St. Louis-area alumni have been busy exploring their city, supporting local business owners and championing fellow alumni through the UMSL Local & Loyal series.
Alumni - Loyal and Local
Supporting local business owners and championing fellow alumni
Designed to publicly recognize how alumni-owned businesses contribute to the economic success of the region, Local & Loyal invites alumni to different locations each month to hear the businesses’ origin stories, sample their wares and enjoy an evening of networking and fun.
The series, which began in fall 2025, was created by the UMSL Alumni Engagement Office led by Associate Vice Chancellor of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving Jennifer Jezek-Taussig and Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement Kevin Smith.
“I think we all knew there were a lot of alumni-owned businesses in St. Louis, but I’m not sure we fully realized just how many there are,” Smith says. “The Local & Loyal series has been eye- opening for everyone. Practically everywhere you turn, there’s a successful business owned by an UMSL alum.”
In its first year, the Local & Loyal series welcomed alumni to restaurants, pastry shops, breweries, retail stores, florists, ice cream shops and more.
“We want to connect with as many alumni-owned businesses as possible,” Smith says. “We’re focusing mostly on restaurants and retail stores with the Local & Loyal series, but there are all kinds of exciting plans in the works for celebrating businesses owned by UMSL alumni. If you own a business, or if you’re a big fan of a business that’s owned by an alum, let’s get in touch.”
The Local & Loyal series publicizes upcoming events through the UMSL Alumni Association social media pages. All alumni are invited to attend Local & Loyal events for an evening of education, networking and community.
“A big part of the Local & Loyal series is showing our alumni how they can support each other,” Smith says. “It’s about visibility for the business owners, but it’s also about the visibility of UMSL. The university plays a key role in our community’s success by providing the leadership skills people need to make a difference. There’s no better way to see that in action than by witnessing the success of an alum-owned business. That’s really something worth celebrating.”
To learn more about participating in Local & Loyal, email alumni@umsl.edu. Look for Local & Loyal business owners highlighted throughout this edition of UMSL Magazine!