We are thrilled to celebrate our WashU Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) MBA team, which placed 1st in the South Regional Finals held this past weekend at Rice University. Their exceptional performance secures them a place in the prestigious Global Finals this April at UNC Chapel Hill, where they will compete against the best teams from around the world.
VCIC is the largest venture capital competition globally, with over 120 university and graduate school teams participating. It offers students the rare opportunity to step into venture capitalists’ shoes, evaluate real startup pitches, conduct due diligence, and make high-stakes investment decisions under tight deadlines. Startups, in turn, gain invaluable insight into the fundraising process.
This milestone victory highlights the team’s meteoric rise in the competition. Two years ago they placed 5th, advanced to 2nd place last year, and now stand as regional champions. Their rapid ascent exemplifies the power of perseverance, collaboration, and a strong foundation in venture capital and entrepreneurship.
The winning team includes Jake Hibbert (MBA ‘25), Anushka Gerald (PhD candidate), Jessica Tabb (MBA ‘25), Daylan Skidmore (MBA ‘26), Joe DiSipio (MBA ‘26), and Bonnie Wall (MBA ‘26). All team members actively contribute to the WashU Venture Network (WVN), a Skandalaris Center initiative dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across our university community. Their success was bolstered by the unwavering support and mentorship of Jeremy Degenhart (Professor of Practice in Finance at Olin Business School), Dave Kanoff (Principal, Venture Growth at the Skandalaris Center), Jeroma Boo (Venture Growth Analyst at the Skandalaris Center), and numerous WashU alumni embedded in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“I loved interacting with the VC and startup community in a new region,” shared Jess Tabb. “We’ve learned a lot through school courses, WVN, and being around the St. Louis Startup ecosystem – so it was fun to see some of the similarities and differences in the two communities. For example – we both have pretty significant business industries focused on healthcare, but they have a major hub around energy/oil/gas – and how that’s impacted the theses and investment decisions there.”
The team’s win underscores WashU’s strong culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, cultivated through initiatives like WVN, the Olin Business School’s world-class programs, and the Skandalaris Center’s commitment to interdisciplinary innovation. By combining rigorous academic preparation with real-world opportunities like VCIC, WashU continues to empower students to excel as leaders in the startup and venture capital ecosystems.
Please join us in congratulating the team on their incredible achievement and wishing them the best of luck as they prepare to take on the Global Finals this April at UNC Chapel Hill!