What started in the fall of 2017 as a six-month pilot initiative of ten women - five international mentees and five local mentors - has connected more than 600 international and local families and serves as a solution to helping area corporations and organizations attract and retain a diverse spectrum of talent to the St. Louis region.

Officially launched following the successful completion of the pilot in June of 2018, the St. Louis International Mentoring Program was co-founded by Susan Gobbo and Annie Schlafly and initially sponsored by the St. Louis Mosaic Project, a collaborative effort focused on increasing regional prosperity through immigration and innovation. The mentoring program began as a complement to Mosaic’s Women’s Connector Program and the St. Louis International Spouses Group and quickly expanded into a broader networking effort that empowers both its international and local participants, and ultimately inspires entire families to stay in St. Louis and become ambassadors for the region. It became its own 501(c)(3) organization in 2022.

According to feedback from its international members, the St. Louis International Mentoring Program and its benefits are unparalleled, not only in the St. Louis area, but throughout the county - and the world.