St. Louis can’t continue to grow a strong economy unless we connect talented people with jobs at growing companies. This challenge is often complicated, but it’s important to the future of our region.
There are great jobs available but a lot of people don't see themselves on these bioscience career paths. This is often due to socioeconomic identity—many individuals in historically excluded communities have never been exposed to these careers and don’t have role models in the field. As we build a robust bioscience ecosystem, these are people we shouldn’t forget about.
That’s why we focus on increasing exposure by engaging with students and showing them real-world examples of professionals in biosciences.
Another challenge is access to resources. It's hard to get back and forth if you don't have transportation, especially in a city where many companies are not along a bus route.
Lastly, the wealth gap is a significant issue. Many people assess an opportunity based on financial sacrifice—do I have time to take off work and go to this training that could help me transition into a better career?
We recently matched some of our externship participants with mentors from Washington University’s Association of Black Biomedical Graduate Students. Sometimes, we also match students with training programs that suit their needs. For instance, some students may benefit more from a registered apprenticeship, while others might be better suited for the Bio Bootcamp training program with BCSI (Bioscience Core Skills Institute). A lot of my work involves assessing talent needs and guiding them accordingly.
First and foremost, it’s my son. I’m super grateful to be a father; to be able to share my experiences with him as he gets older and starts navigating life.
Even as a kid, I always knew I wanted to help people. I’ve worked with adjudicated youth, sex offenders, and felons at various treatment centers. I also worked in workforce development at the Urban League. All of these experiences have led me here to my role at BioSTL. Ultimately, I’ve always been drawn to serving and supporting the community.
I’m a published author. I released a poetry book called Broken Pieces in 2019. It is about recognizing brokenness in our humanity, imperfections and flaws and accepting it. I’m currently working on the second book and plan to release it within the year.
We have a great team and a great atmosphere. I love the idea that one day I’ll be able to walk my son through these halls and show him the labs—maybe that will inspire him. I’m also excited about the growth and changes happening within the organization. It’s a sign that we’re making an impact.
Read more about Gabe here.
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