This month the St. Louis chapter of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization and World Entrepreneurs Organization is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its founding. The entrepreneurial spirit seems especially strong in St. Louis, which is fast establishing itself as a center for business development in high-tech fields such as Wi-Fi Internet, plant genomics and more.

There was a time when most entrepreneurs were young, and many took their high school diplomas and went to work instead of going to college. Today this is less common, and we find more and more businesspeople seeking higher business degrees in order to get an edge in a tough employment market.

But it takes more than an MBA to be a successful entrepreneur. It takes a drive, a vision, and a willingness to roll up your sleeves and work until the job gets done.

My brother is a restaurant owner, and though he’s the guy who signs all the paychecks and does all the hiring and firing, he’s also the guy that’s back in the kitchen chopping vegetables or doing dishes if that’s what needs to be done. My father and I also ran our own business for many years, and we worked a lot of evenings and weekends before we began to see the fruits of our labors.

In this issue we offer a look at some of the young entrepreneurs who are living their dream of being a business owner. When you see their fresh faces, flushed with the pleasure of controlling their own destiny, you will know why they are willing to go that extra mile.

Also in this issue is a special report on higher education at Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University. Students in programs such as this often juggle hectic work, family and school schedules in order to get to the next level in their careers. This, too, takes an entrepreneurial spirit, and a devotion to long hours and unpleasant duties.

Let me be the first to say to all St. Louis entrepreneurs, “Good luck, and don’t forget to network.”

Regards,

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