By St. Louis Public Radio- Hiba Ahmad East St. Louis School District 189 is turning to qualified international teachers to help fill critical staff vacancies. The district brought on a dozen teachers at the start of the 2025-26 school year and plans to add 12 more for the next school year. The teachers represent a small portion of the approximately 570 teachers across the district. The district joins the Normandy Schools Collaborative, Riverview Gardens and St. Louis Public S

By STL TV On this episode, Host Jade Harrell talks to Gilberto Pinela, Director of the Office of New Americans, about how his office works with SLATE to help fill open jobs and increase population in St. Louis. He helps SLATE with materials for job fairs and more.

Empowering Immigrants and Navigating Policies for a Thriving St. Louis by Metalle Tagner, the https://thenarrativematters.com/ Building Bridges: St. Louis Mosaic Project and the ICE Department The St. Louis Mosaic Project acts as a vital regional initiative. Its primary goal is dedicated to transforming St. Louis into a more welcoming community for immigrants. Since it launched in 2012, this project has focused heavily on the economic and social benefits that a growing foreig

Welcome Neighbor STL, a nonprofit that supports refugee and immigrant families resettling in St. Louis, has named a new leader. The nonprofit's board of directors named Ann Wittman, who in the past three years has held leadership roles in its family support, program management, transportation services and other service areas, as its new executive director. She succeeds Jessica Bueler, the founder and former executive director , who left the organization in September to "pursu

Suzanne Sierra, Blake Hamilton share how newcomers are adjusting to life in St. Louis On Jan. 20, the St. Louis Mosaic Project, a regional initiative that is professionally managed by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, World Trade Center St. Louis and a 32 Member Steering Committee, hosted an STL 101 information session, called “Supporting Our International Community.” The session, which took place on Zoom, was co-hosted by Suzanne Sierra, executive director of t

This month’s Mosaic Story features Randy Vines, co-creator of STL Style and one of the identical twins behind the iconic St. Louis brand, as well as Gabriela Cornelius, founder of Mexicanos en St. Louis – Alma de México, also works as a coordinator at the Federal Reserve Bank. Gabriela arrived in St. Louis in the 1980s and shares her perspective on the challenges she faced during that time, despite being familiar with the United States. She reflects on how difficult the proce

Congratulations to our Steering committee member Sekhar Prabhakar and Shashi Bhushan who were featured alongside numerous business leaders who invest in the St. Louis community. Read more here

In September 2025, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an updated projection for net immigration, forecasting that the immigrant population age 16 and older would grow by 408,000 in 2025. However, according to Current Population Survey data, the U.S. immigrant population age 16 and older fell by 1.86 million people between January and November 2025—dropping from 50.40 million to 48.54 million. This decline was entirely concentrated among non-naturalized immigrants.

Report highlights economic development across the St. Louis region The St. Louis Economic Development Partnership has released its 2025 end of year report, highlighting a year of progress supporting business growth and regional vitality across St. Louis City and County. The report outlines key accomplishments from each division of STL Partnership, including business development, business retention and expansion, business finance, strategic initiatives, the St. Louis Mosaic Pr

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - The International Institute of St. Louis teamed up with the U.S. Afghan Chamber of Commerce and the Red Cross on Friday to help collect blood amid a nationwide shortage. After the deadly attack on National Guard members in Washington, D.C. last month, organizers started looking for a way to give back locally. They said they also wanted to send a strong message of support for the Afghan-American community. “We bleed the same. There is no differ

International Mentoring St. Louis merges into World Trade Center St. Louis. The nonprofit matched 790 mentors with foreign-born women from 85 countries. International Mentoring St. Louis transfers $268,900 fund balance by year-end. A nonprofit group is merging into the World Trade Center St. Louis to become part of its Mosaic Project , which informs the community about the impact that a foreign-born population can make for the region’s overall growth. International Mentoring

By St. Louis Business Journal Executive Connections is the St. Louis Business Journal's year-long program to connect newly appointed top business leaders with their peers and to the St. Louis community. Story Highlights What’s This? St. Louis Business Journal hosts quarterly Executive Network dinners for leaders. Ron Kitchens became Greater St. Louis Inc. CEO on Nov. 1. Blake Hamilton leads International Institute serving refugees and immigrants. Each quarter, the St. Louis B

Strategic union creates synergies to support global talent, strengthen international growth Two of St. Louis’ leading organizations dedicated to attracting and retaining international professionals to the region and enhancing its global reputation and footprint announced today that they are joining forces to better support global talent and strengthen international growth.  The World Trade Center St. Louis (WTC) board of directors has formally approved bringing International

The St. Louis region is home to a powerful yet often overlooked asset: international talent ready to drive innovation, productivity, and growth. Hear from the St. Louis Mosaic Project and a local manufacturer about the positive impact international hires have had on their operations and culture. You’ll gain practical insights, resources, and a clear roadmap to tap into this high-potential talent pipeline. Watch Video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fnk9Du3sr4

Gurung Bazaar From Exile to Empowerment – A Refugee Entrepreneur’s Story of Rebuilding and Belonging Rooted in Resilience In a modest storefront on South Grand—lined with sacks of rice, bright spices, and snacks from faraway homelands—you’ll find more than groceries. You’ll find a story of quiet strength, family devotion, and a dream reborn through resilience. Rajiv Gurung’s journey began in Bhutan, but unfolded across borders and decades. Displaced as a child, he spent 16 ye

This month’s Mosaic Story features Veneta Rizvic and Kathy Bernard Veneta Rizvic, who leads the St. Louis Business Journal’s awards publications and special sections, shares her powerful journey from Bosnia to St. Louis. She arrived at a young age after her father was tragically shot in the head during the war. Veneta reflects on how she and her family rebuilt their lives in St. Louis, turning it into a true home. She highlights the opportunities the city has provided for her

ST. LOUIS – Sunday night served as an early Thanksgiving celebration for immigrants and their families who now call St. Louis home. Families gathered to fill their plates with traditional Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings. The event, hosted by the International Institute of St. Louis, started with the ceremonial turkey carving, followed by music and games for the kids. Blake Hamilton, CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis, said the meal is especially signifi

BY St. Louis American Maxine Clark and Bob Fox were recognized as Champions in Education at The St. Louis American Foundation’s 38th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala on Saturday, Nov. 1st, 2025 at America’s Center, Downtown St. Louis. Watch full video here Video by James LeBine and Raven Whitener More news from the St. Louis American Foundation https://www.stlamerican.com/salute-to-excellence/a-powerful-force/ https://www.stlamerican.com/gall

This month’s Mosaic Story features Hamdullah Hamdard and Wendi Newell. Hamdullah, originally from Afghanistan, is the Afghan Support Director at the International Institute and founder of Owlsion Pictures, a media company focused on uplifting underrepresented voices. He shares why he chose St. Louis as home and how he helps other Afghan families do the same. This video was filmed at the Festival of Nations, where Hamdullah and Wendi—both dedicated to welcoming newcomers—met f

BY KSDK The AACCSTL commissioned a report that shows supporting diverse businesses is good business for the region. ST. LOUIS — Several regional chambers of commerce are coming together this week to take a closer look at the economic outlook, and the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of St. Louis will be one of the chambers sharing a recent report in a panel discussion. The Greater St. Louis, Inc.'s   Multi-Chamber Economic Outlook Breakfast , happening November 6, will brin