Oct 22, 2026
Hosted by St. Louis Development Corporation | ConnectSTL
ConnectSTL Community, Culture & Impact Celebration
Celebrating Community. Connecting Opportunity. Building What’s Next.
The ConnectSTL Community, Culture & Impact Celebration brings together youth, families, educators, community organizations, entrepreneurs, employers, civic leaders, and regional partners to celebrate progress and strengthen the relationships connecting St. Louis residents to technology, education, employment, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity.
Date
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Time
3:00 – 7:00 PM
Venue
Center for Global Citizenship, Saint Louis University
3672 West Pine Mall · St. Louis, MO 63108
Agenda
Timeline of the evening
3:00–7:00 PM · Center for Global Citizenship, Saint Louis University.
3:00 – 3:30 PM
Reception
Welcome Reception + Community Innovation Gallery
Guests arrive, connect, and explore the people, programs, and technologies contributing to a more connected St. Louis.
- Registration and guest welcome
- Light bites and beverages
- Music
- Partner and community introductions
- Digital art and creative technology
- Technology and workforce demonstrations
- Community resource experiences
- Innovation exhibits
Featured experiences may include:
- RAZE
- VR workforce training
- Digital inclusion resources
- Creative technology
- Community innovators
- Partner demonstrations
Main Celebration
3:30 – 3:40 PM
Welcome & The ConnectSTL Vision
Tanjii Cole | ConnectSTL / St. Louis Development Corporation
A look at the ConnectSTL mission, the partnerships behind the work, community impact to date, and the vision for building stronger connections between technology and economic opportunity.
Focus:
- Digital inclusion
- Workforce and talent development
- Community partnerships
- Technology access
- Entrepreneurship
- Connecting residents to opportunity
3:40 – 4:00 PM
Featured Leadership Conversation
Community, Capital & the Future of Opportunity — Featuring Dr. Kelvin Adams | St. Louis Community Foundation
A leadership conversation exploring how lessons from economic development, finance, philanthropy, and community leadership can help create more inclusive pathways to opportunity.
Conversation themes:
- Community-centered innovation
- Regional collaboration
- Capital and economic opportunity
- Technology as an economic-development tool
- Connecting investment with community priorities
- Building stronger relationships between institutions and residents
4:00 – 4:15 PM
Culture & Innovation
Featured Performance: Innergy
A creative performance highlighting the connection between culture, expression, community, and innovation.
4:15 – 5:10 PM
What’s Next: Connecting People, Technology & Opportunity
Panel Discussion + Audience Q&A
A forward-looking conversation with leaders working across technology, workforce, education, entrepreneurship, and community development.
Proposed Panelists:
- Quintrel Brown | Kre8 Space
- Nkazi | Makerspace
- Ryan Wilson | Director of Community Engagement, Saint Louis University
- Shannon Johnson | SLATE
- KC Digital Drive | Invited
Discussion themes:
- Where technology and employment opportunities are heading
- Preparing residents and young people for emerging careers
- Making innovation accessible beyond traditional technology spaces
- Entrepreneurship and the creator economy
- Connecting employers, educators, and community organizations
- Artificial intelligence, digital skills, and emerging technology
- What St. Louis needs to build next
5:10 – 5:25 PM
ConnectSTL Impact: Community Voices
Impact Reel + Community Stories
The numbers tell part of the story. Residents, students, partners, and community members tell the rest.
Featured video and storytelling may include:
- Learn2Tech participants
- Community Help Desk and Learning Lab participants
- SmartWAVE
- Quarterly ConnectSTL highlights
- Digital inclusion partners
- Workforce and technology experiences
Community Voices:
- Jibbrell
- Tim / Moveworth + student participant
- Joshua
- Additional community voice as confirmed
5:25 – 5:40 PM
Community Impact Recognition
Recognition of organizations and leaders whose collaboration has helped expand access, skills, connectivity, and opportunity across the region.
Recognition may include:
- Erica | NPower
- Bill Ray | Moveworth
- Sekhar | Future Ready Academy
- Verizon
- BJC
- Chameleon
- Sponsors and technology partners
- Education partners
- Community organizations
- Volunteers and coalition champions
Special recognition can be given to Chameleon for contributing a year of ConnectSTL portal support.
5:40 – 5:50 PM
The Next ConnectSTL
Announcement + Community Call to Action
ConnectSTL moves from celebrating what has been accomplished to inviting the community into what comes next.
Calls to action:
- Continue connecting and collaborating through the ConnectSTL portal
- Join future ConnectSTL initiatives
- Support community Wi-Fi expansion
- Sponsor digital-equity and technology initiatives
- Provide internships, employment, mentorship, and training opportunities
- Bring programs and resources into community Learning Labs
- Share opportunities with residents through the coalition
- Collaborate across education, workforce, technology, business, and community development
5:50 – 6:00 PM
Closing + ConnectSTL Group Photo
Closing remarks followed by the official ConnectSTL Community & Impact Celebration group photo.
6:00 – 7:00 PM
Community Celebration
Community Celebration, Film & Relationship Building
Dinner • Film • Music • Innovation • Community
Following the formal program, guests are invited to continue connecting while experiencing food, film, technology, art, and community.
- Grazing dinner
- Music
- Community film screening presented with VISION and/or the Whitfield Foundation
- Interactive digital art
- Technology demonstrations
- VR and workforce technology experiences
- Community and partner exhibits
- Innovator and entrepreneur showcases
- Sponsor introductions
- Connections with employers, educators, and community organizations
- Photos
- Informal breakouts and conversations
- Deeper relationship building
Guests can move throughout the venue, participate in experiences, network, or watch the featured film during this final hour.
The Purpose
ConnectSTL exists to strengthen the connections between people, technology, resources, institutions, and opportunity.
Through this celebration, ConnectSTL highlights how digital inclusion contributes to:
- Economic stability and mobility
- Education and workforce access
- Youth development
- Entrepreneurship
- Social connection and belonging
- Community resilience
- Access to information and essential resources
- Stronger relationships between residents and institutions
The celebration recognizes the people already doing the work while creating space for the next partnerships, investments, programs, and ideas that can move St. Louis forward.
Connect. Collaborate. Create Opportunity.
RSVP
Reserve your place
Seating is limited. Share your details and we will send confirmation and event updates.
Venue
Center for Global Citizenship at Saint Louis University
The ConnectSTL Community, Culture & Impact Celebration will be hosted at the Center for Global Citizenship at Saint Louis University, 3672 West Pine Mall, in the heart of St. Louis. The venue reflects the event’s focus on technology, creativity, culture, and community.
3672 West Pine Mall · St. Louis, MO 63108