About

The value proposition of 39 North is clear, unique, and in demand. 39 North aims to be the
agri-food tech/plant science hub that brings together people, resources, and facilities to grow
St. Louis’ economy and global reputation.

OUR TEAM – Anchor Institutions

In 2023, seven institutions from the public/private sector announced their commitment as anchor institutions of 39 North to serve as strategic partners to the nonprofit responsible for elevating the innovation district to the next level of successful growth and economic impact.

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
St. Louis Economic Development Partnership
City of Creve Coeur
CoverCress, Inc.
Bayer Crop Science
Benson Hill
Greater St. Louis, Inc.

EMILY LOHSE-BUSCH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Emily Lohse-Busch is passionate about creating and sustaining organizations and programs that improve the human condition. In her role as Executive Director, she leads the effort to make
39 North a global epicenter for agri-food tech innovation.

Before coming to 39 North, Emily spent much of her career in a myriad of roles within the philanthropic and social sectors. Most recently, she served as an advisor and facilitator for organizations that are working to build and sustain a thriving economy and culture that benefits all St. Louisans. She developed a passion for innovation and the future of the St. Louis region while serving as the Executive Director at Arch Grants, an economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain extraordinary entrepreneurs to help build the future economy in St. Louis. Before Arch Grants, Emily consulted for several years with national and international NGOs and nonprofit organizations in Chicago and in Washington D.C.

Emily is a proud alum of Washington University in St. Louis, and earned her MBA from DePaul University in Chicago.

Email Emily at emily@39northstl.org.

DISTRICT ASSETS

St. Louis’ dynamic system of entrepreneur support organizations, venture capital firms, accelerators, and incubators serves as a magnet for talented scientists and entrepreneurs from across the globe. Business growth is sparked by several venture capital firms with a focus on agriculture research and technologies: BioGenerator, Cultivation Capital, Lewis & Clark AgriFood, Rabo AgriFinance, Tech Accel, and Yield Lab to name a few.

St. Louis delivers an impressive combination of connectivity to grower customers because the region is within a 500-mile radius of more than half of all U.S. agriculture production, including 80% of the nation’s corn and soybeans. The National Corn Growers, American Soybean Association, United Soybean Board, U.S. Soybean Export Council, and other farmer-facing organizations are headquartered in the region and are committed to the district’s success.

DONALD DANFORTH PLANT SCIENCE CENTER

Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is the world’s largest nonprofit plant research institute, with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. More than 400 employees from 30 countries seek to increase agricultural productivity to sustainably feed people today and nearly 10 billion people by the middle of the century and to do so with a lower environmental footprint. The Danforth Center is a unique organization that does fundamental research about how plants work – how they grow, how they capture the energy of the sun, and how they resist diseases. But we do not stop there: we find ways to translate that knowledge into useful crops and products that solve real problems.  Learn More.

BIO RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GROWTH (BRDG) PARK