Scale Deep: Building Wealth Where We Live

Join us for a full-day summit celebrating the entrepreneurs who quietly build wealth in St. Louis neighborhoods. We’ll hear from recent Immigrant Entrepreneur and Legacy Business Award winners – from 1938-era Dad’s Cookies to 21st-century Arcades Market – and explore how immigrant founders and multi-generation businesses create durable prosperity. Through panel discussions, facility tours, a lunch-and-learn showcase with Urban Eats food founders, a “Buy-Then-Build” session with WSJ-bestselling author Walker Deibel, and a keynote from Dr. Suntae Kim on scale-deep entrepreneurship, we’ll spotlight models that go beyond the tech-unicorn narrative. The NIC team will showcase its Microbusiness Incubator and microlearning platform, and regional ESOs/BSOs will share resources.

This program is free and open to startup founders, small-business owners, investors, economic-development professionals, and community members interested in place-based entrepreneurship.