen one last time as a recipient of this year’s Excellence in Innovation student award.
Since entering the MBA in 2022, Buddy Foster has been a pillar of entrepreneurship at WashU. As an Olin Entrepreneurship Fellow, Buddy has been an entrepreneurial thought leader in his cohort and consistently strives to grow and support others in the community. Embracing the Skandalaris Center values of community first and connectivity, Buddy goes out of his way to help develop others in the ecosystem and build lasting networks. Through his contributions to the WashU Venture Network (WVN) and the Entrepreneur and Venture Capital Association (EVCA), Buddy has leveraged his knowledge and connections in Venture Capital to help advance the WashU entrepreneurial ecosystem for both founders and investors.
Titobiloluwa Oreolorun founded Justused Tech to repurpose, recycle, and rehome some of the 300 million gadgets that end up in landfills each year in the United States. They partner with underserved communities in St. Louis and Africa to provide access to technologies in addition to making sales on their e-commerce platform. They have 20 corporate partners and have developed their idea through courses like the Hatchery and League, both offered at the Olin Business School.
The Skandalaris Center can do what we do because of our students’ ideas, determination, and collaborative spirit. We’re thrilled to be able to formally recognize Helen, Buddy, and Tobi and appreciate everyone who took the time to submit their nominations. Congratulations to each of you!
We also presented three Excellence in Mentorship awards:
Since 1999, WashU students have been able to own and operate businesses out of the Gregg Storefronts on the South 40 through the Student Enterprise Program (StEP). A strong board of internal advisors at the University has supported this program, and a standout among the group is Jeff Cooper, Director of Auxiliary Services. Jeff is a key liaison between the student founders, owners, and the university community as they navigate the complexity of doing business on a university campus. Jeff always puts the students first and works creatively to bring new businesses into the StEP and Skandalaris ecosystem. Several of our newest businesses have Jeff to thank for their successful launches.
Rebecca Wilson is the epitome of a true community partner. Being a faculty member at Harris-Stowe State University, a local institution just east of WashU, Rebecca supports entrepreneurship from the inside out. Through passion, experience, and business acumen, Rebecca constantly inspires the next generation of innovative thinkers. It has been a pleasure to engage her and her students through numerous IdeaBounce® events, as well as having her representation through the St. Louis Regional Entrepreneurial Educators (STLREE) committee. The Skandalaris Center is excited to honor Rebecca as one of this year’s Outstanding Mentors and looks forward to the continued partnership ahead.
Sam Cabral is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence in the Skandalaris Center. After his company, Pluma, was acquired by Skillsoft, Sam began volunteering and helping us build and grow the community of innovators and entrepreneurs at WashU. He is consistently on campus working with our teams to help them get to a launch and beyond. When the Center needs a volunteer, Sam is the first to jump up and get in line to help. The Skandalaris team is always asking how we can find more Sam Cabrals, and we are beyond grateful we have this one.
Congratulations to our Excellence in Mentorship awardees! There is no doubt that our students have grown as a direct result of your knowledge, your guidance, and your encouragement. Day after day, you each have an impact on the change-makers, thought leaders, and visionaries of this institution.
In addition to honoring our entrepreneurship award recipients, the spring Skandalaris Venture Competition and Global Impact Award winners were announced at an unprecedented awards ceremony. Read all about the evening here!