IMSTL

What IMSTL does

International Mentoring St. Louis (IMSTL) is a St. Louis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a structured one-year mentorship program pairing foreign-born professional women who have relocated to the St. Louis bi-state region with local women mentors, organized into cohorts of five mentees, five mentors, and two leaders. The program is free to participants, with participants only covering optional costs for extracurricular activities. Supplemental member offerings include an International Book Club, International Chef Club, sports clubs (sand volleyball, pickleball), cultural exchange presentations covering 20+ countries, a members-only directory, and a curated resources portal.

IMSTL was co-founded in 2018 by Susan Gobbo and Annie Schlafly under the auspices of the St. Louis Mosaic Project, became an independent 501(c)(3) in 2022, and rebranded to its current name in 2024. It is governed by a Board of Directors (President Annie Schlafly, VP Kris Brill, Secretary Rachel Paul, Treasurer Chelsey Winsor), an Advisory Committee, and a Board of Advisors, with Laura Wilson serving as the first Executive Director since late 2023. Reach metrics include 830+ combined mentees and mentors, participants from 85+ countries representing 440+ companies, with 80% of international participants remaining in St. Louis post-program and 92% holding postgraduate degrees.

The organization is funded through donations and corporate sponsorships rather than program fees, with no technology platform or AI capabilities beyond a Squarespace website, Google Forms-based applications, and email newsletters. Corporate and community partners — including BJC HealthCare, Clayco, Nestlé Purina, Bunge, Enterprise Holdings, LUZCO Technologies, Commerce Bank, Renaissance Financial, BioSTL, Greater St. Louis Inc., and Arch Grants — channel international hires into the program and support operations. In December 2025, IMSTL formally affiliated with the World Trade Center St. Louis as a complement to its Mosaic Project initiative.

Name

IMSTL

Legal name

International Mentoring St. Louis

Website

https://imstl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International Mentoring St. Louis (IMSTL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a free one-year cohort mentorship program pairing international professional women in the St. Louis region with local women mentors, funded by donations and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Mentorship Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (611710), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC)

Keywords

• International women mentorship
• Community integration programs
• Cultural exchange programs
• Mentorship program services
• Nonprofit community services

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: IMSTL operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donations from individuals and partners to fund operations and expand the mentorship program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IMSTL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a structured one-year mentorship program pairing international women who have relocated to the St. Louis bi-state region with local women mentors, organized into cohorts of five mentors, five mentees, and two leaders. The core offering is supplemented by member activities (International Book Club, International Chef Club, sports clubs, cultural exchange presentations), a member directory, events calendar, and resources portal covering education, housing, food, and professional development. Corporate and community partnership programs support international talent retention for regional employers.

Product overview

International Mentoring St. Louis (IMSTL) is a nonprofit mentorship organization offering a single integrated program rather than a modular technology platform. The core offering is the One-Year Mentorship Program, which pairs international women with local mentors through personalized one-on-one relationships organized into cohorts. This is supported by member activities including the International Book Club, International Chef Club, sports clubs (Sand Volleyball, Pickleball), and cultural exchange activities (Foreign Countries Presentations). The organization also provides a members-only platform with an Events Calendar, Member Directory, and Resources portal covering Education, Food, Housing, and Professional topics. Additional offerings include the IMSTL Newsletter, and Corporate and Community Partnership programs. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that joined the World Trade Center St. Louis in December 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One-Year Mentorship Program A structured one-year mentorship initiative that pairs international women who have relocated to St. Louis for employment, post-graduate studies, or with their partners, with like-minded local women mentors. Each pair becomes part of a cohort including five mentors, five mentees, and two leaders.
• Corporate Partnership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of international participants stay in St. Louis after completing the program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• World Trade Center St. Louis / St. Louis Mosaic ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn December 2025, IMSTL officially joined the World Trade Center St. Louis and the St. Louis Mosaic Project. This step deepens the mutually supportive relationship formed at the program's inception and strengthens shared mission to welcome global talent, build intercultural connections, and support the St. Louis region's economic growth.
• BJC HealthCaremajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting international talent recruitment and retention through the mentorship program.
• ClaycomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction and real estate company that is a proud sponsor of the program, sharing core values of eliminating prejudice, discrimination, and biases to cultivate safe and inclusive spaces. Hosts holiday party for program participants.
• Enterprise Holdings Foundation / St. Louis City SCmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe organization recommends the program to families of international players because it is a good way to acclimate to St. Louis.
• LUZCO TechnologiesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology company that has attracted more professional engineers and experienced individuals by partnering with IMSTL.
• Nestlé PurinamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting international talent through the mentorship program.
• BungemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting international talent recruitment.
• Commerce BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting the international mentorship program.
• Renaissance FinancialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial services partner supporting the mentorship program.
• NisaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting international mentorship.
• Pershing Charitable TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharitable trust supporting the mentorship program.
• BioSTLmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioscience innovation organization that hosts advisory board meetings and supports the international talent ecosystem.
• Arch GrantsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntrepreneurship organization that hosted the 2025 annual advisory meeting and new brand unveiling.
• Greater St. Louis Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development organization working to attract and retain talent in the St. Louis region.
• Cortex St. LouisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation district supporting international talent and entrepreneurship.
• Donald Danforth Plant Science CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institution supporting international professional community.
• St. Louis Art MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partner providing museum tours and cultural experiences for program participants.
• St. Louis Dance TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partner providing dance and cultural experiences.
• The Repertory Theatre St. LouisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheater partner providing cultural enrichment experiences.
• Chesterfield Montessori SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner supporting international families.
• St. Louis International Spouses/Expat Women GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated organization co-founded by Susan Gobbo that supports international spouses and professional women, originally complemented by the mentoring program.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• St. Louis Mosaic Project: Direct peer and now IMSTL's umbrella organization within World Trade Center St. Louis. The Mosaic Project is a regional initiative to make St. Louis a welcoming home for immigrants and international talent — IMSTL was originally launched under its backing and shares an identical international-attraction mission.
• Upwardly Global: National direct peer organization supporting skilled immigrants and refugees in career integration. Both operate mentorship and professional networking programs for internationally-trained professionals seeking U.S. employment — Upwardly Global does so nationally, while IMSTL does so regionally.
• International Institute of St. Louis: Direct peer and prior award-granting body for IMSTL. The International Institute provides resettlement, immigration legal services, and integration support for immigrants and refugees in the St. Louis region — overlapping directly with IMSTL's international talent integration mission and serving the same geographic market.
• World Trade Center St. Louis: Direct peer and current institutional umbrella for IMSTL. World Trade Center St. Louis leads regional international business and trade development and now houses the St. Louis Mosaic Project; IMSTL's affiliation makes it a programmatic peer within the same regional economic-development ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Welcome.US: National-scale peer with broader scope. Welcome.US is a national initiative mobilizing welcome for newcomers including refugees and other immigrants, with a corporate and community coalition model that overlaps with IMSTL's corporate partnership approach but operates at significantly larger national scale.
• Tent Foundation: Broader peer with adjacent mission. Tent Foundation connects refugees to livelihood opportunities through employer partnerships — sharing IMSTL's corporate-sponsorship + employment-retention thesis but focused on refugees rather than internationally-relocated professional women.

Regional players

• Junior League of St. Louis: Regional peer in women's community volunteerism and leadership development. Both organizations engage women as community leaders in the St. Louis region, but Junior League operates a broader volunteer-development model while IMSTL focuses on international-talent mentorship specifically.
• Hispanic Leaders Group of Greater St. Louis: Regional peer and prior award-granting body for IMSTL. The Hispanic Leaders Group advocates for Hispanic and international community interests in the St. Louis region — overlapping with IMSTL's mission for international residents but with a distinct cultural-segment focus.
• YWCA St. Louis Region: Regional peer in women's empowerment and community integration. Both organizations serve women in the St. Louis region with community-building programs, though YWCA's mission spans a broader population including domestic violence survivors and women across all backgrounds.

Emerging players

• AFS Intercultural Programs: Global peer with overlapping international mentorship and cultural-exchange programming. AFS Intercultural Programs runs intercultural learning and exchange programs for students and young professionals — sharing the international-talent-acclimation thesis with IMSTL but oriented around study-abroad exchange rather than local mentorship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IMSTLSTL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imstl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IMSTL