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Who We Are
OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
How we move is core to who we are and what we do.
- We are motivated by the belief that every person deserves to live in a neighborhood in which they can create the life they want, and we are grounded in the conviction that anything less is unacceptable.
- We are guided by an activist spirit while mobilizing institutional resources.
- We are committed to rigorous self-examination and transparency about our successes, failures and learning.
- We are dedicated to untethering the past from what’s possible in the future by refusing to accept the restraints of generations of systemic anti-Black racism.
- We act with urgency, because the unconfronted injustices of generations of anti-Black systemic racism continue to compound with time.
- We elevate lived experience and use evidence-based learning without being bound by it.
- We acknowledge and address generations of harm created by systemic anti-Black racism, particularly harm created in the name of community development.
- We measure success in multiple ways that reflect the complexity of this work.
WORK WITH US!
OPEN POSITIONS:
Neighborhood Investment Lead
Invest STL is expanding its team and hiring its first Neighborhood Investment Lead. The position focuses on Invest STL’s neighborhood investee partners and leads our Neighborhood Solidarity Partners, the primary liaisons and “guides on the side” to our neighborhood investee partners, who each support investment relationships within a distinct set of neighborhoods.
Applications will be accepted through October 13, 2025.
Operations Support Partner
Invest STL is searching for a new team member to assist with administration, internal operations support, and office management for our expanding team and evolving operations.
Applications will be accepted through October 23, 2025.
MEET OUR TEAM
KENAN ENDER
Operations Director
Kenan helps shape and uphold efficient and effective internal practices and processes that maximize our human, financial, and intellectual assets to the benefit of our mission and achievement of our vision.
DARA ESKRIDGE
CEO
Dara spends her days advancing our work into new areas, connecting our regional dots to neighborhood transformation, growing our coalition of partners and investors, and dreaming very big.
JHIMAE LEWIS
Executive Operations Partner
Jhimae assists with executive administration, internal systems support, and office management for our team and organizational operations.
TONI CONNORS
Collaboration Support Partner
Toni facilitates harmony between neighborhood anchors, residents, and consultants, investigating challenges to find opportunities, and elevating efforts for optimal impact.
LAVOUGHNDA DANNER
Neighborhood Solidarity Partner
Lavoughnda serves as a primary liaison and “guide on the side” to our Sustaining Neighborhood Investment Partners in the Dutchtown Neighborhood.
SHANNON DAVIES
Systems Design + Learning Lead
Shannon leads and shapes our systems-focused development and convening, and facilitates internal and programmatic learning capturing and sharing.
LYNDSEY ELLIS
Narrative + Communications Support Partner
Lyndsey helps craft and shape our storytelling, working closely with the team to listen for, weave together and raise up the experiences of our neighborhood partners and the people they serve.
CARLY FERDMAN
Collaboration Support Partner
Carly facilitates harmony between neighborhood anchors, residents, and consultants, investigating challenges to find opportunities, and elevating efforts for optimal impact.
NIYA FOSTER
Neighborhood Solidarity Partner
Niya serves as a primary liaison and “guide on the side” to our Sustaining Neighborhood Partners in the Greater Ville, Ville, and Kingsway East Neighborhoods.
LAVONDA HENDERSON
Collaboration Support Partner
LaVonda facilitates harmony between neighborhood anchors, residents, and consultants, investigating challenges to find opportunities, and elevating efforts for optimal impact.
LORIN JACKSON
Systems Design + Learning Partner
LoRin shapes systems-focused development and convening, and supports programmatic learning capturing and sharing.
DEREK LANEY
Neighborhood Solidarity Partner
Derek serves as the primary liaison and “guide on the side” to our Sustaining Neighborhood Investment Partners in the West End and Visitation Park Neighborhoods.
MICHAEL PAGANO
Narrative + Communications Partner
Michael crafts and shapes our storytelling, working closely with the team to listen for, weave together and raise up the experiences of our neighborhood partners and the people they serve.
ALYSSA POTTER
Narrative + Communications Lead
Alyssa leads and shapes our storytelling and communications strategy, while working closely with the team to listen for, weave together and raise up the experiences of our neighborhood partners and the people they serve.
EMILY SEIPLE
Neighborhood Solidarity Partner
Emily serves as a primary liaison and “guide on the side” to our Sustaining Neighborhood Investment Partners.
SANDRA THORNHILL
Policy Design + Activation Partner
Sandy develops and implements projects that will influence future national policymaking with an emphasis on investing in people, not just place.
MICHELLE WITTHAUS
Policy Design + Activation Lead
Michelle leads our work to design and implement projects that will influence future national policymaking with an emphasis on investing in people, not just place.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Blake Strode
Vice Chair | ArchCity Defenders
Loura Gilbert
Treasurer | Retired
Christina Dancy
US Bank
Nicole Hudson
Washington University
Henry Webber
Past Chair | Retired
Reyna Spencer
Ameren
Karishma Furtado
Chair | Urban Institute
Ryan Rippel
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
