3 Justine PETERSEN Board Members honored in "Top 100 St. Louisans to Know to Succeed in Business"

Three of Justine PETERSEN’s board members were recently honored in St. Louis Small Business Monthly’s “Top 100 St. Louisans You Should Know to Succeed In Business”: Niccole Clements of PNC Bank (also a CBN member), Elissa Schauman of Leverage Law Group, and Allan Ivie IV of SImmons Bank.

The magazine also honored Scott Held of Ameren Corporation, Greg Kendell of Commerce Bank, Nancy Petersen of Enterprise Bank & Trust, Arrey Obenson of the International Institute of St. Louis, Dara Eskridge of Invest STL, David Noble of Midland States Bank, and Neal Richardson of St. Louis Development Corporation.

Congratulations!

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Image by Justine PETERSEN

IISTL and partners support refugees with Afghan Support Program

Image by International Institute of St. Louis

CBN member the International Institute of St. Louis has partnered with Arch Grants founder Jerry Schlichter and local business and religious leaders on the Afghan Support Program, which is expanding the St. Louis region’s refugee resettlement efforts. Their goals and accomplishments include:

• Providing funds to address immediate housing needs of Afghan immigrants

• Establishing an Afghan Chamber of Commerce

• Establishing an Afghan newspaper

• Funding tuition and translators for computer coding classes at Claim Academy

• Furnishing iPads for 200 Afghan families, thereby decreasing the technology access gap

• Providing entrepreneurial grants

• Offering free use of indoor soccer minifields for kids at Futbol Club STL

• Establishing an Afghan Community Center

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International Institute of St. Louis and Partners Announce Plan to Support Afghan Refugees

The International Institute of St. Louis, the Archdiocese of St. Louis, ArchGrants, and other partners have announced a plan to help Afghan refugees in St. Louis by offering housing assistance, business grants, community resources, and other services. They’re also aiming to attract other Afghans to the region.

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International Institute of St. Louis Committed to Helping Afghan Refugees

As the International Institute of St. Louis prepares to welcome up to 1,000 Afghan refugees, they are seeking community members and organizations to help by sharing cash gifts, in-kind donations, and time and expertise.

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IISTL names Arrey Obenson as new President and Chief Executive Officer

February marked the beginning of a new strategy for the International Institute as Arrey Obenson began his position as the President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to that, Anna Crosslin had led the organization since 1978. Obenson comes to the position after serving as co-founder and CEO of Transformunity. Before that, he was the Secretary General of Junior Chamber International (JCI). It was his work at JCI that brought him to St. Louis from Cameroon in 2002.

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International Institute Supports Refugee in Building Aleppo Soaps in St. Louis

Haitham Kadou came to United states from Syria as a refugee in 2016.

In Syria, he learned the process of soap making from his grandparents with unique recipes passed down from generation to generation. He also had experience running his own soap factory producing high quality soaps made with all-natural and chemical-free ingredients.

When he arrived in St. Louis, he decided to open the same business with a new name: Aleppo Natural Soap. The International Institute Community Development Corporation (IICDC) was there to help!

Like many immigrants and refugees wanting to start a business in St. Louis, Haitham faced two major barriers: 1) access to capital & 2) knowledge of local resources and opportunities. Many of the skills and experiences of foreign-born entrepreneurs do not easily transfer to the US. IICDC supported Haitham as he launched his business on Facebook and Etsy and connected him to opportunities at local bazaars and festivals. His business is one of 536 supported by their organization.

IICDC is Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in the St. Louis region that provides loans and business development services to immigrants who do not qualify for business credit at traditional banks

They help clients become successful borrowers and savers, evaluating and providing them with an appropriate level of credit counseling, financial literacy and training to compliment the choice of financial product. Many are still struggling to develop and perfect their English and business communication skills. As a result, they are less likely to take advantage of the many resources that our region has for low-income entrepreneurs. With support from IICDC they are able to take the first step towards becoming business bankable.

IICDC offers a variety of services to clients to promote the economic development of immigrants and refugees in the St. Louis region, including their microenterprise loans ranging from $500-45,000. According to the Regional Chamber and Growth Association, generated over $161 million in economic impact for the St. Louis region.

The International Institute CDC is a member of the St. Louis CDFI Coalition, a partnership among eight CDFIs that offer an array of capital, development, and consulting services and share a common mission to empower a comprehensively healthy St. Louis community through support for nonprofits, small businesses, and communities facing disinvestment.

International Institute Delivers Rental & Mortgage Assistance For Immigrants in St. Louis City

The International Institute received a portion of the $5.4 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief that the City of St. Louis has allocated to rental and mortgage assistance from CARES Act federal funding. "With this funding we can provide several thousands in rental and mortgage assistance to a number of city residents, namely refugees and other qualified immigrants," said Ariel Burgess, IISTL VP of Client Services.

Applicants for the housing assistance program should come to the International Institute located at 3401 Arsenal, 63118 between 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday - Friday. Language interpretation will be available. Services will be provided to all eligible individuals, regardless of language, disability, or ethnicity. For this program, the point of contact is P. Ariel Burgess, burgessa@iistl.org; 314-773-9090 ext. 115. If possible, email is preferred.