“St. Louis has been good to me," says Ola Ayeni, who found success in St. Louis after being awarded the Arch Grant in 2013.Ayeni’s startup Eateria, a marketing platform for restaurants recorded profits.
However, difficulty hiring tech talent, stunted Eateria’s growth. But, it led to the launch of a new business venture, Louis-based for-profit software development boot camp Claim Academy.
Since 2015, the boot camp has trained about 700 graduates, with Claim saying 90% have been hired for roles with an average starting salary of $72,000.
More than eight years after winning his Arch Grant, Ayeni said his connections from the program continue to help him. It was through Arch Grants that he was connected with the real estate broker that found Claim’s new Central West End headquarters.
Check out the full story by Nathan Rubbelke on STL Inno.