It’s hard to believe, but summer is rapidly coming to a close. And while the WashU campus has been mostly quiet these past two months, the Skandalaris Center has been bustling with entrepreneurial activity. Through our Launchpad accelerator program, 18 student- and alumni-founded startups spanning industries, from healthcare to EdTech to consumer products, spent the past ten weeks focused on developing their ideas. While these founders could have chosen to accept jobs or internships for the summer, each one committed to working full-time on their ventures.
This year, we divided the founders into two cohorts to better support their specific needs. The Incubator Cohort focused on developing their minimum viable products, while the Accelerator Cohort spent the summer scaling their products or services. Additionally, the Accelerator founders received support from Skandalaris-funded interns dedicated to their startups. Participants engaged in programming tailored specifically for early-stage startups and collaborated with mentors and Skandalaris staff throughout the course of the summer.
On Wednesday, August 6, we celebrated the innovation, creativity, and incredible talent of our Launchpad cohorts at the Skandalaris Summer Expo. The event marked the conclusion of the 10-week program and gave teams the opportunity to present their progress, share innovative ideas, and showcase the work they’ve accomplished this summer.
The atmosphere in Crowder Courtyard was lively as teams connected with mentors, faculty, staff, friends, and community members. Unknown to the startups, we brought in four secret judges to visit each table. After listening to pitches and engaging with prototypes, they gathered to choose two Outstanding Startup winners: Nari and SPARK Tennis, LLC. This decision was difficult, as our judges were greatly impressed by the passion and dedication demonstrated by each venture.
In addition to the Launchpad program, the center also supported eleven St. Louis area startups through the Skandalaris Internship Program (SkIP). These established companies hosted WashU interns for the summer, providing students with valuable real-world experience working in the startup ecosystem. Thank you to Constituent Connection, LLC, DISCO!, GiftAMeal, Haven Recovery, Health XR, OrgAcuity, Pivto Better Learning, Reimagine Resources, SendBack, Sobriety Hub, and Strayos for providing our students with an amazing experience this summer.
Through the Launchpad and SkIP programs, the Skandalaris Center allocated over $200,000 in internship funding to support WashU and St. Louis companies throughout the summer. Keep an eye out for upcoming blog posts from some of these interns, as they share highlights from their summer experiences.
Thank you to everyone who supported WashU innovation and entrepreneurship at the Summer Expo, and to all our speakers, mentors, and SkIP founders for your support and expertise throughout the summer. It has been an incredible 10 weeks of learning and growth for our founders and interns!
Check out photos from the Skandalaris Summer Expo here!