Tag: St. Louis



Givable is a new St. Louis startup that provides a platform for charitable giving and community involvement. Their mission is to “empower individuals and businesses to fuel change by making giving easy, social, and interactive.”

The company was founded on the principle of contributing to and empowering the growth and development of the St. Louis community. While there are numerous charities within St. Louis, individuals and businesses may not be aware of their existence and/or purpose. Givable shines a light on these charities and allows individuals to conveniently contribute to them and/or get involved within their communities.

Through Givable’s interactive micro-donations, charitable giving is easy and fun. Its transparent and trusted platform will allow Givable to lead the way in community-focused, subscriber-based giving mechanisms.

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Elise Hastings

As a team, we are helping Givable develop a marketing strategy to increase subscriber awareness and acquisition. After conducting an industry and market analysis, we now know that St. Louis has tremendous potential to enter into the new era of giving. We have also enjoyed having the opportunity to work with the founder and executive director of Givable, Elise Hastings. Ms. Hastings has truly inspired us to learn more about the St. Louis community and the potential number of organizations that Givable could serve.

Our ultimate goal is to help Givable grow, and through the process we hope to make a positive and lasting impact on both the company’s marketing strategy and the St. Louis community’s involvement with local charities.

Givable logo_darkCompany Background: Founded with the support of the Regional Business Council, the Staenberg Foundation and Cultivation Capital, Givable is a subscription-based daily philanthropy platform designed to engage millennials with awareness of social engagement and habitual giving to local nonprofits.

Project Goal: Identify an audience and create a marketing strategy to target that audience and increase Givable’s subscriber base.

CELect Givable Team: Adam Brock, BSBA; Allison Halpern, BSBA; Andrew Mackin, Law; and Nirav Patel, Law




Brian Lunt, (PMBA 2011),  wants to focus on the positive, entrepreneurial spirit that is flourishing in St. Louis.

He left banking to launch a business incubator in north St. Louis County called Medici MediaSpace. He also has a website called Top50STL that highlights positive stories about the region. A column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Lunt sees entrepreneurs as the saviors of St. Louis.

“I think the entrepreneurial undercurrent we have going on right now is the most exciting thing to happen in St. Louis in decades,” Lunt says. “We need to throw some fire on it.”

Link to Tony Messnger’s column




Over the last three months, I have been to five states and six cities in the US. I have toured the Central Standard Time zone, tasted the cheese in Wisconsin, been blown away in the windy city of Chicago, danced my way down the streets of New Orleans, watched my first game in football-crazy Texas (Dallas) and lived daily life in Missouri (St Louis).

I list ‘travelling’ as one of my favorite things to do, so imagine my delight at having so many opportunities to travel this massive, new country I am in. Through my travels I have come to realize something interesting. I am loving St Louis and here is why.
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1. It’s mid-November and I am still wearing shorts

I hail from an (almost) equatorial country where the norm is hot and humid. I would not have banked on my sun toasted skin to survive the dreaded winter of Missouri. Interestingly, the weather has mostly been deliciously cool, ever since temperatures dropped at the end of August. The beauty of fall is stretching itself out here and I am loving its chill and colors. Crisp, cool wind blowing in your face as you walk across Mudd Field is the best way to wake up for the 8 am classes.

I know what you are thinking—I have not survived winter yet, but St. Louis has been kind so far and if nothing else, the warmth of the ever-smiling people of St. Louis should help get me through.

2. Mother nature has your back

I head to Forest Park for my dose of green.

I head to Forest Park for my dose of green.

As I returned from my journey to the south of the country, I noticed how distinctively green St Louis is. There are trees everywhere, especially with Forest Park taking the game up a notch. At 1,293 acres (500 acres larger than Central Park!) Forest Park is the treasure of this city. Its streams and meadows, fountains and bridges lay out a mesmerizing mix of mother nature and human architecture that you can explore for days.

Any day you are feeling down or feeling lonely, turn to Mother Nature. Just head down to Forest Park and the dose of green will boost your endorphin levels.

3. No shortage of places to go

Music, theater, zoo, museum, tours, fairs, festivals. You are never bored here. Did I say that most of these are free?

The St. Louis Zoo is the USA’s ‘Best Free Attraction.’ You can watch the animals at the zoo or watch kids squeak in delight as the giraffes eat from their hands. The Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour is one of a kind. It comes with free beer, as is expected from the homeland of the famous Budweiser. I have met great people at ‘Festival of Nations,’ a grand affair, staying true to its name and showcasing art forms, food and goods from all over the world. I have not even scratched the surface of ‘Things to do in St Louis.’

I know. I sound like a tour guide, trying to sell St Louis to you; that is not the purpose of this blog. This blog is my thank you to St Louis—I came to you prepared to be bored and miserably cold, but while I was not paying attention, you became home.




In 1874, St. Louis was a major hub for industry. Downtown Washington Avenue was thriving with clothing and shoe manufacturers and the city was known as “first in shoes, first in booze, and last in the American league.” Today, the once thriving and populated downtown garment district has transitioned into historic lofts, retail, nightclubs, restaurants, and office space.

As part of the Olin Business School’s CELect practicum, students Emmy Caton, Shaheen Shabrou, Zitong Qiu, and Nancy Zhang are helping the Saint Louis Fashion Fund (SLFF) to revitalize the fashion industry within the community by putting together recommendations and next steps for the fund and SLFF’s fashion incubator.

The Saint Louis Fashion Fund is led by Executive Director Eric Johnson, an industry leader who has successfully launched similar programming and initiatives in New York City.

fashion-fund-incubatorOn October 27th, SLFF will celebrate the organization’s groundbreaking in a state-of-the-art building located at 1533 Washington Avenue (the ArtLofts Building).  As part of the fund’s broader education and outreach on fashion and design, six in-house designers will be welcomed as part of a two-year program to accelerate the development and resurgence of fashion within the larger St. Louis Community.

More information about the Saint Louis Fashion Fund and the incubator’s inaugural class and upcoming events can be found at St. Louis Fashion Incubator.

Blog post by: Emmy Caton (MBA’17), Shaheen Shabrou(PMBA’17), Zitong Qiu (JD’17), and Nancy Zhang (JD’17).




The former St. Louis Rams have already played their first game in their new home, the Los Angeles Coliseum. And the covered football stadium in St. Louis sits empty for the season with no sign of another NFL team in sight. L.A. public radio station, KPCC, wanted to know what happened to the St. Louis Dome after the Rams’ departure. Off-Ramp host Kevin Ferguson interviewed Jason Rosenbaum at St. Louis Public Radio for an update.

Olin’s Dan Elfenbein, associate professor of strategy, was asked what he thought the city should do with the Dome. Elfenbein said leveraging the region’s existing facilities is probably the best way to move past the Rams’ departure, “especially if it’s re-purposed in a way that brings folks from other places into St. Louis in order to spend money and engage in the things that we have here in the community that are entertainment, civic and cultural.”

Listen to or read the story here.

 




BSBA alum and entrepreneur David Dresner

Founder and CEO of Sleeve a Message and Coast a Message, David Dresner (BSBA ’10), has created a $20,000 scholarship specifically to aid students attending Washington University’s Olin Business School.

Dresner announced the scholarship with the goal to make a quality education affordable for qualified business students from the St. Louis metropolitan area with significant financial need.

“You shouldn’t have to suffer loads of debt just because you are pursuing a quality education,” said Dresner. “Helping the next generation helps all of us in St. Louis. Giving back to the community is one part of our sustainable business model.”

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Examples of custom, sustainable coffee cup sleeves from Dresner’s company.

St. Louis-based Sleeve a Message and Coast a Message develop custom coffee attire and coasters for many well-known companies across North America including Bon Appetit, Dark Matter, Whole Foods, Restoration Hardware, Hulu, Target, Dogwood Coffee Company, Progressive Insurance, Au Bon Pain, Lavazza, and Volkswagen USA. Sleeve a Message and Coast a Message’s unique commitment to sustainable social practices has earned them a reputation for continued service to the community.

“David is passionate about his commitment to the St. Louis community and supporting efforts that strengthen the region. Working with David to create this scholarship has been an absolute pleasure. We are grateful for his work, and we’re proud to count him among our alumni,” stated K.C. Cortinovis Friedrich, Senior Associate Director of Development at Washington University’s Olin Business School.

For more information about the Washington University Scholarship, contact Liz Sharpe-Taylor at 315-542-0400 or at lsharpetaylor@mswmarketing.com. For more information about David Dresner and Sleeve a Message or Coast a Message, please visit www.sleeveamessage.com or www.coastamessage.com.

Photos: Olin Business Magazine, 2012.