Show-Me State Times

Saint Louis University is set to host a series of events during the upcoming St. Louis Tech Week, scheduled for April 8-12. The week-long event aims to highlight the technology sector in St. Louis.

“It is a great time to be an entrepreneur at SLU,” stated Lewis Sheats, executive director of the Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship. “We are excited to partner with TechSTL and host several TechWeek events on campus, including our spring STL REE pitch competition.”

The STL REE Regional Collegiate Pitch Competition will see three student teams from the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business participating on Monday. This event, organized by the St. Louis Regional Entrepreneurship Educator Consortium, will feature students from various colleges and universities in the area presenting their business ideas in a poster format.

Designed to foster collaboration across regional higher education entrepreneurship programs, the STL REE Annual Pitch Competition seeks to boost student engagement and awareness of entrepreneurial opportunities. Participating institutions include Saint Louis University (SLU), Harris Stowe State University, Lindenwood University, McKendree University, Missouri Baptist University, Principia College, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, University of Missouri St. Louis, and Washington University.

“The opportunities for our students to engage and embed themselves in the STL entrepreneurship ecosystem is rewarding and so important for their development,” Sheats remarked.

The pitch competition will take place at COLLAB @ Cortex on Duncan Avenue at 5 p.m.

SLU's campus will also host several other events throughout Tech Week:

1. **Consumer Product Innovation**: This expo will examine trends in making, packaging, distributing, and selling products in the region. It will occur from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Anheuser Busch Auditorium in the Chaifetz School of Business.

2. **TGI Career Guide Series**: Featuring Ronda Schrenk from USGIF as a speaker, this event connects geospatial professionals with students interested in geospatial careers. It will be held at noon in Griesedieck Hall.

3. **Direct to Consumer Summit**: Focused on online sales community trends for 2024, this summit will run from 1-5 p.m., also at the Anheuser Busch Auditorium.

4. **Driving the Future of Food Tech**: This event will discuss tech integration and production innovation within food manufacturing and its future prospects in America. Scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., it will conclude with an Expo showcasing local food and beverage companies.

TechSTL began operations as a membership-based technology council in 2022 with an aim to promote technology and innovation sectors within St. Louis.