En Contacto Fall'18 by Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Metro St. Louis

FA L L 2018

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ENTERPRISE B&T: RED FLAGS THAT CAN PUT YOUR BUSINESS LOAN AT RISK

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LINKING LEADERS TO NON-PROFITS

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RESTAURANT TRAINING & VENDOR FAIR/EXPO 1

Letter from the President & CEO

FALL 2018

4 Enterprise B&T: Red Flags that Can Put Your Business Loan at Risk 6 Linking Leaders to Non-Profits 7 U.S. Supreme Court Decision Greatly Impacts Sales Tax 8 Restaurant Training & Vendor Fair/ EXPO 10 Southeast Launching New Minor in Spanish for the Health Professions 12 Supporting St. Louis’ Women Entrepreneurs During National Women’s Small Business Month

Contributing Author: Nerishka Cruz

“ Together, we are improving business opportunities for Hispanic firms, professionals and contributing to the overall economic development of the St. Louis region.”

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! By joining, the following individuals and companies have decided to make an investment in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and our community at large. We encourage you to find out more about them and, whenever possible, to use their services. If you would like more information about any of these individuals or organizations, please contact us at 314.664.4432. Argentinian Bakery Bakery Pastelería St. Ann Business Solutions Cardenas LLC Carvic Technologies, LLC Chef’s Choice CMS Corporation Come Full Circle, LLC Community Development YMCA Square Creating Health LLC Cross Over Media CSL Plasma Diversified Contractors Inc. Dulceria Medina Eagle Global Enterprises Get Found STL Great Rivers Greenway Guzman’s Restaurant Hexa Engineers La Colombianita LegalShield Los Gauchos Parrilla Argentina Luna Consulting Mathenia Insurance Group, Daniel Villa Mi Jalapeño Morales Restaurante O.Z. Flooring LLC. Peru Cocina Pulitzer Arts Foundation Requejo LLC Revel Kitchen Saint Louis Club Athletico Más Tequila Cantina Smart Insurance St. Louis Kansas City, STL Carpenters Regional Council St. Louis Science Center State Farm, Christina Reynolds Sysco Team Logic IT Tradicional 636 United Fruit & Produce US Small Business Administration, St. Louis District Office Vivial XHConsultin

Happy New Year! I want to thank each one of you for being part of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis. I appreciate your support, commitment and dedication, which have been integral to the HCC’s success. 2018 was an exciting and eventful year for us, and we ended the last quarter with a great recognition as we received the 2018 Chamber of the Year Award. Most importantly, our staff was recognized by countless organizations for the positive impact we are creating in this community throughout the year. Our programs continue to flourish, and I am particularly proud of the work we have done to support our local restaurants. In December, we presented the third Restaurant Training & Vendor Fair/EXPO, sponsored by Sysco. This event was attended by 22 restaurateurs who were eager to learn and share ideas that could help them expand their businesses. We also presented Executive Insights, hosted by Thompson Coburn and sponsored by Enterprise Bank & Trust, and we spearheaded Linking Leaders with the support from United Way. This was an event that connected over 80 professional local leaders with 13 non-profit organizations to learn about volunteer and community leadership opportunities. I’m feeling immense gratitude for our donors and sponsors for their trust, generosity and support which enabled us to make so much progress in the year. I am looking forward to a new year full of amazing events, such as the Job Fair and our Adelante Awards. We will continue to bring our educational forums, Café with Business, which airs every first Tuesday of the month, and we invite you to our monthly networking event, Business After Hours, which takes place every third Thursday of the month. Visit our website for more details! Together, we are improving business opportunities for Hispanic firms, professionals and contributing to the overall economic development of the St. Louis region. Thank you for all you do for the HCC, its members and for our mission. Have a wonderful and productive new year! Karlos Ramirez President & CEO 3

“ But what you may not realize is that there are a wide variety of more subjective measures that banks also use when evaluating your request.” Red Flags That Can Put Your Business Loan at Risk Demystifying decision-making to help you get to “yes” The Journey to “Yes”

If you are a business owner, you surely have dreamed about what you could do with more capital. Maybe you need new equipment to keep you competitive. Or maybe you’re ready to expand to a new market, but a financial shortfall is standing in your way. When it’s time to explore putting your dreams into motion, banks will have basic criteria you must meet to qualify for a business loan. That criteria is well-documented and easy to find. But what you may not realize is that there are a wide variety of more subjective measures that banks also use when evaluating your request. This paper provides a glimpse “behind the curtain” to help business owners better understand – and prepare to address – both objective and subjective questions, maximizing your chances of getting a “yes” on your business loan application from your banking partner.

13 Red Flags

While not all “red flags” are created equal, here are the most common loan stumbling blocks to avoid. 1. No budget A surprising number of small businesses do not have a set budget. The lack of a budget plan means your bank can’t forecast your growth. It’s also a sign that you may be too early in your life cycle for your bank to take the risk. 2. Interest rate is your primary concern While everyone wants the lowest possible interest rate, if you are talking with 5-6 prospective banks, your bank may think you are “rate shopping” rather than seeking a business partnership. 4

3. Excessive dependencies There is risk in being overly reliant on things like a key raw material, one or two huge customers, a labor contract, or a patent. Your banking advisor should seek to understand these dependencies, and ideally help identify ways to minimize that risk. 4. Instability, high variability If you operate in an unstable business environment (for example, sporadic access to raw materials), or your industry has frequent highs and lows (i.e., housing construction), you should discuss this with your banker to see if there are ways to mitigate this concern. 5. Messy financial communication Good communication is a key tenet to a solid relationship, Conversely, poor communication may be a sign of things to come – especially when it comes to turning over your business’s financial information quickly and in an organized manner. Being on time and organized (or not) is another reflection of how you run your business. 6. Turnover ratios lengthening Slow-selling inventory, too much product, delays in paying your suppliers, and delays in collecting payments can worry your banker. There are many good explanations that will help overcome this hurdle, but your banker will want to dive deeper to understand. 7. Growth and expansion that is too fast This may seem counter-intuitive – who doesn’t want a winner? – but rapid expansion can mean management may not be able to sustain that growth, or may not have grown its infrastructure or capital base to keep up. In some cases, it may demonstrate that the business owners are hoping for a quick turn. Here again, dialoguing makes all the difference.

8. Questionable cash flow You should be able to provide your banker global cash flow information. So while you are obviously focused on capital for the project you are financing, if your overall cash flow is marginal or negative, it creates questions that will need to be addressed.

13. No estate plan Particularly for mid-size or larger business, having no estate plan puts your business – and therefore financial performance – at risk. What happens to your business if you are no longer around?

9. No management team There is risk in relying on one founder/owner. Well-run businesses typically have a succession plan, a bench of talent, and some key advisors or business partners who advise the organization.

The most important takeaway of this report is that business loan decisions are both objective and subjective. Basic financial criteria must be met, but overall impressions, work style, and the ability for the bank and business owner to develop a deeper, trust-based relationship matters. How you work through gray areas and subjective criteria tells the bank a lot about what kind of client you will be. And how they work with you to overcome any shortcomings reveals whether you have found a trusted business partner, or simply a transactional vendor.

10. Overly complicated ownership structure While not a deal-killer, a banker will question the intention of a complicated ownership structure. What is the purpose, and will it complicate future decision-making? 11. Tax income is different than book income If a business owner says they make $200,000 but they operate largely in cash and can only show earnings of $100,000, the bank must use the lower number to calculate risk. It doesn’t mean your loan will be denied; a good banker will simply factor this with other risk factors. 12. Fighting or unrest between management, partners, or family members These situations rarely end well in general, but especially with your lender.

So, What’s the Secret?

Thinking about a business loan?

Let’s talk! Enterprise Bank & Trust can help you determine how ready you are. Contact us to start a conversation. Even if you are not in the market for a loan right now, we offer many no-cost resources for business owners and through Enterprise University. Check them out at www.enterprisebank.com.

DOUG BAUCHE is Chief Credit Officer of Enterprise Bank & Trust and chair of the company’s Executive Credit Committee. Doug has 25 years of commercial banking experience, having served in numerous leadership roles at banks and locations throughout the Midwest. He also serves as a member of the BJC Hospital Foundation Board in St. Louis, MO.

FALL 2018 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

“ Starting in 2018, qualified withdrawals now include up to $10,000 a year to be used for elementary tuition per beneficiary.”

Learn How the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 Impacts 529 Plan On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. If you are an individual or company that pays taxes, there’s a 100% chance it affects you.

Linking Leaders to Non-Profits We know that board service is an important part of community involvement and we encourage our members to volunteer and serve on local nonprofit boards. Community involvement is a great way for leaders to learn about leadership and service, as well as a valuable opportunity for the nonprofits as they can benefit from the life experiences and skills that these diverse leaders can bring to the table. With this in mind, we created a new initiative called Linking Leaders. The goal is to provide a continuous stream of people who can support our local nonprofits. During our first event, which took place in November, 13 nonprofits had the opportunity to spread their messages and share their missions with more than 80 professional leaders and HCC members. “Linking Leaders enables local leaders to learn more about the nonprofits in the community, their accomplishments and critical needs,” said Nerishka Cruz, HCC’s program assistant. “In turn, the nonprofits are able to identify resources to better assist them in building their capacity and furthering their mission.” Sponsored by United Way, the nonprofits that participated were: Casa de Salud, Hispanic ECS Fund, Hispanic Leaders Group, Hispanic Festival, Inc., International Institute, Kingdom House, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Metro Theater Company, St. Francis Legal Services, A.T. Still University and MO History Museum.

“ Linking Leaders enables local leaders to learn more about the nonprofits in the community, their accomplishments and critical needs” 6

The new law provides relief to lower class and middle-class taxpayers, both in the ease of calculating tax and in the reduction of taxes across the board. The results are a bit mixed when it comes to small businesses. In some ways the new law did provide some relief to small businesses (the 20% tax deduction for qualified business income, easing the rules for using the cash method of accounting and accounting for inventory and capitalizing certain costs related to inventory). But in other ways, the new rules created additional calculations to maximize the qualified business income deduction (section 199A). In short, it may now be easier to calculate your tax, but it will likely become more complicated if you want to fully take advantage of the new law’s windfalls (in the form of lowering your tax bill). One such windfall is the expanded use of 529 plans. Traditionally, Section 529 plans allowed taxpayers to contribute money into an account in the name of a designated beneficiary (typically a child). The funds could grow tax-free if the money is only used for college tuition and supplies. The benefit of this plan is that the contributions grow taxfree if the withdrawals are for qualified expenses. Additionally, some states allow a deduction for contributions into 529 plans. Missouri allows a deduction of up to $8,000 ($16,000 for married couples filing a joint return) per taxpayer per year. It is also worth noting that if the funds are not used by the original beneficiary it can be rolled over into the account of a different beneficiary.

Prior to the recent law change, only payments for post-secondary education were considered qualified withdrawals from 529 plans. Starting in 2018, qualified withdrawals now include up to $10,000 a year to be used for elementary (grades K-12) tuition per beneficiary. This makes using 529 plans even more attractive. Quick Illustration: A married couple, residing in Missouri, contributes $16,000 into a 529 plan in June 2018 for their daughter. In August 2018, they withdrawal $10,000 for their daughter’s private elementary school tuition. The couple would receive a Missouri deduction of $16,000 on their 2018 Missouri return. Since Missouri’s tax rate is 6%, the value of that deduction is $960 of tax savings. The remaining $6,000 in their account can grow tax-free if it is used towards future qualified elementary tuition or post-secondary tuition/expenses (and therefore no capital gains tax on the appreciation of the funds). Please be aware that potential gift tax implications may arise if contributions exceed the annual gift tax exclusion. However, a taxpayer may elect to spread their gift over five years for gift tax purposes. There are many new opportunities for tax planning and tax savings due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As we discussed in this article, the rules for Section 529 plans were loosened to include private elementary school tuition. This is only one small caveat of the new law, but this can be a very quick and easy way to decrease your tax bill. Please consult a tax professional before making any final decisions.

BRETT RUGEN, CPA, is a max manager at Purk & Associates. He has more than 10 years of accounting and tax experience working for a publicly traded company and public accounting firms. In his role, Brett oversees a team of professionals who provide income tax planning, guidance, and compliance for high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurs. He is also responsible for new business development and client engagement for the tax division. Brett can be contacted at brugen@purkpc.com.

FALL 2018 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Restaurant Training & Vendor Fair/ EXPO Metro St. Louis restaurant owners had the opportunity to network and learn from industry experts during the Spanish Restaurant Training program in December. And after a full day of training sessions, participants attended the vendor food expo, sponsored by Sysco, featuring local and ethnic food companies. More than 25 prospective and restaurant owners attended the conference. Some of the attendees were Maggie Requejo and Angel Requejo, owners of Jose Peños restaurant; Ana Becerril, owner of Catrina’s; Hector Guzman, owner of Guzman’s Restaurant, located in Illinois; and Diana San Pedo and Luis Rivillas, owners of La Colombianita. Due to the growing number of Hispanic businesses, especially in the restaurant and food industry, the HCC has committed to providing this training in Spanish on an annual basis. The program will bring food industry experts who can share a unique perspective on how to handle the administration side of the business, such as food costs, menu engineering, the hiring process, and employee onboarding. While Mr. Peños and Ms. Becerril have been operating a restaurant successfully for almost three years, they were eager to learn new ways to effectively manage their businesses and their employees. Additionally, Mr. Peños recently opened a new bar, Req Room in Overland, MO and wanted to make sure he could implement the

same business practices that have been successful so far with his first restaurant. Ms. Becerril added that she appreciated being able to get a refresher on various topics and learn new strategies in her native language. “I know I have made a lot of mistakes since opening the restaurant and wish I had had access to this information beforehand,” said Mr. Guzman. “This training has now really helped me see the importance of focusing on the administration and expenses of the business.” The Spanish Restaurant Training is led by Angel Jimenez-Gutierrez who started Profundiza in early 2018 specifically to offer restaurant consulting to Spanish-speaking business owners. Jimenez-Gutierrez, who owned and operated Señor Pique, located in Ballwin, for 16 years, emphasizes the importance of understanding the accounting implications of owning a restaurant to succeed in today’s competitive market. “I am grateful to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Sysco for providing great tools, information and resources that will benefit restaurant owners dramatically and immediately, added JimenezGutierrez.” According to the Missouri Restaurant Association, restaurants are a driving force in Missouri’s economy. They provide jobs and build

GABRIELA RAMÍREZ-ARELLANO, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce business counselor is an entrepreneur that has been helping small business owners start and grow their businesses since 2011. Recently named by the St Louis Business Journal as One of the Top 100 people to know to succeed in business, Gabriela and her husband own Don Emiliano’s Restaurante Mexicano in O’Fallon, MO. Her own experience and lessons learned help her relate and understand the needs of St. Louis local business owners.

careers for thousands of people, and play a vital role in local communities throughout the state. In 2018, there were 302,500 restaurant and food service jobs in Missouri, representing 11% of employment in the state. “Restaurants are growing more multilingual every day and by providing the Spanish restaurant training, the HCC hopes to help restaurant owners succeed,” said Gabriela Ramirez-Arellano, Business Counselor for the Hispanic Chamber. “Restaurants benefit the local economy and help build the community.” The event’s sponsor, Sysco, partnered with the HCC to increase awareness and event participation. Their vendors were on hand at the food expo to showcase local products as well as the Hispanic products that are in high-demand. For instance, restaurants owners were interested in RYC Foods’ arrachera skirt steak, Cheese Cake Kings’ tres leches cheesecake and cake, Jarritos soft drinks, and Del Carmen Beans, which is a longtime member of the Hispanic Chamber and now a part of Sysco’s product lineup. This part of the session was open to the public and several local restaurants and food businesses stopped by to sample products, talk to representatives and find out more about how they might expand their menu.

“ Restaurants are a driving force in Missouri’s economy.” —Missouri Restaurant Association

MAXIMILIANAH ZALES is the Missouri Outreach Manager for Small Business Majority, a national nonprofit small business advocacy organization with offices in St. Louis and Springfield. We’d like to thank all our partners for their support of this series, including the St. Louis City Treasurer’s Office, the St. Louis Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, BALSA Foundation, VetBiz, St. Louis-Brazen Global, Justine PETERSEN, Grace Hill Women’s Business Center, EDC Business and Community Partners and DK Solutions.

FALL 2018 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The program builds cultural humility and understanding to allow students as future healthcare professionals to provide the best care to more patients, Lee-DiStefano said. Southeast prepares students for questions and situations that could arise and to be able to understand their patient within social and cultural contexts. Gasior, who has completed all three levels of Spanish for the health professions and is currently tutoring other students taking these courses, is confident she can speak Spanish with future patients or clients, but she can also better interact, understand and relay information with the correct vocabulary.

Southeast Launching a New Minor Program in Spanish for Health Professionals The increasing diversity of the nation brings opportunities and challenges for the health care systems to create and deliver culturally competent services. A culturally competent health care system can help improve health outcomes and quality of care, and can reduce racial and ethnic health disparities. Southeast Missouri State University is focusing on preparing and educating students with the skills and knowledge to meet the marketplace demand and serve the community. Beginning in fall 2019, Southeast students pursuing degrees in health-related fields will be able to graduate with a minor in Spanish for the health professions. “The goal of the program is to serve a need in the community and position the students with in-demand skills in healthcare fields,” said Dr. Debbie Lee-DiStefano, professor of Spanish language and culture at Southeast. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that bilingual employees are in demand and make higher salaries in the same profession than monolingual speakers. The minor will offer experience in Spanish to interested students in health professions degree programs. Graduates will learn to discuss health matters with clientele in Spanish, assisting a population that has been underserved due to language barriers. The 18-credit hour minor was proposed by the Department of Communication Studies and Modern Languages and may appeal to students in several degree programs such as nursing, health communication, pre-physician assistant, pre-physical therapy, health management, and biomedical sciences. “The program will help students improve their proficiency in Spanish, improve the marketability and portability of the students’ health 10

degrees, and improve the students’ abilities to work with diverse populations,” Lee-DiStefano said. To fulfill the program requirements, students take three levels of Spanish for the health professions, introduction to Hispanic literature, and a 300-level Spanish course. The students must also take an experiential learning course such as “winter in Ecuador” or similar study-abroad courses approved by their advisor and pass the Spanish proficiency exit exam. “It’s a very unique program because it combines classroom and hands-on experiential learning,” Lee-DiStefano added. “Our students spend time studying the language within the context of their chosen profession, get to be immersed in the culture and demonstrate their abilities before graduating.” For sophomore Molly Gasior of Clarendon Hills, Illinois, the new program allows her to combine her passions for helping others and the Spanish language. “When I was comparing universities, the communication disorders and Spanish programs were very important to me because I knew that creating that extra bond with a client through having a fluid conversation without an interpreter would create a higher probability of a stronger client to clinician relationship,” said Gasior, who is pursuing a degree in communication studies with double minors in autism studies and Spanish for the health professions. “This new minor truly put Southeast over the top and made it very clear that the University had the best interests of students in preparing them for the workforce.”

“I have not only learned surgery and anatomy terms, but I have also learned how to use this information in context,” Gasior said. “We talked about the importance of cultural competency and speaking to a patient in their native tongue to make them feel more comfortable.” Zack Koeller of Jackson, Missouri, hopes the knowledge he’ll gain from the program will allow him to fill the need for Spanish-speaking caregivers in the health industry to accommodate the nation’s growing number of Spanish speaking patients. “The biggest thing I have learned through the program is how important it is for healthcare organizations to be aware of different cultures, not just the languages,” he said. “Throughout the curriculum, cultural competency is a major highlight of discussion. It is important to be cognizant of the traditions and medical practices of different

cultures to better the health of all people. We observed different ways healthcare practices, like Casa de Salud in St. Louis, are connecting with patients from different cultures using their patient-centered approach.” Koeller is a senior pursuing a degree in health communication, and while he may not have direct patient care in his career, the skills and knowledge he’s gained will be just as important. “By learning the language and cultural skills, I will be able to better craft messages that effectively communicate the goals of healthcare organizations to different populations,” he said. Gasior hopes to apply her skills not only for the betterment of patient care, but also to take her abilities to new areas of the health profession. “One of the many outlets of speech and language pathology that I want to explore more is bilingual speech therapy,” she said. “If the clinician knows the language, then there will be a larger and clearer exchange of information. I will not only understand the words they are saying but also why they are saying those words. Dr. Lee-DiStefano truly emphasized that it is important to be an empathetic supporter as well as a clinician, and that is a valuable reminder that I will take with me.” For more information about Southeast’s minor in Spanish for the health professions, contact Lee-DiStefano at dklee@semo.edu.

“ The goal of the program is to serve a need in the community and position the students with in-demand skills in healthcare fields.” MICHELLE QUEISER is a communications specialist with University Communications at Southeast Missouri State University. She joined the University in 2015. Previously, she was a unit public affairs representative for the Missouri National Guard for six years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

FALL 2018 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Supporting St. Louis’ Women Entrepreneurs During National Women’s Small Business Month October was National Women’s Small Business Month, and the nonprofit Small Business Majority celebrated the occasion by bringing our Women’s Entrepreneurship Program to St. Louis through a series of events. Women entrepreneurs—especially women of color—are one of the fastest-growing segments of our economy. Between 2007 and 2016, the number of women-owned businesses increased by 45 percent nationwide. While they continue to face unique challenges around issues like access to capital and finding mentors, they are increasingly optimistic about their ventures. Bank of America’s 2018 Women Business Owner Spotlight found that 58% of women business owners expect to increase revenue in the coming year, up from 44% in 2017. Similarly, 56% plan to grow their business over the next five years and one in five plans to hire in the next year.

can find business assistance or mentoring. This was followed by an event titled, “BYOB: Be Your Own Boss Roundtable Discussion for Small Business Women of Color,” which included best practices from successful female entrepreneurs and mentoring opportunities for women business owners. Malerie Brenston, an aspiring entrepreneur from St. Louis, attended the BYOB event to learn more about starting a business. Afterwards, she shared this feedback: “I had a wonderful time at the BYOB networking event! I met so many awesome women who are in business or aspiring to become a business owner. I recommend this as a great tool to get out and network. Your network is your net worth!”

Through our Women’s Entrepreneurship Program, we want to help these women achieve their dreams for their business by providing them with the resources they need to build and expand. We worked with many of our St. Louis partners throughout National Women’s Small Business Month to educate women business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs about topics like access to capital, wealth building, empowerment, networking and more.

Other events included presentations from business support organizations, including Grace Hill Women’s Business Center, Justine PETERSEN and the International Institute of St. Louis. We will continue to work with great organizations like these beyond National Women’s Small Business Month to provide more in-person and online resources for women through educational events. In addition to our events, we’re also helping to connect women with vetted local lenders, business resource providers and mentoring opportunities, and you can find dedicated resources for women entrepreneurs through our online Entrepreneurship Program resource hub at smallbusinessportal.org.

We kicked off our event series with a celebration hosted in partnership with the City of St. Louis Treasurer’s Office that featured opening remarks by City Treasurer Tishaura Jones, panel discussions elevating women’s voices and information about where women entrepreneurs

St. Louis’s women business owners are creating innovative, successful companies with enormous potential to create change in their communities, and we’re proud to support them during National Women’s Small Business Month and throughout the year.

“ 58% of women business owners expect to increase revenue in the coming year, up from 44% in 2017.”

HELPING PEOPLE LIVE THEIR BEST POSSIBLE LIVES Problems. The ones too big to tackle alone. The ones that limit people and limit potential. The ones that impact all of us. We go looking for them. In farm towns and river towns. Suburbs and cities. From South City to Swansea. Overland to Highland. We surround our community’s most critical problems. And we fight. We are the hand-raisers. The game-changers The never stop fighting, never back down, life transformers. At United Way of Greater St. Louis, we fight for every person in our community. We fight for the education of every child. The basic needs of every family. The self-sufficiency of every person. Because what happens to one of us, happens to all of us. United, we fight for those who can’t. United, we fight for change. United, we fight to help people live their best possible lives. Unite with us.

HELPINGPEOPLE.ORG

FALL 2018 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

where

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Building a more diverse and inclusive region. That’s our business. We’re the Regional Business Council. We’re 100 of the area’s leading businesses, with over $60 billion in revenue, staffed by over 100,000 professional associates. And we’re targeting those resources and that expertise directly at the St. Louis region. Improving the St. Louis region is a big job. But that’s our Business.

The Regional Business Council stands with the

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in its work empowering communities and changing lives.

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St. Charles Community College LUXCO, Inc. St. John’s Bank Madrina’s St. Louis Community College Magnolia Hotel Major Brands St. Louis Economic Development Partnership McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc. St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council St. Louis Post-Dispatch Midland States Bank Strategic Staffing Solutions Midwest BankCentre Success Promotions Mississippi Lime Company Talisen Technologies, Inc. Missouri History Museum TheBANK of Edwardsville Montgomery Bank The Private Bank NextGen Information Services, Inc. Pangea Group Thompson Coburn LLP People’s Health Centers Thrivent Financial Pinnacle — St. Louis UMB Bank PNC Bank UMSL Ponce Realty powered by ReMax Gold University of Missouri System Regions Bank USA Mortgage Reliance Bank ValDivia Enterprises Republic Services Volpi Foods, Inc Risk Consulting Partners Washington University R.P. Lumber Weber Chevrolet Creve Coeur Webster University Southern Illinois University—Edwardsville Scottrade Bank Western Illinois University Spire, Inc World Wide Technology

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