Arch Grants executive director Gabe Angieri to step down after 10 years

Arch Grants said Executive Director Gabe Angieri will leave after a decade with the St. Louis nonprofit and stay through the fall as the board searches for the organization’s first CEO. The transition comes as Arch Grants expands beyond a startup competition and tries to build on more than $20 million in grants, $1.4 billion in portfolio revenue and 4,000 jobs created.

Why it matters: - Arch Grants is entering a leadership transition while it broadens its role in St. Louis entrepreneurship. - The move comes as the organization launches its first search for a chief executive officer, a shift that could shape its next phase of growth. - Arch Grants has backed founders with more than $20 million in non-dilutive funding and says portfolio companies have helped generate more than $1.4 billion in revenue, more than $929 million in follow-on capital, more than 4,000 jobs and more than $275 million in regional wages.

What happened: - Arch Grants announced that Executive Director Gabe Angieri will step down after 10 years with the organization. - Angieri will remain in the role through the next several months to help manage the transition. - The board has started a national search for Arch Grants’ first chief executive officer. - Angieri joined Arch Grants in 2016 and became executive director in 2022.

The details: - Under Angieri’s leadership, Arch Grants moved from a startup competition into a broader platform for entrepreneurial growth in St. Louis. - The organization added new industry cluster partnerships during Angieri’s tenure. - Arch Grants also expanded its headquarters and founder space. - The organization launched the Arch Grants Fellows program. - Board President Zundra Bryant said Angieri helped strengthen both Arch Grants’ impact and its internal organization. - Angieri said the community built around founders, investors, donors, universities, corporate leaders and civic partners is what he will carry with him most. - Angieri said Arch Grants is positioned to keep building on that work after his departure. - Angieri said the timing feels right to consider opportunities that differ from his past decade at Arch Grants.

Between the lines: - The CEO search suggests Arch Grants is formalizing its leadership structure as the nonprofit becomes more complex and expands its scope. - Moving from an executive director model to a CEO model can signal a push for larger-scale fundraising, partnerships and strategic growth. - The transition appears designed to preserve continuity, with Angieri staying involved while the board searches for a successor.

What’s next: - Arch Grants’ board, Bryant and the leadership team will work with Angieri during the transition. - The board’s national search will determine who leads Arch Grants after the changeover. - Arch Grants is likely to keep emphasizing entrepreneur support, retention and regional economic growth as it enters its next phase. - More information is available on Arch Grants.