Arch Grants Aims to Further Advance Economic Empowerment Across Greater St. Louis Region with Support of NISA Charitable Fund – PRNewswire

"Arch Grants is deeply committed to making St. Louis a destination where people want to live, work, and stay," said Emily Lohse-Busch, Executive Director of Arch Grants. "It is gratifying to partner with NISA Investment Advisors' Charitable Fund, a like-minded St. Louis success story, to provide much-needed capital to well-positioned startup firms that are on the precipice of making significant economic contributions to our local region. We look forward to working with NISA and other firms to expand economic opportunity across St. Louis as together we are all stronger."

NISA Investment Advisors' Charitable Fund partnered with Arch Grants to meaningfully increase the funding available through the nonprofit's Startup Competition model for 2021under an innovative platform called #STLOnward Awards. The Charitable Fund's contribution of $270,000 enabled Arch Grants to fund five additional high-growth startups with the hope that other established companies will be inspired to support both Arch Grants and subsequent #STLOnward Awards.

The five startups receiving the grants were chosen because their missions align closely with NISA Charitable Fund's strategic pillars of education, workforce development, and access to capital for traditionally underserved populations. The winning startupsinclude Equalizer Games, oneKIN, PlaBook, Rock The Score, and ZenHammer. These five startups will be recognized at the 9th Annual Arch Grants Gala event on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, as the #STLOnward Awards Powered by NISA.

The NISA Charitable Fund is a donor-advised fund established in April 2020 and funded by NISA Investment Advisors, LLC, with operational support by St. Louis Community Foundation.

"Arch Grants' program is a model for driving economic empowerment and developing the next generation of employers, civic leaders, and philanthropists for the St. Louis region," said David Eichhorn, CFA, NISA's CEO and Head of Investment Strategies. "Our organization is inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of the five high-growth startups we are supporting through our partnership with Arch Grants. We look forward to watching their businesses grow and contribute to the vitality of the St. Louis economy in the months and years ahead."

About Arch GrantsAs a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Arch Grants' mission is to transform the economy in St. Louis by attracting and retaining extraordinary entrepreneurs. Since 2012, Arch Grants has awarded $11.5 million in cash grants to attract or retain 208 early-stage businesses in St. Louis, invigorating the city's startup scene with new talent and ideas and helping to shape the future economy of the region. Of the total cash grants, $10.5 million has been awarded through Arch Grants' annual Startup Competition, and an additional $1 million has been provided in additional follow-on funding.Through its program, Arch Grants' portfolio companies have gone on to create over 2,347 jobs in the St. Louis region, generate over $479 million in revenue and attract over $411 million in follow-on capital. To learn more, please visit our website at archgrants.org and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

About NISA Charitable FundNISA Charitable Fund's mission is to promote equity in St. Louis among underserved populations by supporting organizations focused on creating systematic change in education, access to capital, and workforce development. We believe that improvement in these critical foundational areas can lead individuals toward greater financial independence with a multiplier effect that can change the trajectory of the next generation. We are a donor-advised fund established in April 2020 and funded by NISA Investment Advisors, LLC, with operational support by St. Louis Community Foundation.

About NISA Investment Advisors, LLCNISA manages assets for some of the largest institutional investors in the U.S. The firm is 100% employee-owned and based in St. Louis, Missouri. Client portfolios include investment-grade fixed income, derivative overlay, and equity investments. As of September 30, 2021, NISA managed $317 billion in physical assets and $174 billion in derivative notional value in separate account overlay portfolios. NISA is also known for its Pension Surplus Risk Index, or PSRX, a forward-looking estimate of the funded status volatility of U.S. corporate defined benefit plans and is published monthly. For more information, please visit our website atwww.nisa.com and be sure to follow us onLinkedIn.

Media Contacts:Andy Painter, Marketing & Communications Manager for Arch Grants[emailprotected] or 314-322-0680

Eriko Clevenger Pope, NISA Charitable Fund Director[emailprotected]

Michael Herleyfor NISA Investment Advisors, LLC[emailprotected]or 203-308-1409

SOURCE Arch Grants; NISA Charitable Fund

http://archgrants.orghttp://www.nisa.com

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Arch Grants Aims to Further Advance Economic Empowerment Across Greater St. Louis Region with Support of NISA Charitable Fund - PRNewswire