We’ve heard it for the past few years—St. Louis is a hub of startup activity. There’s an energy, a buzz, a whirr about the town and it’s catching on. And now—our little secret is spreading.
St. Louis is getting national attention for the startups that call it home. And the really cool part? Wash U MBAs (both current and alums) are a huge part of the action.
Last week Ben Castleman of The Wall Street Journal ran a story called, “Cities Hunt for Startup Magic.” In it, he profiled the entrepreneurs who were bucking national trends by launching their own companies—and he profiled the city in which they were doing it: St. Louis.
Accompanying his article was a video called “Will St. Louis become the next Silicon Valley.?” Cultivation Capital General Partner and Olin alum Rick Holton was a key part of the story, describing how St. Louis emerged as a hub for entrepreneurship.
But the St. Louis startup love didn’t stop there. Last week, James Corbett put together this snapshot of St. Louis entrepreneurship. 
It takes viewers inside the T-Rex startup city. Current Olin MBA Geoff Stonner describes his work with FoodEssentials and what it’s like being a part of the community (if you pay close attention, I even make a cameo in there at one point).
The takeaway? Big things are happening here in St. Louis. This is a town that is proving that entrepreneurs don’t have to pack up and move to the coasts to be successful. In fact, St. Louis is proving that startups can even be more successful and their employees can lead better, happier lives by basing themselves here. Five years ago, that thought might have sounded crazy. Today, it’s a reality. And Washington University Olin MBAs are a huge part of that success.
Photo credit: postcard collage by Jeff Kopp.
