We Are Cortex | Tepra Wells

To say Tepra Wells took a leap of faith when she quit her full-time job to start an eponymously named digital marketing firm would be an understatement.

Wells took her 2016 psychology degree from Southeast Missouri State University through a series of positions in marketing, education support, communications, and community outreach. But the lure of entrepreneurship was strong. It’s in her blood.

“I started because I come from a long line of entrepreneurs,” said Wells, founder of Tepra Marketing LLC. “My mother, my father, my grandparents – all of them are business owners.”

Today, she’s busy helping business owners achieve social media visibility through her firm’s social media content creation, “because we believe that all these businesses deserve to be seen.”

But that didn’t happen overnight. And Wells enthusiastically shouts out the Cortex Innovation District for clasping hands with her as she took that leap of faith.

“It's been a journey,” Wells said. “Me going from full-time employment to entrepreneurship, I'm not going to say was easy. But leaning into the resources that already exist, like the Cortex Innovation District, it made becoming a business owner a tad more accessible.”

That includes resources such as Cortex’s Square One Ignite program, a four-week course designed to pressure test an entrepreneur’s idea, identify its unique value proposition, and understand the basics of launching a business. Wells received a scholarship to attend the program, which also gave her access to mentors and the regular lunch-and-learns Cortex sponsors. There, she found the chance to rub shoulders with other current or aspiring business owners. Now, Wells is aiming to attend the next level in the Square One curriculum, Bootcamp, a 10-week deep dive into the ins and outs of setting up and maintaining a business.

She even won a raffle package from Cortex during a previous We Are Cortex celebration that included a night’s stay at the Aloft St. Louis Central West End hotel, dinner at Vicia, coffee at Park Avenue, and a massage at BJC Move – all in the District.

“I created an entire video from that experience,” Wells said. “What actually exists in this District is one of my main focuses. I know there's a lot of business activities happening here, but there are a lot of ways to get connected and have a good time in this District.”

Join us on Wednesday, November 4th for #WeAreCortex — a community celebration of the thinkers, builders, creators, and doers who are shaping the future of St. Louis and beyond. Free coffee and light breakfast will be provided – register to attend today!