Business
Over the last 15 years, St Louis has evolved into a one of the top centers of entrepreneurship in the US - in Life Sciences, IT and a range of industries. St Louis was ranked as one of the 10 best cities in 2015 for starting a startup, outside of Silicon Valley and New York City, based on the integrated support entrepreneurs receive - from mentors, investors, local universities, physical facilities, grants and a highly collaborative culture. Ken Harrington is the founding director of the Skandalaris Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Washington University in St Louis. Ken was one of the key players behind developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports entrepreneurs. In our interview, Ken discusses a paper he has just written for Innovations, an MIT Press Journal, on the evolution of St Louis' entrepreneurial ecosystem and how connectivity - connecting entrepreneurs, investors and their partners through events, mentors, universities and organizations - was the key to driving entrepreneurial growth.