St. Louis innovation awaits! The week of April 6-12, 2026, is designed to inspire entrepreneurs, tech pioneers, and marketing strategists. Our Founder, Erik Lutenegger, presents a carefully curated guide to events that connect you with the heart of our thriving ecosystem.
ESO, Accelerator, and Funding Opportunities
Due April 12 // Fire Awards | St. Louis Business Journal
The Fire Awards are St. Louis Inno’s premier recognition program, honoring the companies and organizations setting the local innovation economy ablaze. There are two different awards, one for regular companies and one for Lifetime Achievement. (Community Awards)
Due April 15 // TwelveLabs GeoVision Hackathon
Build something real in a single weekend. This high-energy, in-person hackathon brings together developers and innovators to tackle real-world challenges using geospatial AI and cutting-edge video models, combining hands-on building, mentorship, and competition across use cases in mapping, energy, and advanced manufacturing. (Hackathon)
Due April 24 // Inc 5000
This annual recognition honors the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, highlighting exceptional revenue growth and entrepreneurial success. Honorees gain national visibility through editorial coverage, a permanent company profile, and association with past industry-defining businesses. January 30th is the Early Rate Deadline. (Industry Award)
Due May 6 // Techstars Accelerators
A three-month, sector-agnostic accelerator is committed to advancing world-class startups from Japan and abroad, focused on emerging technologies across industries. Participants receive mentorship, funding, and access to a global network to scale their businesses. Applications are now open for Techstars Tokyo Accelerator. (Accelerator)
Startup, Tech, and Marketing Events
April 6
April 6-7 // Campaign Optimization Series 2026: Performance in a Privacy-First, AI-Mature Era | Demandbase
Explore focused sessions that tackle campaign optimization strategies tailored for a privacy-first, AI-mature environment. Engage with featured speakers, review hands-on demonstrations, and adopt frameworks that improve targeting, attribution, and long-term performance metrics. (Virtual)
Writing A Business Plan – Webinar | U.S. Small Business Administration
Walk through each section of a business plan using the Michigan SBDC Simple Business Plan Template, covering business description, market analysis, management and operations, and financial projections for new and revising entrepreneurs. (Virtual)
Unlocking Public Funding for Startups | Founder Institute
Participate in a live Ask-Me-Anything that demystifies public funding for startups, covering government grants, non-dilutive support, early-stage programs, and funding for tech, manufacturing, green economy, and underrepresented founders, plus actionable advice on positioning applications and avoiding common pitfalls. (Virtual)
Managing Risk in a Time of Uncertainty | University of Wisconsin
Connect with subject-matter experts in a webinar designed to clarify uncertainty management, covering risk appetite setting, escalation pathways, and adaptive planning exercises, while providing attendees with pragmatic tools and next steps for embedding resilience into everyday practices. (Virtual)
Legal Support for Small Businesses | The Wedge
Receive practical legal guidance as local attorneys offer low-cost to no-cost consultations covering business structure, contracts, compliance, and intellectual property. Attendees will get actionable steps to protect ideas, establish a foundation, and confidently launch or grow their small businesses. (In-Person | The Wedge)
Monday Wealth Management for Entrepreneurs | Urban League – Center for Entrepreneurship
Enhance your financial acumen in a concise, one-hour session led by Thrivent and the Urban League, featuring clear guidance on business budgeting, risk management, and long-term planning, plus opportunities for questions and peer exchange to apply learnings to your venture. (In-Person | Urban League – HQ)
Debunking the myths of Quantum AI | PyData St. Louis
Soak up a concise exploration of quantum computing fundamentals, realistic expectations for Quantum AI, and practical examples of quantum-inspired techniques in machine learning, then engage in a community discussion and Q&A while networking with local practitioners over pizza. (In-Person | Spark Co-working)
Access to Capital: Are you Capital ready? | The 89th Collective
Gain clarity on accessing funding through a focused presentation and Q&A with a financial veteran who shares what investors look for, how to present financials, and steps to ready your application. A compact, practical session built for entrepreneurs seeking capital and connections. (In-Person | The 89th Collective)
April 7
April 7-8 // Virtual Conference: Marketing in Higher Education | American Marketing Association
Take part in a free virtual conference where higher education marketers share practical strategies for enrollment, branding, and audience engagement through keynotes, case studies, and interactive sessions, with on-demand access for 6 months and actionable ideas to strengthen recruitment, retention, and institutional storytelling. (Virtual)
When to build or buy AI solutions | Enterprise Nation
Watch a concise webinar where Julian Musson breaks down how founders decide whether to build, buy, or blend AI solutions, covering hidden costs, timeline realities, how to evaluate hybrid approaches, a practical decision framework, and warning signs to avoid costly implementation mistakes. (Virtual)
9 principles that will ensure that your website works | Digital Boost
Gain practical clarity in an hour-long online workshop covering nine essential principles that guide website content and design choices. Receive straightforward frameworks, real-world examples, and prioritization strategies to help create a focused, user-friendly site that supports business objectives. (Virtual)
St. Louis BizExpo
Network across industries in an action-packed trade show environment with seminars, business roundtables, exhibitor demonstrations, and speed networking to meet decision-makers, validate offerings, secure appointments, and turn conversations into immediate sales and long-term partnerships. (In-Person | St. Charles Convention Center)
AI for Insightful Data Analysis | General Assembly
Uncover how noncoders can leverage AI to interrogate datasets, build visualizations, and extract meaningful patterns. The session combines step-by-step tool demonstrations, hands-on practice, and clear methods for turning raw data into concise insights you can use right away. (Virtual)
1 Year -> 1,000 Links: How Digital PR Builds Authority for SEO and AI Search | Search Engine Land / Third Door Media
Explore an actionable presentation focused on building online authority through earned media: learn the framework behind a dozen successful campaigns, examples of journalist-friendly research stories, and specific AI workflows you can use to spin up effective campaigns quickly. (Virtual)
Navigating Liquidity and LP Communication in 2026 | Carta
Explore a clear picture of venture fund performance through fresh analysis of DPI trends, vintage comparisons, and exit conditions, while experienced operators share how secondaries, capital deployment context, and thoughtful investor updates can help preserve alignment when liquidity remains scarce. (Virtual)
Trust What You Can Trace: Making Agentic AI Explainable | ODSC AI
Participate in a focused exploration of how to move beyond black-box AI by learning the AI Explainability Scorecard, seeing model transparency comparisons from KNN to transformers, and adopting real-world techniques that preserve performance while enabling secure, auditable enterprise AI systems. (Virtual)
Scaling Multi-Agent Orchestration | Amazon AI Product and Technology Leader | Product School
Dive into a compact webinar where an experienced AI product leader explains the full lifecycle of multi-agent orchestration, from choosing single versus collaborative models to reliability patterns, human-in-the-loop frameworks, practical guardrails, and hands-on tips to deliver your first agent in weeks. (Virtual)
Doing Good and Doing It Right: Legal Structures for Social Enterprises | Start Small Think Big
Learn how different legal structures shape a mission-driven business: this webinar explains the distinctions among for-profits, benefit corporations, and nonprofits, outlines essential documents, and highlights practical legal strategies for partnerships, funding opportunities, and meaningful community impact. (Virtual)
Fraud Red Flags: A Guide for Small Businesses | Enterprise University
Engage with a practical overview of fraud prevention as the session examines warning signs small businesses should recognize, outlines the distinct roles of forensic accountants and fraud examiners, and connects those insights to litigation support, damages analysis, and business valuation work. (Virtual)
The Cost of Doing Business: Why It’s Rising and What You Can Do About It | Small Business Majority
This roundtable examines why expenses such as health care, rent, energy, and compliance continue to climb for small businesses, while offering insight into anticompetitive practices, emerging policy solutions, and pathways for business owners to make their experiences heard. (Virtual)
April 8
April 8-9 // Sales Transformation Summit | Selling Power
Attend a practical, strategy-driven program that blends analyst perspectives with vendor showcases and peer discussions, teaching you how to design, validate, and scale AI-augmented sales solutions while addressing economic, privacy, and operational challenges through governance and change management practices. (Virtual)
PitchSTL
Connect with local entrepreneurs each week at a free, no-RSVP morning meetup that offers six-minute pitch slots, twenty minutes of audience-driven Q&A and feedback, plenty of parking, presentation applications for founders, and pathways to sponsor or join the organization’s board. (In-Person | Northside Economic Empowerment Center)
Game-Changing AI for Governments: Composite AI | SAS
Explore a concise, accessible session that demystifies composite AI, walks through how different AI methods are combined, highlights government use cases that improve transparency and outcomes, and reviews the benefits and obstacles of deploying multi-technology AI systems for public-sector transformation. (Virtual)
Introduction to AI in Marketing | Constant Contact / Mid-Hudson SBDC
Discover how AI-driven marketing tools help small businesses streamline branding, automate content creation with drag-and-drop ease, personalize campaigns at scale, centralize management for efficiency, and generate actionable reports through demonstrations, practical tips, and strategies you can implement immediately. (Virtual)
Machine Learning for Healthcare | DataCamp
Absorb a step-by-step introduction to more advanced data science techniques as patient segmentation, group comparisons, and predictive modeling come together in Python, with expert guidance on crafting effective prompts and reading AI-generated code with greater confidence and precision. (Virtual)
High-Impact AI: Powering Public Innovation with Advanced Workstations | GovTech
Uncover actionable guidance on deploying edge AI using powerful workstations to process information near its source, protect sensitive data, and improve model iteration cycles, while learning how to balance edge, cloud, and data center environments for sustainable public innovation. (Virtual)
How Do I Create Profit & Loss Statements | Urban League STL – Women’s Business Center
Engage in a hands-on financial workshop guided by Jamie Amerson that demystifies Profit & Loss statements, outlines preparation processes, and demonstrates how to use P&L findings to inform budgeting, spot trends, and strengthen business planning for long-term stability. (Virtual)
STL Social Summit 2026
Take part in a hands-on summit where speakers break down real estate social media growth, share content and conversion techniques, and guide attendees through concrete steps to build a standout brand, with dedicated networking time and a complimentary happy hour to foster connections. (In-Person | The Waterbury Meeting Center)
How to Build a Multi-Six Figure Business Through Social Media | Network After Work
This webinar guides attendees through actionable systems to turn social media into a revenue engine, teaching how to get known via podcasts and live stages, schedule dozens of high-ticket calls consistently, and implement hands-off strategies that sustain a multi-six-figure income trajectory. (Virtual)
Geosaurus Unleashed: PlantCV-Geospatial: Agricultural Trait Extraction from Aerial Imagery | T-REX
Witness how aerial imagery becomes actionable agricultural insight as Keely Brown explains an open-source geospatial extension that measures plant height, canopy coverage, and crop health, while the gathering also creates space for conversation, refreshments, and meaningful networking. (In-Person | T-REX)
April 9
AMA 2026 Conference | The Art & Science of Marketing | AMA Saint Louis
Join a series of TED-style talks, targeted sessions, and a prioritization panel that examine AI-enabled workflows, proprietary assistant strategies, and producer mindsets, providing attendees with tactical frameworks to scale digital teams, reclaim time, and champion bold creative bets before the metrics follow. (In-Person | Community Music School of Webster University)
Scaling Agentic AI: A Leadership Guide for CIOs | Gartner
Elevate your understanding of how agentic AI is moving from experimentation to enterprise strategy, as this session examines governance, cross-functional leadership, and the role CIOs play in guiding scalable adoption, accountability, and measurable value across the organization. (Virtual)
Pitch Like a Pro: Turning Your Story into Investment | University of Maryland MTECH
Transform your pitch with hands-on guidance and illustrative case studies from an industry veteran, gaining practical tips on sequencing, persuasive framing, and delivery dynamics to communicate business value succinctly, engage investors, and improve outcomes immediately. (Virtual)
#TableTalk Shift Happens: Redefining What’s Next | BTP by Alison
Witness a powerhouse panel of business owners and leaders who have navigated the messy middle as they discuss recognizing pivot points, reframing success, preserving momentum during transitions, and actionable strategies for restructuring, rebuilding, or scaling without burning everything down. (In-Person | Dave & Buster’s St. Louis)
Is Your Customer 360 Actually AI-Ready? | MarketingProfs
Savor expert-led discussions on evolving Customer 360 programs to support AI-driven personalization and efficiency, with cross-industry case studies, a clear maturity framework to pinpoint next steps, and a concise Snowflake demo illustrating how unified customer data enables trusted decisions and coordinated business action. (Virtual)
AI Impact on Careers | Olin Business School
Take in a live roundtable exploring how AI is influencing hiring priorities and redefining professional growth, with perspectives on strategy, innovation, and the kinds of cross-functional thinkers most likely to shape the next generation of work. (Virtual)
Introduction to Codex | OpenAI Academy
Gain a practical introduction to Codex that explains what it is, how people integrate it into workflows, and ways it can help you move faster. The session includes demonstrations, real-world use cases, and straightforward steps to help beginners experiment confidently. (Virtual)
What AI Leaders Need to Do in Their First 90 Days | Section
Discover practical, step-by-step guidance from Section’s COO and Head of Product on establishing priorities in your first quarter, including a three-month checklist, early success indicators, strategies to sustain momentum through the year, and a live Q&A to clarify your immediate next moves. (Virtual)
Build Your Own 6-Figure Business, No Employees Required | Entrepreneur Media
Participate in a conversation centered on building a profitable business independently, with insights on leveraging virtual assistants, refining pricing strategy, and designing systems that reduce overwhelm while creating the consistency and flexibility needed for long-term solo entrepreneurial success. (Virtual)
ConnectHER Museum Mixer | #SheCan Connect Global Network
Uncover a different kind of networking night featuring warm introductions and conversation, a private guided exploration of museum collections, and a short documentary screening that leads into a reflective conversation about leadership, legacy, and community impact alongside new acquaintances. (In-Person | Missouri History Museum)
Founders Lounge Global | Powered by Metis Analytics
Network with founders, operators, and developers during focused meetups that prioritize honest conversations, live demos, and shared problem-solving, offering practical insights into what’s working and breaking as teams build and scale AI-first products in real-world settings. (In-Person | Spark Coworking – St. Louis)
April 10
The 2026 Executive AI Briefing: Your First AI Agent, Your Roadmap, and What Changed Since 2025 | Certified NETS
Immerse yourself in a focused executive briefing that explains how AI fits into organizational operations, why your org chart may include an AI agent, practical mid-market use cases, evaluation criteria for AI-ready partners, and a DIY one-year roadmap tool to guide implementation. (Virtual)
AI Unlocked: Empowering Women to Achieve More with Less Effort – Virtual | Women Empowering Women
Attend an interactive one-hour online event with Michell Stockmann, presenting concrete examples of AI integration across her businesses, demonstrating organization and efficiency techniques while cultivating networking, relationship-building, and peer support among women entrepreneurs and professionals. (Virtual)
Bourbon Friday | Sponsored by Tenacity
Connect with entrepreneurs and innovators over curated bourbon samples and candid conversations at a three-hour social mixer. The event blends guided tastings, peer storytelling, and casual introductions to help build relationships across the local startup ecosystem. (In-Person | TechArtista UCity)
April 12
St. Louis Code & Coffee
Cherish unhurried collaboration in a community-driven session that lets participants set their own pace, work on personal projects, offer help, or socialize. Brief organizer remarks and an intro circle structure the event, with an optional member workshop before the three o’clock close. (In-Person | TechArtista UCity)
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We’re all ears! What has you enthusiastic about the days ahead? Your feedback shapes our vision for the St. Louis startup, tech, and marketing community. To share events or critical deadlines, email us at [email protected].
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