ST. LOUIS -- TechSTL, the newly established St. Louis Tech Council, is launching the inaugural STL TechWeek, which will feature over 30 free events during the week of April 24-28. STL TechWeek was established to activate St. Louis’ technology community and support upward mobility in STEM fields. With nearly 5,000 registrations, STL TechWeek is already causing a stir.
Highlighting the critical nature of the event, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, Block Co-Founder and Invisibly CEO Jim McKelvey, and leaders across the tech landscape will speak to attendees over the course of the week.
“We knew that TechWeek had to be more than just an event, it had to be a movement,” said TechSTL Executive Director, Emily Hemingway. “Tech communities all across the world are having to wake-up to the changed expectations of their top talent, who want to live in places where they feel connected, valued, and engaged. We’re making sure that St. Louis embodies that culture of inclusive innovation.
“With over 200 speakers, 26 venues, and 5,000 attendees, I couldn’t be prouder of what this community is making happen right now.”
The week of events spans everything from Geospatial to Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence to FinTech, even Consumer Products and the Metaverse. It incorporates free events for kids, job seekers, tech professionals, small businesses, investors, and more. The full agenda is so robust that you can almost find something for everyone, and most importantly, it is 100% free to the public.
The capstone event of TechWeek is the FinTech Summit, with prominent St. Louis entrepreneur, Jim McKelvey, headlining as the Opening Keynote on “The Future of Data Ownership.” Listed in the 2030 Jobs Plan as one of the core tech sectors of the Metro, FinTech is a rapidly growing industry with a wide network of mega-corporations and high-growth startups scaling financial technology across the bi-state. The Summit is bringing together a dozen of the top startups and thought leaders to speak on the state of the industry.
In addition to FinTech, TechWeek is showcasing what is likely the hottest topic of 2023, artificial intelligence. Incorporating AI into almost every event, the week is bringing in local experts to discuss the ways that ChatGPT is now impacting the security, efficiency, and advancement of all tech industries.
While GenerationAI is the closing summit of the week, the Opening Ceremony is notably the most political of all the events. Mayor Tishaura Jones is scheduled to address the audience at World Wide Technology Headquarters where she will share her vision for the inaugural TechWeek, only a day before she gives her April 25 State of the City Address.
Then, following a stacked lineup of CEOs and Executive Directors speaking on “Saint Louis 2027: Becoming the Epicenter of Digital Opportunity,” Missouri Governor Mike Parson will close the ceremony with a presentation on the future of Missouri innovation.
Hosting the Opening Ceremony at World Wide Technology Headquarters was an intentional decision due to their leadership in St. Louis tech. WWT EVP Global Partner Alliances, Bob Olwig will speak about “Driving St. Louis Innovation” at Monday’s event.
Olwig shared: “World Wide Technology is excited to be a major sponsor and host the kick-off to the inaugural TechWeek. It’s great to see the tech community coming together to collaborate and drive innovation and transformation in our region.”
All TechWeek events are free and open to the public. The full agenda of programs is listed on the TechSTL website at https://techstl.com/techweek/