The Women’s Creative - Creative Women, Creating Community

In light of his unprecedented success in commercial real estate, Michael Staenberg considers philanthropy his greatest achievement in life. His commitment to creating quality communities and “paying it forward” is second to none. His core business strategy is making a difference in the community. Michael is the driving force behind St. Louis’ newest entertainment district, The District of St. Louis. 

Michael leads with passion and it’s on full display in this episode. He sits down with Host Luke Farrell to talk about his upbringing in Nebraska, entrepreneurship, giving back, and what the future looks like in Chesterfield. 

We’re joined by former St. Louis Cardinal and 2011 World Series Champion, Jon Jay. Baseball is everything in St. Louis and it was interesting to learn about Jon’s upbringing, professional career, and what he’s up to after baseball. 

Philanthropy is a huge part of Jay’s mission, once he retired he launched The Jay Family Foundation. The foundation focuses on 3 pillars: Youth Development, Community, and Scholarship. It’s exciting to learn more about the charity and we look forward to attending his Golf Tournament in St. Louis on April 5th. 

Firaol Ahmed is a student athlete at SLU that launched Moii Coffee in his dorm room at 20 years old. Born in Ethiopia, Firaol came to the United States at 14 years old with his family. Moii which means ‘CONQUER’ started with a big dream in a small college apartment. Coffee was always in his family dating back generations when his Great Grandfather achieved success in a small Ethiopian village selling coffee to Arab merchants.

Firaol has became successful while still being a student athlete and running his business in between sports and class. Ahmed is on a mission to bring the true essence of Ethiopian coffee to the world and give people an unforgettable coffee experience. In this episode, Firaol makes coffee for our host Luke and talks all things entrepreneurship, coffee, and his upbringing.

Doug Auer, co-owner of Third Degree Glass Factory, MADE, and the Delmar Makers District. Over 20 years ago, Doug founded Third Degree on a strip of Delmar between Union and Kingshighway which is now known as The Delmar Makers District. The DMD has quickly become one of St. Louis’ hottest neighborhoods with 8 new restaurants opening in 2024 including concepts from Ben Poremba, HuSTLe Hospitality, and Alpha Brewing. 

Doug has big plans for the district and aims to bring people together to celebrate the rich history of this neighborhood through crafts, food, and entertainment. On this episode we learn a little more about what’s coming soon and what to expect over the next 12 months.

Shalie Dahl Moore was born in Southeast Alaska, her family harvested wild salmon, halibut, and shrimp. Growing up, Shalie spent most of her free time outside of school on her families fishing boat. Wheelhouse Fish Co. is inspired by her upbringing and the unique lifestyle of Alaskan fishermen and families. 

After ending up in the Midwest through college, Shalie is bringing wild Alaskan seafood to farmers markets across St. Louis and now a permanent pop-up location inside Ubran Eats. Wheelhouse Fish Co is passionate about connecting people with sustainably caught wild seafood that is sourced directly from the fishermen. 

If you are from St. Louis, there’s a strong chance you’ve been to the famous Gioia’s Deli. Originally founded on The Hill back in 1918, Gioia’s has stood the test of time as a legit community staple. In 1980, the Gioia’s family sold the business to the Donley’s. In 2016, Alex Donley took over the brand from his mother with his wife and quickly began to grow the business to multiple locations. 

Gioia’s now has 4 St. Louis area locations and plans to continue the growth within St. Louis. Known for their famous Hot Salami, there’s really something special about a lunch trip to the famous Deli. In this episode, Luke Farrell chats with Alex about the journey, future plans, community, and more! 

We’re joined by Nurse Mel, Caitlyn, and Darrien for a fun filled episode from the team at SSM Health. These three nurses are “influencers” with a goal to recruit, educate, and of course make you laugh. Luke Farrell sits down with the group to talk all things nursing, SSM Health, and more. 

Follow on IG: 
@ssmhealthcareers 
@nurse.dare
@nursemel226_
@nurse.caitlynn

This episode is THE big one! Thank you to our listeners for following along with us for 100 episodes, guests, and special stories from the people of St. Louis. Not only is this a milestone podcast episode, but also a milestone life moment for hosts Lucas and Marissa Farrell, who have finally welcomed the birth of their first born, baby Mila! 

Episode 100 is welcomed by Rebekah Coste, owner of St. Louis's Premier Resource for Motherhood, the St. Louis mom group. In this episode, hosts Marissa and Lucas discuss the back story of Rebekah, and how she came to bring a reliable resource to families within the Stl region. St. Louis mom, is a news and media website and resource built by mothers, for mothers. The group offers multiple perspectives of family life and highlights experiences, events, and advice on family matters. Rebekah discusses the power of community and importance of family and friendships in the journey of parenthood.

On this episode of The STL Bucket List Show, Luke & Marissa chat with Jake from Fête Booth Fête Booth is St. Louis’ premier Photo Booth and Multimedia experience. Each weekend you will catch Fête Booth at countless events around St. Louis ranging from corporate gatherings, weddings, mitzvahs, wedding showers, and more. 

Jake absolutely loves the event industry and is truly the LIFE of the party. On this episode we take a deep dive on the business behind Fête and how they plan to continue to grow in St. Louis and beyond. This one was special for us, as we’ve had Fête at our wedding and multiple business events. 

In this episode of The STL Bucket List, we chat with Cory Jobe, the President & CEO of Great Rivers and Routes. Explore the unique intersection of two iconic American roadways and the confluence of three mighty rivers in the Southwest Illinois region. Learn about the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, representing counties like Madison, Macoupin, Montgomery, Jersey, Calhoun, Greene, and the City of East St. Louis. Discover the evolution of the bureau from its roots as the Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau in 1985 to its expanded identity as Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau in 2018.

In this episode Lucas & Marissa Farrell chat all things events and tourism with Cory from GRR.