Cortex
Cortex is a St. Louis, Missouri–based public charity, established in 2002. It describes itself as the nonprofit master developer of a 200-acre innovation district along St. Louis’ central corridor, supporting regional innovation through real estate development, workforce and entrepreneur training, and partnerships.
Cortex at a glance
In short: Cortex gave $4.0M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $304K), mostly in Missouri. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,952,775
- +82.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +30.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $304,060
- +40.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $120,000
- Total assets
- $81,766,615
- -3.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Missouri (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Cortex
- Contact
Mailing address: 4240 Duncan 200, St Louis, MO 63110
Phone: (314) 531-4500
Website: https://cortexstl.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cortex funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Per Scholas ($1.8M). Together the top 10 received $3.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
25 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 10 grants of 25 (40%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Cortex’s website describes its work as centered on a 200-acre district in St. Louis and as supporting growth across the St. Louis region. All reported 2024 grant dollars were listed for Missouri recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
How Cortex gives
- 62% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $17K (2020) to $4.0M (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $4.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Per Scholas St. Louis, MO | General | $1,767,725 |
| Npower St. Louis, MO | General | $750,000 |
| Comptia St. Louis, MO | General | $397,000 |
| Launchcode St. Louis, MO | General | $361,000 |
| Tech STL St. Louis, MO | General | $150,883 |
| Greater St Louis Inc St. Louis, MO | General | $150,000 |
| Global Center for Cybersecurity St. Louis, MO | General | $120,000 |
| Biostl St. Louis, MO | General | $100,000 |
| Propel Kitchens St. Louis, MO | General | $66,250 |
| Missouri Chamber Foundation Jefferson City, MO | General | $57,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Cortex?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $81,766,615 | $12,285,939 | $12,849,540 | $3,952,775 | 13 | $421,615 |
| 2023 | $84,709,427 | $17,212,351 | $10,385,554 | $2,167,492 | 10 | $791,635 |
| 2022 | $94,531,680 | $34,866,238 | $8,484,941 | — | — | $287,491 |
| 2021 | $86,543,841 | $5,279,863 | $7,490,040 | — | — | $6,838 |
| 2020 | $85,853,341 | $3,475,450 | $7,435,642 | $16,665 | 2 | $5,561 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Cortex’s website describes its mission as fostering an inclusive innovation hub and generating equitable economic impacts through facilities, programs, and partnerships. Its stated priorities include attracting and growing life science, national security, and general technology companies; building and renovating district spaces; expanding workforce training; and collaborating on regional innovation initiatives.
The 2024 filing lists grants to organizations whose missions include workforce and entrepreneurship, regional economic development, bioscience, leadership development, innovation districts, neighborhood quality of life, and plant and environmental knowledge. For example, Greater St. Louis, Inc. says it brings business and civic leaders together to create jobs and drive inclusive economic growth. BioSTL says it advances regional prosperity by cultivating a thriving bioscience sector. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not Cortex’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Cortex reported 13 grants totaling $3,952,775. Grant amounts ranged from $5,750 to $1,767,725, with a median of $120,000.
The largest reported grants included $1,767,725 to Per Scholas, $750,000 to NPower, $397,000 to CompTIA, and $361,000 to LaunchCode. Each was listed for general purposes. Other grants included $150,883 to Tech STL, $150,000 to Greater St. Louis, Inc., $120,000 to the Global Center for Cybersecurity, and $100,000 to BioSTL.
The filing says grant subawards are made under contractual arrangements and require reporting of program metrics and substantiation of financial amounts. It also says individuals apply based on identified business and financial needs, grants are awarded using consistent selection criteria, and payment is made to the vendor providing the required product or service.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sam Fiorello as president and CEO; Mike Bozovich as assistant treasurer; June Fowler as chairman; Fred Pestello as vice-chairman; Amy Kweskin as treasurer; and Donn Rubin as secretary. It also lists Bob Cannon, Rich Liekweg, Andrew Martin, and Ken Olliff as directors.
Cortex is led by Sam Fiorello, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; 7 of 33 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sam Fiorello
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$323K (2020) → $509K (2024)
June M. Fowler
Chairman
Director → Chairman, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Martin
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Spilling
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jan Holloway
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Judy Sindecuse
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ken Olliff
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kristin Sobolik
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Basic
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Wyse-Jackson
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rich Liekweg
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Cardillo
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rodney Crim
Director
Ex-Officio → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sean Walsh
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Barnali Gupta
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jared Boyd
Director
Ex-Officio Director → Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Neal Richardson
Director
Ex-Officio Director → Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Bobick
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bob Cannon
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Derek Rapp
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Browning
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Berberich
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregory Triplett Jr.
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Purnell
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mike Bozovich
Assistant Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer → Assistant Treasurer & CFO, 2023
Assistant Treasurer & CFO → Assistant Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$156K (2020) → $316K (2024)
Brian Russell
Vice President
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$107K (2021) → $184K (2024)
Gabriela Ramirez-Arellano
Vice President
Executive Director → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$101K (2021) → $138K (2024)
Natalie Self
Senior Vice President
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$192K (2022) → $231K (2024)
Leslie Heusted
Vice President
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$125K (2023) → $133K (2024)
Margaret Crane
Senior Vice President
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$178K (2023) → $202K (2024)
Donn Rubin
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fred Pestello
Vice Chairman
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amy Kweskin
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (20)
- Former: Coleen Autry (2023) — Vice President
- Former: Amy Kimball (2020–2022) — Assistant Secretary
- Former: Karl Guenther (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Robert Cannon (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Dedric Carter (2022) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Letscher (2022) — Former Vice President
- Former: Jenny Lodge (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Michael Sullivan (2020–2021) — Senior Vice President & General Counsel
- Former: Phyllis Ellison (2020–2021) — Vice President
- Former: Tim Noonan (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Nahuel Fefer (2021) — Ex-Officio Director
- Former: Dennis Lower (2020) — President & CEO
- Former: Hank Webber (2020) — Chairman
- Former: Joe Roddy (2020) — Ex-Officio
- Former: John Dubinsky (2020) — Director
- Former: Jonathan Smith (2020) — Director
- Former: Lewis A. Levey (2020) — Director
- Former: Linda Martinez (2020) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Otis Williams (2020) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Thomas F. George (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $509K, to Sam Fiorello (President & CEO). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Cortex
How much does Cortex give each year?
Cortex gave $4.0M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $2.2M across 10 grants.
What is Cortex's typical grant size?
Cortex's median grant in 2024 was $120,000, and its average grant was $304,060, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Cortex give grants?
Cortex gives mostly in Missouri: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (11 grants).
Does Cortex give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Cortex's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Cortex's largest grantees?
Cortex's largest 2024 grantees include Per Scholas ($1,767,725), Npower ($750,000) and Comptia ($397,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cortex?
Cortex reported $81.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $12.3M.
What does Cortex fund?
Cortex’s website describes its mission as fostering an inclusive innovation hub and generating equitable economic impacts through facilities, programs, and partnerships. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cortex?
Cortex has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check cortexstl.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Cortex's EIN?
Cortex's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-0082817. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 20, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Cortex's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Regional Business Council
Saint Louis, MO
The Regional Business Council funds education, workforce development, public safety, neighborhood quality of life, and related civic initiatives in the Greater St. Louis region. Its 2025 grants ranged from $6,500 to $330,000, with a median of $25,000; it also offers smaller capital-project grants of $1,000–$10,000 through the It’s Our Region Fund, whose 2026 application period is closed. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$4.2M
Grants
28
Total Given
$1.2M
The Abell Foundation Inc
Baltimore, MD
The Abell Foundation funds nonprofits, government agencies, and fiscally sponsored projects addressing health, education, community development, workforce, justice and addiction, the environment, and arts, as well as Baltimore-focused research and catalytic business investments. Its giving is focused on Baltimore City, with a typical grant of about $20,000 (2024 median; awards ranged from $188 to $300,000). It accepts applications: requests of $10,000 or less are reviewed on a rolling basis, while larger requests go through five annual board meetings.
Assets
$296.4M
Grants
391
Total Given
$13.4M
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
St Louis Community Foundation Inc
St. Louis, MO
The foundation supports nonprofits through its own community priorities and funds it administers for private and family foundations, including economic mobility, youth connections, and a range of other donor-directed causes. In 2024, grants ranged from $5,050 to $4 million, with a median of $20,000; community-impact funding focuses mainly on high-need ZIP codes in Missouri and Illinois, though grants also go elsewhere. It does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests; applicants should check each funder’s criteria and deadlines.
Assets
$494.4M
Grants
839
Total Given
$63.9M
AT&T Foundation
Dallas, TX
Assets
$1.8M
Grants
184
Total Given
$916K
PWC Foundation Inc
New York, NY
The PwC Foundation funds education and career pathways, disaster preparedness and relief, and support for PwC employees. Its 2025 grants ranged from $10,000 to $1.75 million, with a median of $20,000, and went to organizations across multiple states, especially New York, California, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, and Georgia. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$79.6M
Grants
503
Total Given
$22.9M
More similar funders
More Funders in Missouri
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cortex funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cortex-morg_d791764a66af4cd7bd1cc60ad3436ffe
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_300082817_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cortex funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cortex-morg_d791764a66af4cd7bd1cc60ad3436ffe},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Cortex's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Cortex down — hundreds of funders to go?