Cortex companies

We will continue to work closely with ourinnovation centers, founding partners, and other entrepreneur support organizations across the region to create and strengthen that community. We recognize that we are part of a larger movement for inclusive economic transformation of the St. Louis region. As part of our commitment to build an equitable regi... onal innovation community, Cortex is engaged in the following efforts: Incorporating equity lenses into Cortex decision-making, policies, programs, and partnerships - with a particular focus on race/ethnicity and gender equity and including those reflecting foreign-born/immigrant, ability, cultural background, sexuality, and socioeconomic status/class; Collaborating with our institutional partners and innovation centers to produce and facilitate greater equity in entrepreneurship; Regularly auditing Cortex's development projects and programs, and their impact on and commitment to equity, with analysis categories that include race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and ability; Developing and utilizing a mechanism for collecting and disaggregating demographic, economic, and attitudinal data of Cortex companies and employees; Working with developers and contractors on district construction projects to meet and exceed goals for contracting with minority and women-owned businesses and deploying a diverse workforce, as well as participating in ongoing city and regional discussions related to enterprise and workforce goals; Building a more inclusive organization (staff, leadership, and Board) in hiring, appointments, and company culture; Offering ongoing training programs in diversity, inclusion, and equity for Cortex staff and leadership; With staff and Inclusion Committee members, closely examining the Ferguson Commission Report and its calls to action to identify those which Cortex has a role in moving forward, and developing actionable strategies for implementation. The Cortex Inclusion Committee of the Board oversees this work and advises ...Read More