ST. LOUIS – At a traditional Thanksgiving, there are conversations over a shared meal.
However, one company is having what they called a “Thinksgiving,” consisting of strategic thinking and creative problem-solving sessions in the Cortex district.
“We call it Thinksgiving because it is an opportunity for business partners and nonprofits to think together,” said Matt Homann, founder of Filament. “They don’t always get that opportunity. Oftentimes, the engagement is around fundraising and attending galas, or it’s a golf event and serving on a board. So, it’s Thinksgiving because we have a chance for them to think creatively and be problem-solving partners.”
Homann created Thinksgiving to help nonprofits solve problems and improve their operations. Pairing organizations like Focus St. Louis and Purina, Room at the Inn and Edward Jones, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and Panera Bread, or in Thursday’s Thinksgiving pairing, 4theVille and Cortex.
“We definitely want to carve out our area of the Ville and preserving those histories and those landmarks,” said Dawna Wharton, 4theVille executive director. “But we’re also working to preserve black history as a whole in the region. So, it’s good to be able to partner with these organizations that believe in our mission and want to help further that mission of preservation.”
More than 500 people participated in the Thinksgiving that Filament at Cortex hopes will spark a few bright ideas.
“I think the idea of a Thinksgiving is an amazing opportunity to bring together so many different communities,” said Gabriela Ramirez-Arellano, executive director center for Emerging Technologies & Director of Entrepreneurship at Cortex. “But especially here at Cortex, it was important for us to be a part of the solution. Last year, we participated, it was so much fun. It was fun to learn how we think strategically and thinking outside the box.”