Skip Navigation
wavy top element orange and blue

Welcome to

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

wood design
386334468_612660571078773_7602198144329648530_n.jpeg

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. 

DJI_0094_1.jpg

$2.1+ Billion

in economic output
cortex_commons_construction.jpeg

$950M+

of leveraged investments in neighborhood retail & residential development
dsc_3775_1000.jpeg

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.

Michael_small_2.png

Michael

Co-owner / Chef

Meet Michael
Lydia_small.png

Lydia

Bake Lab Technician

Meet Lydia
Isabel_small.png

Isabel

Community Operations Coordinator

Meet Isabel
Guillermo-2.png

Guillermo

Co-Founder & CSO

Meet Guillermo
Bake-2.png

Bake

Assistant Manager

Meet Bake
jade.png

Jade

Senior Manager of Recruitment and Admissions

Meet Jade
Shalaka.png

Shalaka

Senior Scientist

Meet Shalaka
Justin.png

Justin

Director of Regional Workforce Strategy

Meet Justin
Mike.png

Mike

Founder & Executive Director

Meet Mike
Cory.png

Cory

Software Developer

Meet Cory
Irina.png

Irina

Account Executive

Meet Irina
Anjo_small_nobananas.png

Adjo

Owner & Founder

Meet Adjo

Someone you'd love to see featured in the We Are Cortex campaign? Fill out the form to nominate yourself or someone you know today.

fancy page divider

Events
Happening @ Cortex

Nov

22

Aglow_16_9_Image.jpg

Aglow 2024

Join Cortex in celebrating the holiday season, by stopping by the Commons and viewing Aglow, on display November 22-January 7. This annual winter-themed photo op includes lighted snowflakes and illuminated trees in an easy access environment. Capture a holiday memory and drop in for a photo with the snowflakes!

Learn More

Nov

13

Native_Seed_Workshop_Website_Image.png

Native Seed Harvesting Workshop

Learn where, when, and how to harvest native seeds. Then join us for a seed cleaning activity!

orange pin icon

orange clock icon

1:00pm - 2:00pm

orange dollar sign icon

Free Event

Learn More

Nov

14

WUMSOTM-0104a_2.jpg

OTM Office Hours: The Founder’s Perspective

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. Come join the last Office Hours of 2024, where we will be exploring “The Founder’s Perspective”. We will be joined by four academic startup founders, with experience starting companies both here at WashU and at other institutions.

orange pin icon

orange clock icon

3:00pm - 4:00pm

orange dollar sign icon

Learn More
fancy footer design