Celebrating International Women in STL
March is marching in with lots of opportunities to herald our community of international women and those who support them! Read and click through to hear how three foreign-born women entrepreneurs persevere and what advice they give to others; listen to generational wisdom passed on to several locally based international women and read about Mexican-born Lucia Landa's inspiration to start a beautiful and thriving custom upholstery business.

Cheers to the many She-roes among us!

Betsy, Suzanne & Bomi
Mosaic hosted a virtual panel with Venture Cafe featuring three foreign-born women entrepreneurs who take our "Show Me" state motto seriously and are demonstrating how hard work and perseverance lead to success. Click here for a replay with:

Generational Wisdom: Join the St. Louis Public Library on March 24, 7-8 pm online for an evening of conversation with local women from different backgrounds and cultures. Hear their stories and share in their generational wisdom and traditions. Panelists include International Spouse Program members Sherley Moran and Irene Taranhike.
Learn more and register here
"Years of collecting antique textiles and fabrics, centuries-old furniture, and vintage jewelry made me realize I was ready to share my passion and style," says Lucia Landa, owner of Lucia Landa a custom upholstery & antique business, in the latest issue of St. Louis Magazine. A few years ago, she connected with artisans in Mexico who do embroidery and handloom weaving and when she arrived in St. Louis, she began a partnership with a master upholsterer from El Salvador. Read how they are delighting clients with textiles and fabrics from around the world.
Save the Dates & Share!
Photo from ArchGrants.org
Applications open April 1st — Arch Grants provides a $50,000 equity-free funding for early stage startups to the companies that win the annual pitch competition. The winners of the competition will also have access to an ecosystem of resources and support to help grow their business in the St. Louis area. Non U.S. citizens who have the necessary visas to work on their business in the U.S. or have a clear path to obtaining the visa for the program year are welcome to apply. Arch Grants will facilitate the visa application process for those who are eligible, Arch Grants has immigration attorneys who can help individuals who need to be relocated to St. Louis.

Contact Julie Maurer, Competition Manager, for questions:
click here to learn more.
The International Institute offers Career Advancement for International Professionals (CAIP) to foreign-born individuals who have a university degree and want to improve their job search skills for the U.S. Market. The next session begins March 31, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. A morning session will be offered beginning April 28th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. This is a fee-based program and scholarships are available. This is an online training.

Register here or contact Mr. Luba Mntanga at mntangal@iistl.org for more information.
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The International Institute's (IISTL) Trivia Night theme is “Passport to Unity.” IISTL’s mission is to not only provide access to necessities for new arrivals, but to also provide a pathway to unity among St. Louisans of all backgrounds. Join IISTL for a fun night of knowledge-sharing, friendly competition, and standing united with immigrants and refugees! The event will be hosted on Zoom.

April 17 | 5:30 p.m. (CST)
Click here for more information
300 Years of Immigration Policy in America: Past, Present and Future
Wednesday, March 24, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
The Welcoming Center, a non-profit in Philadelphia and Mosaic peer in Welcoming America, presents a webinar on the history and current state of U.S. immigration. William (Bill) Stock, a founding member of The Welcoming Center and nationally known speaker on immigration law, will lead the discussion followed by a Q & A. For more information and to register for this free webinar, click here.
Meeting of the Minds
University Partners and Ambassador Companies Discuss Hiring & Belonging
We held separate meetings with our University Partners and Ambassador Companies to share information and brainstorm about OPT for students and keeping them engaged virtually; hiring trends with companies and ways we can help with the process. We shared an outlook on immigration policy and a general sense of how new actions and policies may unfold. We also offered assistance in organizing DEIB panels/speakers (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging) and promoted the use of free video and print assets from the Ad Council PSA campaign Belonging Begins With Us. As always, we are here to be of service to our partners and appreciate our time with them. Please reach out to us if we can answer your immigration-related questions!
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