Women in Business: At The Heart of It All

Date and Time

Friday Sep 20, 2024
10:30 AM - 2:00 PM CDT

Location

Drury Plaza Hotel Conference Center

Contact Information

Whitney Quick
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Women in Business: At The Heart of It...

Description

Join us for the second annual Women in Business: At the Heart of It All Celebration honoring American Business Women's Day as we celebrate the accomplishments of businesswomen across the nation and in our region. Being the largest Women's Network event of the year, we are thrilled to have two incredible speakers lined up for the event: Maxine Clark, Founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop, and Meredith Knopp, President & CEO of St. Louis Area Foodbank. Join us to hear their inspirational stories which aim to embody the spirit of women breaking through and rising above! Tickets are on sale now.

Maxine Clark
Founder, Build-A-Bear Workshop™

Maxine Clark is one of the true innovators in the retail industry. During her career, her ability to spot emerging retail and merchandising trends and her insight into the desires of the American consumer have generated growth for retail leaders, including department store, discount and specialty stores. In 1997, she founded Build-A-Bear Workshop, a teddy-bear themed retail-entertainment experience. In 2004 she took the company public on the NYSE. In 2022 Build-A-Bear celebrated its 25th anniversary. Today, there are nearly 500 stores around the world and over 250 million stuffed animals have been sold.
In June 2013, Maxine stepped down from her Chief Executive Bear role to apply her entrepreneurial skills to her passion for improving K-12 public education and to invest in and mentor women and minority entrepreneurs. Maxine credits her teachers as the foundation for success - classroom teachers and mentors alike. To honor them, she gives back. Her next "act" is making public education much more consumer friendly by creating more access for families and students to systems and supports to enrich each child's learning experience. Maxine is also a Managing Partner of Prosper Women's Capital, a St. Louis based fund created to invest in women owned businesses and a member of the Board of Advisors of Lewis & Clark Ventures, a St. Louis based private equity firm and is a trusted advisor and mentor to several women and minority owned businesses. Maxine has earned a variety of awards and honors for her outstanding achievements and service, has served on a variety of Boards, and continues her efforts of investing in women and minority entrepreneurs.

Meredith Knopp
President & CEO, St. Louis Area Foodbank

Meredith Knopp is a US Army Veteran and International Best-Selling author, who today is responsible for supporting hundreds of thousands of people across eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois that struggle with food insecurity. As President and CEO of the St. Louis Area Foodbank, Knopp oversees an organization that provides more than 50 million pounds of food annually through a vast network of partners and programs to help build a stronger bi-state region.
Before joining the Foodbank, Knopp was the Senior Vice President of Programs and Operations at The Mission Continues. During her six and a half years there, she helped design and launch new programs to empower more than 25,000 veterans to leave a lasting impact on their communities in addition to awarding 2,000 community service fellowships to post-9/11 veterans nationwide. Prior to her role at The Mission Continues, Meredith served as Senior Vice President for Junior Achievement of St. Louis. Her four years of nonprofit leadership there followed five years as a General Manager in large-format retail. She also served seven years with the United States Army during which time she rose through the ranks to become Captain, Company Commander and Senior Project Officer.

In 2020, Meredith was named one of the top 25 Most Influential Businesswomen in St. Louis, and in both 2023 and 2024 Meredith was named a St. Louis TITAN 100 Leader in recognition of her contributions to her community. Meredith serves as the Vice-Chair for the Missouri Veterans Commission, appointed by the Governor, has and continues to serve as a member of the Board for a few organizations, and coaches her daughter's softball team. Meredith was born and raised outside Detroit, Michigan, and today lives outside St. Louis with her husband of over 21 years, Ken and their daughter, Abigail.