Cliff Holekamp made the switch from the corporate world to entrepreneurism when he left his sales executive position at IBM, and founded Foot Healers Podiatry Centers upon completion of his MBA in 2001.  In 2003, Foot Healers was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the top "Five Ideas to Watch."  Holekamp opened five Foot Healers locations within the span of six years and successfully sold controlling interest of the company to an investor group in 2007.  He has also been a co-founder or board member of several other St. Louis area organizations including Back Experts and City Academy school.  Holekamp was given the Kupke Entrepreneurism Award from Washington University in 2001, was named a "30 under 30" honoree by the St. Louis Business Journal in 2003, was awarded the Rising Star from the St. Louis County Enterprise Centers in 2007, and received the Outstanding Entrepreneur Award from the St. Louis County Economic Council in 2007.  Aside from teaching entrepreneurship at Washington University, Holekamp works as an independent consultant to start-up and small businesses, is a guest lecturer to business conferences and academic assemblies, and has served as a judge in several business plan competitions.