The Washington University Student Entrepreneurship Program (StEP) provides a unique opportunity for students to operate and own a business. There are over 700 different entrepreneurship programs in the United States. Only a handful of universities offer students the ability to operate businesses with allocated, subsidized storefront locations. Student owners can not only learn valuable business and entrepreneurial skills in the classroom but also learn and gain valuable experience as they manage and lead their own business.

The purposes of StEP are as follows:

1. Student entrepreneurs will learn how to develop and follow a business plan, start and maintain a business and master the complexities of day-to-day operations.

2. Members of the University community will be enriched by the products or services provided by the Student Entrepreneurial Program businesses.

3. Student entrepreneurs will be given the opportunity to develop leadership skills and gain an understanding of successful and ethical business practices.

The Student Entrepreneurial Program (StEP) at Washington University in St. Louis was conceived in 1999 to promote and support the entrepreneurial interests of all undergraduate students, not just those enrolled in the University's Olin School of Business.

During the construction of Gregg House, built along the primary walkway from the South 40 student housing area, to the main campus, the University agreed to build seven storefronts to house student-owned and operated businesses. These stores are, on average, 250 square feet in dimension. This highly visible, easily accessible area would help insure the success of the businesses.

Members of the Washington University and St. Louis community came together to form an advisory board to evaluate the students' business plans, set general guidelines, and provides on-going guidance for student entrepreneurs. The board first met in November of 1999 and accepted several long-standing student businesses as well as a handful of new businesses.