Experience

STEMSTL

• United States
• Non-profit Organization Management
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Executive Director

  • Mar 2020 - Jul 2021

  St. Louis, MO, United States STEMSTL is a collaborative consortium committed to equitable access to high-quality STEM learning and employment opportunities for all learners in the St. Louis metro region. Our mission is to collectively develop and deploy quality systems-level changes that will advance STEM learning and career opportunities to empower the growth of diverse problem solvers, innovators, and critical thinkers, enabling them to thrive in a globally connected world.



ABFE. A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities

• United States
• Philanthropic Fundraising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Connecting Leaders Fellow

  • Oct 2019 - Jun 2020

  The fellowship recognizes dynamic leaders with proven track records in promoting effective and responsive philanthropy in Black communities. Fellows receive a yearlong experience designed to offer customized executive leaderships coaching, professional development and personalized service learning projects in their respective communities. For more information please visit www.abfe.org



Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

• United States
• Philanthropic Fundraising Services
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Program Officer, Entrepreneurship

  • 2018 - Feb 2020

  Kansas City, Missouri Area I served as co-manager for the Inclusion Open, the largest private philanthropic grantmaking and capacity building program nationally focused on inclusive and equitable entrepreneurship. In that role I completed program evaluation and financial oversight for portfolio of 33 active grants and agreements in 24 states and Puerto Rico, totaling $24.68M in investments. When the foundation decided to change strategies, I designed the framework for off-boarding current grantees with respect and… Show more I served as co-manager for the Inclusion Open, the largest private philanthropic grantmaking and capacity building program nationally focused on inclusive and equitable entrepreneurship. In that role I completed program evaluation and financial oversight for portfolio of 33 active grants and agreements in 24 states and Puerto Rico, totaling $24.68M in investments. When the foundation decided to change strategies, I designed the framework for off-boarding current grantees with respect and transparency. Grantmaking - Set funding priorities for 2 RFPs (Inclusion Open and Heartland Challenge) through review of past grant learnings, academic research, national stakeholder interviews and landscape scan of 32 other entrepreneurship funders - Drafted all public affairs, grant application and grant review documents to communicate strategic vision and funding guidelines for a national RFP (Inclusion Open) and regional RFP (Heartland Challenge) - Completed program evaluation and organizational diligence of semifinalists leading to selection of 13 grants valued at $10M; 84.6% of funds directed for supporting Black and Latinx entrepreneurs, an increase of 24% from previous portfolios Operationalizing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Grantmaking ▪ Built capacity of Kauffman entrepreneurship employees to incorporate inclusion and equity considerations into program and grant planning through all-department training and informal consulting ▪ Facilitated planning process for 35-member national Entrepreneurship Funders Network learning agenda on diversity and equity in entrepreneurship grantmaking ▪ Served as keynote, panelist, and author on topics related to transparency in philanthropy, the shifting funding landscape for inclusive entrepreneurship from national to place-based strategies, effective evaluation metrics for entrepreneur support programs, and frameworks for equitable regional collective impact strategies Show less



Practical Diversity Solutions

• Founder and Chief Solutions Architect

  • 2014 - Feb 2020

  Greater St. Louis Area Specialized in practical solutions for creating more diverse, inclusive and equitable organizations through training, solutions consulting and organizational development architecture development. We were especially adept a supporting public-facing nonprofit, local government and regional collective organizations. Partial List of Clients: ■ Behavioral Health Network ■ Beyond Housing ■ Great Rivers Greenway ■ The New Leaders Council of St. Louis ■ St. Louis… Show more Specialized in practical solutions for creating more diverse, inclusive and equitable organizations through training, solutions consulting and organizational development architecture development. We were especially adept a supporting public-facing nonprofit, local government and regional collective organizations. Partial List of Clients: ■ Behavioral Health Network ■ Beyond Housing ■ Great Rivers Greenway ■ The New Leaders Council of St. Louis ■ St. Louis Art Museum ■ St. Louis County Library ■ Trailnet ■ The United Way of Greater St. Louis Member Agencies Show less



BioSTL

• United States
• Biotechnology
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Project Manager

  • 2015 - Jun 2018

  Clayton, Missouri St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective (The Collective) ▪ Served as architect and founding backbone staff for St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective (The Collective), a regional effort to build race and gender equity into the ecosystem that builds early-stage, tech-based ventures in St. Louis - Raised $420,000 to launch The Collective by winning the 2016 Kauffman Inclusion Challenge award - Conceptualized and organized the St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Summit… Show more St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective (The Collective) ▪ Served as architect and founding backbone staff for St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective (The Collective), a regional effort to build race and gender equity into the ecosystem that builds early-stage, tech-based ventures in St. Louis - Raised $420,000 to launch The Collective by winning the 2016 Kauffman Inclusion Challenge award - Conceptualized and organized the St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Summit, the regions’ first-ever conversation about barriers to diversity, inclusion and equity in tech-based St. Louis’ entrepreneurship ecosystem, and effort to define solutions for The Collective to implement; 150 individuals across 80 organization participated and provided over 200 pieces of feedback that informed The Collective’s strategy - Manage 4 working groups with 75 participants building solutions to advance equity: Data Accountability and Transparency, Intentional Network Cultivation, Coordinated Investment in M/WBE Skill Development and Capacity and Unbiased Concentration & Distribution of Resources - Track budget expenses and complete activity reporting to Kauffman Foundation ▪ Facilitated 75 member Bioscience Inclusion Initiative Network & built model for moving the group from loose network to two independent Collectives: STEMSTL and St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective ▪ Scanned 25 national examples of place-based STEM talent initiatives to tailor-build proposed framework for St. Louis’s STEMSTL effort based on national lessons learned, local political realities and key informant feedback Inclusion Initiative Program Management ▪ Built & implemented workflow tools including operations plans, strategy documents, budget tracking documents, comprehensive evaluation plans and communications plans to advance the BioSTL Inclusion Initiative ▪ Managed grant reporting for a portfolio of $6M from 15 federal, state, private and corporate funders Show less



Diversity Awareness Partnership

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Training and Education Manager

  • 2014 - 2014

  Greater St. Louis Area Managed and implemented all aspects of DAP's community education work, as well as training and consulting for clients. Successes include: ■ Trained more than 1,000 individuals in all aspects of diversity and inclusion; audiences ranged from senior management to frontline employees ■ Facilitated community education events for up to 100 individuals, including facilitation of open Q and A sessions ■ Recruited nearly $75,000 worth of training business ■ Content… Show more Managed and implemented all aspects of DAP's community education work, as well as training and consulting for clients. Successes include: ■ Trained more than 1,000 individuals in all aspects of diversity and inclusion; audiences ranged from senior management to frontline employees ■ Facilitated community education events for up to 100 individuals, including facilitation of open Q and A sessions ■ Recruited nearly $75,000 worth of training business ■ Content expertise: the difference between diversity and inclusion, unconscious bias, building inclusive organizational cultures, evaluation of diversity and inclusion work, organizational structures for promoting inclusion, business case for diversity & inclusion work Show less



Beyond Housing

• United States
• Civic and Social Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Strategic Initiatives Manager

  • 2013 - 2014

  Greater St. Louis Area In response to changing organizational priorities, Beyond Housing created the position of Strategic Initiatives Manager. The responsibilities of this position include staffing strategic planning, organizational evaluation, and internal diversity and inclusion efforts. Successes include: ■ Designed, launched and oversaw Beyond Housing's first Inclusion Work Group. Interviewed and selected 12 members from across Beyond Housing and oversaw the initial training for group members. ■… Show more In response to changing organizational priorities, Beyond Housing created the position of Strategic Initiatives Manager. The responsibilities of this position include staffing strategic planning, organizational evaluation, and internal diversity and inclusion efforts. Successes include: ■ Designed, launched and oversaw Beyond Housing's first Inclusion Work Group. Interviewed and selected 12 members from across Beyond Housing and oversaw the initial training for group members. ■ Facilitated organization-wide Evaluation Learning Community to promote evaluation excellence across the organization ■ Provided coaching tools for Beyond Housing leaders at the Director and Manager level ■ Designed and oversaw series of training for Beyond Housing leadership in the areas of Diversity & Inclusion, Human Resources and Program Evaluation ■ Drafted strategic planning documents for Board review

• 24:1 Project Manager

  • 2012 - 2013

  I worked with residents to implement the Strong Communities portion of the 24:1 Initiative Community Plan. Specifically, I: ■ Designed and staffed a community-based participatory design process around three built environment and economic development projects in the City of Pagedale: a Great Streets project along Page Avenue, a transit-oriented development project at the St. Charles Rock Road MetroLink Station, and a connecting infrastructure improvement project along Ferguson Avenue.… Show more I worked with residents to implement the Strong Communities portion of the 24:1 Initiative Community Plan. Specifically, I: ■ Designed and staffed a community-based participatory design process around three built environment and economic development projects in the City of Pagedale: a Great Streets project along Page Avenue, a transit-oriented development project at the St. Charles Rock Road MetroLink Station, and a connecting infrastructure improvement project along Ferguson Avenue. The plans were shaped by 767 engagement touches. ■ Hired and trained resident street teams, conceptualized mobile displays and interactive art installations to meet residents where they are at, thus making engagement easy and convenient for them. This resulted in nearly and nearly 12,000 individual pieces of feedback over a 4-month period. ■ Staffed the Natural Bridge Economic Development Municipal Leader Working Group. I facilitated the process of, and wrote, a multi-jurisdictional best-practice sign ordinance to streamline the look and feel of Natural Bridge Road between I170 and St. Louis City. ■ Co-facilitated two collective impact working groups: Five by Age Five early childhood working group, and Normandy School District Mental Health Working Group. Both groups consisted of 10-20 individual agencies. Success included five organizations partnering to offer innovative summer programming, universal behavioral health screening processes to identify trauma before it manifests into disruptive school behavior, and integrating developmental screenings into early childhood centers.



Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement

• United States
• Higher Education
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Gephardt Scholar

  • Sep 2010 - May 2012

  Greater St. Louis Area



Boeing

• United States
• Aviation & Aerospace
• 700 & Above Employee

• Global Corporate Citizenship Consultant

  • 2012 - 2012

  Greater St. Louis Area I worked on a two month assignment to support the development of Boeing's community involvement and philanthropy strategies in the St. Louis region.



Coro Leadership Center - St. Louis

• United States
• Professional Training and Coaching

• Fellow in Public Affairs

  • Sep 2009 - May 2010

  Project Placements: Missouri Progressive Vote Coalition, Hazelwood Office of Economic Development, SEIU Local 1, St. Louis Public Schools/St. Louis College Access Pipeline, Express Scripts and Washington University in St. Louis Office of Student Involvement and Leadership