“Even though we have had nearly $100,000 in revenue in three months, it wouldn’t have worked in San Francisco,” Wheatley says. “We’ve basically proved the thesis for moving here.”

Haas says St. Louis has also been a good place to make connections. Through an executive he met at a networking event, he got introduced to someone at a national retailer who may pick up one of the Need/Want products.

“People want to help you here. I’m sure those people exist in San Francisco and other places, but they can be hard to find,” Haas said.

Haas and Wheatley persuaded Roberto Hoyos, who had started a novelty pillow business in Seattle, to move to St. Louis earlier this year. His company, Throwboy Pillows, now shares their office space at T-Rex.

The three say they have at least a couple more friends and business partners who are looking to move here, and they’re happy to spread the word about how cheap and friendly St. Louis is for startups.

The $50,000 Arch Grant that lured Haas here, then, is paying off in unexpected ways. The city didn’t just gain an entrepreneur, it also gained a set of enthusiastic ambassadors.

A message from David Nicklaus Want to stay smart about what's happening in St. Louis? Make a modest investment in a Post-Dispatch subscription and I'll tell you how developments around the world affect local businesses big and small. Subscribe today: Just $1 a month

Daily updates on the latest news in the St. Louis business community. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.