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Welcome to

Creating inclusive economic growth in St. Louis by uniting diverse innovators, spaces, and organizations to transform ideas into solutions.

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Our mission is to create equitable opportunities for a thriving community of innovation. We do more than connect businesses, we drive regional economic growth and empower companies at all stages with premier facilities, enriching programs, and robust partnerships. 

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$2.1+ Billion

in economic output
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$950M+

of leveraged investments in neighborhood retail & residential development
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15,000

permanent jobs

We are Cortex

Meet the People

WE ARE CORTEX showcases some of the faces of Cortex, including entrepreneurs and scientists, food servers and coders, and a smattering of the people who make our world go ‘round within our District. These are the people envisioning innovation, feeding innovation, coding innovation, fostering innovation, engineering innovation, creating innovation, fueling innovation, protecting innovation, generating innovation, and advancing innovation.

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Lydia

Bake Lab Technician

Meet Lydia
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Isabel

Community Operations Coordinator

Meet Isabel
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Guillermo

Co-Founder & CSO

Meet Guillermo
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Bake

Assistant Manager

Meet Bake
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Jade

Senior Manager of Recruitment and Admissions

Meet Jade
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Shalaka

Senior Scientist

Meet Shalaka
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Justin

Director of Regional Workforce Strategy

Meet Justin
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Mike

Founder & Executive Director

Meet Mike
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Cory

Software Developer

Meet Cory
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Irina

Account Executive

Meet Irina
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Adjo

Owner & Founder

Meet Adjo
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Events
Happening @ Cortex

Oct

10

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OTM Office Hours: Med Device – Idea to Device

Are you working on an innovation you think should be spun out into a startup? What resources are available to help? How can you become involved in the innovation ecosystem in St. Louis? Join us for “OTM Office Hours”, a program series from the Washington University Office of Technology Management covering the latest topics in tech transfer and innovation. This Office Hours seminar will include a panel discussion on medical devices exploring the translation of idea to clinical prototype and into the clinic. OTM’s own Karen Gheesling Mullis will moderate a panel of experts with years of medical device experience that will touch on the challenges of medical device research, development and investment.

Learn More

Oct

16

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PitchSTL

Join the "warm fuzzy shark tank" where one or two startups present their company for feedback from the audience. Any startup, especially early stage, can have the opportunity for free coaching prior to a scheduled presentation. Free to attend. Application to present is on the website.

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9:00am - 10:00am

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Free

Learn More

Oct

23

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Cortex District Fall Forum

The Cortex District Fall Forum is open to all District members who are interested in learning more about the programming and resources offered in the District. The agenda will focus on programming and amenities that DIstrict members have access to and will also cover some results of our findings through the recent District Experience focus groups. 

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3:00pm - 4:30pm

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Free

Learn More
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