TechSTL Executive Director Emily Hemingway initially figured STL TechWeek would be about a third of its current scope when she first started planning the first-time event. However, after TechSTL solicited suggestions for the event's programming, she knew STL TechWeek would be larger than initially envisioned.
“We hit 30 (events) and I had to start telling people no more,” Hemingway said. “There was just so much interest from partners to host events and once we dropped it, there was so much interest from the community.”
STL TechWeek will take place next week, with 30-plus events planned from April 24-28 to spotlight all things technology in St. Louis. Its schedule includes industry conferences, networking events, career development programming, startup expos and technology tours and demonstrations. The weeklong event is being staged by TechSTL, the membership-based technology council that launched in 2022 with a focus of providing the metro with a forum to advance St. Louis’ technology and innovation sectors.
Hemingway said the idea for TechWeek comes from other tech councils around the world that have hosted similar events to showcase their region’s technology innovation. Locally, STL TechWeek will spotlight an array of different technologies, ranging from agriculture technology to geospatial technology and more more, and host events at 26 venues, including company headquarters locations, innovation hubs and universities. Hemingway said STL TechWeek wanted a host of different topics and venues, creating as much access as possible for the programming.
More than 200 speakers are lined up to participate in STL TechWeek’s programming. While the events will focus on several different areas of technology, Hemingway said nearly all programs likely have some component involving artificial intelligence “because that’s such a driving force right now in the world of technology.”
STL TechWeek begins Monday with its opening ceremonies at World Wide Technology’s headquarters in Maryland Heights. That event, one of several planned for Monday, will include a closing speech by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones will also speak at the opening event. Tuesday’s programming will be anchored by the STL FinTech Summit, taking place at The Pageant in the Delmar Loop. Serial entrepreneur Jim McKelvey, a co-founder of payments company Block (NYSE: SQ), will keynote that event. Its agenda also include a roundtable discussion with leaders from Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) focused on the recent Silicon Valley Bank failure and its decision to grow its venture banking division. Highlights of Wednesday’s schedule include the Black Tech Conference at Harris-Stowe State University; the annual Gateway to Innovation Conference at America’s Center; and the STL SportsTech Conference, taking place at Armory STL.
Programming Thursday includes the LaunchCode Shift Summit and Health Innovation Symposium while Friday's schedule includes GenerationAI, an artificial intelligence-focused summit at downtown entrepreneurship center T-REX, and a closing party at Bourbon Friday at TechArtista Downtown. A full schedule of events can be found here.
Nearly all of STL TechWeek’s programming is free and open to the public. Hemingway said attendance across all events is expected to be 5,000, with more than 3,800 registrations as of Tuesday afternoon. STL TechWeek has been supported by around 40 sponsors, with $50,000 raised to stage the series of events, Hemingway said.
Hemingway said the programming of STL TechWeek provides TechSTL, as well as the broader St. Louis technology community, an opportunity to showcase itself while also putting an emphasis on the topics it considers important.
“TechWeek has given us the chance to show our values in a really clear way, that we are invested in access and diversity and partnership, and in elevating all the different corners of this conversation from digital equity to STEM education to tech workforce to startups,” Hemingway said.
