Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis

Olin alum John Dains, BSBA ’68, pledged $8 million to support an undergraduate student success fund at Washington University. The endowed fund will be called the Stephanie Brooks Dains and John Dains Student Success Fund, named for Dains and his late wife, also a graduate of WashU. Their gift will provide for costs that fall outside the parameters of a standard financial aid package. A lack of resources for these expenses can impede students’ successful progression through ...Washington University. Eligible needs could include a computer to complete classwork, a trip home for a family emergency or a suit for a job interview. This important gift from Mr. Dains will address a critical need and could mean the difference between students staying and completing their WashU education or dropping out, said Rob Wild, interim vice chancellor for student affairs. https://bddy.me/3eJx7Wn

Carl Casale, EMBA ’92, is the recipient of the 2021 Dean's Medal. Casale leads the venture capital practice at Ospraie Ag Science, which he helped launch in 2018. Enhanced by his experience as a fourth-generation farmer, Casale has three decades of leading globally influential companies across the agriculture and food sectors. As consumers desire sustainability, transparency and local sources, Casale seeks to create products that meet consumer needs. It’s not a fad. It is a shift, we believe. And so we said, ‘OK, if we believe that to be true, what do we want to do?’ And we said, ‘Well, let’s invest in technologies that fulfill those needs that can make farmers more productive but satisfy the desires of consumers in a way that they want met.’"

Twenty years ago, Robert S. Mathews Jr. was a student at Olin, working toward his professional MBA. Then, in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he was called back into duty. Still, he promised himself he would one day return to Olin to finish his degree. After 20 years, he’s now enrolled in the executive MBA program with an expected graduation in April 2022. This Memorial Day we honor those who fell in service to our country. At Olin, we appreciate all the b...rave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. https://bddy.me/3p7JsHB See more

Daniel Schindler (pictured in the middle), MBA '19, is the CEO and co-founder of Buoy Hydration, a natural, flavorless liquid supplement that you can add to any drink to fight against chronic dehydration. As a hands-on learner, Daniel appreciated the opportunities found in the Hatchery course. "The Hatchery was exactly the type of class I was looking for," said Daniel. He collaborated with his team and Olin mentors to create and pitch a business plan for Buoy. Today, Buoy is... available for purchase in CVS stores nationwide. "The Hatchery helped me realize that the main thing that matters for any business is not the business plan; it's the team... Things change quickly in the startup world, and the one thing that matters more than anything is the team you have by your side - both the people in the trenches with you and your advisors and mentors."

Last week, Olin’s graduate students participated in a series of events celebrating their upcoming graduation. Events included a St. Louis Cardinals game, a trip to Six Flags, a game of laser tag and a round of golf at TopGolf. Follow along as Ellen Kenzora, MBA ’21, takes us behind the scenes at TopGolf.

In March, our specialized master’s students met together for week-long residency programs in Beijing and Shanghai. For many students, this program was their first opportunity to meet their classmates outside of Zoom, connect with their career coaches and network with distinguished alumni. Wenxin (Hugo) Xue, MSCA ’22, shares his experiences listening and learning from top employers.