VISION 2021, St. Louis’ Only Inclusion Innovation Conference,
Offers Hybrid In-Person & Virtual Attendance with Summersalt
Co-Founder Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin as Keynote
ST. LOUIS – VISION 2021is St. Louis’ only annual conference for women, people of color, and foreign-born emerging entrepreneurs and existing small business owners. This year’s event October 7, 2021, offers a hybrid in-person and virtual model to accommodate everyone interested in attending.
Connecting and collaborating is a key element for VISION, and local experts and peers will gather at one of the region’s leading innovation spaces, Innovation Hall in the Cortex Innovation Community.
Participate in group discussions targeted to your business needs, be inspired by entrepreneurs, who have succeeded during challenging times, and build your network to help you with personal and professional goals. As an added bonus, over the lunch hour, attendees can access free, professional headshots and receive a discount for business card printing. The resources available at VISION are applicable to companies that cross many industries, from tech-focused companies, to food and beauty businesses, to consumer manufacturing companies, and more. Whether you have a business idea you want to test out, or an already-established company you are looking to grow, VISION can help you achieve your business goals.
Registration is $25, with discounts for students and veterans. Outdoor options will be used for meals and networking and other health and safety measures are a key factor for event design. For those not able to participate in person, a virtual attendance option is available.
VISION Keynote Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin is the Co-Founder and Chief Brand and Digital Officer of Summersalt, a generation-defining lifestyle brand known for its data-backed fit and designer quality products without the designer price tag. In 2020, Fast Company named Summersalt one of the 10 Most Innovative Style Companies of the Year. Reshma and her Co-founder Lori Coulter launched Summersalt to change the conversation around swimwear. Quickly, Summersalt expanded to include adventure-friendly essentials that help make every aspect of a woman’s wardrobe more joyful and comfortable—from sleepwear to intimates to active wear. Named one of the Top 100 Upstarts in the world by CNBC, the brand has seen exceptional growth and consumer adoption, garnering praise from leading outlets including Vogue, Elle, CNN and Forbes. Prior to co-founding Summersalt, Reshma spent 10+ years in brand building, user experience design, digital marketing, and strategy, for early entrants in the direct-to-consumer revolution. Reshma sits on the board of Forest Park Forever in St. Louis, where she works on community relations and driving diversity and inclusion practices for the largest city park in the country.
Koran Bolden, President and CEO, Bold Moves Agency, will jumpstart the day of celebration, inspiration, learning, and connecting. Koran is a champion for change — dedicated to driving leading brands from business resilience to business excellence. An experienced digital strategist, author, and entrepreneur, for over a decade, Koran and his team have connected leading corporations with micro-influencers to build platforms, drive performance and generate results. Koran’s distinct and data-driven work in the areas of entrepreneurship, technology, youth empowerment, and community outreach has garnered national media recognition and numerous awards. In addition to his groundbreaking efforts in marketing, Koran is an advocate for racial justice— rallying behind the many obstacles that impact historically excluded communities.
WHO: Organized by BioSTL, CET, Conflux Co-Learning, Greater St. Louis Inc., Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, ITEN, MOSourceLink, MyEventsCoordinator & Party Rentals, Spark St. Louis, St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, St. Louis Mosaic Project, ThriveCo, Urban League Women’s Business Center, and Vulpes
WHEN: Thursday, October 7, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. with Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin keynote at 2:45 p.m.
WHERE: Hybrid Model – In-person at Innovation Hall at Cortex and Virtual will be hosted on the Whova platform.
Through VISION 2021’s hybrid event both in person and virtual attendees can connect through the Whova mobile and desktop platform, to engage with exhibitors and sponsors, connect one-on-one with other attendees, participate in community chats, and attend sessions to learn from multiple community leaders.
Registration for in person attendance is open through Monday, October 4th. Registration for virtual attendance will remain open until Thursday, October 7th at 2:30 p.m. CDT, the day of the event just before for the keynote speaker begins.
ABOUT: VISION, a key pillar of BioSTL’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, is an inclusion innovation conference celebrating, educating, and supporting women, people of color, and foreign-born emerging entrepreneurs and existing business owners. You do not have to be a rocket scientist, coding expert or master craftsperson to attend this hybrid conference. No matter the stage of your business and no matter the size of your dream, we want you to join us for this one-of-a-kind conference. For more information and to register, visit www.visionstlouis.com.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: BioSTL | Square | Greater STL, Inc. | Arch Grants | CIC St. Louis | Enterprise Bank & Trust | goBRANDgo! | Lindenwood University | St. Louis Economic Development Partnership | CET | St. Louis Mosaic Project
—
Maggie Crane
Communications Director, BioSTL
O: 314.880.8873
C: 314.422.6783
E: mcrane@biostl.org
T: @BioSTL | @newsformaggie
