Meet Our Alumni

Malachi Rein
Leadership St. Louis 2023-24

What drew you to the Leadership St. Louis program? It was really important to me stepping into a role that’s new and novel and looking to move the needle on some pretty impactful things across St. Louis. Leadership St. Louis for me was initially about networking. It’s really important that we collaborate, take down silos, understand different perspectives and find ways to move forward. As a convener, FOCUS is incredible. The folks in the room come from different backgrounds, different demographics, different industries and different professions, and I think we get something incredibly positive about those interactions and exposure to different ideas and people and thoughts.

What impact have you seen in your life as a result of your FOCUS experience? We can get pretty disconnected from what’s happening around us, societally. So one of the things that I gained from FOCUS was an understanding of how to talk to  the different challenges around us, what people care about and how they intersect with the things that we’re working on. It has provided a lot of context for me in the work that I’m already doing, but also connecting what I’m doing in ways that I didn’t think to other challenges across the region.

Having an understanding of the community through Leadership St. Louis is certainly going to help anyone, not just me, adapt their abilities and their ability to lead to the situation at hand. Nobody’s born into amazing leadership. It’s learned and witnessed and seen.

How have you stayed engaged with FOCUS following graduation? Our cohort stays in touch, whether it’s through text or social media, conversations or just seeing each other out in community. We support each other, and it brings a sense of connectiveness. You can pick up the phone and call somebody who has expertise or context that you don’t have, which is empowering.

I also think that the continuing engagement with FOCUS is important. Continuing to educate ourselves about our potential, our limitations, and the things we can do to support each other is important. We have to keep asking questions, finding solutions, working together, and listening to each other, while learning more about ourselves in the process.

What would you say to someone who is considering applying for Leadership St. Louis? Go in with an open mind. Be prepared to listen to other folks who have different experiences. When you feel as if the conversation might not apply to you, realize that it does and you have something to contribute. When it comes to improving the region, it’s one of those things when you live here, you can lean in or lean out, but you’re in.