May 05

The Association of Corporate Counsel – St. Louis Chapter Hosts June 5 Diversity Summer Kick Off

Event Held for 2018 Summer Interns, Volunteers, and Members to Network

The Association of Corporate Counsel – St. Louis Chapter (ACC STL), the pre-eminent professional development organization serving in-house counsel, will host its annual Diversity Summer Kick Off event Tues., June 5, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Anheuser Busch Visitors Center located at 1200 Lynch Street, St. Louis, MO, 63118.

The purpose of the event is for 2018 ACC Summer interns, the intern host companies and mentors, as well as ACC STL’s 2018 Street Law Volunteers (Street Law is an annual event that teaches young people about the practice of law beyond the common court room appearance), to mingle with current members, learn about upcoming Chapter events, and discuss with law students the benefits and opportunities available with an in-house counsel career path.

Partnering with the ACC STL to host the event is Thompson Coburn, LLP, a current gold-level sponsor of the St. Louis Chapter.

“One of the ACC STL value propositions is to promote diversity and inclusion among our members, the companies our members represent, and within the legal community. ACC STL members represent corporations in a wide variety of industries with a global reach, and part of our commitment to our membership is to offer programming to network, educate and have fun,” said Toni Douaihy, 2018 ACC STL President, and Macy’s Vice President and Assistant General Counsel.

 

About the ACC STL:

The Association of Corporate Counsel – St. Louis Chapter (ACC STL), the pre-eminent professional development organization serving in-house counsel, was founded in 1987. The St. Louis chapter has more than 550 members who represent more than 100 organizations. During its 30-year-history, the ACC STL has grown to become one of the leading chapters in the country by its national association having been selected as “Chapter of the Year” three times with the most recent award in 2017.  To learn more, please visit, https://www.acc.com/chapters/stlouis/.

 

May 02

The Business Bank of St. Louis Voted One of the “Best St. Louis Banks in 2018” by Small Business Monthly Readers

Business Bank of St. LouisThe Business Bank of St. Louis (BBSTL) was voted one of the “Best St. Louis Banks in 2018” by the readers of Small Business Monthly.

“To be voted one of the best St. Louis banks by the readers of Small Business Monthly is a real compliment to The Business Bank. Our team of professionals constantly look at ways to go above and beyond to make sure that our clients experience the best possible service and attention to help them achieve personal and professional success,” said Larry Kirby, President & CEO.

BBSTL was voted one of the “Best St. Louis Banks” by the readers of Small Business Monthly in 2015 and 2017.

During the past several years, three of the Company’s bankers have been recognized by the publication for being local industry leaders. The BBSTL associates include:

  • Jeremy Shore, Vice President – SBA Lending, was selected as one of the “2017 Top St. Louis Lenders.”
  • Kelly Bender, Vice President – Commercial Lending, was selected as one of “2017 Best Bankers in St. Louis.”
  • Rodney Malone, Vice President – Private Banking, was selected as one of “2016 Top St. Louis Employees.”

To review the list of the “Best St. Louis Banks in 2018,” please click here.

For more than 15 years, The Business Bank of St. Louis has provided a full-service banking facility in the heart of the Clayton business district located at 8000 Maryland Avenue, Clayton, MO, 63105. The mission of the Bank and the primary focus of the team members is to be the leading financial partner for St. Louis’ business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals who need customized solutions to guide them toward financial success. For more information, visit http://bbstl.com.

May 01

Purk & Associates, P.C., Selected as One of Small Business Monthly’s “2018 Best Accounting Firms in St. Louis”

Purk & Associates, P.C., the leading, independently owned St. Louis-based accounting and management advisory firm, was recently voted as one of the “2018 Best Accounting Firms in St. Louis” by readers of Small Business Monthly in the May issue.

“We are thrilled to be  voted by the Small Business Monthly readers as one of the best accounting firms in St. Louis. Our success is tied directly to the success of our clients,” said Bill Purk, CPA, Purk & Associates CEO & Founding Shareholder.

This year, Purk & Associates has been voted by the readers of Small Business Monthly as one of the “Best in Quality,” in January; “Best in Customer Service,” in February; and one of its team members, T.J. Hoeferlin, Director of Assurance, was selected as one of the publication’s “Top 100 St. Louisans to Know in Business.”

This award-winning firm has been voted one of the “Top Accounting Firms to Work For” by Accounting Today, selected as one of the “Best Places to Work” by the St. Louis Business Journal, and made the Inc. Magazine’s 500 | 5000 list.

To view the Small Business Monthly list of 2018 Top Accounting Firms, click here.

Founded in 2009 with headquarters in St. Louis, Purk & Associates, P.C., is a nationally recognized and award winning, independently owned accounting and management advisory firm that delivers a full range of tax, accounting, audit and consulting services. At Purk & Associates, our focus is to help our clients achieve more financial and business success. To learn more, please visit www.purkpc.com.

Apr 09

Jeremy Shore, The Business Bank of St. Louis Vice President of SBA Lending, Selected as Small Business Monthly “2018 Top 100 St. Louisans to Know”

Jeremy Shore, Vice President of SBA Lending at The Business Bank of St. Louis (BBSTL)

Jeremy Shore, Vice President of SBA Lending at The Business Bank of St. Louis (BBSTL)

Jeremy Shore, Vice President of SBA Lending at The Business Bank of St. Louis (BBSTL), was selected as one of Small Business Monthly’s “2018 Top 100 St Louisans to Know.”

Shore, who joined BBSTL 2016, works with a variety of entrepreneurs and business owners to provide flexible and creative financing solutions. He is also experienced helping clients with business acquisition financing, debt restructuring and partner buyouts. In 2017, Shore was selected as one of the “Top STL Lenders” by Small Business Monthly.

“I am honored to be named one of the Top 100 St. Louisans to Know. When I started my banking career more than 10 years ago, I gravitated toward SBA lending because I enjoy working with and providing solutions for entrepreneurs and business owners,” said Shore.

Shore received a bachelor of science in business administration with a major in finance and minor in marketing from Saint Louis University. He is an active member of the Chaminade College Prep Alumni Board and the St. Louis Sports Commission Associates. He is also involved with Habitat for Humanity Young Friends.

To read Shore’s profile along with the other recipients of Small Business Monthly’s “2018 Top 100 St. Louisans to Know,” please click on the following link, https://bit.ly/2GNhSvD.

For more than 15 years, The Business Bank of St. Louis has provided a full-service banking facility in the heart of the Clayton business district located at 8000 Maryland Avenue, Clayton, MO, 63105. The mission of the Bank and the primary focus of the team members is to be the leading financial partner for St. Louis’ business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals who need customized solutions to guide them toward financial success. For more information, visit http://bbstl.com.

Apr 05

T.J. Hoeferlin, Purk & Associates Director of Assurance, Selected as One of Small Business Monthly’s “2018 Top 100 St. Louisans to Know”

T.J. Hoeferlin, Director of Assurance for Purk & Associates, P.C.

T.J. Hoeferlin, CPA, Purk & Associates Director of Assurance, was selected as one of Small Business Monthly’s “2018 Top 100 St. Louisans to Know.”

Hoeferlin, who joined Purk & Associates in 2016, is responsible for all assurance related services including audits, reviews, compilations, and agreed upon procedures. He oversees and manages a wide variety of areas ranging from engagement management and client service to research and implementation of new accounting and auditing standards.

“I am honored to be selected as one of the ‘Top 100 St. Louisans to Know.’ St. Louis has a strong and growing entrepreneurial community, and I continue to be amazed by the level of talent and drive of the business owners and entrepreneurs I meet each day,” said Hoeferlin.

Hoeferlin earned a bachelor of science in accounting from Truman State University, and received a master of business administration from Washington University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants. Hoeferlin is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).

To read Hoeferlin’s profile and the profiles of the recipients of the “2018 Top 100 St. Louisans to Know,” please click here.

Founded in 2009 with headquarters in St. Louis, Purk & Associates, P.C., is a nationally recognized and award winning, independently owned accounting and management advisory firm that delivers a full range of tax, accounting, audit and consulting services. At Purk & Associates, our focus is to help our clients achieve more financial and business success. To learn more, please visit www.purkpc.com.

Mar 30

TEXTiUM Launches Precision Texting Product for Direct Mail Industry for a Personalized Consumer Experience

TEXTiUM CEO and founder, Craig Schmitz

TEXTiUM, a St. Louis-based tech company providing a precision texting platform for direct mail advertisers, announced today the launch of its patent pending product prior to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) conference held March 22-25 in Las Vegas, where it will be formally introduced to users.

Craig Schmitz, TEXTiUM CEO and founder, said, “TEXTiUM is the optimal lead generating platform for the direct marketing industry. The technology allows the consumer to immediately respond to a direct mail offer through their phone, provides an instant personalized response to the consumer directly to their smartphone, collects their mobile phone number and instantly delivers the information to the advertiser in the form of a real-time quality lead.”

Why TEXTiUM Was Founded

Schmitz, a serial entrepreneur and current stakeholder with William Craig Diversified Holdings, a St. Louis-based venture capital firm that supports funding for start-ups, said that he used direct mail campaigns with the previous businesses he owned. The challenge Schmitz experienced with direct mail was that it was not as effective because the results for qualified leads could not be measured accurately.

Now that the preferred device to receive information is a mobile phone, Schmitz saw an opportunity to combine a direct mail piece with a personalized text response to the consumer. He knew that integrating a direct mail campaign with a personalized text would create a better process to respond instantly to consumer interest while at the same time capturing information for follow-up by the advertiser.

TEXTiUM can be used for any direct mail campaign by any business in any industry. Applicable industries include automotive, real estate, mortgage lending, banking, financial services, insurance, education, professional service providers, health care and not-for-profit organizations.

TEXTiUM does not design, print or sell direct mail. The technology is to be used and integrated with direct marketing campaigns.

How TEXTiUM Works

Advertisers target specific customers with a unique offer or message using a direct mail piece. When the consumer uses a text to respond to the direct mail offer, they receive a personalized reply created specifically for them. As the consumer responds, TEXTiUM acquires their mobile phone number that is combined with other pertinent data and instantly forwarded to the advertiser as a qualified lead.

“Grabbing a person’s attention isn’t as simple as mailing a postcard. When direct mail arrives, the recipient must at least touch it – if only for a moment before recycling it – but if you’ve crafted a targeted, meaningful and personalized message—with a convenient response mechanism—it will get opened, and action is more likely to be taken immediately. TEXTiUM technology will help grab the attention of consumers and connect them with responsive and innovative advertisers,” added Schmitz.

 

Contact:

Craig Schmitz, CEO and Founder, TEXTiUM 314.565.4148; craig@craigschmitz.com

Ann Marie Mayuga, Partner, AMM Communications 314.485.9499, annmarie@ammcommunications.com @stlpr

 

About TEXTiUM:

Founded in 2017, TEXTiUM is a pioneer for integrating the most modern texting technology with traditional direct mail advertising. TEXTiUM is the only product available that gathers rich, empirical data for direct marketers to offer targeted, cost-effective, campaigns. Its proprietary technology conveys unique offerings and information to consumers while acquiring the mobile phone number that is immediately shared with the advertiser in the form of a high quality lead. To learn more, please visit https://TEXTiUM.com, or call, 1.833.TEXTiUM.

Mar 27

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri Wins Pivotal Case Against Local School District

Luz Maria Henriquez, Lead LSEM Attorney

In one of the first cases of its kind in Missouri, the St. Louis City 22nd Judicial Circuit has approved a settlement with a cash award for a parent when the school district failed to follow the required procedures for suspending a child and for failing to provide an adequate, alternative form of education.  The settlement also provides for the district to change its policies and practices for students similarly disciplined.  The student in the case, a child of color, was put out of school for 125 school days his freshman year and earned zero credits that year.  This action was taken without affording the child his basic due process rights.   

“This case is part of an initiative to ensure that all children receive access to an ‘adequate and quality education’ required by the Missouri Constitution,” stated Luz María Henríquez, lead attorney for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri who represented the family and student.

“Schools are supposed to be treasures in our communities, the places that exemplify the equality of opportunity promised by our Constitution. Instead, research proves that Missouri students of color are treated differently than white students,” continued Ms. Henriquez. 

According to a recent ACLU report, suspended students are less likely to graduate and more likely to be suspended, repeat a grade, or drop out and become involved in the juvenile justice and criminal justice systems. Students who are forced out of school because of suspensions or expulsions are 10 times more likely to drop out, which increases their likelihood of incarceration.

To help address these inequities and break the school-to-prison pipeline, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri sponsors the Education Justice Program that addresses the root causes of education inequity by representing clients, filing formal complaints with the Office of Civil Rights and providing community workshops for families and stakeholders.

The Court-approved settlement agreement also requires the school district to change policies and procedures for students who are disciplined by being placed in a Virtual Learning Program but not allowed to access that program from school.  The school district must closely monitor these students’ progress and to provide additional opportunities to appeal this form of discipline.

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About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has served more than 1 million families since 1956. Legal Services has four offices in St. Louis, Clayton, Hannibal and Union serving 21 counties in eastern Missouri.

Feb 16

Fyndus Rolls Out a New Website and Mobile Application

FyndUs Logo 2017

Fyndus, LLC, a global e-commerce and local deals startup, recently launched its updated website and app to make the consumer experience more robust, provide tighter security, and expanded payment options.

Released earlier this month, the newly-enhanced Fyndus website and app are designed to improve the experience of users, and merchants selling their products and services. Improvements include:

  • Expanded payment options — All major credit cards are now accepted along with PayPal and Stripe.
  • Increased product and service offerings – Improved and varied merchandise selections at the lowest prices with options of free surface shipping or expedited shipping.  More local dining, services, and experiences are available for consumers using the mobile application.
  • Better marketing for merchants – Merchants and retailers who become part of the Fyndus program will have more control, exposure, and independence with marketing their businesses through the app.
  • Easier log-in with strengthened security – App users now have fewer steps to access their accounts with increased security measures that were programmed in the app and website. 

Affan Waheed, Fyndus CEO, said, “We continue to expand our offerings and services to make the Fyndus user experience engaging, convenient and fun. We want and need input from our users so we can continuously improve, and challenge ourselves to constantly innovate to make the user experience unique and simple.” 

Founded in 2016, Fyndus has experienced significant growth with thousands of subscribers throughout Asia, Africa and the Middle East, with India and Pakistan having the largest number of users. Fyndus launched its North American mobile application last year.

“Our vision is to empower our users with an app that saves them time and money by finding the best local deals, services and dining experiences regardless of where they are in the world,” added Waheed.   

 

Contact:

Ann Marie Mayuga

314.485.9499

annmarie@ammcommunications.com

@stlpr or @ammayuga

 

About Fyndus

Fyndus, LLC, is the global leader that changes the consumer retail shopping experience with brick and mortar, and e-commerce using an app to find the best deals in merchandise, service and local dining. Fyndus is different from other e-commerce platforms because it rewards buying behavior patterns, provides savings to buyers by eliminating the middleman, and offers merchants and service providers the tools to better manage the consumer buying experience. With headquarters based in St. Louis, Missouri and offices located internationally throughout Europe and the Middle East, Fyndus is changing the way people shop globally, save money, and help local businesses thrive. Fyndus…Discover. Shop. Save! To learn more, please visit https://Fyndus.com.

Feb 14

The Importance of Nutrition

During the holidays, our personal health tends to fail miserably. As Valentine’s Day and Easter approach, the various candies can be hard to ignore as well. These guilty pleasures are around us all year long, causing it to be extremely difficult to focus on our nutrition. Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of our lives, dealing with the foods we eat and the amount of exercise we are doing. Having good nutrition can affect other aspects of life such as your mood, sleep, self-esteem, and stress.

Many people believe that having good nutrition means that they have to change their entire diet and give up everything they love, but that is not the case. Foods can be eaten in moderations and one chocolate will not be the end of the world. Eating healthier and exercising regularly can be a challenge for many people, therefore there are nutritionists and personal trainers in St. Louis that are there to help. A nutritionist will be there to guide you along the way and help create a plan for your diet. There are many simple ways to do that including tracking foods with an app that will not require too much of your time. These people will be your biggest motivators other than yourself, so it is important to have a strong bond filled with trust. Focusing on your nutrition can be one of the best things to do for your body, and it deserves it.

Feb 14

Ed Mayuga, AMM Communications Partner, Presents at Feb. 20 St. Louis Society of Association Executives (SLSAE) Luncheon

image of Ed MayugaFebruary 13, 2018 (St. Louis) – Ed Mayuga, AMM Communications partner, a leading St. Louis-based firm that offers PR, digital marketing, communication skills training, and talent acquisition, is the luncheon speaker for the Feb. 20 St. Louis Society of Association Executives (SLSAE), where he is presenting, “Using Social Media Effectively for Associations.”

The program will be held at the Missouri Society of CPAs located at 540 Maryville Centre Dr., St. Louis, MO, 63141, from 11:15 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Tickets are $35.00 for SLSAE members and $50.00 for non-members. To register, please click here.

The program is about how social media has been around for nearly 15 years, and associations and company are still not using it and testing it to its fullest potential. The purpose of this discussion is to provide three ideas for social media marketing that attendees can implement after attending this session. Ideas that will be discussed include:

  • LinkedIn for B2B marketing
  • Facebook and Instagram for B2C marketing
  • Pay-per-Click advertising through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google AdWords

Founded in 2008 by Ann Marie and Ed Mayuga, AMM Communications, a PR and digital agency, serves clients throughout the St. Louis region and nationwide. The firm has evolved from its initial offerings of public relations and social media consulting to evolving into one of the only digital public relations firms in St. Louis using the Paid Earned Social Owned (PESO) model when working with clients. The PESO model was created by Gini Dietrich, PR-thought leader and founder of the influential blog, http://spinsucks.com.

AMM Communications has also been voted one of the “Best St. Louis Public Relations Firms” by the readers of Small Business Monthly for eight consecutive years from 2010-17. Also, the firm was selected by Small Business Monthly as one of its “2017 Future 50” companies, an award recognizing privately held companies that are key economic indicators for regional business growth.

Founded in 2008, AMM Communications LLC, the St. Louis-based PR and digital agency, and talent acquisition firm, provides media relations, digital public relation, business development, crisis communications, content marketing, internal communications, communications skills training, digital marketing, reputation management, social media consulting, and executive search services for businesses nationwide. AMM Communications is WBE certified, and has been voted one of the “Best PR Firms in St. Louis” by Small Business Monthly from 2010-2017. We want to help you … Drive your sales. Communicate better. Hire well. For more information, please visit, http://ammcommunications.com or call 314.485.9499.