Meet Washington Olin’s MBA Class Of 2026

Flyover farmland.

That’s how some people see the Midwest. It may be known as the “Heartland” – but that’s just because it is in the center. Old, slow, and tired. Shrinking towns and empty plants – monuments to an Americana long past, some say The people are nice, but they aren’t going anywhere. The action will always be somewhere else.

Some might sweep St. Louis into this generalization. And they couldn’t be more wrong. Once the Gateway to the West, the city has reinvented itself from aerospace, breweries, and meatpacking to agtech, biosciences, and electric vehicles – all while remaining among the world’s best for barbecue, ice cream, toasted ravioli, and butter cake. And that doesn’t count the affordable housing or free admission to the zoo, museums and theater productions.

Sounds like a great place to spend two years in business school, huh?

A PLACE TO GET AWAY…JUST FIVE MINUTES FROM CAMPUS

At Washington University’s Olin Business School, the Class of 2026 heaps plenty of praise on Mound City. Jais K. Jose, a senior systems engineer from Siemens, pegs St. Louis as “a big city with a small city vibe.” Helena Valentina, a ’24 alum, describes the people as “genuinely open, warm, and welcoming” – adding that where she goes, there is always “someone [who] will strike up a conversation or offer a helping hand.” First-year Matthew Rush, a U.S. Army veteran, points out that St. Louis is the fastest-growing community of foreign-born residents. He urges classmates to hit the August Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park to sample all the international cuisines. His classmate, Bheema Kunwar, is equally bullish on the St. Louis culture scene.

“I enjoyed the Diwali Festival (India), Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and many others,” writes Kunwar, a financial analyst for British Telecom.

Forest Park has been particularly popular among Olin first-years. Less than five minutes from campus, the park is home to the St. Louis Zoo, Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, World’s Fair grounds, Planetarium, and Shakespearean theater. It also includes waterways for boating and grounds to ride horses, not to mention facilities for golf, tennis, baseball, and even cricket. Covering over 1,300 acres, Forest Park is actually larger than Central Park, For Sofia Mai, a Unilever strategist and planner, the park offers a great escape from the pressures of being an MBA student.

“The park is filled with an abundance of lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and stunning landscapes, and these sceneries create a serene atmosphere perfect for unwinding. Forest Park always is the ideal location for a casual picnic, a lively social gathering with friends, or a quiet but meaningful moment with someone special. Besides its beauty, Forest Park suits itself as an inspiration for personal well-being improvement. Walking leisurely along its scenic paths not only relieves my stressful day and revitalizes me, but also provides me with space for introspection and self-improvement.”

ST. LOUIS: A SUPPORTIVE STARTUP COMMUNITY

That said, St. Louis can be all business too. Here, you’ll find 17 Fortune 1000 companies, not to mention large footprints for iconic companies like Boeing, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Kaldi’s Coffee, and Hallmark. In 2024, St. Louis ranked 3rd for job growth based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and 10th for Tech Talent according to Business Facilities. The region has also emerged as a startup and tech powerhouse thank to a public-private partnership that supplies funding, space, and expertise to founders. Notably, St. Louis is rife with incubators and accelerators like the Cortex Innovation Center, which houses 425 ventures, and T-Rex – 160,000 square feet with offices for over 200 companies. That doesn’t include Arch Grants, a non-profit that has raised over $765-million dollars in funding for startups that have generated over a trillion dollars in revenue since 2011.

“The city offers abundant opportunities for students, with resources like Arch Grants supporting startups and the Cortex Innovation District fostering innovation and entrepreneurship,” explains Arpit Arya, a 2025 Poets&Quants Best & Brightest MBA. “St. Louis is also home to major companies such as Anheuser-Busch, Emerson, Bayer, Edward Jones, Enterprise Car Rental, and Boeing, providing plenty of career prospects…What truly sets the city apart, however, is its close-knit business community. People here are incredibly supportive, always willing to collaborate and help one another grow. It’s a place where connections are not just made—they’re nurtured.”

Among entrepreneurs, this happens through a variety of avenues, says ’24 alum Franklin Taylor, including “meetups to industry talks, pitch competitions, and happy hours.” Taylor, who launched Zaiko, as an MBA student, clicks off several other ways that the local startup ecosystem support MBAs from programs like the Olin School.

“There are the Square One Ignite and Bootcamp classes at the Cortex Innovation District, where the team…bring(s) in speakers to inspire and support a select group of entrepreneurs in advancing their businesses. A major competition in St. Louis is Arch Grants, where participants can pitch for a chance to win up to $100,000. Although we made it to the finals last year but didn’t win, some of the judges connected us with potential customers, so we still gained tremendous value from the experience! Another competition that stands out is the Startup World Cup, hosted by Emily Hemingway of TechSTL, an entrepreneur support organization in St. Louis, and Vikram Lakhwara of Steakhouse, a local VC fund. Not only was this a competition to win a $1 million investment from Pegasus Ventures, but it was also an opportunity to get personal feedback and development tips from Vik, share your idea with the St. Louis community, and find other like-minded entrepreneurs among the St. Louis community (many of whom I now call friends).”

A SCHOOL THAT CATERS TO FOUNDERS

In fact, entrepreneurship ranks among the biggest draws for the MBA Class of 2026. That’s hardly a surprise considering Olin ranks as the #3 graduate business program for Entrepreneurship according to Poets&Quants. While the St. Louis business community generously backs founders, the Olin MBA takes this support to another level with its programming. Here, 23% of elective coursework focuses on entrepreneurship and innovation. According to P&Q data, Olin provides the 4th-largest amount of accelerator or incubator space devoted to startups, while allocating $11,307 per student founder – 2nd-most in the world. What’s more, student founders average 91 hours per year in mentorship, placing Olin 3rd in this category.

The students and faculty take full advantage of this generosity. Among MBA students, from 2019-2023, 100% got involved in a startup during their two years in the program. Another 90% took an entrepreneurship elective, with 45% participating in an entrepreneurship club. During the same four-year period, 22.8% of Olin graduates launched a startup. Even more, the school ranks in the Top 10 for the percentage of graduates who enter venture capital or private equity.

Spencer Payne, a marketer from the banking sector, found that Olin’s entrepreneurship programming proved invaluable, regardless of whether he planned to someday start a venture. “Business is complex. Every industry is unique, and no two companies are the same. As I was considering MBA programs, WashU’s top ranked Entrepreneurship Program piqued my interest. What a great opportunity to learn about every aspect of business – from venture capital, to startup, to scaling, to organic growth. These are key moments in each company’s evolution, and cultivating a better understanding of key corporate considerations is exactly what drew me to business school in the first place.”

A ONE-TWO PUNCH: SKANDALARIS AND VILLHARD

Alum Helena Valentine observed that Olin’s entrepreneurship coursework made her a “more well-rounded and thoughtful business leader.” Those efforts were reinforced by the Skandalaris Center, whose programming ranges from the legendary Hatchery course to its 10-week Launchpad to its BIG IdeaBounce Pitch Contest.

“The resources at the business school are unparalleled,” explains ’24 alum Samuel Brehm. “The Skandalaris Center has been a critical hub for us, offering invaluable guidance, networking opportunities, and access to mentors through programs like the Skandalaris Venture Competition (SVC). The competition allowed us to fine-tune our business model and pitch our venture to potential investors and industry leaders.”

At the center of it all is Doug Villhard, the academic director for entrepreneurship at the Olin School whose expertise and engagement with students earned him the school’s Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award in 2023.

“Doug’s passion for entrepreneurship and his genuine belief in his students is unmatched,” observes Helena Valentine. “From the very beginning, he supported me and my business with incredible enthusiasm. As a successful entrepreneur himself, he didn’t just teach theories: he shared practical, real-world insights that I could directly apply to my startup. Beyond the classroom, Doug always made himself available for advice, guidance, and encouragement. His belief in me, paired with his deep knowledge of entrepreneurship, had a profound impact on my journey. I am incredibly grateful for his mentorship and support.”

CARRYNG ON THE FAMILY NAME AT WASH U

Chris-Ann Thomas brings a strong interest in entrepreneurship to the Olin MBA Class of 2026. Like Doug Villhard, she also possesses a background in teaching business. After earning an MSc in International Accounting and Finance, she became one of the youngest lecturers at the University of Technology in Jamaica.

“To then be afforded the opportunity to direct one of the largest accounting courses offered by the university for several years, and to also lead teams compromising senior colleagues who once taught me as a student, was a very humbling and formative experience,” Thomas tells P&Q.

Maya Holmes, a St. Louis native, describes herself as a “mental health therapist in training,” pursuing a dual MBA and Master of Social Work. She’ll find common cause with Mackenzie Cappelle, who studied Anthropology as a Washington University undergraduate and is currently enrolled in a dual MBA-MD program. For Cappelle, healthcare – and Washington University – is a family affair.

“My dad is a WashU Masters in Healthcare Administration Alum and my mom is a Washington University School of Medicine alum. My MD/MBA means a lot to me because it’s a combination of both their expertise and efforts.”

A COMMITMENT TO SERVICE

William Patrick Culliton and Matthew Rush also share a connection: leadership in the U.S. Army. Culliton served as a platoon leader overseeing a 42-member team. In contrast, Rush became a field artillery officer, a role that enabled him to bring out the best in others.

“One of the Army’s chief values is the idea of selfless service – putting the needs of the organization and its people above those of yourself,” Rush tells P&Q. “I always worked to bring out the best in others and made it my personal mission to encourage the individual development of everyone on my team. The times where I watched my soldiers graduate from a school or pass a promotion board remain the most rewarding experiences of my time in the military.”

Before business school, Bheema Kunwar once had to orchestrate the efforts of 40 stakeholders across three continents over one month to address a financial shortfall. At PwC, Dorcas Ikojo Aborah climbed from entry-level associate to manager in under four years – and then launched a not-for-profit addressing sustainability. While Spencer Payne can look back fondly on his career at M&T Bank, he considers his biggest achievement to be his tenure as President of the Character Council of Western New York.

“It’s an organization committed to promoting the benefits of good character and fostering its development in the generation of tomorrow. Working with the Board of Directors, local schools, and partner organizations taught me what it means to support a community cause and a lot about myself. I’m truly grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside such passionate, dedicated people.”

Next Page:An Interview with van Bouffides, Senior Associate Dean

Page 3: Profiles of 11 Members of the Class of 2026