A City for Everyone

Students at the Nahed Chapman New American Academy located on Grand Avenue. This school is home to the highest population of refugee students in St. Louis.

The world feels a bit smaller today, and we're thinking about what that means for our city. In 2015, a national news piece brought attention to a study on the positive impact a large number of Bosnian immigrants were having in South St. Louis. It highlighted how this community of over 9,000 people had turned around some of the most vacated and derelict neighborhoods. 

"Bosnians opened many thriving small businesses including bakeries, butcher shops, coffee shops, construction and heating and cooling companies, insurance companies and a truck-driving institute, and continue to be a key source of high skilled production work."

Bevo Mill, the prominent destination for the Bosnian community today, is continuing to see development. A new brewery and beer garden are in the works, and improved tax pools are putting money to work. The author of the 2015 study states that “immigrants are 60% more likely to be entrepreneurs in the St. Louis region.”

We're here to make these dreams reality, and are offering a complimentary membership to immigrant business owners while the US government imposes a ban. Please nominate someone in our community and help us spread the word.