President, Sling Health | Age: 25<\p> A double full-scholarship student to Washington University’s School of Medicine and Olin Business School, Samuel Brehm is making a name for himself as an inventor, from devices to monitor pediatric IV fluid volume in low-resource settings to ones that control for negative pressure fluid buildup in the brain. <\p>

Inventor, Narcan Carry Case | 25<\p> Washington University student Dani Wilder’s invention, the Narcan Carry Case, is a silicone keychain attachment that encapsulates naloxone nasal spray (used to counteract opioid overdose) in durable, discreet and convenient-to-carry packaging. <\p>

Co-founders, Chick | Age: 21<\p> Skincare is having a moment. Generation Z has made "Get ready with me" TikToks a social media touchstone, and teenagers spent 19% more on skincare last year than they did in 2022, per a report in December by investment bank Piper Sandler.<\p>

Founder, ASL Aspire | Age: 23<\p> Millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing students around the world do not have sufficient access to education. Mona Jawad, a Washington University doctoral student, launched a company, ASL Aspire, to address that problem through digital education tools, raising more than $275,000 in the last few years and reaching hundreds of students in eight countries since launching in April.<\p>

CEO, Hessed.co; CEO, Affix Properties | Age: 24<\p> Keith Clay was 23 when he started local consulting firm Hessed.Co, focusing on redevelopment in distressed areas. With its marketing, growth and talent labs, Hessed, now 24, has helped start more than 20 businesses and advised even more. The firm has 10 full-time employees.<\p>

Co-founder, Connect and Panda Provisions | Age: 20<\p> Michael Lee achieved a milestone when he closed a contract between the Ritenour School District and Connect, his video-chat platform designed to link high school students with college and career counseling from parents, peers and alumni, following a pilot. Students got advice about what they should be doing — college or career — after graduating.<\p>

HabiTerre, a St. Louis-linked startup that does environmental and productivity data for the agricultural industry, has raised more than $10 million of Series A funding, led by investor John Deere.<\p> HabiTerre is based in Champaign, Illinois, but led by CEO Nick Reinke, who is based in St. Louis, where the company is planning to open an office. In a news release, HabiTerre said the investment will help scale its technology that measures farmers' environmental impacts like greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon outcomes. The data can help farmers understand how different techniques impact productivity and the environment, and is applicable to grasslands, forests and wetlands, too.<\p>

A lawyer with extensive experience in real estate law representing retail clients is leading the new Retail Law Collective at Capes, Sokol, Goodman & Sarachan PC.<\p> Stacy Engles Wipfler said the initiative launched Sept. 2 and is designed to be a one-stop shop for the legal needs of retailers, pooling the work of lawyers from multiple practice areas at Capes Sokol.<\p>

Employer concerns about workers faking productivity in the hybrid and remote-work era may be overblown. <\p> That's one of the takeaways from a recent survey by employee-reward software company Workhuman, which found 67% of respondents denied faking activity during their workday.<\p>

A local coalition aimed at advancing neuroscience research and commercialization in the St. Louis region is seeking millions in federal funding.<\p> Neuro360, a coalition of post-secondary institutions, local and state institutions, businesses, health care and trade groups led by Washington University and nonprofit innovation hub BioSTL, is bidding for up to $160 million in funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation.<\p>

Editor’s Note: Welcome to The Playbook Edition, a look at stories, trends and changes that could affect your business. Want more stories like this in your inbox? Sign up for The Playbook newsletter. <\p> As hiring has cooled, organizations have found themselves back in control of the job market. With that leverage, companies are leaning on potential employees when it comes to salary negotiations. <\p>

Leinco Technologies, which manufactures bulk antibiotics, recombinant proteins and other biotechnology for the life sciences industry, said a recent acquisition will advance its work in the in-vitro diagnostics – testing done on blood and tissue samples – and research sectors.<\p> The Fenton-based company said it acquired QED Biosciences from Swedish biotechnology company Genovis. San Diego-based QED produces antibodies, kits, and recombinant proteins and antigens for the biopharmaceutical and research industries. <\p>

The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor has dropped a defamation lawsuit he filed before the Aug. 6 primary against the corporate owner of Missouri television stations and one of his political rivals. <\p> David Wasinger filed the lawsuit on Aug. 2 claiming that a television ad run by another Republican vying for the lieutenant governor nomination — state Sen. Lincoln Hough — was false and misleading because it claimed he was an “abortion-loving Democrat.”<\p>

LoRusso’s Cucina, a longtime Italian restaurant in south St. Louis, is closing. <\p> The restaurant’s final day of service will be Sept. 29, said owner Terri LoRusso. Terri and her late husband, Rich, opened LoRusso’s in 1986. <\p>

The fight between the lender for controversial developer NorthSide Regeneration and the city of St. Louis' development agency is heating up.<\p> NorthSide's lender, Franklin County-based Bank of Washington, sued city agencies, alleging fraud, negligent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment, after the city in 2018 terminated NorthSide's development agreement, forcing it to seek approval for tax increment financing (TIF) individually by project. The city took that step after allegations surfaced that NorthSide had misused a state tax-credit program it used to acquire much of its holdings. NorthSide settled a state suit over those claims in 2019.<\p>

Jason Haber is on a mission to reduce the number of real estate agents in the United States.<\p> Haber, a real estate agent who co-founded the American Real Estate Association last year, proposes boosting licensing standards across the country for agents and finding ways to up their skills and professionalism, to help consumers handle what is often the most important transaction in their life. <\p>

Paige Hulsey's love for storytelling began in high school. <\p> In a video production class, her teacher Joseph Bitzer had sage advice for students who enjoyed the class. <\p>

A Metro East park partially closed by the emergence of a massive sinkhole will receive about $4 million in improvements through the help of a federal loan guarantee. <\p> Madison County, on behalf of the city of Alton, was awarded a $3.91 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for improvements and additions to the 704-acre Gordon Moore Park, a city park in Alton, according to a news release. <\p>

St. Louis developer Green Street is suing Bar K in an bid to evict the dog-friendly entertainment venue, claiming it has defaulted on its lease. <\p> Bar K owes nearly $300,000 in rent for its location at 4565 McRee Ave. in the city’s Forest Park Southeast neighborhood, Green Street alleges in its suit, filed Aug. 27 in St. Louis Circuit Court. Green Street’s suit seeks payment of the back rent and possession of Bar K’s premises, located in a building that also includes the developer’s headquarters.<\p>

The St. Louis Business Journal's 2024 Family Business Awards recognize 10 renowned family-owned businesses for their success, longevity and community involvement in the St. Louis region. <\p> This year's winners represent a wide variety of industries, including finance, retail, restaurants, and automotive, among others. <\p>