High school students and community members invited to attend a day of career readiness, entrepreneurship, and personal development
St. Louis, MO – November 17, 2025 – The Regional Youth Employment Coalition (RYEC), with support from its backbone organization BioSTL, will host the 2025 Level Up Youth Conference on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Saint Louis University Busch Student Center, 20 N Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63103.
The annual conference provides high school students with an opportunity to experience a professional-style conference designed to equip them with tools for career readiness, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and personal development. Over 400 students are already registered from St. Louis Public Schools, University City, Hazelwood, Normandy, Riverview Gardens, E. St. Louis, Jennings, Cardinal Ritter, Kairos Academy, Ladue, and Bayless.
Keynote speaker Brandon Hunter, biochemist and founder of The Origin of Greatness, will inspire attendees with his journey in entrepreneurship and innovation. Students will also participate in breakout sessions led by municipal agencies and community organizations, and explore opportunities at a Resource Fair featuring St. Louis area employers, community organizations, and post-secondary programs.
“Thanks to the generous donation of space by Saint Louis University in the Busch Student Center and the expertise of more than 50 volunteers, we are able to host our largest Level Up Youth Conference in RYEC's history,” said Mary Buchanan, BioSTL’s Education to Workforce Program Coordinator. “We hope that all students walk away from the day with the knowledge and inspiration to set them up for success on their future career journey.”
The conference is made possible with support from Saint Louis University, Missouri S&T University, JSMF, and Enterprise.
“The Level Up Youth Conference has been organized by RYEC since 2018. When BioSTL’s Education to Workforce team became the backbone organization for RYEC, we were proud to continue this cornerstone event,” said Mayra Taylor Garcia, BioSTL’s Manager of Strategic Workforce Initiatives. “BioSTL is deeply invested in building a skilled, diverse talent base in St. Louis, and RYEC plays a vital role in making that happen.”