BTTV – Episode 019 – Start Up & Grow, Part 3

In this episode of BTtv, we continue our discussion of what economic development looks like in the 21 st century. Back at T-REX, we chat again with Rasheed Sulaiman, creative director at LockerDome and CEO of Goparti.

Then, we catch up with the team behind Greetabl. Zoë Scharf and Joe Fischer’s company stands out among T-REX start-ups, because it’s one of only a few with a tangible product.

Plus, in our “Get to Know a Muni” segment, Joe Wilson reports from the North County town of Bel-Nor.

BTTV – Episode 18 – Start Up and Grow, Part 2

In this episode, we continue our exploration of economic development in the 21st century. Back at T-REX, we chat with Jeffry Harrison from RoverTown. Then, we meet Rasheed Sulaiman, creative director at LockerDome and CEO of Goparti.

We will also visit with the team behind Greetabl – a greeting card that folds into a gift box and provides a memorable way to share handwritten messages and gifts.

Plus, in tonight’s “Better Know a Muni” segment, Joe Wilson reports from the North County towns of Pasadena Hills and Pasadena Park.

BTTV – Start Up and Grow: The Future of the STL Economy

This week on BTtv, we head back downtown to T-REX, the epicenter of the startup movement. We check back in with Rosa Mayer, T-REX’s Community Director. We also continue our conversation with Drew Winship, the co-founder of Juristat, and then we meet Jeffry Harrison, the Chief Operating Officer of RoverTown. Plus, in tonight’s “Get to Know a Muni” segment, Joe Wilson reports from the county seat of Clayton.

Economic Development — Then and Now Pt. 2

In this episode, we stop back at the Missouri History Museum, where historian David Lobbig tells us about the early days of economic development in St. Louis. Then, we travel to T-REX in Downtown St. Louis to talk to local entrepreneurs and owners of successful start-ups. We close the show with a community discussion in Old North St. Louis.

BTTV – Economic Development — Then and Now – Episode #15


In this episode of Better Together TV, we are taking a look back . . . and a look forward. We visit the Missouri History Museum, where historian David Lobbig tells us about the early days of economic development in St. Louis. Then, we get an idea of what the future of our economy looks like, when we attend a Better Together happy hour with small business owners and entrepreneurs at the Fortune Teller Bar. We also continue our conversation with Chris Sommers, owner of Pi Pizzeria and founder of Givver. In this episode, Chris talks about why he started his businesses in St. Louis.

BTTV – Episode 14 – Doing Business in the St. Louis Region

In this episode of BTtv, Dave talks with our Economic Development committee co-chairs, Denny Coleman (CEO of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership) and Brian Murphy (president of BAM Contracting, LLC). Both Denny and Brian talk about the challenges and opportunities that come with working in the St. Louis region. Then, Dave heads to the Central West End to chat with Chris Sommers, owner of Pi Pizzeria and Gringo. Plus, Joe Wilson reports from the tiny (but fascinating) municipality of Champ.

Better Together in the Community

A Report from Research Fellow Joe Wilson

Better Together recently visited the Cherokee Street Business Association meeting at Nebula Coworking on South Jefferson.  At the meeting, Mark Nevelow shared all that he and his wife have done to follow their dream on Cherokee Street. They bought a building that was about to fall down and lovingly restored it. On the ground floor will be the storefront (a shop called Bespoke ) and above will be the apartment in which the couple will live.

Nevelow spoke at length about the city programs in which he took part. The Façade Rehab Program , while difficult at times to maintain compliance with, helped them create a beautiful storefront.  The Sidewalk 50/50 Program helped them replace a cracked, uneven sidewalk in front of their shop. St.. Louis City’s Tax Abatement Program held the taxes on the property at the pre-rehab amount and will keep it there for ten years. After spending so much on the project, the tax savings will be very helpful for the small business owners.

Participants in such programs benefit from local government that is trying, in small and big ways, to encourage local business growth. Plus, events like Lighten Up Cherokee , Cherokee Nights , Cinco de Mayo , and IndiHop are all designed to showcase the amazing shops, restaurants, and bars on the street. So many people are pouring everything they have into their dream – on Cherokee and all across the region.

March Municipal Birthdays!

By Joe Wilson, Better Together Research Fellow

Research fellows at Better Together spent time compiling a list of the dates of incorporation for every municipality in the County. After scouring the Internet and going to the Missouri History Museum’s Archives and St. Louis County Libraries, we have compiled the full list of birthdays. These dates stretch from the very early days of the region to within the last two decades.

There are three municipalities with birthdays in the month of March: Northwoods (Mar. 15, 1939), Normandy (Mar. 30, 1945), and Dellwood (Mar. 16, 1951). Normandy and Northwoods hug the south side of I-70 east of I-170, and Dellwood is in North St. Louis County, just south of I-270.

Normandy and Dellwood both have populations of around 5,000, while Northwoods is slightly smaller at about 4,200 people. Normandy is the largest geographically at 1.85 sq. mi., followed by Dellwood at 1.04 sq. mi. and Northwoods at 0.71 sq. mi.

This research was interesting – and it was light lifting compared to some of the work we do. But it also highlights something very important: the regional focus of Better Together. As a region, we have to know where we came from and the circumstances surrounding the birth of our multitude of municipalities. How our communities were formed is an important factor in understanding how we work as a region now and how we can achieve more in the future.

Spring Break in Champ, MO

By Joe Wilson, Better Together Research Fellow

I have wandered all over St. Louis County during the last three months, filming segments on the history, local curiosities, and problems that communities in our region have. So during spring break from SLU Law, I actually got to go somewhere “fun.” I went to Champ.

Incorporated in 1959 with the help of the Bill “the World’s Strongest Mayor” Bangert , Champ is kind of an odd duck. Most communities around the St. Louis region trace their history back to several tried-and-true origin stories: French/Spanish influence and founding, late-1800s/early-1900s suburban founding, post-WWII suburban expansion. Most of the communities fall into these three categories, but Champ’s history is a bit different .

Today, Champ has a population of 13, contains six houses, a mega-church, and a quarry. I know a lot of people (elected officials, government workers, and residents of the city and county) who use Champ as a punch line. Sometimes, it’s easy to do that:

Champ is experiencing a population boom right now… Somebody just had twins.

There’s a crime wave in Champ… the guy down the block won’t return my hedge trimmers.

Would you like a tour of Champ? Just look both ways before you cross the street.

It’s easy to poke fun at certain communities around the region, and lots of people do. It’s important to remember that there are folks who live there. They work in the muni we are making light of, and they raise kids there, go to school there, buy their first house there, or live till their dying day there.

I didn’t go to Champ to film a stand-up routine on the village. I went because the town’s story matters, and it should be heard. Every part of St. Louis City and County is important to the region, and we should be working for the success of them all, not just the one in which we live.

BTTV – Episode 13 – What Is a Community Study, Anyway?

On this episode of Better Together TV, we turn the tables a bit. Marius Johnson takes a seat in the host chair. His guest – Better Together TV host Dave Leipholtz – discusses his main, day-to-day role as Director of Community-Based Studies. Plus, field reporter Joe Wilson joins us from Marlborough, and we share footage from the Saint Louis University Law Symposium.