Build-A-Bear founder joins VFA’s board, lauding group as an ‘onramp’ to entrepreneurship for overlooked young professionals

ST. LOUIS — A hometown founder and entrepreneurial icon is joining the board of one of the region’s premiere work placement opportunities for early-career professionals.

Venture For America fellows in Kansas City

Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop — the teddy-bear-themed retailer she launched in 1997 in St. Lous — is the latest appointment to the national board of directors for Venture For America, a national nonprofit and two-year fellowship program for recent college graduates pursuing careers in entrepreneurship.

Venture for America has an active presence in both St. Louis and Kansas City with its fellows joining startup teams across the Missouri metros at a regular pace. Click here to follow VFA Kansas City on Instagram.

Clark also is CEO of the Clark-Fox Family Foundation, and chief inspirator of the Delmar DivINe.

Under her leadership, Build-A-Bear Workshop became a publicly traded company on the NYSE in 2004. Today, Build-A-Bear boasts more than 500 stores worldwide, with more than 250 million stuffed animals sold globally.

Click here to learn more about Maxine Clark and her journey.

Upon stepping down from her role as CEO in 2013, she embarked on a mission to empower women and minority entrepreneurs while using her entrepreneurial skills to create opportunities for St. Louis families. Her latest venture, the Delmar DivINe, transformed the historic St. Luke’s Hospital in the St. Louis West End into a multi-use real estate development, which opened its doors in late 2021.

“I look forward to joining the Venture For America national board of directors,” Clark said. “The organization’s mission of promoting entrepreneurship and serving as an onramp to the experience for historically underrepresented groups can make a substantial impact across the country and closely reflects the work I’m carrying out with Delmar in St. Louis.”

“I’m eager to contribute my insights and experiences to help early-career professionals access the limitless potential of their entrepreneurial ambitions,” she added.

Venture For America 2023 Training Camp

Eric Somerville, Venture For America

Clark is recognized not only for her business accomplishments but also for her dedication to education and community engagement.

She’s an active member of the Build-A-Bear Workshop Board of Directors, a past member of Footlocker, Inc.’s board of directors, and serves as an Emeritus member of the Washington University Board of Trustees, and of Goldfarb School of Nursing. In recognition of her contributions, Clark was named to the Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame in 2017 and was honored as Women of the Year by the Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation in 2015.

“Maxine’s exceptional leadership and commitment to community and entrepreneurship align perfectly with our company’s vision, mission, and values,” said Eric Somerville, CEO of Venture For America. “We’re confident that her guidance and expertise will be invaluable as we navigate the weeks, days, months, and years to come.”