蜜芽传媒

蜜芽传媒 is rich in technology support organizations, but some local leaders have long yearned for an umbrella group to tie them together.

They now have one in TechSTL, a membership-based technology council created with the help of a federal grant. Executive Director Emily Hemingway said the council will complement, not compete with, organizations such as LaunchCode, which provides software training, and ITEN, which mentors entrepreneurs.

鈥淲hile 蜜芽传媒 has a lot of individual, successful programs, it doesn鈥檛 have a lot of connective tissue,鈥� Hemingway said in an interview after TechSTL鈥檚 official launch last month.

鈥淭here are a lot of organizations in 蜜芽传媒 doing good stuff,鈥� echoed Brian Matthews, a venture capitalist who鈥檚 president of the TechSTL board. 鈥淥ur vision is to identify gaps and work on those gaps.鈥�

At its launch, TechSTL listed a set of , including doubling the region鈥檚 information technology workforce within five years. It also wants to increase diversity in the industry and create a $20 million 鈥渇ounder鈥檚 fund鈥� to back tech startups.

Forming an umbrella group for the information technology industry was a central recommendation of the 2013 Regional Entrepreneurship Initiative. That report鈥檚 goals, which included a $100 million fundraising effort, were shelved amid turmoil and turnover at both of its sponsoring organizations, the 蜜芽传媒 Regional Chamber and the 蜜芽传媒 Economic Development Partnership.

Now, TechSTL envisions a grassroots effort rather than a top-down model. Its dues are a flat $500 a year, regardless of whether the member is a huge corporation or a startup, and it hopes to reach 1,000 members this year.

The need for a tech council, Hemingway said, became apparent after the coronavirus pandemic hit two years ago. 蜜芽传媒鈥� tech community, used to a busy calendar of networking events, became siloed and stopped growing.

According to the 蜜芽传媒 had 74,602 tech workers in 2021, 118 fewer than the year before. Metro areas such as Nashville, Tennessee, and Indianapolis added hundreds of tech jobs last year, while places such as Dallas and Denver added thousands.

TechSTL鈥檚 goal of doubling that workforce by 2027 is a tall order for a community whose population hasn鈥檛 been growing. The council envisions various efforts to attract and develop talent, from apprenticeships to university job fairs to marketing campaigns.

鈥淎 lot of it is changing the perception the world has around 蜜芽传媒,鈥� Hemingway said. 鈥淭hey have to see this city as a place that has opportunity.鈥�

With many tech companies adopting a work-from-anywhere policy, there鈥檚 an opportunity to attract people who鈥檝e landed Silicon Valley or New York jobs but don鈥檛 need to live there. Part of TechSTL鈥檚 job is to convince them that 蜜芽传媒 is an affordable place with a vibrant tech scene.

The council鈥檚 goals mesh with those in the region鈥檚 STL 2030 Jobs Plan, which envisions high-tech industries driving an era of inclusive growth.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e clearly advancing the goals around tech talent and tech jobs, with a very strong emphasis on diversity of tech talent,鈥� said Jason Hall, chief executive of Greater 蜜芽传媒 Inc.

Hemingway, the new council鈥檚 executive director, moved to 蜜芽传媒 a year ago from North Carolina, where she had founded a public relations firm and a couple of tech startups.

Being a newcomer is probably an advantage. Since she didn鈥檛 have to navigate the turbulence and turf wars of 蜜芽传媒鈥� recent civic past, she can focus the new organization squarely on the future.