Joining us today is Dr. Nadia Shakoor, Founder and CEO of Agrela Ecosystems, an agtech start-up focused on delivering research quality data collection products and services in an effort to accelerate breeding cycle time within agricultural communities. Nadia is a crop phenotyping expert and co-inventor of the PheNode and is speaking with us today to help us better understand the world of agriculture.

Joining us today is Valerie Liddell, Founder and CEO of Grind + Growth, a non-profit co-working space that empowers, educates, and inspires people in underserved communities throughout the St. Louis and Illinois region. Through trial and error, Valerie gained a wealth of knowledge and skills, which inspired her to help other aspiring entrepreneurs like herself.

Joining us today is Elise Miller Hoffman, General partner at Cultivation Capital, a Venture Capital Firm that manages a family of funds focused on early-stage investing. Elise is active in St. Louis' entrepreneurial ecosystem and invests in promising digital health and life sciences start-ups. In addition, Elise was named as a St. Louis Business Journal "30 under 30" awardee in 2018.

Joining us today is Ron Story, Jr., Serial entrepreneur and Founder of PitchDB, a search engine for speaking engagements that saves hours of digging for leads and contacts in just a few clicks. Over the past 20 years, Ron has been instrumental in the creation, development and leadership of over 30 companies with a potential market value of over 200 million.

Joining us today is Bob Miller, CEO and Founder of Melio, a company that offers products that harness the power of the sun, all while upcycling plastic bottles for a more sustainable future. Bob followed his passion of design and environment by creating a solar charging back-pack and says he envisions Melio as a lifestyle brand.

Joining us today is Whitney McClendon-Gregory, CEO and Founder of Eemerg.com, a local company that is reinventing how drivers request roadside services. Whitney is ambitious and dedicated to providing an open marketplace platform and has pledged to build a service where her customers can choose a suitable price option for their needs.

Joining us today is Keith Turner, Serial Entrepreneur and Founder of Happy Doggy Treats. With almost 20 years of entrepreneurial experience and community service, Keith has found his niche in life not only as a businessman but also a community do-gooder.

Joining us today is Debra Corrie, CEO of Acumaxum, LLC, a financial consulting company that helps privately held businesses generate more cash, increase company profits, and scale their businesses. Debra surrounds herself with many other entrepreneurs and is dedicated to helping business owners reap the financial benefits within their company while building personal wealth for themselves.

Joining us today is Tashara Earl, President, and Co-Founder of Techrein, a company that specializes in innovative safety solutions with wearable technology. Tashara is a talented marketing idea generator and business professional implementing ideas to maximize brand exposure and increase sales.

Joining us today is Frank Williamson, CEO of STL Black Restaurant Week. Frank is a St. Louis native and loves being involved in the community by serving as Engagement Chair for Urban League-St. Louis and by spearheading STL Black Restaurant Week in an effort to promote restaurants that are owned and operated by African-Americans.