We are excited to announce that the WashU Skandalaris Undergraduate team has secured first place in the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) Midwest Regional Finals held this past weekend at Case Western Reserve University. This is WashU’s first undergraduate win at the Midwest Regional (the team has previously placed second and third in their division). The accomplishment comes on the heels of the university’s graduate team win on January 25, and marks the first time both teams have advanced to the Global Finals in the same year. In April, they will proudly represent the WashU at UNC-Chapel Hill, competing against top teams from around the globe.
VCIC is the world’s premier venture capital competition, providing students with a unique opportunity to experience the investment process from a venture capitalist’s perspective. With over 120 university and graduate school teams participating, the competition challenges students to evaluate real startup pitches, conduct due diligence, and make investment recommendations under tight deadlines. It offers an unparalleled learning experience for students passionate about venture capital, startups, and entrepreneurship.
The undergraduate team’s journey to victory has been nothing short of exceptional. After placing third in 2023 and second in 2024, they have now claimed the top spot in their region—a testament to their dedication, growth, and deep understanding of venture capital. The winning team — Mac Barnes (Beyond Boundaries ’26), Emilia de Jounge (BU ’27), Kate Westfall (BU ’27), Rohan Daggubati (BUCS ’27), Zain Rahman (BU’27), and Biswash Bhattarai (BU’27) — worked tirelessly to refine their analytical skills and strategic thinking. All are active members of the WashU Venture Network (WVN), a Skandalaris Center initiative dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across the university community.
Their success would not have been possible without the unwavering support of their mentors, including Jeremy Degenhart (Professor of Practice in Finance at Olin Business School), Dave Kanoff (Principal, Venture Growth at the Skandalaris Center), and Jeroma Boo (Venture Growth Analyst at the Skandalaris Center). Additionally, industry experts and advisors—Vikram Lakwara (Stakehouse Fund), Buddy Foster (Mudiata Ventures), Bobby Niehaus (Boeing Ventures), Andrea Stout (Pediatrician, Salem Pediatric Clinic), and Linda Wu (Physician and Professor, BJC)—played a pivotal role in preparing the team through rigorous training and due diligence sessions.
This accomplishment highlights WashU’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship and reinforces the university’s emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. The ability to integrate business, technology, and strategy in high-pressure environments speaks to the world-class education and experiential opportunities that WashU provides.
“This success reflects our intentional effort to expand our presence around Venture Capital as part of the Center’s mission to support the WashU startup ecosystem,” said II Luscri, Managing Director of the Skandalaris Center and Assistant Vice Provost for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. “Core to our teams’ successes is an Interdisciplinary approach; both the Graduate and Undergraduate teams featured students from diverse majors and programs – we are very proud of these students and how their hard work paid off. Special thanks to our Venture Growth unit, Professor Jeremy Degenhart, and all the investor-advisors that support WVN and our VCIC teams.”
Please join us in congratulating the undergraduate team on their remarkable success! We look forward to seeing them, alongside our MBA team, proudly represent WashU at the VCIC Global Finals this April at UNC-Chapel Hill!