Profile of St. Louis as an Urban Entrepreneurial City

Abstract

St. Louis has had a deep history of being a city of industry and entrepreneurial promise. As the “Gateway to the West,” St. Louis’ geographic location in the center of the USA made it a city of vital importance to trade and commerce for many decades of its history. However, due to a large exodus of corporate headquarters, starting in the 1980s and continuing to present day, St. Louis has struggled to retain talented young people, grow new, innovative business ventures, and deal with less than effective government policy. In addition, the region’s strained racial and socio-economic tensions have been ripped open in very public ways. It is in this backdrop that an emerging startup community has worked its way into existence and is beginning to thrive. Given St. Louis’ economic history and abundance of talent, a collaborative Smart City initiative that cuts across socio-economic boundaries could be truly transformative.