Small Business & Nonprofit Conference Hosted by St. Louis County Library & St. Louis Public Library

St. Louis County Library (SLCL) and St. Louis Public Library (SLPL) are hosting a free conference for entrepreneurs and small business owners. The Small Business & Nonprofit Conference will take place during October 1-4, 2024. The conference offers four days of in-person and virtual networking and education on a variety of business-critical skills and strategies. Sessions will take place at the Clark Family Branch (1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.), Central Library (1301 Olive St.) and virtually via Zoom. The conference is free, but registration is required. A full schedule and registration details are available at: www.slcl.org/events/small-business-and-nonprofit-conference.

St. Louis native ​​Akeem Shannon, CEO of FlipStik, will deliver the conference keynote address on Tuesday, October 1 at 6:00 p.m. at the Clark Family Branch. Join Akeem on a resilience rollercoaster to discover the keys to overcoming failure, achieving sales success, and embracing invincibility. The keynote will also be available virtually via Zoom and streamed live in the auditorium at Central Library.

This is the second year SLCL and SLPL have jointly offered the Small Business & Nonprofit Conference. In 2023, over 600 individuals attended the conference. This year’s line-up includes over 45 programs on topics ranging from brand identity and logo design, grant writing, social media content creation, podcasting basics, business plan tips, fundraising, and board engagement.

Entrepreneurs can save over $13,000 a year by using small business resources at the library­. SLCL provides free access to databases to help business owners build mailing lists, conduct market research and explore grants. Additionally, St. Louis County Library recently opened a new Small Business Center in July 2024. Located on the 2nd floor of the Clark Family Branch, the Small Business Center offers a variety of resources for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. The Center has a variety of seating along with moveable walls to create collaborative spaces including access to private use rooms. Additional amenities include Wi-Fi, computers, and a copy center. 

Program sites are accessible. With at least two weeks' notice, accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities. Call 314-994-3300 or contact us.