Refining an Industry
Eric Herrera ’20 was recently named to the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for his work with chemical manufacturing startup MaverickX, which he cofounded with Jesse Evans ’20.
Entrepreneurship Archive (94 Stories)
Making Space for Makerspaces
W&L students have access to cutting-edge tools and technology through W&L’s commitment to hands-on pedagogy.
Where Tradition Meets Entrepreneurship: The University Store’s Student and Alumni Connection
The University Store has become an unexpected incubator, offering a platform to launch and grow entrepreneurial ventures.
Martha Greer Walker ’27 Publishes Book
The junior shared her research on how to build an AI-ready career.
Anna Lee ’28 Featured on Cleveland News Broadcast
The sophomore shared her entrepreneurial journey launching her granola company.
Connolly Center Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program Set for Fall Term
The program exposes students to cutting-edge ideas by bringing business and entrepreneurial leaders to campus.
‘W&L After Class’ Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Jay Margalus
In this month’s episode, Margalus discusses unlearning, the richness in risks and how the Connolly Center provides experiences in chance-taking.
Entrepreneurship Summit Connects Students and Alumni With Shared Interests
The 2025 Entrepreneurship Summit brought students together for networking, honing their pitch skills and sharing ideas with alumni.
Office Space: Jay Margalus
Jay Margalus, Johnson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership and director of the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship, offers us an office tour.
W&L Student-Run Investment Fund Ranks Among Nation’s Largest
The Williams Investment Society’s $25.5 million assets under management rank sixth nationally according to a survey conducted by the Center for Investment Research.
Washington and Lee University to Host 2025 Entrepreneurship Summit
The two-day program will be held on campus April 11-12.
Meet Sofia Iuteri ’27
Iuteri’s work with the Connolly Entrepreneurship Society and business administration professors has led to the expansion and growth of her own nonprofit.
Jay Margalus receives VIVA Open Adopt Grant
The professor of entrepreneurship and leadership will use the funds to create an open-source materials course.
Students Share Entrepreneurial Ideas in Video Pitch Competition
Students polished their pitching skills at a video pitch competition on Dec. 6 in the Harte Center for Teaching and Learning.
Connolly Center Creates Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program
The program exposes students to cutting-edge ideas by bringing business and entrepreneurial leaders to campus.
Meet Paige McBoyle ’26
McBoyle chose W&L for its close-knit community and the opportunity to excel academically and athletically.
Jay Margalus Publishes Paper in The Lancet Discovery Science Journal eBioMedicine
The article discusses the inexpensive solution for early cancer detection that Margalus helped develop alongside researchers at the University of Chicago.
Business in Barcelona
Eliza Spaht ’26 took a course on the economics of winemaking with the Council on International Educational Exchange’s Business and Culture program in Barcelona, Spain.
W&L Outcomes: Perry Kramer ’24
After a backpacking trip through Southeast Asia, Kramer is moving to NYC and will start working for Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in October.
Lending a Healing Hand
With the support of a Johnson Opportunity Grant, Sofia Iuteri ’27 is expanding the reach of the nonprofit she founded at 16.
W&L Holds Inaugural SOLVE 2024 Hackathon Event on Campus
Three winning teams each took home a $1,000 prize for developing products related to sustainability and automation.
CBL Faculty Collaborative Generates New Community Connections
The 2023-2024 academic year at W&L saw the proliferation of several new course offerings for students through a new faculty development initiative offered by the Office of Community-Based Learning (CBL).
W&L Students Showcase Ideas of Tomorrow
All students enrolled in a Winter Term entrepreneurship class participated in the Creative Showcase on April 4.
W&L’s Leslie Frederick to Present at the 2024 AACSB Assessment and AoL Conference in New York City
Frederick will serve as co-presenter for a session that demonstrates the beneficial uses of technology in the curriculum mapping process.
Washington and Lee University to Host Entrepreneurship Summit
The two-day event will be held on campus Sept. 29-30.
New Connolly Center Director Publishes Two Collaborative Works
Professor Jay Margalus co-authored pieces featured in bioRxiv and for the International Symposium on Academic Makerspaces.
W&L’s Kamryn Godsey ’23 Awarded Fulbright to Taiwan
Godsey has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Taiwan.
W&L Williams School Welcomes Five Additions to its Board of Advisors
New members will serve a six-year term supporting Dean Rob Straughan and the school’s faculty members.
Williams School Faculty Members Present at Social Entrepreneurship Summit in Cuba
Professors Emily Landry and Jim Casey both spoke at the workshop held in Havana.
W&L Outcomes: Riwaj Shrestha ’22
Shrestha worked with the Office of Career and Professional Development at W&L to "engineer" the perfect career after graduation.
The Williams School Congratulates Class of 2022 Award Winners
The Williams School congratulates the Class of 2022 graduates who received awards and honors for academic excellence during their time at W&L.
Ted Elliott ’94 to Keynote W&L Entrepreneurship Summit
W&L's 10th Annual Entrepreneurship Summit will feature a keynote address by Ted Elliott ’94, chief executive officer of Copado.
Registration Is Now Open for W&L’s 10th Annual Entrepreneurship Summit
The spring event is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 29-30 on campus.
Jules Seay ’24 Wins Fall Student Pitch Competition
Seay's business, GOES, involves using specialized greenhouses as a form of carbon capture technology.
Popping Online
Coco Ellis Howe ’16 and Tani Greenspan ’16 created a successful online art gallery in the middle of a pandemic.
Williams School Congratulates Class of 2021 Award Winners
The faculty and staff of the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics congratulate our 2021 graduates who have received awards and honors for academic excellence during their time at W&L.
Student Business Links Farmers and Buyers
W&L seniors Will Gentry and Gray Carlton started Lexington Harvest Haul to deliver local food to consumers. They’re now looking to sell the successful business before they leave Lexington after graduation.
Good Ol’ Dubyuhnell
Matt Bartini ’12 offers favorite scenes of W&L on his custom shirts.
Washington and Lee Hosts 9th Annual Entrepreneurship Summit in Virtual Format
The Entrepreneurship Summit will take place online on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2–3.
Uglies Wins W&L’s 10th Annual Business Plan Competition
Students enrolled in BUS 399 Entrepreneurship presented their plans to a panel of 16 alumni judges who have worked as entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, private equity experts, lawyers, and angel investors.
App Brings Mock Con into Digital Future
An all-student team has created a versatile app for Mock Con 2020, bringing ticketing, program information and image sharing onto attendees’ phones and eliminating thousands of pages of printed material.
InTheKnow and BetMarket Win 10th Annual Business Plan Competition
Eleven teams, four from Professor Marc Junkunc’s sections and seven from Professor Jeff Shay’s sections, competed for cash prizes.
Three Student Teams Win Prizes in 8th Annual Student Pitch Competition
These pitches won the Entrepreneurship Summit audience with cutting edge approaches and an ambitious outlook for expansion.
‘An Entrepreneurial Mindset’
Bridget Washington '21 discusses her role as the Connolly Entrepreneurship Society's chair of marketing for the W&L's 8th Annual Entrepreneurship Summit (Sept. 27-28).
Jack Huffard ’90 and Bebe Goodrich ’07 to Keynote Entrepreneurship Summit
The event, which is open to all students, provides multiple opportunities to network with alumni entrepreneurs from a variety of industries.
‘The Active Pursuit of a Passion’
Jack Huffard '90 talks about the actionable insights he has gained from the Entrepreneurship Summit (Sept. 27-28) and the skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur.
‘The Capacity to Pivot’
Bebe Goodrich '07 discusses her entrepreneurial journey and how it was shaped by W&L's Entrepreneurship Summit.
W&L to Offer New Minor in Entrepreneurship
The new minor combines a liberal arts education with rigorous business training.
Entomeal Awarded First Prize in W&L’s Business Plan Competition
Six student teams, selected from 11 semi-finalist teams, participated in the annual W&L Business Plan Competition finals on Saturday, April 6. The teams took home a total of $7,000 in cash prizes.
Gear Up
Gonz Ferrero ’04 and Lenny Enkhbold ’17 blend their shared concern for the environment with a dash of business savvy to promote eco-friendly outdoor wear.
Washington and Lee Names New Associate Dean of the Williams School
Elizabeth Oliver will assume the role of associate dean beginning July 1.
Two Student Teams Tie for First Place in Business Plan Competition
Students enrolled in Dr. Shay’s BUS 399 Entrepreneurship capstone course took home a total of $11,000 in cash prizes.
O’Hare Headlines 7th Annual AdLib
The VP of global brand communications for adidas delivered the keynote address at a daylong advertising and marketing conference full of networking opportunities for students.
W&L’s Williams School to Host Sixth Annual Entrepreneurship Summit
Washington and Lee University’s Williams School will hold its sixth annual Entrepreneurship Summit Sept. 29-30.
Building Valuable Relationships at the Entrepreneurship Summit
Traveling to my first Entrepreneurship Summit at W&L, I looked forward to an agenda packed with information-loaded sessions on topics ranging from fundraising to scaling. I quickly realized that as helpful as the sessions were, an even greater learning opportunity came from hearing the experiences of the other entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurial Journalism
Helping the Charlotte Observer figure out what, where, when and how millennials consume news.
Heart and Soil
Dashiell Dericks ’18 and Jesse Evans ’20 are selling saplings grown from Colonnade oak trees in a new business that marries Dericks' love of silviculture and his fondness for W&L.
Solar-Enabled Products Win W&L’s 7th Annual Business Plan Competition
Three student teams took home a total of $7,000 in W&L's annual Business Plan Competition.
From Volunteering to Mountaineering
Whether they were doing service work in Birmingham, touring firms in NYC, or climbing an ice-encrusted mountain in New Hampshire, Washington and Lee students made the most of Washington Break.
Meet the Johnsons: Graham Novak ’19
Meet Graham Novak '19, an aspiring - and already accomplished - entrepreneur
W&L Connections at Work
Andrew Elliott ’07 used networking with W&L alumni and professors to pursue a career in real estate management and strategy.
Alumnus and Pandora Executive to Speak on the Future of Music
“Streaming Wars and the Future of Music” will be the topic of John Donaldson’s address when he speaks at W&L Nov. 15.
W&L Professor Jeff Shay Named NACRA Fellow
Jeffrey P. Shay, Rupert A. Johnson, Jr. Professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership at Washington and Lee University, has been named a fellow of the North American Case Research Association (NACRA).
Bebe Goodrich ’07
Bebe Goodrich '07 doesn't own a drip coffee maker, but she has built a fast-growing business cold brewing coffee in the tradition of her native New Orleans.
Interns at Work: Mary Crowgey ’17
Haley Miller '16, a lifelong lover of sports, works as a marketing intern for Adidas.
Interns at Work: Wheeler Reiss ’16
Intern at Grow Marketing in San Francisco.
After Graduation: Young Alumni Venture into Start-Ups
In the past three years, six graduating seniors have been named Venture for America fellows, and together they’re proving that W&L graduates don’t have to go to Silicon Valley to launch the next big business idea.
Sutton and Hagberg to Keynote W&L's 2016 Entrepreneurship Summit
The 2016 Washington and Lee University Entrepreneurship Summit, hosted by the J. Lawrence Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship at W&L, will take place Sept 23–24. The keynote speakers are Ben Sutton, co-founder and chairman emeritus of IMG College and Erika Hagberg, the head of Food and Beverage at Google.
Fall Renewal
The return of students in the fall elicits mixed emotions. We feel the absence of those who have moved on even as we welcome the fresh and eager, first-year (FY) students.
Alumni Registration Open for 2016 Entrepreneurship Summit
Registration is now open to Washington and Lee alumni for the 2016 Entrepreneurship Summit, hosted by the Williams School’s Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship. The Summit will take place Sept. 23–24 and is open to all alumni, students and friends of the university. Attending the Summit is free but all attendees must register by Sept. 16.
Building a Brand Overseas
Kate Boe ’13's business is filling a gap in the baby-food business in China.
Author Stephen Denny to Give Keynote Address at Entrepreneurship Summit Sept. 26
The J. Lawrence Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship at Washington and Lee University announced that the keynote address for its fourth annual Entrepreneurship Summit will be given by Stephen Denny, marketing consultant and the author of “Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath In Your Industry.” Denny’s keynote will be on Sept. 26 at 5:45 […]
Registration Open for 2015 Entrepreneurship Summit
Registration is now open for Washington and Lee University’s 2015 Entrepreneurship Summit, hosted by the Williams School’s Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship. The Summit will take place Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26 and is open to all alumni, students and friends of the university. Attending the Summit is free but all attendees must register […]
J. Lawrence Connolly Joins W&L Board of Trustees
J. Lawrence Connolly, of Atlanta, the former CEO of Connolly Inc., a recovery audit accounting and consulting firm, joined the Washington and Lee Board of Trustees on May 15, at its spring meeting, in Lexington. He is a member of the W&L Class of 1979.
Washington and Lee to Host Business Plan Competition
Washington and Lee University's Business Plan Competition will take place this Saturday, April 11, in the Hillel House multipurpose room. Breakfast will be served at 7:15 a.m., with presentations beginning at 8 a.m. The Business Plan Competition was launched in 2010 by Johnson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership Jeffrey Shay and is one of the […]
Jerry Greenfield, of Ben & Jerry's Fame, to Speak at W&L
Jerry Greenfield, of Ben and Jerry's ice cream fame, will speak at Washington and Lee University on March 23 at 7 p.m. in Evans Hall. The event, sponsored by Contact, is co-sponsored by the J. Lawrence Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship, the Office of Sustainability and the Office of Student Affairs.
Carol O'Kelley '91 Named CEO of Salesfusion
Washington and Lee alumna Carol Dannelly O'Kelley '91 was recently named chief executive officer of Salesfusion, a cloud-based marketing automation vendor that works in conjunction with customer relationship management software systems such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sugar and Salesforce.
W&L Social Entrepreneurship Summit to be held March 27
Washington and Lee University will host its second annual Social Entrepreneurship Summit on March 27 from noon to 3 p.m. in the Hillel House Multipurpose room.
W&L Junior Wins Entrepreneurship Award and Grant
Matthew Kordonowy, a junior business administration major at Washington and Lee University, was awarded a $15,000 grant by the venture capital fund Entrepreneurs of New York this summer.
Washington and Lee to Host Third Annual Entrepreneurship Summit
Washington and Lee University will host its third annual Entrepreneurship Summit on Friday, Sept. 26 and Saturday, Sept. 27. The event, which is run by the Williams School's Entrepreneurship Program, is open to students, faculty, and staff as well as alumni and parent entrepreneurs.
Williams School Hosts First Social Entrepreneurship Summit
The Williams School's J. Lawrence Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship hosted its first Social Entrepreneurship Summit on May 2.
Dillon Myers is Venture for America Fellow
Dillon Myers, a Washington and Lee University senior from Foxborough, Mass., has been selected as a Venture for America Fellow.
Student Proposal for Car-Buying Site Wins W&L's Business Plan Competition
A business plan to match new-car buyers with dealers nationwide won Washington and Lee University's fourth annual Business Plan Competition.
A Gathering of Entrepreneurs at Washington and Lee
More than 200 students and 60 alumni convened in the second annual Entrepreneurship Summit sponsored by the J. Lawrence Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship.
Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship Named at Washington and Lee
A $2.5 million gift from Leigh and Larry Connolly of Atlanta will support the University's growing entrepreneurship program.
Diabetes Management App Wins W&L Business Plan Competition
A business plan to provide diabetics with a better way to manage their disease by using smart phone technology won Washington and Lee University's third annual Business Plan Competition.
Wilner Named W&L's First Venture for America Fellow
Mikel Wilner, a Washington and Lee University senior from Owings Mills, Md., has been selected as a Venture for America Fellow.
W&L's Venture Club Helps Student Launch Business
The Venture Club, Washington and Lee University's student entrepreneurship organization, backs senior James Williams' new business connected with the international Feed the Children Organization.
W&L Entrepreneurship Summit Joins Aspiring Students, Successful Alumni
Washington and Lee's young entrepreneurship program brought practicing professionals to campus for summit to share their lessons with students.
W&L to Host Inaugural Entrepreneurship Summit
The Entrepreneurship Program at Washington and Lee University will host 31 W&L alumni for its inaugural Entrepreneurship Summit on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9 – 10.
Social Entrepreneurship Subject of New Startup.Org Course at W&L
A new course introduces Washington and Lee students to social entrepreneurship...and asks them to change the world.
Proposal for Child Tracking Wins W&L Business Plan Competition
The development and marketing of shoe insoles with GPS tracking devices as a way to monitor the location of children or Alzheimer's patients won Washington and Lee University's second annual Business Plan Competition.
Two Share First Prize in Inaugural W&L Pitch Contest
Twelve Washington and Lee University undergraduates will have three minutes each to pitch a new business idea to a panel of W&L alumni in hopes of winning a $1,000 prize.
W&L's David Touve Discusses Wicked Problems on Virginia Insight
Washington and Lee University business administration professor David Touve discussed the concept of "wicked problems," the subject of his recent Spring Term course, on WMRA radio's Virginia Insight program on July 7, 2011. In his description of the course, Touve wrote: "Simply put, the purpose of this course is to find a few ways and […]
