DARA ESKRIDGE

CEO

BIOGRAPHY

Exploring who and what makes and holds community has been at the core of Dara’s personal and professional pursuits. Supporting people in waking up to their own power and accountability to create communities that work for and honor their needs, desires, and brilliance is what motivates her – even in the complexity and chaos that comes with collective people endeavors. As an urban planner, architect, and philanthropic leader, Dara works to advance opportunities to build wealth and power in Black and other racially and economically marginalized neighborhoods through equitable development and investment practices.

Since 2019, Dara has been proud to serve her incredible team and board as the first CEO of Invest STL. In this time, she has built the team from 1 to a dynamic 17 and led the evolution of the organization’s mission and theory of action to one that is clear, urgent, and centered in the power of people and their neighborhoods. This includes Dara’s intentional decision to create a 20-year lifecycle for Invest STL. To date, more than $10M has been aggregated and directed to St. Louis’ legacy Black neighborhoods under her leadership. Along with her board and team, Dara is focusing resources and efforts towards system transformation in a generation to sunset the organization by 2042. 

Prior to Invest STL, Dara served in various design, planning, policy, and senior leadership roles in places, including St. Louis County and St. Louis City governments, Urban Strategies, and the Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport, CT. Currently, Dara is a commissioner for the St. Louis Housing Authority, vice chair of the board of directors for the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, and a board member of the Center for Civic Research and Innovation and Art Place Initiative St. Louis. She also serves on the advisory councils for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Bloomberg Philanthropy’s Black Wealth Data Center, and the Urban Land Institute-St. Louis.

Dara earned her graduate degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University in New York and her Bachelor of Architecture from Tuskegee University in Alabama. She is a LEED Accredited Professional for Neighborhood Development and an Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow. Honors include Community Builders Network’s Equity Award, St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, St. Louis Magazine’s A-List Visionary Award, and being named as a 2025 TIME100 Next Leader.

Dara and her two children are proud residents of Hyde Park in North St. Louis City. Her rituals and interests include reading the heavy and the hilarious, painting when she can find the time and confidence and trying her best to get on a tennis court at least once a month.

CONTACT INFO

Phone : 314-399-8812   Ext. 103
Email : DEskridge@investstl.org