Business & Entrepreneurship

In a move reflecting the wave of entrepreneurial activity happening in the region, an unprecedented three teams were selected to receive up to $50,000 each at the annual Olin Cup awards ceremony Feb. 1. The annual competition is sponsored by the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University in St. Louis.

Freedom of assembly has become the forgotten constitutional right, with courts’ attention focused more on freedoms of association and speech. Both the Occupy and Tea Party movements, however, are reminders of how the right to assemble has been “at the heart of some of the most important social movements in American history: antebellum abolitionism, women’s suffrage and the Civil Rights Movement,” says John Inazu, JD, PhD, associate professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis. In his new book, Liberty’s Refuge: The Forgotten Freedom of Assembly, published last month by Yale University Press, Inazu examines why freedom of assembly has become “a historical footnote in American law and political theory,” and what has been lost with the weakening of protections for private groups.

Nine finalists were selected Jan. 26 to compete for more than $125,000 in grants in April at the 2011-12 YouthBridge Social Enterprise and Innovation Competition (SEIC) at Washington University in St. Louis. The competition is a joint partnership between the YouthBridge Community Foundation and WUSTL’s Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.

Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble’s move to lay off some 1,600 employees globally, many in the marketing area, foretells a trend in which more companies will move their advertising dollars from traditional to digital media, says a marketing expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

Marking his first day as CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA), Joe Reagan will discuss “Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Creating the Future Economy” during the annual Olin Cup awards ceremony beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, in Simon Hall’s May Auditorium on Washington University in St. Louis’ Danforth Campus.

Last year’s hit Super Bowl ad, a Volkswagen spot featuring a boy dressed as Darth Vader, was unique in that it was actually released before the game. This year, nearly all ad agencies are expected to run previews of their commercials before the Feb. 5 Super Bowl on YouTube and other sites, leading a marketing expert at Washington University in St. Louis to question the wisdom of running a television ad at all.

Talent contests are abundant these days. Whether it’s singing, dancing or cooking, it seems someone is always on the lookout for the next “super star.” WalMart Stores, Inc., have even entered the fray, announcing a reality-show like plan to find the next “it” product, a move an innovation expert at Washington University in St. Louis applauds.

Three Republican primaries or caucuses have ended with three different winners. Upcoming state contests may make the Republican candidate picture clearer, but if division remains, the GOP could end up with a brokered convention. “If the process of voting based on delegates’ commitments does not produce a nominee, then something has to break the logjam,” says Gregory P. Magarian, JD, election law expert and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis. Magarian discusses the potential for a surprise candidate and the impact of superdelegates.

As another presidential election year gets under way, defining and determining what makes a great leader is on the minds of many voters and politicians. A new and innovative course at Olin Business School, “Defining Moments: Lessons in Leadership and Character from the Top,” examines this question by allowing students to interact with top leaders in the corporate world who exemplify both integrity and excellence.

The controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is merely an attempt to shore up a dying and inefficient business model, grafted onto an attempt to control the Internet, says an expert on the business of entertainment at Washington University in St. Louis.