San Francisco might see a minor outbreak of St. Louis flag scarves this week. The two-day World Agritech Innovation Summit is underway, and the St. Louis delegation has a booth at which any conferencegoer who explains how they’re “STLMade” (that is, have been educated or employed here) can get a free scarf. This could result in hundreds of giveaways: Emily Lohse-Busch, executive director of the plant science innovation district 39 North, reports hearing the estimate that roughly 30 percent of the 2,500 or so attendees have had some career nexus with St. Louis.
The idea is to illustrate the sector’s strength back in the Gateway City. “The message this year,” she says, “is that you don’t realize how much of what’s changing the face of agtech is happening right there in St. Louis.” And indeed, this year, the local delegation at the conference includes about 18 startups, 14 “ecosystem partners,” and a handful of large companies and law firms, according to Greater St. Louis Inc.
Lohse-Busch was set to moderate a St. Louis–focused panel discussion, joined by Charlie Bolten, the CEO of Solis Agrisciences; Larry Page, the managing director of Lewis & Clark AgriFood; Nick Reinke, the CEO of HabiTerre; and Tania Seger, CEO, Plastomics. Lohse-Busch planned to discuss how the St. Louis ecosystem gives these companies “an unfair advantage,” thanks to the density of talent and support here.