The Cortex Innovation Community is a 200-acre thriving innovation ecosystem nestled among impressive institutions such as partner Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, University of Missouri — St. Louis, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Since the completion of the master plan, the rapidly growing district is now home to a network of nearly 400 companies, over $1 billion of direct economic input, and 13,000 new jobs. Cortex is a model for a university-affiliated innovation district that harnesses a single urban location to build a culture of collaboration and discovery. Each building, each lobby, and each green space is intentionally designed and choreographed so that people bump into each other, share ideas, and create connections.