Washington and Lee University to Host 2025 Entrepreneurship Summit The two-day program will be held on campus April 11-12.

By Brian Laubscher
March 20, 2025

Washington and Lee University has opened registration for its 2025 Entrepreneurship Summit to be held on campus April 11-12.

The summit is a two-day event designed to encourage innovative business ideas and strategies while providing the perfect opportunity to connect, learn and grow the entrepreneurial spirit. The Entrepreneurship Summit is open to the entire W&L community and interested guests, alumni, faculty and staff can register through Colonnade Connections. Interested students should register through Handshake.

The event features several presentations and panels offering deep dives into topics such as emerging technologies (artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency), launching consumer brands, entrepreneurial acquisitions and building lifestyle brands. The event is designed to connect, inspire and support the next generation of entrepreneurs within the W&L community. Highlights include an alumni pitch session, a student pitch competition, a mentorship luncheon, networking reception, trivia and more.

“We have some exciting programming, including the Student Showcase that will involve as many as 80 students and 35 student teams pitching their products,” said Jay Margalus, Johnson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership and director of the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship. “We’ll have a group voting on their favorites that will be chosen for another pitch competition later that day. We have also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation that will provide a $1,000 prize for a social enterprise. The student taking that prize will be entered into a broader competition for a chance to win $10,000 and participate in mentorship activities.”

Ward Waltemath ’97, managing director for the technology, media and telecommunications group at Goldman Sachs, and Ethan Smith ’10, CEO and co-founder of Spur, will serve as the program’s keynote speakers and nearly 20 alumni will serve as speakers or presenters across the two days.

As head of Goldman Sachs’ Enterprise Technology investment banking business, Waltemath brings a wealth of experience from his roles in TMT investment banking and leveraged finance. He joined Goldman in 2005 and earned a partner title in 2018. Waltemath received a Bachelor of Science in biology from W&L and an MBA from Stanford University.

As a top executive for Spur, Smith leads the company’s efforts in the cybersecurity space. Spur specializes in detecting network anomalies and deceptive user behaviors. With solutions protecting more than half of the Fortune 50, Spur has achieved nearly $15 million in annual recurring revenue, all without outside investment. Before launching Spur, Smith worked at the U.S. Department of Defense, focusing on computer network operations and cyber capability development. Smith earned a Bachelor of Science in computer science from W&L and was a member of the Williams Investment Society.

“The W&L Entrepreneurship Summit is an exceptional event that brings together alumni from across generations, creating a unique opportunity to learn, connect and give back,” said Kelly Dyer ’98, co-CEO of SourceFuse. “The quality of the sessions, led by accomplished alumni, provides valuable insights into relevant business topics. Beyond the inspiring discussions, the summit fosters meaningful connections — many of which have led to business opportunities, new friendships and even hiring talented students. Engaging with current students, judging the pitch competition and offering mentorship makes the experience even more rewarding. If you’re looking to expand your network, gain fresh perspectives, and contribute to the W&L community, this is an event you won’t want to miss.”

Since its inception in 2012, the summit has grown into what it is today because of its many benefits to program participants. For alumni, it is an opportunity to rekindle friendships and strengthen professional networks. For students, it is an opportunity to meet successful entrepreneurs and learn from their real-world experiences. The summit has also generated tangible professional outcomes as the interaction between alumni and students has resulted in internships, job offers and lifelong mentoring relationships.

“I attended my first Entrepreneurship Summit in 2019, and my experience was nothing short of amazing,” said Blair Garrou ’94, managing partner at Mercury. “The Summit allowed me to interact with so many W&L alumni and students interested in entrepreneurship, innovation and venture capital. I made dozens of connections that first year, leading to ongoing relationships and business opportunities. But the best aspect of the event was being back on campus and interacting with students who were excited about launching their own business and/or joining innovative, venture-backed startups. That first year started a trend of me attending every summit, as well as relationship-building with alumni and faculty. As a result, I’ve become much more involved at W&L through the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship, and continue to provide career advice, startup feedback and connections to students on an ongoing basis.”

Registration to the summit includes attendance to all programming, including breakfast, lunch and a networking reception on April 11, as well as breakfast, lunch and a celebratory closing reception on April 12. For a full schedule of events, please visit the schedule online.

The Entrepreneurship Summit is an initiative co-hosted by the Office of Alumni Engagement and the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship. Questions regarding the summit should be directed to the alumni office at alumni@wlu.edu.