The mission of The BALSA Foundation is to promote social equity and prosperity in the St. Louis region by providing mentorship and resources to help first time entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. The Foundation provides the following programs to advance its mission: • The Entrepreneur’s Roadmap is a free comprehensive guide to starting a business. • Idea Support provides free expert feedback to help you improve your idea. • The BALSA Grant provides cash and mentorship to help you start your business. Our vision is to make entrepreneurship accessible – and success attainable – to everyone. We believe that lowering barriers to the entrepreneurial community is an effective way to promote community, equality, and economic growth in our region. We are the philanthropic arm of The BALSA Group, and serve to fulfill its mission of community service. From The BALSA Group we obtain significant financial support and the expertise of its members and alumni. We are a volunteer-run organization of entrepreneurs, scientists, community leaders, and young professionals. We are passionate about empowering others to realize their business ideas and to make St. Louis a better place.