Our Mission

Our mission at innovate St. Louis is to educate innovators, entrepreneurs and the public about how great ideas become viable business endeavors and to better collaborate and help build the entrepreneurial eco-system necessary to make the greater St. Louis region an international hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Why does this matter to St. Louis?

Global competition for not just jobs, but the new and vibrant businesses that create them, is fierce.  In the last ten years, the economic growth of Missouri, home to two thirds of the St. Louis region (40% of Missouri's GDP), has slowed to a crawl.  To help reverse this trend, St. Louis as a region needs to develop a working entrepreneurial eco-system of inventors, innovators, business minds, mentors, regular networking, local financing, and commercialization know-how in order to compete with other regions for the best and brightest entrepreneurs.

Much of what it takes to build a successful entrepreneurial eco-system exists in St. Louis already - outstanding colleges and universities, very productive technology-based industries, and small business incubators.  Innovate St. Louis works to bring these entities and others in the entrepreneurial and innovative arenas together, discover what areas need additional resources and help facilitate the innovation community in self-perpetuation.


What does Innovate St. Louis provide and how does it work?

Innovate St. Louis is a 501(c)3 public charity which allows us to offer services free of charge.  Our programs match innovative new business ideas with volunteer mentors who can help these ideas grow into companies by coaching them through the steps of starting, growing and maintaining a business.  Since its 2007 inception, Innovate St. Louis' programs have assisted over 100 new and young companies.  These companies, in turn, now employ over 450 people and have a collective revenue of over $6 million.