St. Louis Small Business Empowerment Center

What St. Louis Small Business Empowerment Center does

St. Louis Small Business Empowerment Center (SBEC) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2010 and headquartered at 911 Washington Avenue, Suite 805, St. Louis, Missouri. It is sponsored by the Greater St. Louis Empowerment Zone and operates under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The organization serves as the St. Louis region's primary resource hub for small business success, providing free coaching, education, capital-procurement assistance, and government certification guidance to startups and established small businesses, with particular focus on minority, women, and veteran entrepreneurs.

SBEC's core offerings are organized into four interlocking service lines: (1) one-on-one and group Business Coaching Services; (2) Education and On-Demand Learning through a content library of 50+ webinars, insights, and videos; (3) Capital and Loan Procurement Services that connect entrepreneurs to SBA loans and regional lenders; and (4) Business Certification Guidance for SBA 8(a), VOSB, and SDVOSB programs. These services are delivered through the Trusted Peer Network, a self-serve online registration and learning management platform. The underlying technology is undifferentiated; SBEC has no proprietary AI/ML capabilities, no API, and no mobile app. Its primary assets are its institutional relationships and human capital: it has built a network of more than twenty strategic, financial, and foundation partners including Liftfund, St. Louis Credit Union, Smartbiz, Fountainhead, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Edward Jones Foundation, and AARP Foundation.

The business model is donor-and-grant funded, not customer-revenue funded. Annual donor support exceeds $2 million, sourced from foundations, corporations, government programs, and SBA cooperative agreements. All services are provided free of charge to entrepreneurs, positioning SBEC as a community-led, freemium-style resource hub rather than a commercial enterprise. The organization has 6 employees and has launched 1,000+ small businesses since 2010. Kevin Wilson serves as Executive Director.

Name

St. Louis Small Business Empowerment Center

Legal name

Saint Louis Small Business Empowerment Center

Website

https://stlouissbec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

St. Louis Small Business Empowerment Center (SBEC) is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2010 that provides free coaching, education, capital-procurement assistance, and government certification guidance to small business owners in the St. Louis region, with particular focus on minority, women, and veteran entrepreneurs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Development Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business Service Centers (56143), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

Keywords

• Small business coaching
• Entrepreneur education
• SBA loan assistance
• Government contracting support
• Business certification services

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donor and Grant Funding: As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, SBEC generates no revenue from customers. Operations are funded entirely through donor support and grants. The organization reports over $2M+ in annual donor support, with funds sourced from foundations, corporations, government programs, and SBA cooperative agreements. All services to entrepreneurs are provided free of charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SBEC is a 501c3 nonprofit resource hub that provides free small business coaching, education (on-demand lessons and webinars), capital and SBA loan procurement assistance, and government certification guidance (8(a), VOSB, SDVOSB) to entrepreneurs in the St. Louis region, with particular focus on minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses.

Product overview

The St. Louis Small Business Empowerment Center (SBEC) operates as a 501c3 nonprofit providing a suite of interconnected services for small business development. The core offerings include Business Coaching Services (one-on-one mentoring), Education and On-Demand Learning (50+ webinars and courses), Capital and Loan Procurement Services (SBA loan guidance), and Business Certification Guidance (8a, VOSB, SDVOSB). These services are delivered through the Trusted Peer Network online platform, which serves as both a registration portal and learning management system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Coaching Services One-on-one and group coaching services that connect small business owners with mentors who guide them through each stage of business growth, with SBEC responding within two business days of registration with a tailored course of action.
• Education and On-Demand Learning Library of 50+ webinars, insights, and videos covering topics such as starting an LLC, understanding customer pain points, federal contracting for women, cybersecurity for small businesses, and self-employment options for older adults.
• Capital and Loan Procurement Services Professional guidance and support in securing funding and SBA loans, including loan application assistance and connection to regional financial institution partners (St. Louis Credit Union, Liftfund, CRF, United Midwest, Smartbiz, Fountainhead).
• Business Certification Guidance Assistance with government certifications including SBA 8(a), VOSB, and SDVOSB programs to help minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses qualify for contracting opportunities, enabled through SBEC's SBA Cooperative Agreement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ small businesses launched since 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBEC operates under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, providing institutional backing and enabling access to SBA loan programs, 8(a) certification support, VOSB/SDVOSB certification, and government contracting guidance for St. Louis entrepreneurs.
• Greater St. Louis Empowerment ZonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBEC is a 501c3 nonprofit organization sponsored by the Greater St. Louis Empowerment Zone, serving as the region's primary resource hub for business growth and economic development.
• St. Louis Builds Credit (STLBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBEC has partnered with St. Louis Builds Credit to help entrepreneurs achieve prime credit scores. STLBC provides one-on-one credit coaching on credit building, predatory lending, identity theft, account management, and budgeting. Sign-ups are through Prosperity Connection.
• VenturizecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSBEC partners with Venturize to deliver educational webinars to small business owners on topics including funding, business management, federal contracting, and cybersecurity resilience.
• T-REX (Innovation and Entrepreneur Development Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerT-REX is a non-profit innovation and entrepreneur development center dedicated to strengthening St. Louis' economic vitality. SBEC's Executive Director Kevin Wilson serves as board president of T-REX.
• AARP FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBEC partners with AARP Foundation's Work for Yourself@50+ program, providing content library resources for older adults exploring self-employment in St. Louis.
• St. Louis Economic Development PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichelle Stuckey, VP of Business Development at St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, serves on SBEC's Board of Directors, creating strategic alignment.
• SBDC (Small Business Development Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBEC partners with SBDC to provide small business development resources and support to St. Louis entrepreneurs.
• Prosperity ConnectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTLBC (St. Louis Builds Credit) sign-ups are processed through Prosperity Connection's website, providing a direct referral pathway for credit coaching services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LiftFund: Nonprofit small business and microloan lender providing capital and education to minority, women, and veteran entrepreneurs — a direct SBEC partner. Closely comparable in target customer and SBA loan facilitation role.
• Kiva: Nonprofit crowdfunding platform offering 0% interest loans to underserved small business owners. Comparable in facilitating capital access for entrepreneurs who lack traditional banking relationships.
• Grameen America: U.S. nonprofit microfinance organization providing small business loans, training, and peer support to women entrepreneurs in poverty. Comparable in mission focus on underserved, low-capital entrepreneurs.
• Accion: Global nonprofit microlender and small business support organization providing loans, coaching, and education to underserved entrepreneurs. Closely comparable to SBEC's SBA loan procurement and free coaching services.
• SCORE: The largest U.S. nonprofit network of volunteer business mentors providing free small business mentoring, workshops, and education. Directly comparable to SBEC's free coaching, education, and resource-hub model serving entrepreneurs.
• Small Business Development Centers (SBDC): A nationwide SBA-funded network providing free business consulting, training, and capital access assistance. SBEC actually partners with SBDC but competes for the same underserved entrepreneur segment with overlapping service offerings.

Regional players

• T-REX (Technology, Resources, Education, eXchange): St. Louis-based nonprofit innovation and entrepreneur development center. SBEC's executive director serves as T-REX board president. Comparable in providing coworking, education, and ecosystem connections for St. Louis entrepreneurs.
• Justine Petersen: St. Louis-based CDFI providing small business loans, coaching, and credit-building services to underserved entrepreneurs in the same metro as SBEC. Direct overlap in mission, target customer, and service mix.

Broad incumbents

• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: National philanthropic program providing free business education, mentoring, and capital access to underserved small business owners. Comparable in targeting minority/women-owned businesses but at much larger scale.
• CDFI Fund / Community Development Financial Institutions: U.S. Treasury program certifying and capitalizing CDFIs that lend to underserved small businesses. Represents the broader institutional context and funding source for organizations like SBEC's lending partners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stl-small-business-empowerment-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 St. Louis Small Business Empowerment Center