Finding fun things to do off campus to have a good time with your friends can be a challenge sometimes for students. However, a group of students is working to solve that with Pulxe STL, an organization aimed at creating memorable experiences that bring students, local businesses and the wider community together.
The group was co-founded by senior Juan Felipe Beltran Ramirez, who is studying digital marketing with a minor in finance. Ramirez said the idea for Pulxe STL grew naturally from his love of connecting people.
“I’ve always been the type of guy that loves connecting bridges and connecting people together,” Ramirez said. “Whether it’s you’re into sports and you need something done in this field, or you’re a creative person and you need some advice or feedback from a mentor, I’ve always been really good at connecting those bridges.”
That passion turned into action when he and two friends began organizing events with local venues. Their first collaboration with Upshot Coffee drew such a crowd that the owner told Ramirez it was the busiest Saturday in the shop’s five years of business.
“He goes, ‘Bro, this was the busiest Saturday we’ve had in the past five years of us being in business. I want to do this once every month,’” Ramirez said.
While nightlife has played a role, Pulxe STL distinguishes itself by creating events that don’t depend on alcohol. Ramirez said he wants students to feel comfortable coming to events where the focus is on conversation, connection and creativity.
“At Upshot Coffee, the only thing we offer is coffee and house music, but like a more chill, subtle house music so people can still have conversations,” Ramirez said. “People can meet each other, talk, and not have music blasting in their ear.”
The group has also been intentional about keeping events more intimate than overwhelming. “You could host an event with 600 or 700 people and that could be awesome,” Ramirez said. “But there’s no intimacy about that. There’s no closeness. What we want is if 50 or 100 people come, all those people feel like family and can network, get each other’s contact info, whatever they need.”
Pulxe STL’s collaborations have already spanned much of Main Street, including brunch promotions, student welcome events and coffee shop gatherings. Upcoming plans include working with Picasso’s Coffee and other smaller venues around St. Charles. Ramirez said the group is also in talks with Lindenwood’s pickleball club and hopes to partner with the university’s marketing club in the future.
“What people should expect from Pulxe is just a very intimate community feeling,” Ramirez said. “We’re trying to create events that bring people smiles, bring business customers and give students something new to do.”
Part of that creativity involves pushing boundaries for student experiences. An upcoming event will feature disposable cameras, which will be given out to attendees to document their day.
“We’re basically going to be taking a vlog,” Ramirez said. “When people come in, we’ll give them a camera, tell them to take pictures with friends or people they meet, and then submit it at the end of the event.”
Ramirez said the goal is for Pulxe STL to grow into something that lasts beyond his own time at Lindenwood. “In my opinion, this is how you build something that can outlive my time here,” he said.
For now, Pulxe STL continues to build momentum, fueled by Ramirez’s energy and a strong social media presence. The group can be found on Instagram and TikTok under @pulxestl. One of its recent TikTok videos earned more than 60,000 views in less than two days.
Ramirez said none of it would have been possible without his willingness to take risks and put himself out there. He encouraged other students who are considering entrepreneurship or marketing to adopt the same mindset.
“Something I would advise is just being able to take risk and not shying away from it,” he said. “I’ve taken so much risk to the point where sometimes it’s hurt me financially or mentally, but I’m always grateful for the losses because I’ve been able to learn from them. And just being social, that’s where everything is. If I wasn’t a social person.”
Pulxe STL is still young, but Ramirez believes the mission is clear. “We just want to bring people together, have a good time and create something that lasts,” he said.
The next Pulxe STL event at Upshot coffee will be on Oct. 12 in the morning.
