Monthly Archives: June 2012

A Snapshot of Our YPN Members

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RBC YPN 2012 SurveyWe at the Regional Business Council recently surveyed our 1200 Young Professional Network members. We conducted this survey to better understand who our members are and how they perceive the St. Louis region.

We know how talented and driven our members are so there weren’t many surprises in the survey data for us.  Even so, we suspect that many people in the St. Louis area don’t know how amazing our YPN members are and we feel that it is our duty to get the word out about them.  This is the reason we produced the survey and publish the results.

Here are a few highlights of the survey results that we feel tell the story of our YPN members.

Education
YPN members are incredibly well educated. An overwhelming majority (94%) has at least a bachelor’s degree.  45% has a bachelor’s degree. Another 39% has gone on to pursue a graduate degree and 10% has completed post-graduate studies. The St. Louis RCGA reports that 29% of people over the age of 25 in St. Louis have at least a bachelor’s degree, which is above the national average.  We don’t know of too many other professional networking groups that can boast these kinds of numbers.

St. Louis is Home
A majority of our members (51%) reported that they plan to live in St. Louis for at least the next 5 years.  They love the city and think it is a great place to live now and to raise a family later.  Top reasons cited for wanting to stay in St. Louis included: job opportunities, leadership opportunities within their companies, affordability and the family-friendly community.

YPN Membership
So why do so many well-educated professionals who are passionate about St. Louis join the RBC’s YPN?  The number one reason cited in the survey was the opportunity to meet other young professionals.  Our members genuinely want to meet new people and foster deep relationships.  They want to make new business connections and also see the YPN as an opportunity to meet company executives and community leaders.

We are really proud of our members and are always looking for quality young professionals to join our ranks.  Do you believe that you would be a good fit?  Sign up for our monthly newsletter and join us for our next event.

Kathy

St. Louis Urban League Young Professionals

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The Regional Business Council is an active collaborator with organizations that share our mission and fall within the focus areas the RBC membership has established. Urban League Young Professionals group is a special asset to the St. Louis region and our connection complements the passion RBC has for developing young, diverse talent.

They believe, like we do, that a diverse workforce makes our economy stronger and allows St. Louis to compete with every other major metropolitan area. Members of the ULYP participate in countless hours of community service and their members truly care about improving the region.

At the recent ULYP gala, several young professionals who are making an impact on St. Louis were honored including Nathalie Means, Principal at Jefferson Elementary in SLPS, Art McCoy, Jr. Superintendant of Schools, Ferguson Florissant School District and Nichole Moton, the ULYP’s Resource Chair. Together we are raising the profile of the emerging leaders within the region.

Group photo of the attendees of the ULYP's Urban Renaissance Gala

Group photo of the attendees of the ULYP’s Urban Renaissance Gala – Photo by Barry Neal

We at the RBC believe so strongly in the mission of the ULYP that we want to make it as easy as possible for interested individuals to join. The RBC pays the first year dues for anyone who joins. Once you have had an opportunity to network with members of the ULYPs and participate in civic projects alongside other passionate individuals, we are certain that you will remain active in the organization for years to come.

Are you looking to meet other young professionals and build your network? Join the ULYP, one of many ways to become more involved in the St. Louis community.

What is the Young Professionals Network?

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Regional Business Council's Young Professionals NetworkDo you want to meet other people that share similar interests and career aspirations? Have you found that bars and other places that your friends hang out are not the best places for professional networking?  Where do you meet other young professionals?

In 2008 the Regional Business Council recognized the lack of opportunities for young professionals to develop quality professional and personal relationships and we launched the Young Professionals Network (YPN). Every year we host multiple events at the city’s great venues where young professionals like you can meet and develop deep relationships with your peers.

So what makes the YPN unique? We are different because of the level of talent our events attract.  The Young Professionals Network currently has over 1200 members representing 300 local companies.  The great majority of our members are between the ages of 21 and 40.

These aren’t just events where you pass out dozens of business cards and go home. Everyone in attendance is there to meet new people in the St. Louis community. Every one is a talented professional who is working hard to improve his or her career and make a difference in the city.

We also closely partner with other young professional groups in the city to help them advance their causes.  We strongly believe that business professionals should be involved in a variety of civic and professional organizations.  This includes participating in groups as members and attendees of events, but it also means getting involved at a much deeper level.

Many YPN members serve on the boards of organizations that support the arts, help alleviate poverty and sustain some of our great regional attraction (and many others). Board membership is a great way to give back to the community and build a strong professional network. We work as a facilitator to help connect young professionals with organizations that need qualified board members.

If you haven’t yet attended a YPN event, what is holding you back? Check out our calendar of upcoming events (both our own and community partner’s) and sign up for our newsletter to stay in the know.   We look forward to seeing you soon.

Kathy