Olin Business School

Should movies and television shows be free on the Internet? Which business models will benefit artists, producers and distributors? Questions such as these are being pondered in a popular course at Olin Business School, “The Economics of Entertainment.” Industry executives visit the class to provide corporate insights about the challenges facing film and music makers in the Internet age.

What do ballroom dancing, fresh farm produce and paper beads from Africa have in common? They are central to the business plans of award-winning ventures in the 2010 YouthBridge Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition. Five start-up businesses dedicated to helping others shared a total of $155,000 in cash grants presented at a ceremony April 13 at Washington University.

Olin Business school doctoral student Michael McLaughlin in one of 10 students from across the United States to receive a 2010 Doctoral Fellowship in Accounting presented by the Deloitte Foundation. His personal story is inspiring.

Entrepreneurs dedicated to helping empower and build strong communities have reached the final stage of the annual business plan competition sponsored by the YouthBridge Foundation and the Skandalaris Center at WUSTL. The seven finalists have presented their business plans to the judges who will award $155,000 in seed money to the winners. The award ceremony takes place April 13 after a keynote speech by Kevin Salwen who has just published a book about his family’s experience with selling their home, living with less and giving back to their community.

Crackerjacks, hot dogs and sports management – it’s all part of the spring season – semester – at Olin Business School. With an all-star list of guest speakers, students explore the business side of professional sports. It’s easy to keep your head in the game when top executives and media pros are sharing their expertise and experience from the wide world of sports.

Being named the Wells Fargo Advisors visiting lecturer in entrepreneurship at the Olin Business School and Skandalaris Center is a homecoming of sorts for Robert E. Wilson III, JD. The international investment banker, lawyer and entrepreneur grew up in St. Louis but now calls Rio de Janeiro home. He is on campus April 5-16 and will return again in the fall.

Imagine a 2010 remake of the movie “The Graduate”.Instead of advising the young grad to pursue a career in “plastics” today’s version would advocate, “operations”.It’s the buzzword for the 21st century and the key to running every successful business. Olin Business School faculty and a group of St. Louis business leaders dedicated to improving operations management have formed a new association to promote innovation, collaboration and performance through operational excellence. 

As an engineer, Anne Marie Knott, PhD, saw a need for research that could help firms make better research and development (R&D) decisions. Now Knott, associate professor of strategy at Olin Business School, studies how companies can improve their R&D effectiveness.

The social media giant Twitter began five years ago this month. While millions of people are using it to let their friends know about good places to go for lunch and what their kids are up to, it’s impact on business may be just beginning.

Recent earthquakes have rocked the Chilean wine industry, spilling millions of gallons of stored vintages throughout the region.  A study tour from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis will visit Chilean vineyards, wineries and exporters next week for a first-hand look at the industry and how it has been affected by the quakes.