Immigration & Innovation

St. Louis Launches New Initiative

 

(Above from left) Joe Reagan, President & CEO of the STL RCGA, Maria del Carmen Jacob, President & Founder of NextGen; and Anna Crosslin, President & CEO of the International Institute, responded to questions from Gilbert Bailon, Editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and from the audience.

On June 19, several hundred St. Louisans gathered to hear the results of a recent study of the economic impact of immigration in St. Louis. The study, funded by the William T. Kemper Foundation, has been published by Jack Strauss, Director of the Simon Center for Regional Forecasting and economics professor at St. Louis University.

The Strauss Report states that immigrants are 60% more likely to be entrepreneurs in the region. Therefore, the relative lack of immigrants is a major factor in explaining the region's shortage of new business start-ups and immigrants are three times more likely to be high-skilled than unskilled, one of the highest ratios in the country. Read the full report. 

Read more ...

Institute Joins Springfield Chamber

Integrating into the Business Community

 

 

It is barely three months since we began offering services at our Branch Office in Springfield, MO. Institute administration has been busy getting to know Springfield. We recently joined the Springfield Chamber of Commerce (we are already members of the St. Louis RCGA). Springfield Ambassadors joined us at our office's ribbon-cutting ceremony as a way to introduce ourselves and our services to the community.

On June 5, Anna Crosslin, Institute President & CEO, attended her first Springfield Chamber International Business Council meeting with business influentials who are working to grow international trade between Springfield and the rest of the world.

"Getting connected with the Springfield Chamber is a win-win for both organizations," said Crosslin. "Their members are deeply-rooted in the community and really seem to understand the value that increased diversity can bring their economy. We look forward to working with them."

According to the 2010 Census, Springfield's foreign-born population is approximately 1.5% as compared with the St. Louis region at 4.5%. The national foreign-born average is closer to 14%.