Entrepreneurs Keith Alper, David Stillman, Steve Trampe and Joseph Bowers announced the launch of Geniecast at an event Downtown tonight attended by Mayor Francis Slay as well as other city leaders. Geniecast is the world’s largest online marketplace of thought leaders, speakers, experts and consultants, all available via live, two-way video broadcast. 

With Geniecast, education, board meetings and business development become more affordable and accessible. 1,000 different programs are led by more than 800 “Genies”—experts in a variety of topics ranging from customer service and business best practices to leadership and other trending industry topics.

“We keep a watchful eye on trends and topics to keep our content relevant and fresh,” said co-founder David Stillman in a statement. “There is a process to become a Genie so we know we are consistently delivering quality content to our customers.”

Clients may purchase any program that matches their price point and subject matter.  A link is then sent to set up the Cast, which can include up to 300 separate connections in different locations. This enables businesses with locations around the globe to participate simultaneously in the same live conversation. 

“As a producer for 25-plus years for major companies and organizations, I saw firsthand the increase in demand for just-in-time learning and easier, more affordable access to great content,” said Keith Alper in a statement. “We set out to break barriers, democratize content and foster human connectivity, and I think we’ve done just that.” 

But who are the “Genies”? Within the pack of 800 are more than 30 individuals who are members of the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame and more than 15 individuals who were named to Inc.com’s list of Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference. Former Yahoo! executive Tim Sanders, sales guru Jack Daly and New York Times best-selling author Dan Buettner are among the Genies available on Geniecast.com.

The firm has already tested the product on early customers with success, including Contegix, Virgin Hotels and Maryville University.

“We are proud that Maryville University has signed on as the first university partner to the Geniecast platform, bringing customized content to the classroom, boardroom and personal devices in 2016,” Alper said.

Geniecast currently has 17 employees, with its corporate offices in Downtown St. Louis. Alper projects that the company’s growth will lead to several hundred jobs in St. Louis within the next three years. 

“When we began talking about bringing this concept to life, we knew St. Louis was the natural home for Geniecast headquarters,” said Alper. “We know from experience this community supports creativity, innovation and diversity which are important to us and this company.”