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World Trade Center St. Louis to Host Growing Global 2024

Event to have speakers discuss impact global talent has on St. Louis’ economic growth, honor global ambassador award winners

ST. LOUIS (Sept. 9, 2024) — World Trade Center St. Louis (WTC), the international division of St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, will host its annual Growing Global luncheon on September 25. The theme for this year’s event will be Global Talent, Local Impact: Fueling Regional Economic Growth.

Partnering with the St. Louis Mosaic Project, an initiative of WTC to help foreign born residents of St. Louis, this event will focus on how and why St. Louis competes for talent from around the globe. The event will feature a variety of speakers who will discuss the national perspective of global talent, and the local impact this talent has on St. Louis companies and the area’s economy.

Featured speakers include:

• Andrea Faccio, president and chief growth officer, Nestle Purina North America
• Jason Hall, CEO, Greater St. Louis, Inc.
• Jon Baselice, vice president, immigration policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI (via video)
• William Kerr, author of The Gift of Global Talent (via video)

“We are lucky to have such an impressive group of speakers this year who can give the attendees a deeper understanding of how global talent can help accelerate the St. Louis economy,” said Tim Nowak, executive director of WTC. “World Trade Center St. Louis is also proud to be able to honor some of the key leaders throughout the region who are putting St. Louis on the international map at this event.”

Five foreign-born leaders from St. Louis companies and organizations will receive Global Ambassador Awards at the event. This award acknowledges an individual or organization who enhanced the profile of St. Louis internationally. The recipients of these awards in 2024 will be:

• Yemi Akande-Bartsch, Ph.D., president and CEO, FOCUS St. Louis
• Sekhar Prabhakar, CEO and founder, CEdge
• Luz Irina Calderón Villalobos, Ph.D., scientific affairs manager for Americas and China, KWS Gateway Research
• Marie-Hélène Bernard, president and CEO, St. Louis Symphony
• Hadi Alhorr, Ph.D., director, Boeing Institute of International Business, Saint Louis University

The event will be held at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton. For more information, visit https://worldtradecenter-stl.com/.

About World Trade Center St. Louis
For more than 30 years, as the international division of St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, WTC has supported growth for the region’s businesses, most importantly, ensuring St. Louis companies are represented in an increasingly global marketplace. From customized research to trade training, hosting inbound/outbound delegations and managing St. Louis’ Mosaic Project, Foreign Trade Zone and EB-5 investor visa program, WTC brings together a strong system of business and government agencies to support trade and investment and enhance St. Louis’ global connectivity. For more information, visit https://worldtradecenter-stl.com/.

About St. Louis Economic Development Partnership
The St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership) provides economic development services for the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County. The Partnership works in collaboration with the St. Louis Development Corporation, Greater St. Louis, Inc., the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the Missouri Partnership and other economic development partners to attract, retain and grow companies coming to or expanding in the St. Louis region. Learn more at stlpartnership.com.

 

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