Arch Grants, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit seeking to catalyze economic development in St. Louis, has announced that Gabe Angieri has accepted the appointment to be the next Executive Director of the organization.

Serving as Arch Grants’ Director of Development for the last five years, Angieri’s passion for the organization and its mission were responsible for unprecedented support and growth from key donors and influencers throughout the St. Louis region.

“This is the next chapter for Arch Grants’ impact on the economic development of our region,” said Jerry Schlichter, Chair of the Board of Arch Grants. “After reviewing a robust pool of highly qualified candidates, we unanimously concluded that Gabe stood alone above the field as a steward for our continued commitment to St. Louis. We are fortunate to have Gabe to lead us forward to an even greater success.”

After a comprehensive and rigorous national search, the Search Committee confirmed that Angieri’s accomplishments to date, leadership and vision for Arch Grants were clear differentiators.

“I’m thrilled to take the helm of Arch Grants. The work is vitally important, the impact meaningful and my excitement about the organization has never been greater,” said Angieri.

“Arch Grants has spurred significant economic growth over the last ten years through the dynamic, innovative entrepreneurs we support. Working in partnership with the St. Louis community which has stepped up since day one, I’m confident we’ll go even further in our next decade of impact.”

Arch Grants has funded more than 200 early-stage businesses since 2012 through its annual Startup Competition. As of Dec. 31, 2021, Arch Grants’ portfolio companies have gone on to create over 2,600 jobs in the St. Louis region, generate $517 million in revenue and attract more than $620 million in follow-on capital.

Through a volunteer-powered selection process, Arch Grants has awarded early-stage companies across many industries, including high-growth tech companies Label Insight (2012 Cohort) and Balto (2018 Cohort), the fastest-growing private company in St. Louis, KNOWiNK (2013 Cohort), cutting-edge biotech startup Geneoscopy (2016 Cohort), and more recent consumer packaged goods companies, Flipstik (2020 Cohort), which was offered a deal on Shark Tank in 2021, and Rebundle (2020 Cohort). 69% of the companies Arch Grants has funded are led or co-led by a woman, person of color, immigrant, or Veteran, reflecting the organization’s deep commitment to building a more diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem in St. Louis.

Applications for Arch Grants’ 2022 Startup Competition are now open through April 15, 2022. The nonprofit plans to fund 20 – 25 startups with $75,000 each in non-dilutive grants in exchange for a one-year commitment to headquarter in St. Louis.

Startups that move to St. Louis for the program are also eligible for $25,000 in relocation grants. In addition, all Arch Grants Companies receive wraparound support services inclusive of introductions to investors, connections to potential customers and concierge tailored support to address each company’s needs.