Events

Idea to App

2026-10-05T17:00:00+00:00

Oct 5, 2026 12pm to Nov 18, 2026 1pm

What used to take a co-founder, six months, and a developer's paycheck now takes six lunch hours a week. Idea to App is a six-week, application-based cohort for people who have a real problem to solve and are ready to build the solution themselves. Using AI-assisted development (vibe coding), you'll take your idea from a page of notes to a working, deployed application — with hands-on coaching support every step of the way. No developer required. No coding background needed. This is for founders without a technical co-founder, operators who know exactly what tool their work is missing, and anyone who left Intro to Vibe Coding wanting to go further. **What you'll leave with:** 1. A working, deployed application built around your own idea 2. Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development you can keep using 3. A clear next step for your business — not just a demo **Details:** * Cohort: October 5 – November 18 (six weeks, lunch-hour sessions) * Format: Weekly hands-on sessions with individual coaching support — no coding background needed * Audience: Founders without a developer, operators with a specific tool idea, and Intro to Vibe Coding alumni ready to go further * Application: Apply by September 28 — space is limited to keep coaching support hands-on for every participant Bring your idea. Leave with your app. *This project is supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SSBCI-21031-0104 awarded to the State of Missouri by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.*

New Rules, Same Business: What 2026 Tax Changes Mean for Small Business Owners

2026-10-27T16:30:00+00:00

Oct 27, 2026 11:30am to 12:30pm

Tax law doesn't stand still, and 2026 brought changes that affect how small businesses track, report, and plan. This session covers the updates most likely to affect everyday operations, including new recordkeeping requirements around tips and overtime, general compliance considerations for the year, and how to think about tax planning as a routine part of running your business, not just something you deal with in April. This is general education, not individualized tax advice. This program is offered in partnership with RubinBrown. *This project is supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SSBCI-21031-0104 awarded to the State of Missouri by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.*

AI Masterclass

2026-10-27T17:00:00+00:00

Oct 27, 2026 12pm to 1pm

AI Master Class is a six-week advanced training program designed for experienced developers and engineers ready to fully integrate AI into their professional development practice. The course goes beyond introductory AI concepts to deliver deep, hands-on expertise across AI-powered development environments, complex application architecture, and advanced AI integration patterns. Participants will work within industry-leading IDE agents and build production-ready applications with real infrastructure. The program emphasizes practical application at every stage, with all coursework producing production-grade output aligned to real-world development standards. **What You'll Learn** **IDE Agents & AI Assistants** Master Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot, and other AI-powered development environments for maximum productivity. Learn how to pair with AI across your full development cycle — from architecture decisions to debugging to deployment. **Complex Application Architecture** Build production-ready applications with databases, APIs, authentication, and deployment pipelines. Structure projects that scale, not just projects that demo well. **AI Integration Patterns** Implement RAG, function calling, multi-agent systems, and other advanced AI capabilities. Move beyond basic prompting into the integration patterns that power real AI-native products. Duration: 6 Weeks, 2 Hours per Week, Total of 12 Hours of Instruction

Small Business Summit

2026-10-28T13:30:00+00:00

Oct 28, 2026 8:30am to 1pm

Don’t miss this annual training opportunity for small businesses! After a Cup of Joe entrepreneur discussion to start the day, learn about a variety of small business topics during breakout sessions. During breaks, get consultations from professionals during the Resource Fair and don’t forget the always-inspiring keynote speaker. Keynote Speaker: Paul Kushnir - He is founder of PIK Investments, focused on investing in small businesses and young entrepreneurs. He is also the founder of SPEEKS Technology, LLC, a PayMore franchisee specializing in buying and reselling used electronics. Prior to these ventures, Paul co-founded and served as CEO of Wireless Lifestyle, growing it to become the largest Sprint dealer in the nation with 230 stores across 13 states before selling in 2021.

Protect What You’re Building: IP, Contracts & Founder Agreements

2026-10-28T14:30:00+00:00

Oct 28, 2026 9:30am to 10:30am

**A Legal Clinic with Lindsay Karas Stencel, Partner at Thompson Hine.** This isn’t a typical workshop. It’s a clinic: you learn the fundamentals in the room, then get private time with an attorney to apply them to your own business. Founders who attend live, in person in St. Louis or virtually, can book a 30-minute 1:1 consult with Lindsay after the session. Spots are limited. Most founders don’t think about protecting their business until something goes wrong. A co-founder leaves with half the equity. A contractor claims ownership of the code. A customer contract says something nobody read closely. Lindsay will cover the agreements that prevent those problems: what IP you can protect and when it’s worth the cost, the contractor and employee IP assignments, NDAs, and customer and vendor agreements every startup needs, and the founder agreements that settle who owns what and what happens if someone walks away. She’ll also take on the questions that didn’t exist a few years ago. If AI helped write your code, design your logo, or draft your content, who owns the result? What happens to the data you put into AI tools, and to the data your customers trust you with? You’ll leave with an IP-protection checklist, a clear list of the agreements your business needs, a better understanding of AI-generated work and data rights, and the chance to sit down with Lindsay and talk through your specific situation. Come with the question you’ve been putting off. This is the place to ask it. *Learn fast. Build right. Gain traction.* *This project is supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SSBCI-21031-0104 awarded to the State of Missouri by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.*

Equity & Ownership: Stock, Options & ESOP Basics

2026-10-28T18:00:00+00:00

Oct 28, 2026 1pm to 2pm

This isn’t a typical workshop. It’s a clinic: you learn how ownership works in the room, then get private time with an attorney to apply it to your own company. Founders who attend live, in person in St. Louis or virtually, can book a 30-minute 1:1 consult with Lindsay after the session. Spots are limited. Equity is the most valuable thing most founders have to give, and the easiest to give away by accident. Lindsay will explain how ownership works as a company grows. She’ll cover how founder stock is issued and why vesting protects everyone at the table, how option pools are sized and what they mean for dilution, and how stock options work for the employees who receive them. She’ll also cover the 83(b) election, a short IRS filing with a 30-day deadline that can make a big difference in what founders owe in taxes later. Then she’ll look at employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs): what they are, how they differ from option grants, and when they make sense for sharing ownership or planning for succession. You’ll leave with a working understanding of option pools and vesting, a clear sense of when to file an 83(b), the ESOP basics you need, and the chance to sit down with Lindsay and talk through your own cap table and plans. Come with the equity question you haven’t wanted to ask. This is the place to ask it. *Learn fast. Build right. Gain traction.* *This project is supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SSBCI-21031-0104 awarded to the State of Missouri by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.*

Traction Studio AI - On Demand

2026-11-01T14:00:00+00:00

Nov 1, 2026 8am to 5pm

To learn more, please click [here](https://app.tractionstudio.ai/users/sign_up/founder?__woopraid=AbnmvNC2IbtO&__woopraid=AbnmvNC2IbtO). Traction Studio AI is a self-paced startup traction platform that combines AI-powered intelligence, stage-appropriate tools, and expert services to help founders move from idea to traction. Whether you're figuring out what to build or testing whether customers will pay, the platform gives you guidance on what to do next, the right tools to execute, and real human expertise when you need it. Built by Codefi Foundation, Traction Studio AI is designed for founders who are resourceful and ready to move but need structure — not another generic tool. AI intelligence surfaces competitive insights, synthesizes customer discovery patterns, and tells you when you've validated enough to move forward. Integrated tools like the Business Canvas Builder and Validation Tracking keep your work organized. And when you need hands-on help, services like customer Discovery, vibe-coded prototypes, and managed sales are there to accelerate your progress. Eligible Missouri founders get free access thanks to generous grant funding. Open enrollment — start anytime, work at your own pace Free first project for eligible Missouri founders Learn more: codefiworks.com/traction-studio-ai Sign up: app.tractionstudio.ai Learn fast. Build right. Gain traction.

Buying & Selling a Business

2026-11-04T18:00:00+00:00

Nov 4, 2026 12pm to 1pm

Buying or selling a business can be an exciting (and stressful!) time for all parties and there are often a lot of details to manage. Join SEED Law for a business law workshop that focuses on ways to support risk analysis and mitigation through due diligence and clear documentation. This program is offered in partnership with SEED Law, LLC. *This project is supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SSBCI-21031-0104 awarded to the State of Missouri by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.*

Marketing Your Business

2026-11-18T17:45:00+00:00

Nov 18, 2026 11:45am to 1pm

Learn the basics of marketing and what helps small businesses get noticed. This workshop covers effective use of social media, brand basics and simple advertising ideas. You will work on a basic marketing plan and gain practical tools to better connect with your customers.

Holiday Hustle: Let AI Help You Survive Your Busiest Season

2026-11-19T18:00:00+00:00

Nov 19, 2026 12pm to 1pm

The holiday season is the most important stretch of the year for small businesses — and one of the most overwhelming. This session is timed specifically to help you go into it prepared. We'll cover how to use AI to write gift guides, build social media countdowns, draft Small Business Saturday promotions, and plan flash sales without starting from scratch every time. You'll see how to batch-create holiday content so your posts, emails, and promotions are ready to go before the rush hits — and you're not glued to your phone in December. We'll also walk through the customer touchpoints that build loyalty during the holidays: writing thank-you messages for your best customers, creating gift certificate descriptions that actually sell, and crafting the kind of seasonal content that makes your business feel personal and intentional. And because the holidays also mean stepping away, we'll cover the preparation side — writing out-of-office replies, drafting store hours announcements, and using AI to help think through staffing needs so nothing falls through the cracks. You'll leave with a holiday content plan, ready-to-use prompts, and a lot less stress about the next three months. We'll close with a live Q&A so you can get answers specific to your business, your customers, and your busiest season.

How To Find & Apply For Small Business Grants

2026-11-19T18:00:00+00:00

Nov 19, 2026 12pm to 1:30pm

Grants can be a valuable funding source for small businesses—but finding them and knowing where to look can be challenging. In this practical workshop, entrepreneurs will learn proven strategies for locating and evaluating grant opportunities. Participants will learn how to search effectively using targeted keywords, identify local, regional, and national grant programs, and use curated grant websites and email lists to stay informed about new funding opportunities. The session will also cover how to review eligibility requirements, research funders, and determine which grants are worth pursuing. Whether you’re new to grants or looking to improve your funding strategy, this webinar will provide actionable tools and resources to help you confidently find and pursue grants for your small business. This program is offered in partnership with Mary Overbey of Borealis Consulting, LLC. *This project is supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SSBCI-21031-0104 awarded to the State of Missouri by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.*