Speed Innovation
Think globally. Act locally.
Danforth Center scientists are making groundbreaking discoveries that form a critical foundation to address global issues of food security amid a changing climate. Help us create an innovation ecosystem where our discoveries lead to innovative products, stimulate economic growth, and result in our campus and region becoming the number one location for agtech innovation worldwide.
Start-Up Initiative
The Danforth Center Start-Up Initiative seeks to accelerate movement of scientific discovery into the marketplace. This initiative will enhance new company creation from Danforth
Center teams and discoveries by:
- Helping principal investigators and scientific teams recognize opportunities for marketable applications of their research and securing intellectual property.
- Funding proof-of-concept research to further develop ideas and technologies with marketable potential.
- Providing entrepreneurial talent and guidance to assess new start-up ideas and technologies.
- Accelerate lift-off and early stages of start-up companies through novel funding mechanisms designed to increase chances of success.
Startups will then be released into the St. Louis agtech ecosystem to raise additional capital, grow, and compete in the marketplace.
Community Building
The Danforth Center is committed to building a dynamic, world-class agtech innovation ecosystem at 39 North—but we can’t do it alone. With your support, we will partner to create unique events and initiatives that attract top talent, nurture homegrown startups, and draw leading agtech companies to our region. By investing in community building, you are fueling collaboration, accelerating scientific breakthroughs, and positioning St. Louis as the global hub for agricultural innovation. Together, we can transform our region into the premier destination for those shaping the future of food, agriculture, and sustainability.
Nurture Talent
The future is in their hands.
Today’s students are tomorrow’s scientists. The Danforth Center has a blueprint for making high-quality STEM education accessible to every child. Let’s build it, together.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCES & TRAINING
Imagine a future where every child—regardless of background—sees themselves as a scientist, an innovator, a problem-solver. With your support, the Danforth Center will provide hands-on research experiences, training, and internships that ignite curiosity and inspire the next generation of scientific leaders. From grade school to college, we are shaping the future of STEM by equipping young minds with the skills, confidence, and opportunities to tackle the world’s greatest challenges. Your investment today will empower the scientists of tomorrow—because the breakthroughs of the future begin with the students of today.
Powerful Partnership
Together, we can open doors to a brighter future for children in underserved communities. The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition (JJK FAN) Innovation Center in East St. Louis is a powerful partnership of the Danforth Center, Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, Lansdowne UP, and the University of Illinois. Through it, we are connecting young minds to the power of STEAM+Ag™—helping them see a future in science, agriculture, and innovation. With your support, we will expand hands-on learning experiences, mentorship programs, and career pathways that inspire and empower the next generation.
EDUCATION OUTREACH
Science comes to life when people of all ages can experience it firsthand. Through engaging education and outreach events like the family-friendly PlantTech Jam, the Danforth Center is inspiring the next generation of citizen scientists and lifelong learners. With your support, we will expand these hands-on experiences and invest in endowed instructors who will bring plant science to classrooms, community spaces, and beyond. Your gift will ensure that STEM education is accessible, exciting, and impactful—empowering people of all backgrounds to explore, innovate, and help shape a healthier, more sustainable world.
Next Up
Continue to Lead
With your help, we will add new core facilities and technology, empower our people, and provide the support that propels new ideas to discovery.