Discover events tailored to the latest trends in marketing, AI, and pitching, ensuring options for everyone. Embrace the opportunity to enrich your knowledge, mingle with industry professionals, and advance your personal or business endeavors. Here’s a lineup from our Founder, Erik Lutenegger, spotlighting events and opportunities in St. Louis for the week of October 23-27, 2023, in St. Louis!
Accelerator, Funding & ESO Opportunities
Looking for funding, business acceleration, or entrepreneur support opportunities.
Due October 27 | Small Business Growth Fund | Global Entrepreneurship Network & Hello Alice
The Fund is back for the third and final round of 2023 with funding from Etsy and Progressive! The program recipients will receive $5,000-$25,000 grants to small businesses to help accelerate their growth and achieve their goals. (Funding)
Due October 31 | North St. Louis Small Business and Non-Profit Grant Program
The City of St. Louis has allocated $37 million for a grant program to assist small businesses and non-profits in North St. Louis. Aimed at reversing decades of disinvestment, the program targets entities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, within specified geographic areas for economic development and empowerment. (Funding)
Due November 15 | MTC Idea Fund
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. (Funding)
Due November 29 | Techstars Accelerator
Application are due for Boulder, Build in Tulsa, Anywhere Remote, Berlin, Boston, Columbus Powered by The Ohio State University, Equitech, Healthcare sponsored by Cedars-Sinai, Point32Health, UCI Health and UnitedHealthcare, Industries of the Future, London, New York City, Sustainability Paris, Toronto, Transformative World Torino, Web3, Powered by J.P. Morgan for Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Oakland (Accelerator)
Apply Now // Free WordPress Speed Optimizations for Non-Profits
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)
Tech, Startup & Marketing Events
Events on October 23
October 23-25 // Foundr Ecomm-AI Summit
With AI, you don’t just win the game. You change it completely. At this event, explore AI’s e-commerce potential with experts, delve into cutting-edge marketing strategies, and step up from beginner to advanced AI applications for boosting store growth and conversions. (Virtual)
CULTURA 2023 Conference | Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis
Uncover innovative research, arts, and culture intersections at a unique conference. While engaging with influential institutions presenting fresh findings on art’s economic impact and local creative experiences. (In-Person)
Events on October 24
Get Your Business Ready for AI | Enterprise Nation
Explore the AI revolution in a 30-minute session with Dropbox and This Way Up industry experts, and gain insights on leveraging AI for business agility and efficiency. (Virtual)
Business Credit | SCORE BiState Region
Are you over-extending your personal credit to fund your business and watching your personal credit scores decrease? During this session, you’ll get an alternative to raising the capital you need to grow your business. (Virtual)
WE NYC: Power Your Personal Brand Potential
Unlock personal branding capabilities in an engaging workshop, especially for women entrepreneurs. While you dive into actionable strategies, mastering a blend of humble self-promotion and assertiveness, embarking on a transformative branding journey with immediate impact. (Virtual)
Money Strategies for ADHD Creatives | Freelancers Hub
Engage in a financial metamorphosis tailored for ADHD creatives, merging insightful coaching with practical planning to redefine money habits, fostering a flourishing creative venture amid collaborative brainstorming and reflection. (Virtual)
Generate Remarkable Engagement and Web Traffic | Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center
Engage with Genesis A. Emery-Foley to unravel digital marketing growth tales, discover proven brand strategies, explore captivating content creation, and grasp SEO tactics for a noticeable sales surge. (Virtual)
Would You Enthusiastically Rehire Everyone on Your Team? | Enterprise University
Here, you’ll learn how leadership development is essential to scaling your business, how your leadership approach impacts everyone’s engagement, motivation, productivity, and accountability, and how to maximize business profit per payroll dollar. (Virtual)
NLP and AI in Languages Beyond English | Saint Louis Generative AI Lab
Kevin Scannell, a Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Saint Louis University, will present and lead a discussion on prospects for NLP and AI in languages beyond English. (In-Person)
New Skills for Work (NSFW): Your Company’s Performance Review | Filament
Discover the potential of a self-reflective performance review at this event, where instead of evaluating others, you’ll introspect on your organization’s prowess, engaging in enriching discussions to foster a collaborative environment and unveil actionable insights. (In-Person)
Startups, Selfcare & You: Devon Moody, MBA – 15 years in Business
Celebrate with Devon Moody as she shares her 15-year journey, nurturing small businesses across diverse sectors. And discover sustainable entrepreneurship while enjoying snacks, treats, and special gifts. (In-Person)
STL Queer Tech Gathering at Nebula | TechSTL
TechSTL’s Queer Tech Affinity Group hosts this networking event, celebrating Queer Innovation in St. Louis. Enjoy complimentary drinks, snacks, and insightful chats with tech thought leaders. (In-Person)
Events on October 25
1 Million Cups St. Louis
This event is for local entrepreneurs to meet and present their startups to the innovation community here in St. Louis. Presenters: The Wig Medics & Ideas Forum (In-Person)
October 25-27 // Summit of Things 2023 | IoT Marketing
Engage in lively panel discussions, insightful keynotes, and enriching training sessions. While traversing multiple virtual stages, networking zones, and a unique expo hall at this multi-day virtual tech event. (Virtual)
October 25-26 // Mid-America Trade Summit | MU International Trade Center
Engage with top exporters and global trade leaders, sharing export stories and best practices in a fast-paced, high-touch format, fostering high-level networking and shared learning to drive export expansion and business growth. (Virtual)
Mental Health and Resilience for Businesses | EquityMatch.co
Navigate through candid dialogues, absorb vital mental fortitude strategies, and transition into resilience pathways while embracing enlightening workshops and interactive sessions, fostering a robust mental framework for business endurance. (Virtual)
Cortex District Fall Forum
Are you interested in learning more about the District? Do you have feedback you would like to share? Come to this Forum to learn more about events and amenities, receive construction updates, and share your thoughts. There’s even a Free gift for those in attendance! (In-Person)
WashU Startup Fair | Olin Business School Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Association (EVCA) & Skandalaris Center
Engage with innovative startups, absorb entrepreneurial insights, and navigate a maze of creativity while forging meaningful connections, exploring novel business models, and embracing the vibrant ecosystem of possibilities. (In-Person)
StEP Buying a Business Workshop | Washington University in St. Louis Student Enterprise Program
Navigate the landscape of business procurement with seasoned experts, acquiring actionable knowledge and fostering meaningful connections, all set within a dynamic, supportive workshop. (In-Person)
Flow & Grow: A Marketing & Movement Experience | HeyDays HQ
ome learn a new marketing tip, tool, or tidbit while enjoying movement and music from yoga to dance to sound bowls, meditation, reiki, vogue, and aerobics. This week is Breath Work with Alexandria Meeks and Email & Domain Tips with Grow With Google. (In-Person)
STL SHINE Happy Hour | Erin Joy
Dive into a warm, inviting atmosphere where conversation flows effortlessly among aspiring women, unveiling potential collaborations over delicious light bites and beverages. (In-Person)
STL EMERGE – TaaS Trends | TechSTL
Discover insights from front-line innovators in St. Louis’ booming tech sectors as they unveil emerging market opportunities in the TaaS (Technology as a Service), spotlighting EdTech, Software, and On-Demand tech services against the backdrop of AI advancements. (In-Person)
Events on October 26
Master the Holidays with Winning Performance Marketing Strategies | Insider Intelligence
Find out about consumer holiday buying behaviors, relish global retailers’ triumphs, and master customer acquisition through affiliate channels amidst the holiday market frenzy, escalating your seasonal sales strategy. (Virtual)
How to Defend and Grow your Marketing Budget in Four Easy Steps | America Marketing Association
Navigate a pathway to a resilient marketing budget through four straightforward steps, absorbing essential strategies while unfolding a roadmap toward sustainable financial growth. (Virtual)
How to Make Paid Social Work for B2B SaaS | MarketingProfs
Dive into a realm of strategic social advertising with Garrett Mehrguth of Directive Consulting as he unravels a robust framework for B2B SaaS, fostering precise client targeting, diminishing acquisition costs, and sparking enriching sales interactions seamlessly. (Virtual)
Mitigating LLM Hallucinations with a Metrics-First Evaluation Framework | DeepLearning.AI
In this dynamic workshop, venture into the heart of LLM operation, delving into research-backed metrics, prompt engineering, and hands-on guides for erecting guardrails against hallucinations. (Virtual)
Getting Investors Interested in Your Startup: Strategies for Success | Founder Institute
Delve into the investor psyche, refine your pitch to showcase your startup’s merit, and tune your approach for various investor types. (Virtual)
Venture Café St. Louis | Capital Connections: Equity, Debt & Grants
Engage with seasoned experts to traverse the realms of equity capital, bank lending, non-dilutive grants, and crowdfunding while unraveling robust strategies to secure funding for your business voyage. (In-Person)
Founders Lounge | MultiPass Venture Community
Entrepreneurs can enjoy an evening fostering relationships, exchanging stories, and gathering insights. It promotes networking and provides opportunities for potential collaborations. (In-Person)
STL Mappy Hour
Head over to Urban Chestnut to get together to talk about data, maps, and software. This event is intended for cross-industry GIS colleagues and is not specific to any particular organization. (In-Person)
Family Business Awards | St. Louis Business Journal
Traverse a journey of family business milestones, from manufacturing to mushrooms, while commemorating ten remarkable companies for their great impact and enduring legacy. (In-Person)
Events on October 27
TEDxStLouis Women “Two Steps Forward”
Immerse in the narrative of global gender equity strides at this TEDx event, navigating through enriching dialogues and reflective insights, fostering collective visions towards a gender-balanced world. (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)
Code Til Dawn – but Spooky-Ish
Embrace the Halloween spirit, mingle with the local tech community, revel in spooky fun, and let your creativity shine in playful costumes amidst an inviting, collaborative space. (In-Person)
Events on October 27
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 meet-up for anyone to work or hack on their project. I believe they are doing Halloween, so watch for that. (In-Person)
Join us on Meetup or Tiktok
What’s sparking your interest this week? Let us hear it in the comments! Our mission is to enhance the St. Louis Startup, Tech, and Marketing Ecosystem, so your ideas and inputs are welcome.
Have an event or crucial date approaching? Send us the details at events@bourbonfriday.show.