On June 3, the Skandalaris Center kicked off Summer with Skandy, our immersive 10-week program for startup founders and interns that aims to provide WashU students and recent graduates with valuable experience working in the St. Louis startup ecosystem. Founders will work to advance their ideas, and interns will gain access and insight into a startup’s dynamic environment and needs.

Twenty-five startups are taking part in the Launchpad Accelerator Program, a dynamic initiative structured to enhance entrepreneurial skills, provide essential resources and tools, and accelerate venture development. They will have access to co-working space, intern support provided by the Skandalaris Center, and programming tailored specifically for early-stage startups. These student and recent-graduate founders have elected to spend the summer in St. Louis, focusing full-time on their companies, with the goal of taking their ventures to the next level. They are a driven, dedicated group, and we can’t wait to see their progress throughout the summer!

The Skandalaris Center is providing funding to 28 interns who will be supporting the Launchpad founders this summer. Each founder was responsible for interviewing and selecting their intern(s), with the goal of adding valuable skills to their team. In addition to working with their designated startup, each intern will also take part in weekly programming that will introduce them to the entrepreneurship community in St. Louis and provide insights into what it takes to run a startup.

In addition to the Launchpad founders and interns, 26 students and recent alumni have received support through the Skandalaris Internship Program (SkIP), where they will work with more established startups in the St. Louis entrepreneurial community. Eighteen local startups will benefit from the support of these talented interns, including previous Launchpad participants Euler Science and Sobriety Hub, and past Global Impact Award winners GiftAMeal and King of the Curve.

Stay tuned throughout the summer to learn more about these startups, founders, and teams! Many of our Summer with Skandy events will be open to the public, and community members are welcome and encouraged to attend – you can find more information on our events page. We hope to see you this summer!