St. Louis’ thriving ecosystem presents many opportunities for entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts, and marketing professionals. Whether you’re seeking networking opportunities, business support, skill-building, or simply a good time, there’s an event tailored for you. Discover this extensive list of events and opportunities curated by our Founder, Erik Lutenegger, for the week of May 8-12, 2023 in St. Louis!
Funding, Accelerator, and ESO Opportunities
Are you looking for Accelerators, Incubators, or Funding? Here’s an excellent place to start!
Apply Now // Free WordPress Speed Optimizations from SwingSpan
Tenacity has officially launched SwingSpan, a Digital Divide program that provides free WordPress Speed Optimizations for Non-profits. So if you are part of a non-profit or know someone who is, and they use WordPress for their website, apply at Swingspan.app. (Free Help)
Due May 9 // MIT Solve’s Global Challenges
Seeking social entrepreneurs using technology to solve today’s most pressing problems. Those selected will join a nine-month support program and receive access to over $1 million in funding, grants, and investments. (Accelerator)
Due May 10 // Techstars Accelerator
Techstars applications are due for Future of Finance, Austin, Berlin, London, New Orleans, Sustainability Paris, Toronto, and Alabama EnergyTech.
(Accelerator)
Due May 12 // Startup Exit & Fire Awards 2023 | St. Louis Inno
Nominations are due for Startup Exit Awards and Lifetime Achievement Award. Also due are the Fire Awards nominations, which honor companies and organizations setting the local innovation economy ablaze. (Community Recognition & Awards)
Due May 14 // Most Influential Business Women Awards 2023 | St. Louis Business Journal
Nominations are due for the Most Influential Business Women Awards from the St. Louis Business Journal. These awards spotlight the women making the biggest impact at their companies and our community.
Due May 14 // The Render Competition
From Render Capital; think of this like Arch Grants but for Louisville, Kentucky. But it’s a 100k “SAFE” investment rather than a grant. Like Arch Grants, it does have a requirement that at least one founder lives in the Louisville Area.
Due May 17 // MTC IDEA Fund Co-Investment Programs
The IDEA Fund makes direct equity-based investments in Missouri’s most promising emerging companies to promote growth and encourage additional future investment. They have 3 programs the TechLaunch for pre-seed, Seed Capital for the Seed stage, and the Venture Capital Program, which supports technology startups through matching equity or convertible debt investments up to $2,000,000.
Due May 22 // NASA’s Climate Tech Startup Studio 2023 | FedTech
With climate change growing more critical daily, NASA is looking for engaged and motivated entrepreneurs to change the future through technology commercialization. So you get matched with a NASA tech that you use to bring a product to market.
Due May 30 // Google for Startups Accelerator
This 10-week digital accelerator program is for high-potential cloud-native technology startups headquartered in North America. This Accelerator is designed to bring the best of Google’s programs, products, people, and technology to startups doing interesting work in the Cloud.
Startup, Tech & Marketing Events
Events on May 8
May 4-10 // 16th Annual QFest St. Louis
QFest uses the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and to celebrate queer culture. (In-Person)
Turning Hours into Seconds Using AI for Your Content Marketing | Orange County Inland Empire SBDC
This is part of a series that day titled “The Top AI Tools Big Agencies Are Using Today.” Here you’ll discover leading artificial intelligence tools utilized by big agencies, learn evaluation processes to choose the right AI solutions and transform your content marketing strategies. (Virtual)
Events on May 9
May 9-11 // AI Expo & Demo Hall Pass at ODSC East 2023
You’ll learn about industry trends and innovations from world-renowned speakers at this event. Attendees can access 30+ live sessions, engage with featured partners, watch demos, and network with 6,500 like-minded professionals. (In-Person & Virtual)
The Importance of Data Driven Decisions | Missouri SBDC
What Data do you Need? Where can you find the Data? What does it mean? How do you use the Data? All these things help you define your Target Market, and the more you understand it, the easier it is to reach them. (Virtual)
NASA Climate Tech Startup Studio Lunch and Learn | FedTech
That thing I mention about NASA and FedTech in Applications. This is where you can get more information on that. (Virtual)
VOICES – STL Inclusive Entrepreneurship Affinity Group
If you are a woman, person of color, foreign-born, or LGBTQ+ in the St. Louis Startup Ecosystem, this is a chance to share your voice, connect to peers and resources in the entrepreneur ecosystem, and lead change within your community and organization. This month features a Fireside Chat with Jason Hall of Greater St. Louis, Inc. (In-Person)
Vetworking STL
You can join them and Vetbiz for a night of networking with fellow veterans, organizations, and employers. So if you are a transitioning service member or a job-seeking veteran, this is a fantastic opportunity to meet with fellow veterans and companies around St. Louis. (In-Person)
TikTok for Small Business | Digital Main Street
This beginner-level webinar covers using TikTok to engage customers, including fundamentals, business account optimization, content discovery, video creation ideas, and discoverability strategies targeting small businesses. (Virtual)
Events on May 10
1 Million Cups St. Louis | Presenter: Buon-Riche Foods, Inc.
This event is for local entrepreneurs to meet and present their startups to the innovation community here in St. Louis. The presenter is Buon-Riche Foods. (In-Person)
Google Optimize is Sunsetting–What Now? | Instapage
Google Optimize will no longer be available, impacting testing workflows. In this webinar, experts discuss A/B/n testing, modern split testing best practices, and minor CRO tweaks for optimizing landing pages and campaign success. (Virtual)
Recharting the Digital Customer Journey | Insider Intelligence
Media buyers need help managing ad campaigns due to complex channels, formats, and targeting strategies. This webinar teaches streamlining customer journeys with privacy, ad tech, and improvement tips. (Virtual)
St. Louis Business Expo & Business Growth Conference
This premier regional event offers opportunities for networking, product demonstrations, meeting decision-makers, and driving sales with targeted audiences, fostering business growth and development in St. Louis. (In-Person)
How to Build Your Minimum Viable Brand | Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center
Learn to build a Minimum Viable Brand (MVB) with Jenny Farias, Founder and CEO of Brands X Humans. You’ll learn to develop brand identity, convey values and mission, leverage position, and create customer-centered visual assets. (Virtual)
Sales Strategies for Startups: Creating Effective Messaging | Founder Institue
Discover sales-accelerating strategies in this interactive webinar featuring Daniel Wiener, an experienced marketer and business advisor. And learn to create personalized, compelling messaging, optimize sales emails, and use data for analysis and improvement. (Virtual)
Identify & Focus on the Right Customers presented by the SBDC | Kirkwood Public Library
This event, presented by the SBDC, delves into GrowthWheel’s “Customer Segments” Framework, examining demographics, geography, psychology, and purchase behavior to assist businesses in effectively targeting their ideal customer base. (In-Person & Hybrid)
Events on May 11
How to Increase Marketing Impact Using AI-Powered Insights featuring BrandOps | Marketing AI Institute
At this event, discover how to enhance marketing strategies using AI-powered insights from BrandOps, as Chief Customer Officer Alex Rosen demonstrates their platform. You’ll learn about full-funnel visibility, improved competitive analysis, streamlined reporting, and better decision-making through AI analytics. (Virtual)
Market Research | SCORE
In this free workshop by award-winning expert Susan Spaulding, participants learn market research basics, conducting self-research, and utilizing outside sources like industry reports and government statistics. (Virtual)
You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: Resources for Minority-Owned Businesses | Enterprise University
At this event, learn about available resources and support for minority-owned businesses, including access to entrepreneurial organizations, helpful training, and other support systems that can lead to sustainable success despite historical challenges and discrimination. (Virtual)
Predictive AI, the SuperBowl and Ad Testing | AMA
At this event, you’ll learn about a new AI-powered product being launched to enable big and small brands to test their ads in less than 15 minutes with great precision and against standard and custom parameters. (Virtual)
AgriTech Thursdays | T-REX
At this event, HabiTerre’s CEO Nick Reinke will discuss their holistic systems approach to sustainable agriculture and how it accurately quantifies greenhouse gas emissions and resource use efficiency using advanced technologies like remote sensing, process models, and AI/ML. (In-Person)
Venture Cafe St. Louis | Community Activations
Venture Café St. Louis connects a community of innovators and entrepreneurs through freely accessible high-impact programming and events. Highlights include Community Connections, Using Improv to Collaborate Faster and More Effectively, and The Get Together: Capital & Community Convos. (In-Person)
2023 StartOut Demo Day | StartOut
This is the largest pitch event for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, and it will highlight LGBTQ-led, scalable startups to investors. Top prizes include $5k for first place, $3k for second place, and $2k for third place winner. (Virtual)
Events on May 12
Content Marketing Friday Forum | MarketingProfs
Highlights for that are Backing Up Your Marketing Claims With Content, 497 Page One Rankings in 7 Weeks: How Pillar-Based Marketing Is Changing SEO, and Content Hacking 101: Strategies to Skyrocket Content Reach and Engagements. (Virtual)
Startups, Self-care, & You at T-REX, hosted by Devon Moody-Graham, MBA.
The presenter, Dasha Lynise of Soi Nails, will speak about the “Entrepreneurship Mindset.” So come enjoy some snacks and drinks and learn how to shift your mind into Business Model. (In-Person)
Bourbon Friday at TechArtista Downtown
It’s Friday, and it’s not Friday without Bourbon Friday. And you can join us at Techartista Downtown for our weekly social gathering celebrating the St. Louis startup scene. Stop by for 3 minutes or 3 hours for more great drinks and better conversations. (In-Person)
Events on May 13
May 13-14 // Scott AFB Airshow & STEM Expo
For the first time in five years, Scott Air Force Base is opening its gates to the community for an entire weekend of airshow performances and educational activities for children of all ages. (In-Person)
STL Vegan Market | Pocket Parks
STL Vegan Market is on a mission to build a community inspired by conscious eating and consumerism in St. Louis. So, join them at 2 Arce Park and get excited to experience delicious vegan food, drinks, goods, music, games, yoga, and more! (In-Person)
STLX Summer Social & Potluck
Join STLX Summer Social & Potluck for good food, good people, and good times as you get to know the STL Experience Design community in the heart of Tower Grove Park at Cypress North Pavilion. (In-Person)
IMAGINE IF Issues Assembly | Community Wealth Action Group + WEPOWER
This is a community policy solutions design event for neighbors, community groups, government officials, developers, and elected officials who are passionate about the opportunity to build community wealth, especially via real estate development. (In-Person)
Events on May 14
St. Louis Code and Coffee
If you are interested in coding at any level and want a community to connect with and share ideas, this is an informal meetup for anyone to work/hack on their project. (In-Person)
Join us on Meetup or Tiktok
What’s got you excited for this upcoming week? Share your thoughts in the comments below! We’re dedicated to improving the St. Louis Startup, Tech, and Marketing Ecosystem. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please let us know.
And if you have an event or date to remember, email us at events@bourbonfriday.show.