Final Pitch Winner Revealed, Mural Project Set To Beautify St. Louis, and Public Art Tells A Story
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Queritel Corporation WINS DIVERSE BUSINESS ACCELERATOR FINAL PITCH COMPETITION
Queritel Corporation, a St. Louis-based startup that crowdsources product performance data from people and stores, will receive $25,000 in equity-free capital as the winner of the Final Pitch Competition, organized by the Greater St. Louis, Inc. Diverse Business Accelerator. The DBA supports ethnically, racially, and gender-diverse business owners looking to advance their enterprise’s capacity to grow.
“There is momentum building in the St. Louis metro. To reach our full potential, we must continue to expand opportunities so everyone in our metro can thrive,” said Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc. “That’s why we lead with intention through programs like the Diverse Business Accelerator and our Fellows Experience and why we are laser-focused on inclusive economic growth as our north star.”
A partnership between the City of St. Louis and the Regional Arts Commission, a GSL Investor Council Member, will invest nearly $1.5 million in 28 new murals throughout the city. The St. Louis Mural Project will “elevate St. Louis’ status as a national destination for breathtaking public art,” said RAC President and CEO Vanessa Cooksey.
Public art will help elevate St. Louis’ Carr Square neighborhood, thanks to a partnership between community and civic organizations. A call for artists will garner three finalists, with the winning application receiving up to $200,000 to execute a sculpture intended to beautify the neighborhood and kick off a series of planned enhancements.
GSL CEO Jason Hall joined Marilyn Bush, President of Bank of America St. Louis, a GSL Chair’s Council Member, this week for the Presidents’ Forum of St. Louis Innovation, hosted by The Entrepreneurship Institute. The two leaders discussed how investment drives innovation, benefiting not only individual companies but the metro as a whole.
LAMBERT CONTINUES GROWTH TRAJECTORY
Lambert International Airport continues to make strides toward pre-pandemic numbers, with nearly 14.9 million passengers traveling through the airport in 2023. A new report from GSL indicates that Lambert could add nearly $5 billion in annual economic impact and support nearly 30,000 new jobs in the metro by 2032.
CIC St. Louis, the local arm of Cambridge Innovation Center, is planning a $2 million renovation of its laboratories in Cortex Innovation District that will “position CIC Labs as a best-in-class solution for young life science companies planning to scale in St. Louis.” CIC St. Louis and Cortex are both GSL Investor Council Members.
St. Louis nonprofit Continuity works to help minority creatives break into — and thrive — in the video and film production industry, a growing sector in St. Louis thanks to new Missouri tax credits. Providing skills-based training, mentorship, and more, the organization aims to diversify the industry while supporting artists.
A new collection curated by the Missouri Historical Society, a GSL Investor Council Member, features the legacy of Dr. John H. Gladney, the first Black ear, nose, and throat specialist in St. Louis. The collection explores the influence of Gladney and Homer G. Phillips Hospital, both having changed the medical landscape here and beyond.
