With our bold new strategic plan lighting the way, this year at FOCUS St. Louis has been nothing short of transformational. We’ve embraced fresh opportunities, strengthened our ties with alumni and the community, and reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to cultivating exceptional leadership.
The demand for our continuum of civic leadership programs has soared, reflecting the growing desire for impactful, purpose-driven leadership. In response, we’ve introduced dynamic initiatives like the FOCUS BoardBridge matching program, hosted timely and thought-provoking community forums, and brought together leaders from across sectors through sold-out networking events. At FOCUS, we are not just meeting the moment but shaping it — educating, connecting, and empowering leaders while pioneering new avenues for collaboration and growth that extend far beyond our program walls.
This report offers a glimpse into the incredible reach and impact of our work this year. Yet, the true story lies in the vibrant community we continue to build. We invite you to be part of it. Whether by joining as a member, attending a forum, applying for a program, getting matched through FOCUS BoardBridge, hosting an alumni dinner, or engaging with one of our alumni resource groups, there is a place for you in this journey of leadership and connection. Let us know how FOCUS can partner with you in shaping a brighter, more inclusive future. Together, we’re creating a legacy of leadership that transforms lives and communities.
Dr. Yemi Akande-Bartsch
President & CEO
FOCUS St. Louis
Impact by the Numbers
Educating Leaders
FOCUS continues its mission of building leadership capacity by helping leaders better understand themselves and our region and equipping them with the skills to advance change in their organizations and the community.
This year, that included:
- Graduating 281 participants from our five leadership programs, a 12% increase over the prior year.
- Providing tailored training to a variety of organizations, including a custom Women In Leadership program for Citi.
Connecting Leaders
FOCUS is a connector, of people and ideas. This year, that connection-building included:
- Launching the FOCUS BoardBridge initiative to match nonprofits with a diverse pipeline of potential board members.
- Selling out both our annual Women's History Month Breakfast and What's Right with the Region Awards.
- Marking the return of our in-person Alumni Dinners and beginning development on Alumni Resource Groups.
Facilitating Meaningful Dialogue
Beyond program days, FOCUS hosts a number of community conversations to explore pressing issues in our region and help leaders find ways to get plugged in. This year, these topics included:
- Climate change
- Childcare and early childhood education
- Neurodiversity in the workplace
- Finding common ground
- The evolving role of AI
Program Outcomes
281 leaders, ranging from high school juniors to CEOs, participated in our continuum of five leadership programs. As part of the evaluation process, we measured their outcomes in four key areas: relationship-building, collaborative leadership, civic understanding and civic readiness.
Building Capacity
Connecting Leaders
Inspiring Action
Our Year In Review
Alumni Dinners
This year marked the return of in-person Alumni Dinners, bringing together current participants and alumni across programs and years for small group conversations.
Leadership St. Louis
Our 2023-24 class of Leadership St. Louis brought together 62 leaders to explore topics ranging from local government and economic development to the justice system and racial equity.
Climate Change Forum
We kicked off our lineup of community forums with a packed house for a conversation on climate change and actionable strategies we can take as leaders.
Emerging Leaders
This year, 63 early-career professionals graduated from Emerging Leaders, gaining the tools to take an active role as the next generation of regional leaders. Participants also put their leadership skills to work through Civic Action Projects in collaboration with community partners.
Addressing the Childcare Crisis
Childcare isn't a family issue; it's a workforce and community issue. We brought together childcare experts, advocates and the community for a deeper look at this tough topic and opportunities for policy action.
Women In Leadership
A total of 59 leaders were part of this year's fall and spring Women In Leadership cohorts, coming together for a transformational journey of learning, connection, reflection and personal growth. We also created a custom program for women at Citi.
Trends in Mentoring
This year's mentoring forum focused on evolving trends and best practices to better help organizations support the changing needs of their workforce.
Youth Leadership St. Louis
Youth Leadership St. Louis provided high school juniors from 16 partnering schools and community organizations with the tools, resources and inspiration to become the next leaders in our region. This year's graduates also benefitted from the offer of generous scholarships from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Women's Leadership Breakfast
We celebrated a sold-out crowd of more than 300 for this year's inspiring Women's History Month Breakfast, hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club.
Experience St. Louis
Led by our President and CEO, our spring session of Experience St. Louis provided a two-day insider's orientation to CEOs and senior executives who are new to the region.
Neurodiversity in the Workplace
In our January forum, we expanded our dialogues on equity and inclusion to explore the often overlooked role of neurodiversity.
What's Right with the Region
Our community came together in May to celebrate the What's Right with the Region Awards, recognizing 20 honorees, Leadership Award recipient Kathy Osborn and Legacy Alumni Award recipient Valerie Patton.
Finding Common Ground
In partnership with the Missouri History Museum, we explored how we, as individuals and a region, can foster meaningful and productive discourse.
FOCUS Now
Our year-end celebration brought together new graduates for recognition, reflection, and networking.
Connecting Across Sectors and Industries
More than 150 organizations sent leaders through one of our programs this year. Here are just some of those employers.
Alumni In the News
Our impact does not end when leaders graduate from our FOCUS programs; it continues as they take what they have learned out into our region. We were excited to see our alumni step into many new leadership roles and opportunities this year; here are just a few of these.
Tamyka Gilliam Perine
(WIL 2021) was named Executive Director of the Gateway Early Childhood Alliance.
Jassen Johnson
(LSL 2024) was featured in the St. Louis Business Journal for his work on City Commons.
Jennifer Bardot
Riisa Rawlins
(LSL 2017) was named as CEO of the Community Health Commission of St. Louis.
Justin Raymundo
(EL 2015) was elected to the Board of Directors for Forward Through Ferguson.
Cheryl Jones
(LSL 2002 / WIL 2004) was named as St. Louis American's Non-profit Executive of the Year.
Ismail Botchway
(YLSL 2023) was named Youth of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis.
Kari Willett
(WIL 2022) was named to the Board of Directors for VOYCE.
Erv Switzer
(LSL 1997) was inducted into the Saint Louis University School of Law Hall of Fame.
Briana Bobo
(EL 2019 / YLSL 2016) was elected Chair of the St. Louis City Charter Commission.
Andwele Jolly
(LSL 2022) was elected Board Chair of Build Missouri Health.
Neosha Franklin
(WIL 2021) was named CEO of the Community Impact Network.
Laura Wilson
(LSL 2019) was named as the International Mentoring Program's first Executive Director.
Mackenzie McCulloch
(EL 2015) was promoting to Principal at Lamar Johnson Collaborative.
Lalage Katunga
(LSL 2024) was a featured speaker at the TEDxStLouis event.
Leann Chilton
(LSL 2001 / Impact Fellows 2016) was recognized as a Woman of Distinction by the Missouri Athletic Club.
Paula-Breonne Vickers
(EL 2022 / YLSL 2010) was selected for the 2023-24 cohort of Neighborhood Leadership Fellows.
Gabe Gore
(LSL 2007) was named Person of the Year by the St. Louis American.
Your Support Makes It Possible
The listing below reflects all membership and donation gifts recorded between July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024. If you have a question or need to make a change to how you are listed, please contact Kayla Dix at kaylad@focus-stl.org.
2023-24 Financials
Support Leadership
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