Downtown St. Louis will glow purple tomorrow evening in recognition of Purple Thursday, a national day of action to raise awareness around domestic violence. Greater St. Louis, Inc.'s Chair's Council member Nestlé Purina PetCare Company has long advocated for victims of domestic abuse and their pets through its Purple Leash Project and is working with other downtown organizations, as well as Lydia’s House, to bring attention to the cause. The new 1,000 downtown LED “smart” lights recently installed by Greater St. Louis, Inc. will shine purple to help mark the day.

A groundbreaking ceremony yesterday morning celebrated a new, $16 million project that will revitalize an old Schnucks Plaza in Dellwood, Missouri. R&R Marketplace, the vision of Pastors Ken and Beverly Jenkins of Refuge and Restoration Church, will include a bank, workforce development center, health center and more, potentially creating 2,000 jobs in five years. John Ross, CEO of Summit Real Estate Group, a member of the Greater St. Louis, Inc. Chair’s Council, has been heavily involved in the project. Read more.

A major facilities addition to the Chaifetz Arena complex will allow Greater St. Louis, Inc.'s Chair's Council member St. Louis University athletes to better compete on a national level. The multi-purpose facility, called the O’Loughlin Family Champions Center, will include a team dining area, nutrition center, student success suite and more. The facility will be privately funded, in part by lead benefactor Bob O’Laughlin, chairman and CEO of Lodging Hospitality Management. Read more.

A need for noninvasive colon cancer screening options led St. Louis native Erica Barnell to found Geneoscopy, a diagnostics health care company that specializes in ways to noninvasively monitor, diagnose and treat gastrointestinal disease, the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. The company was incubated in St. Louis, receiving an Arch Grant in 2016 and additional support through its longtime home in Cortex Innovation District. Learn more about this STLMade company in a story from TheSTL.

GDIT STEPS UP TO SUPPORT THE LITTLE BIT FOUNDATION

General Dynamics Information Technology, a government technology integrator that expanded in St. Louis earlier this year, is already investing in the region. The company served as a presenting sponsor of the Little Bit Foundation’s 2021 Join the Journey Gala last Friday night, celebrating the organization’s 20th anniversary. Greater St. Louis, Inc.'s Chair's Council member GDIT convened local partners for the event, including Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc., Ronda Schrenk, CEO of USGIF, Sam Fiorello, president and CEO of Cortex Innovation Community, and Zekita Armstrong-Asuquo, president of Gateway Global.

The Saint Louis Art Museum called a promised gift of 22 works of art from Emily Rauh Pulitzer one of the most significant in its 142-year history. The gift includes both sculpture and paintings by 20th century European and American artists, including Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol. Pulitzer has served as curator, board member, collector and donor, her unparalleled legacy shaping the Saint Louis Art Museum into a world-class institution. Learn more about her legacy.

The Professional Society of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis recently hosted a panel discussion asking, “Why St. Louis?” and exploring business attraction in the region. The event included opening remarks from St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and was moderated by Peter Boumgarden, director, Koch Family Business Center, Washington University, a Greater St. Louis, Inc.'s Chair's Council member. Panelists included Jason Hall, CEO, Greater St. Louis, Inc.; Betsy Cohen, executive director, St. Louis Mosaic Project; and Chrystiane Junqueira, vice president, HR, Bunge. Watch the panel.