USGIF 2025 GeoInt Symposium
Including Keith Masback's Wise Counsel Guiding St. Louis’ Emergence As A Global Geospatial Hub
USGIF CEO Ronda Schrenk interviews U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt following his keynote address at the Symposium.
This past week, St. Louis once again hosted thousands of Geospatial Intelligence leaders at its annual 3-day U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) GEOINT Symposium.
In conjunction with the Symposium, Space News Chief Content and Strategy Officer Mike Gruss interviewed Keith Masback of Plum Run, LLC for Keith's unique perspectives as a Geospatial Intelligence leader and a multi-year advisor to St. Louis' GEOINT efforts:
https://spacenews.com/straight-talk-from-geoint-keith-masback-on-the-road-ahead/
Among the many other public and private sector leaders who shared insights on the Geospatial Intelligence sector, were: Missouri Congressional leaders U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R, Missouri) and Congressman Wesley Bell (D, St. Louis), as well as National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) Director Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth and Erik Lindbergh, grandson of famed Sprit of St. Louis pilot, Charles Lindbergh.
A record-breaking pilot himself, Erik replicated his grandfather's original New York to Paris flight in the New Spirit of St. Louis single-engine plane for the 75th anniversary in 2002 of his grandfather's flight. He is also an aerospace entrepreneur. In his keynote address at the Symposium, Erik announced that the 100th anniversary celebration of the Spirit of St. Louis to be held in May 2027, in New York, Paris, and St. Louis --- headquartered in St. Louis.
Pictured in the background of his GEOINT Forward speech are then leaders of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce, who provided Charles Lindbergh with the $10,000 to build his plane and to successfully compete for the $25,000 Orteig Prize to be awarded to the first pilot to fly from New York to Paris back in 1927. The Chamber leaders conditioned their $10,000 funding on Lindbergh naming his plane The Spirit of St. Louis.
Erik Lindbergh, Chairman of the Lindbergh Foundation, announces the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the "Spirit of St. Louis" Flight in May 2027 in keynote address at GEOINT Forward.
U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt confers with Globe owner Steve Stone in the Exhibition Hall prior to the Senator's keynote address at the opening session of the 2025 USGIF Symposium.
ESRI's Tara Mott interviews Congressman Wesley Bell following his keynote address at GEOINT Forward.
GEOINT leader Sue Gordon holds dialogue with VAD Whitworth following his closing keynote address.
Admiral Whitworth's closing keynote address of the Symposium tied the 100th anniversary of the Spirit of St. Louis Flight to St. Louis' past and future roles as a GEOINT leader --- noting that NGA's $1.75-billion, 100-acre, 1 million square foot, 3100-employee new HQ in North St. Louis will open on September 26, 2025.
GEOINT leader Sue Gordon holds dialogue with VAD Whitworth following his closing keynote address.
The attached current article in London-based Foreign Direct Investment Alliance Magazine provides an update on St. Louis' emergence as a Global Hub for Geospatial Intelligence and FinTech:
"ST. LOUIS: ASCENDING AS A GLOBAL HUB FOR GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE AND FINTECH.” Foreign Direct Investment International Magazine, London, May 2025. Dick Fleming: https://www.communitydevventures.com/home/fdi-globalhub
Keep an eye on St. Louis as it continues to emerge as a Global Geospatial Intelligence Hub,
