Our Partners
The Saint Louis Regional Chamber
The St. Louis Regional Chamber traces its roots to 1836 – making us one of the oldest Chambers of Commerce in the United States. We’ve been involved with projects as diverse as securing funding for Charles Lindbergh’s historic 1927 transatlantic flight (thus the naming of the plane “The Spirit of St. Louis”) and rallying community support for the design, funding and construction of St. Louis’ famed Gateway Arch. We took on our current form in 1973, with the merger of three organizations: the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis, the St. Louis Regional Industrial Development Corporation, and the St. Louis Research Council.
Today we’re driven by one overriding purpose – to inspire a greater St. Louis – which is reflected in our Strategy Statement and three-year Strategic Plan.
We represent the 15-county bi-state metropolitan area and our members account for nearly 30% of the region’s employment base. We’re committed to collaborative partnerships and believe one of our primary responsibilities is to convene all the different stakeholders required to solve big, regional issues.
For information on becoming a Chamber member, or getting more actively engaged, please visit our Member Center. Here’s a link to our team roster if you want to address a specific question or information request to someone on our team.
America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
America’s SBDC represents America’s nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) – the most comprehensive small business assistance network in the United States and its territories.
The mission of America’s SBDC is to represent the interests of our members and their SBDCs, by promoting, informing, supporting and continuously improving America’s nationwide network of SBDCs. To also help new entrepreneurs realize the dream of business ownership, and to assist existing businesses to remain competitive in the complex marketplace of an ever-changing global economy.
Hosted by leading universities, colleges and state economic development agencies, and funded in part by the United States Congress through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, nearly 1,000 service centers are available to provide no-cost business consulting and low-cost training.
Small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs can go to their local SBDCs for FREE face-to-face business consulting and at-cost training, on topics including: writing business plans, accessing capital, marketing, regulatory compliance, technology development, and international trade
Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
MBDA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce that promotes the growth of minority-owned business through the mobilization and advancement of public and private sector programs, policy, and research.
We work throughout the Nation to link minority-owned businesses with the capital, contracts, and markets they need to grow. We advocate and promote minority-owned business with elected officials, policy makers, and business leaders. Serving as subject matter experts and advocates for the minority business community, we conduct high quality research and cultivate domestic and international relationships. Through a national network of MBDA Business Centers and a wide range of domestic and international strategic partners, we provide Agency clients with technical assistance and access to capital, contract, and new markets opportunities to create new jobs. Our programs and services better equip minority-owned firms to create jobs, build scale and capacity, increase revenues, and expand regionally, nationally, and internationally. MBDA provides increased visibility and access for minority-owned firms by partnering with multi-national corporations, and government agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Through our network of MBDA Business Centers we provide customized business development solutions designed to Grow your business. Build the Nation.
Our clients are businesses owned by African Americans, Asian Americans, Hasidic Jews, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders. These companies are fast-growing, innovative, and represented in every industry sector in the United States. Minority-owned firms contribute over $1.4 trillion in annual economic output to the U.S. economy and directly account for 7.2 million U.S. jobs.
Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Centers
Small Business & Technology Development Centers (SBTDCs) are a unique collaboration of SBA federal funds, state and local governments, and private sector resources. SBTDCs provide a vast array of technical help to small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. By supporting business growth, sustainability and enhancing the creation of new businesses entities, SBTDCs foster local and regional economic development through job creation and retention. As a result of the extensive, one-to-one, long-term professional business advising, low-cost training and other specialized services SBTDC clients receive, the program remains one of the nation’s largest small business assistance programs in the federal government.
MO SBTDC represents a network of business resources throughout Missouri. Located at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO SBTDC consists of more than 100 business development specialists, instructors and staff located the statewide. In the last three years MO SBTDC staff have worked with 9,515 small businesses, providing 2,119 training courses serving 38,786 participants. A total of 6,483 jobs were created.