Present Day

The Woman’s Exchange has continued over 140 years to carry on the legacy and mission of being a volunteer-led not-for-profit organization. Over 100 artisans have been afforded the freedom to create and earn a well-deserved income for themselves and their families. Additionally, our Immigrant and Refugee Training Program has helped more than 25 participants transition into the workforce by offering on-the-job training, language resources, and help with individual goals including gaining citizenship.

**Pictured: The Woman’s Exchange Artisan Kitchen.** **Food artisans prepare and cook their food in our kitchen and then have the opportunity to sell their food in our store.**

**Pictured: The Woman’s Exchange brick-and-mortar shop. Items for sale consist of women's and children’s apparel, artisan items, books, jewelry, and home decor.**

Our organization also has a free commercial kitchen available for our food artisans and early entrepreneurs. We know that one of the biggest financial barriers for food artisans is the ability to secure an affordable commercial kitchen to cook and bake food products for sale. Commercial kitchen costs can cut into already thin margins prohibiting food artisans and early-stage entrepreneurs the ability to make meaningful income to advance their careers while still providing for their own financial needs. We have eliminated this barrier by working with our food artisans to ensure that they have the proper credentials to sell their food products at the Woman’s Exchange in hopes that they can grow their business to other establishments.

Additional resources such as assistance with pricing models, marketing, legal assistance, and other business endeavors are also available. We understand this need and can connect these artisans with fulfilling these needs at no cost to them. We work closely with our food artisans to ensure that their business plans allow for growth and development to future success outside of the Woman’s Exchange.

The Woman's Exchange of St. Louis is a member of the Federation of Woman’s Exchanges, an alliance of not-for-profit gift shops founded in 1934 for the purpose of networking and mutual support.