EO is committed to supporting the next wave of entrepreneurs. One way do that is through the EO Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA), EO’s premier competition for university students who own and operate a business. The annual competition culminates with the Global Finals, where finalists from 50-plus countries compete and make connections with both seasoned entrepreneurs and fellow “studentpreneurs.”

One of the 2019 EO GSEA US finalists, Benjamin Steinhorn, is an Oregon State University graduate and co-founder of ShoeBio, an online shopping site with a mission to provide consumers the best prices on their favorite sneakers.

We recently caught up with Benjamin to learn more about his entrepreneurial journey and how EO GSEA has shaped his business.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur—specifically a shoe entrepreneur?

I first became a sneakerhead back in sixth grade. I was watching an episode of “MTV Cribs” that was profiling 50 Cent. He had a huge mansion in Connecticut stocked with all the coolest technologies and cars you could want. When the camera panned to his closet, I laid my eyes on hundreds of the latest sneakers in every color imaginable! I knew right then, I had to have that kind of closet.