STL 2030 Progress Launched, MTC's 2024 Plan Encourages Innovation And Entrepreneurship, and Spire Veteran Named Next CEO
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STL 2030 PROGRESS LAUNCHED AS ST. LOUIS METRO SETS TARGETS FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH
To help the 15-county St. Louis metro visualize its progress toward newly set inclusive economic growth targets, St. Louis leaders have launched a new initiative and online resource, STL 2030 Progress, that is being called “a model every other metro area in the country should follow.”
“This work is nationally significant,” said nationally renowned urban policy expert Bruce Katz, co-author of The New Localism: How Cities Can Thrive in the Age of Populism, and Founder, New Localism Associates, which helped craft the STL 2030 Jobs Plan. “What St. Louis is doing on inclusive economic growth is a model every other metro area in the country should follow.”
MTC’S 2024 PLAN ENCOURAGES INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The Missouri Technology Corporation this week released its Strategic Implementation Plan for Fiscal Year 2024, outlining the group’s commitment to catalyzing innovation and entrepreneurship in the state of Missouri and the St. Louis metro by introducing new programs and initiatives to empower high-tech companies to thrive. This past legislative session, GSL helped secure $125 million for MTC to help drive innovation and entrepreneurship, a continued public policy priority.
Steve Lindsey will become the next President and CEO of Spire, an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council. The Spire veteran, currently its chief operating officer and executive vice president, will take over for Suzanne Sitherwood, a Founding Board Member of GSL who announced her retirement earlier this year.
FASHION FUND CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF INDUSTRY GROWTH IN ST. LOUIS
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the St. Louis Fashion Fund announced plans this week for 10 high-powered spotlights on a series of diverse fashion runways beginning next month and running through next year. SLFF, a leading voice and advocate for the fashion industry in St. Louis, announced its plans at an event attended by more than 200 local fashion designers and students, industry-related businesses, and community leaders.
“We want to continue this momentum by accelerating the creation of internships and local fashion jobs to encourage our youth to stay or return to St. Louis for their fashion careers and contribute to our fashion industry and our region’s economic growth,” said Susan Sherman, SLFF cofounder.
STLMade Build-A-Bear Workshop — a member of the GSL Chair’s Council — will premier its very own documentary next week, highlighting its rise from a St. Louis storefront to a global sensation. Founder Maxine Clark and President and CEO Sharon Price John will host the event on Oct. 4, unveiling "Unstuffed: A Build-A-Bear Story."
COMMUNITY LEADERS TALK ST. LOUIS TRAVEL AND TOURISM
GSL CEO Jason Hall joined community leaders this week to talk about the future of travel and tourism in St. Louis at “What’s Happening in the Lou,” an event presented by the Global Business Travel Association. The panel also featured Bob O’Loughlin, Chairman and CEO, LHM; Brian Hall, Chief Marketing Officer, Explore St. Louis; and Carolyn Kindle, CEO, St. Louis CITY SC.
NEW NINE PBS SPECIAL SHOWCASES THE POWER OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTS IN ST. LOUIS AND BEYOND
This summer, Nine PBS producers traveled to London to cover the activities of local business and civic leaders as they promoted St. Louis on the global stage. This month, Nine PBS debuted “Power of the Pitch,” a special that examines all the ways professional sports can impact a city and looks at the way London parallels what is happening in St. Louis.
“We’re here to tell the stories that matter — stories that lift this community up, show possibilities, and highlight solutions that can help our region thrive,” said Aja Williams, Vice President and Chief Content Officer of Nine PBS, a GSL Investor Council member. “Power of the Pitch is a great example of how Nine PBS is working to change the narrative of our city by showcasing positive steps to build a vibrant St. Louis.”
ST. CHARLES COMMUNITY COLLEGE BREAKING GROUND ON WORKFORCE INNOVATION CENTER
St. Charles Community College — a GSL Investor Council member — announced this month that the school is expanding, planning a new, 55-acre campus that will be home to a 48,000-square-foot Regional Workforce Innovation Center. Focused on innovation and job preparation, it will prepare the region’s workforce for careers in technology, advanced manufacturing, robotics, sustainable energy, healthcare, and more.
Thanks to a $25 million grant from the state of Illinois, the Collinsville Area Vocational Center in the Metro East will get a major upgrade. One of the state’s original career and vocational centers, CAVC will turn its focus to the future, adding programming, increasing student enrollment by more than 250, expanding its footprint, and upgrading technology and equipment.
SIUE CHANCELLOR TO BE HONORED AS STELLAR PERFORMER IN EDUCATION
The St. Louis American will honor James T. Minor, the 10th Chancellor of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville — a GSL Investor Council member — with a 2023 Stellar Award during the 36th St. Louis American Foundation Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala this year.
New York-based Latch will soon have a new home — in St. Louis. The technology company is rebranding to Door.com and shifting its headquarters to a 48,000-square-foot building in Olivette, Missouri. “Amazing people here. Diverse workforce. I think between cost of living and that, it’s one of the best places in the U.S. to have a business,” said incoming CEO Jamie Siminoff.
Girl Conductor founder Maria A. Ellis uses a unique blend of gospel, R&B, and hip-hop to make music education more approachable and accessible for young people.
