Who are we, really?

STL.org was established as a nonprofit organization in Missouri by Chris Ryan, a local documentary filmmaker, small business owner, and generally curious person, along with the support of Arlene Maminta Browne, owner of Robust Wine Bar and major St. Louis booster, and the team at Once Films, an Emmy Award-winning video production company. Our offices are in Midtown Alley; we’re real, local people and we can have coffee if you’d like! The site is further supported by the contributions of freelance writers, filmmakers, photographers, designers, producers, and other storytellers. STL.org is as grassroots as it gets. It's just a bunch of people that love good stories and love our city.

How is it funded?

Currently, STL.org is funded entirely by private contributions and volunteerism. At some point we will need to ask the general public to support our mission as a nonprofit organization, solicit grant opportunities, and open an STL-focused online retail store. Our long-term goal is to create a financially sustainable platform that promotes the arts, local small businesses, and the creative culture of St. Louis. 

What's the plan?

We aim to create short-form, editorial, documentary on various individual subjects (and even more in the future). In addition, we are looking to include some text-based interviews that can be quick reads of an incredible person, organization, or business.  We’ll connect with other creators to use the platform to share their own align personal projects, and from there, keep adding content that we’re drawn towards.

How can I help?

First, please share! We need all the help we can get to show potential donors an authentic audience for these stories. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and leave a comment. Or drop us a story suggestion. Start a conversation on social media. Everything helps!

Consider supporting us in the future through donations or purchasing through our online store. You'll also be able to become a STL.org Member with access to additional content from behind the scenes and early notification of events. 

And if you're a local producer, filmmaker, photographer, writer, designer, or, well, anyone that wants to help on the editorial side of the site, please let us know. 

Who else is involved?

We're grateful to a few partners that have been instrumental in helping STL.org get off to a great start:

Nine PBS is our sole broadcast partner, and our short stories included on Living St. Louis, as network interstitials, and through the PBS mobile app.

The Kransberg Arts Foundation for the media support, their partnership in the KAF Filmmaker Residency Program, championing the arts, and connecting us with potential subjects.

Explore St. Louis for sharing STL.org content with the visitors of our region and promoting the small businesses that thrive here.

Got a question that we didn't answer? Drop us a line!