Promoting St. Louis' Geospatial Sector On The Global Stage, WashU Shapes Innovation in St. Louis and Around the Globe, and Kindle, Gore, Sheridan
Discuss St. Louis’ Resurgence
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STL 2030 Jobs Plan In Action: Promoting St. Louis' Geospatial Sector On The Global Stage
Advancing our geospatial industry is an actionable strategy called out in the STL 2030 Jobs Plan, and the Greater St. Louis, Inc. business attraction team and GeoFutures initiative are working to grow the sector, including coordinating the trip this past week that that put St. Louis in front of geospatial leaders at GEOINT Symposium, the industry’s largest annual gathering.
The STLMade team showcased St. Louis’ strengths in the sector and opportunities for businesses to be a part of what’s building here. “Location matters when it comes to connecting with geospatial talent, innovation, and opportunities, and we have brought everything together in St. Louis to help geospatial companies big and small meet their mission,” said Maggie Kost, GSL’s Chief Business Attraction Officer.
Putting St. Louis on the Global Stage
From workforce and talent development to research and startup opportunities, St. Louis geospatial leaders shined on GEOINT’s Main Stage, where they reinforced why St. Louis is the nation’s center for geospatial technology.
With GEOINT Symposium 2024 in Orlando, Florida, now concluded, the St. Louis team will now turn its focus to GEOINT Symposium 2025, which will return to the America’s Center in Downtown St. Louis next May.
The revised Anchor Accelerator program at the University of Missouri St. Louis — a GSL Chair’s Council member — helps fill gaps in St. Louis’ startup support ecosystem, giving small businesses the tools and resources they need to scale already established businesses. And now, UMSL is offering the program for free, as a publicly available five-course, noncredit entrepreneurship certificate.
St. Louis Community College — a GSL Chair’s Council member — has extended its lease with BRDG Park on the campus of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, a GSL Investor Council member. BRDG has served as the home of STLCC’s Center for Plant and Life Sciences since 2008, supporting the college’s Biotechnology and Life Science Lab Assistant programs and allowing for partnerships that give STLCC students cutting-edge education and workforce training.
Washington University in St. Louis, an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council, announced this week its first new school in a century: the Washington University School of Public Health, set to launch in the fall of 2026. The global Covid-19 pandemic emphasized the need for enduring attention and awareness on issues of public health, and the school will help tackle these and other major societal challenges, a mandate of WashU’s 10-year strategic plan, under the leadership of Dr. Sandro Galea, physician, epidemiologist, author, and newly appointed dean of the WashU School of Public Health.
WashU to Transform Landmark Building into Innovation Incubator
WashU also announced this week it will transform the highly visible and historic Goodwill building — located in Cortex Innovation District — adding a 54,000-square-foot addition to the existing structure to create a total of 175,000 square feet of office and lab space. The updated facility “will serve as a support hub to nurture both businesses and individuals as they advance and grow in the St. Louis innovation ecosystem.”
Graybar, an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council, has posted $2.7 billion in first-quarter sales for 2024, the highest first-quarter net sales in Graybar's history. Led by Chairman Kathleen Mazzarella, Graybar, one of the St. Louis region's largest privately held companies, has seen record sales growth for the past two years.
STLMade Geneoscopy, a gastrointestinal health startup, has received FDA approval for its innovative colorectal cancer screening test. The company, founded in 2015, has received $100 million in financing to bring the test to life, planning to add additional staff to its current 55 employees as it works toward commercialization.
On Thursday, May 9, GSL board member and CEO of St. Louis CITY SC Carolyn Kindle joined St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore and GSL Chair’s Council member Travis Sheridan of Wexford Science and Technology for a panel discussion titled St. Louis is Resurgent: How Business and Civic Leaders are Uniting to Move the Metro Forward. Kindle, Gore, and Sheridan — who is a Co-Chair of the Brickline Campaign — highlighted Downtown revitalization, the development of the Brickline Greenway, and public safety in St. Louis. GSL CEO Jason Hall moderated the panel, which was sponsored by the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis.
Patton Exemplifies What’s Right with the Region
FOCUS St. Louis — a GSL member — will honor Valerie Patton, GSL’s Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and President of the Greater St. Louis Foundation, at the organization’s annual What’s Right with the Region awards. Patton will receive the 2024 FOCUS Legacy Alumni Award alongside other individuals and organizations that are making a positive difference in the metro.
UMSL Honors Warner Baxter’s “Visionary Leadership”
The University of Missouri-St. Louis — a GSL Chair’s Council member — will honor alumni Warner Baxter, retired Ameren Executive Chairman and founding GSL board member, at its 2024 commencement ceremony. Chancellor Kristin Sobolik acknowledged Baxter’s “visionary leadership” of both the university and the region.
Web marketing agency IntegrityXD, a GSL Chair’s Council member, has merged with the Kerry Group, adding experiential industry event marketing to its portfolio. “Combining teams allows us to deliver even greater in-person and online marketing experiences to global clients,” said John Simanowitz, CEO of IntegrityXD.
Quick thinking and a strategic pivot allowed Ole Tyme Produce, a GSL Chair’s Council member, to shift its business model during the Covid-19 pandemic. The St. Charles-based company, which has more than 80 employees, emerged stronger and more nimble than ever before.
Our community was hit with very sad news this week as we learned of the passing of Dr. Patricia Hagen, the first and only executive director of the entrepreneur development center T-Rex. Our hearts are very heavy with the loss of Patty, who grew T-Rex not only as a business and technology incubator and accelerator, but also as a community of entrepreneurs that has played an integral role in growing St. Louis’ tech ecosystem, particularly in the geospatial sector. Our thoughts go out to her family and loved ones.
To honor the legacy of Patty Hagen and the incredible work that she did to drive equitable opportunity in technology and innovation, TechSTL has partnered with T-REX to dedicate a STEM Scholarship Fund in her name.
Saint Louis University scientist Jenna Gorlewicz’s team is building Inclusio, a groundbreaking digital tool to translate graphic information into accessible formats for people with blindness or low vision.
