St. Louis Anchor Action Network

Looking for a way to round out your summer? Take a trip to the Saint Louis Zoo, one of our Network’s members, to witness the array of animals they service! The nationally renowned Saint Louis Zoo was one of our Network’s earliest champions. It houses 16,000 animals, nearly 500 species and is recognized globally for their expertise in research, education conservation and caring for wildlife. The Saint Louis Zoo stands out as a phenomenal organization that exercises our Network values of intentional hiring and career development. The #STLZoo is a top seasonal employer of young people within our focus geography in the summertime! Then, they work to connect individuals with long-term job placement with other anchor members as the summer comes to a close. The Zoo serves as a key #StLouis venue and is an accessible, enriching space. On behalf of our Network members – co-led by Edward Jones and University of Missouri-Saint Louis – thank you for your impactful work in our region! Photo credit: Saint Louis Zoo

Last week, the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, one of our Network co-leads, hosted the annual Anchor Learning Network Action Summit, in partnership with Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU), convening community members, stakeholders and representatives of 22 #highereducation institutions across the country. Anchor summit attendees shared learnings, stories and best practices about their impactful activations and #communitydevelopment efforts to address inequities. This summit served as a great opportunity to collaborate on ways to listen to and integrate community into anchor work. Thank you to all the attendees and organizers of this event, including one of our anchor members, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, for hosting these important sessions.    On behalf of our Network and co-leads, Edward Jones and University of Missouri-Saint Louis, we were honored to showcase our efforts to build a more equitable #StLouis region.    Read more about the event, including insights from our own Director Stefani Weeden-Smith and other anchor leaders and community members: https://lnkd.in/drZpHzqy (Photo credit: Derik Holtmann)

We’re thrilled to host our annual #StLouis community #Juneteenth hiring event on Thursday, June 13 from 3:00 - 7:00 PM at the University of Missouri - St. Louis Ed Collabitat!  Join us to connect with leading St. Louis employers and talent acquisition specialists to discuss #career and #hiring opportunities, skills training and more. The event is free to attend. Register here: https://lnkd.in/g6mr5t5P Our Network, co-led by Edward Jones and University of Missouri-Saint Louis, is proud to facilitate networking opportunities between both prospective #STL employers and potential talent so everyone, everywhere in the region can thrive.

Looking to advance your career or explore a new industry? Join us for our hybrid Wrap-Around Services event on May 30 at 3 p.m. CDT. Ahead of our Juneteenth #hiring event on June 13, we will provide members of the #StLouis community with access to services to refresh their resumes, learn LinkedIn #networking tips and practice interview skills! Our Wrap-Around Services event is free to attend online through the Brazen platform and in person at Delmar DivINe. Register here: 2024 STLAAN Career Wrap-Around Services Event (brazenconnect.com) Our Network – co-led by University of Missouri-Saint Louis and Edward Jones – is proud to convene leading #STL talent specialists to support more equitable hiring across our region.

As the temperatures rise this spring, we’re spotlighting one of our Network members: Great Rivers Greenway. The organization works to connect the #STL region with greenways, making the community a more vibrant place to live, work and play. Great Rivers Greenway strives to create welcoming and inclusive greenways that are accessible to everyone. The organization meets people where they are to enrich lives and bridge communities. One example of this is the Great Rivers Greenway Brickline Greenway campaign. Through 10+ miles of greenway, this project will connect 14 neighborhoods and invite discovery and exploration while creating equitable opportunities for everyone to thrive. Collaboration among partners and input from community members fuels the construction of these greenways. On behalf of our Network – co-led by Edward Jones and University of Missouri-Saint Louis – kudos to Great Rivers Greenway for their impactful work to strengthen well-being and access for all in the STL region. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eZhKJ4u.

This month, we’re spotlighting Edward Jones, one of our Network’s co-leads and champions. Edward Jones was instrumental in our Network’s formation and remains deeply committed to investing in the communities we serve to create a more inclusive regional economy. Examples of Edward Jones’ role and impact: • Made the first hire at our Network’s inaugural recruiting event. • Engaged in listening sessions to better understand community members’ needs. • Convening a forum this spring to connect small businesses and Network members. • Leading our inclusive hiring working group that provides candidates with professional development services, including creating resumes and preparing for interviews. • Building their supplier diversity department. These are just a few of the ways Edward Jones supports our work and partners with Network members to transform hiring and purchasing practices. In recognition of #FinancialLiteracyMonth, we also want to acknowledge Edward Jones’ work to bring more financial resources to our communities. For example, in 2022, the firm opened a branch at Delmar DivINe, where our Network has an office. It’s been inspiring to see Financial Advisor Veronica Coleman connect with area residents and provide more access to financial services guidance. Thank you Edward Jones for working to advance economic equity and creating more opportunities for St. Louisans to build wealth — a key part of our Network’s approach. 

In honor of #314Day last week, our Network Director Stefani Weeden-Smith, joined University of Missouri-Saint Louis’ Forum for Community Dialogue session to discuss #economicjustice and the possibilities to advance this in our region.  Stefani, and fellow speakers Jaclyn F. Belt, MPPA from Beyond Housing, Kelly McGowan, MPH from Transform 314, and Durrell Smith and Stephen Davis, MBA from St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC), explored tangible ways to drive equitable progress in the #StLouis region.   Our Network, co-led by Edward Jones and University of Missouri – St. Louis, is committed to participating in conversations like this to understand the collaborative actions and activities that must take place to create an equitable #STL for all.

Drumroll please! Thrilled to see one of our Network co-leads University of Missouri-Saint Louis announce their 2023 #purchasing and #hiring spend results. UMSL set and exceeded strategic purchasing and hiring goals to more intentionally advance equitable practices across the #StLouis region.  Thank you to UMSL (and fellow Network co-lead Edward Jones) for your continuous commitment and follow-through to make #STL a region where everyone, everywhere can thrive. Special shoutout to UMSL’s local small businesses and vendor partners, including Pop Pop Hurray! Gourmet Popcorn and Left Hand Promotions. Stay tuned for more progress updates and impact stories from our Network members! 

As 2023 comes to an end, we’re proud of the collective impact we’ve made with our Members (co-led by Edward Jones and University of Missouri-Saint Louis), partners and supporters to build a more equitable #StLouis region.  A few highlights from this year:  • Hosted two events focused on hiring and careers to establish more future-building opportunities for all St. Louisans 💼  • Convened minority-owned local business owners, partners and our Members to facilitate future partnerships 🤝  • Held our first-ever Community Justice Conversation for a discussion on equitable and sustainable #economicdevelopment 📣 Check out this document to see more 2023 highlights and a peek into our 2024 plans. Huge thanks to all who supported our efforts to create a more inclusive Greater #STL!  

Our Director Stefani Weeden-Smith and Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Ifeanyi Ukpabi, presented at this year’s Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.!     In line with the conference theme “Resilient Campuses. Resilient Cities,” Stefani and Ifeanyi discussed how we’re working with our Network members to address the racial, spatial and economic inequalities in our 22-ZIP code #StLouis footprint – including strengthening opportunities in the #STL region to encourage more Black professionals to build their careers in the area.    Thank you #CUMU for inviting us to share insights from our focus geography! It was great to connect with other anchor organizations and share lessons learned to help develop cities where everyone, everywhere can thrive!    #CUMU2023