Education

The Barstow School

Short attended and graduated from The Barstow School in Kansas City, Missouri, an independent K–12 school founded in 1884. Equilar ExecAtlas lists The Barstow School in his education history.

He was elected to Barstow's Honor Council in each of his four Upper School years, earned letters in multiple sports, and captained the varsity basketball team. He was admitted to 16 undergraduate institutions and narrowed the decision to Vanderbilt University and Washington University in St. Louis.

Early science programs

As a fifth grader, Short won the Greater Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair (also styled Great Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair). The fair continues as the Greater Kansas City Science & Engineering Fair at Union Station for students in grades 3–12.

Barstow selected him for the University of Missouri–Kansas City High School Science, Mathematics, and Technology Institute (HSSMTI), a three-year intensive program of accelerated classes, projects, and college credit. He completed the institute in 1999.

HSSMTI was a state-funded UMKC program housed in Scofield Hall. On 18 May 2000 — the year after Short's graduation from the institute — The Pitch described it as serving about 150 area students a year who were interested in science and science education, with tutoring, field trips, and public science demonstrations (“A ‘What is science?’ debate at Science City”). Missouri legislation authorized UMKC to operate HSSMTI and allowed districts to use designated funds for participating pupils (Senate Bill 360 summary). Period teaching materials directed Kansas City classrooms to contact HSSMTI at UMKC for student-led science demonstrations (NTTI electromagnets lesson).

Short's performance among his HSSMTI peers produced a nomination for the National Macy Scholar award. He was named a National Macy Scholar and received the accompanying scholarship.

Washington University in St. Louis

Ameriflex About, LinkedIn, Equilar ExecAtlas, and the Fort Worth Business Press identify Short as a Washington University in St. Louis graduate.

Short picked “WashU” over Vanderbilt due to its well-regarded academic programs and the fact that he was offered the opportunity to play basketball for the Bears. Student Life (“Stud Life”) reported that Coach Mark Edwards, head coach for the WashU Bears, was very excited by the incoming class of 2003 (studlife.com/pdf-archive).

Short was admitted into the School of Engineering and he graduated a semester early from the Olin School of Business in December 2002, with three majors: finance, ancient history, and MIS/management.

The Hatchery and first venture

A multidisciplinary student team placed second in WashU's Hatchery program with Short's proposal for disease-management software for employers, intended to improve employee health, morale, and productivity while reducing healthcare costs. WashU describes The Hatchery as a course in which teams research, write, and pitch business plans to outside judges; WashU's Source calls it an early multidisciplinary entrepreneurship course.

The project led him to finish school early and pursue a production beta full-time. His LinkedIn profile lists him as owner of Healthwise/FitnessRx from December 2002 through August 2003 and describes a production beta disease-management software package. The experience showed that people need incentives to change. He closed the beta within approximately six months after identifying fatal flaws in the business model.

Quinnipiac University

Master of Science (MS), Computer Information Systems / Information Technology. Ameriflex About and the Fort Worth Business Press identify the degree.

Harvard Business School

Owner/President Management program OPM 48 (LinkedIn). Ameriflex About and the Fort Worth Business Press state that he completed the Harvard Business School OPM program.

Other campus affiliation

LinkedIn lists Advisory Council Member, School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, June 2019–February 2023. That is service, not a listed degree.