Betsy Heller Cohen, Project Director of the St. Louis Mosaic Project, will be speaking at the Friday night service Oct. 11 at Temple Emanuel. Cohen will highlight this bi-state initiative, based at the World Trade Center—St. Louis, which is designed for “Regional Prosperity Through Immigration and Innovation.”  She will share the key initiatives to attract foreign-born people to St. Louis as well as the national immigration situation, and what you can do to help.  In addition, members of several other Jewish organizations who work to advance immigration on a national and local level will be at the oneg following the service for information.  

The St. Louis Mosaic Project initiative is a joint collaboration of the St. Louis County Economic Council, the St. Louis City Economic Development Corporation, the Regional Chamber and members of the other 20+ organizations on the Steering Committee. The goal is that by 2020 our region will have the fastest growth rate of foreign-born people, reversing our current declines on our regional population of 2.8 million. The hope is that this new talent at all skill levels will produce entrepreneurship, job creation and people to add to neighborhood schools, businesses, government, culture and shared economic prosperity. The initiative will hopefully add to local momentum already building for the high number of technology startups and plant science opportunities. 

Cohen received her bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and her master’s of business administration from the Harvard Business School.  She speaks French, beginner Spanish and has worked with international colleagues in her previous role as a vice president at Nestle Purina. 

Temple Emanuel is located at 12166 Conway Road. For more information, call 314-432-5877 or email [email protected].