Michelle Li

Emcee
Journalist and News Anchor, KSDK

Michelle is a seasoned journalist based in St. Louis, currently serving as a distinguished news anchor and reporter at KSDK, the NBC affiliate. Her impactful career reached new heights in January 2022 when she gained international recognition after courageously exposing a racist voicemail, catalyzing a movement that saw her featured on The Ellen Show and co-founding The Very Asian Foundation alongside fellow journalist Gia Vang.

Prior to her role in St. Louis, Michelle made significant contributions as a news anchor at NBC-affiliate KING-TV in Seattle, where she notably co-created and hosted the innovative daily news show Take 5, a pioneering program that engaged viewers interactively until its conclusion in 2019.

Michelle's career spans various prestigious roles, including serving as the primary evening anchor for prominent stations in Wisconsin, the Coastal Carolinas, and Southwest Missouri. Her commitment to innovation and audience engagement in newsrooms has been recognized by industry leaders such as Google, Poynter, Facebook, and RTDNA, highlighting her expertise in social media, innovation, and interactive journalism.

Michelle's dedication and excellence have earned her numerous accolades, including a Peabody Award, four national Murrow awards, and nine regional Emmys across categories such as writing, social media, innovation, and interactivity. She also received a Murrow award for her podcast "Monetary Li Speaking," which provided crucial insights during the pandemic. Her advocacy extends beyond journalism, as Congress honored her with an Angels in Adoption award for her impactful work in international and domestic adoption causes.

As a Korean adoptee, Michelle has a deep personal commitment to adoption issues, spending summers volunteering with adoptive families and orphanages in Seoul. She furthered her advocacy through a television program in Missouri aimed at helping foster children find permanent homes and has spoken at the National Press Club to raise awareness about international adoption.

Michelle's influence reaches far beyond St. Louis, having been featured on major national platforms including NBC Nightly News, CNN, The Washington Post, CBS, and ABC. Her journey in journalism began with a journalism degree from the University of Kansas, where she honed her skills and passion for storytelling.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Michelle finds joy in cooking, volunteering, and cherishing moments at home with her husband Jim, an Emmy Award-winning photographer turned software engineer for a leading news corporation. Her diverse interests also led her to cameo appearances as a reporter in the movie "Tammy" and on the TV show "The Following," showcasing her versatility and love for storytelling.

Trezette Dixon, Ed.D.

Moderator
Senior Director, The Fellows Experience, Greater St. Louis, Inc.

Dr. Dixon, a fervent advocate for transformative learning and diversity in education, is now the Senior Director of the Fellows Experience, an initiative of Greater St. Louis, Inc. In this capacity, Dr. Dixon spearheads a leadership development program tailored for diverse mid-level career professionals, focused on elevating their leadership capabilities, expanding social capital, and increasing community impact.

Armed with a Doctor of Education degree in Transformative Learning in the Global Community from Webster University, a Master’s in Adult Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, both from the University of Missouri-St Louis, and certification as a Professional and Social Etiquette Coach from The Etiquette Institute, Dr. Dixon brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the new role.

Dr. Dixon has over 20 years of experience in career and professional development. Previously, as the Director of the Internship Program at Webster University's School of Communications, Dr. Dixon guided and supported over 150 students annually in securing diverse and high-quality internship opportunities. Her expertise in internship preparation, exploration, and acquisition led to successful partnerships with over 300 internship host sites, both locally and nationally.

In addition to her prior role as Director of the Internship Program, Dr. Dixon managed employer engagement at Webster University as part of the Career Planning and Development team. In this capacity, she developed and maintained strong partnerships with over 5,000 employers, facilitated on-campus recruiting events, and provided career success coaching to students nationally and internationally. Dr. Dixon also held the position of Associate Adjunct Professor in the School of Communications, overseeing the curriculum and instruction of an online Internship Course, combining internship site experiences and professional development.

She has presented at conferences and served as a panelist on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, career readiness, and innovative practices in the workplace.

Dr. Dixon's dedication to fostering transformative experiences for individuals, her commitment to diversity and inclusion, her extensive experience in high-impact practices and employer relations uniquely positions her to support and guide the diverse leaders in our region driving inclusive economic growth in the St. Louis area and globally.

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Ola Ayeni

Founder, Claim Academy

Ola Ayeni founded St. Louis-based Claim Academy, which is helping to solve the massive software, cyber and now geospatial developer shortage in the Greater St. Louis area and nationally. Through this coding boot camp, Claim Academy trains people to be industry career ready in just 3.5-months. Claim Academy is one of the 50 Best Coding Bootcamps in the world, according to Courserport and Switchup. Since 2020, Claim Academy has been named one of the best 16 cybersecurity bootcamp in America by Course Report and Fortune Magazine. Graduates of Claim Academy make $75,000 to start even without a college education. 

Ola is a TedX fellow and a Pulitzer Foundation speaker. 

When Ola is not working to change lives at Claim Academy and not with his wife Jennifer and their 4 children, he performs several civic duties. He has served on the Downtown Partnership Board, St Louis Promise Zone Workforce Board, Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship, and Design St Louis, nominated by the Mayor. And currently on the Greater St Louis Inc board - A regional initiative with over 3 Million residents. He was the Co-chair MacArthur Foundation Workforce Board and is currently on the board of St Louis Geofutures Coalition and one of the Commissioners of the Botanical Gardens - Zoological District of St Louis.

Dena McCaffrey, Ed.D.

President, Jefferson College

Dr. Dena McCaffrey is in her fifth year as president of Jefferson College and has been with the College for over 17 years. McCaffrey has also held positions with Jewish Community Center St. Louis, Saint Louis University, and the St. Louis Science Center. 

In addition to being a co-chair of the Greater St. Louis, Inc., Investor Council, McCaffrey serves on the boards of several community and civic organizations, including the Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation, Mercy Hospital Jefferson, Missouri Community College Association, and St. John Vianney High School.

McCaffrey holds a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration, an MBA, and a Certificate in Women’s Leadership from Saint Louis University. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Fontbonne University. 

A lifelong resident of the St. Louis metropolitan area, McCaffrey currently resides in Arnold, Missouri. Personally, she enjoys spending time with family and playing golf, and she is a St. Louis sports enthusiast.

Lakesha Mathis

Moderator
Vice President, Strategy (SupplySTL), Greater St. Louis, Inc.

Lakesha Mathis is a seasoned business leader and strategic thinker with a deep commitment to fostering inclusive economic growth and equity. As the Founding Director of Greater St. Louis Inc.'s Diverse Business Accelerator and Vice President of Strategy, she has been instrumental in driving the organization's initiatives to support and scale BIPOC and women-owned small businesses.

Through her leadership of the SupplySTL initiative, Lakesha has played a pivotal role in connecting diverse businesses with essential resources, including business development assistance, technical support, capital, and contracting opportunities. Her strategic vision has also been instrumental in building a robust and interconnected small business ecosystem that supports the region's economic vitality.

Her extensive experience as a small business owner for over two decades, coupled with her deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by women and business owners of color, provides her with a unique perspective that informs her work.

Lakesha currently serves on the City of St. Louis Workforce Development Board, the COCA Associate Board, and the Cortex Entrepreneur Advisory Board. Her contributions to these organizations have helped to shape policies and programs that support the region's small business community.

Lusnail Rondón Haberberger

Founder/CEO of LUZCO Technologies

Lusnail Rondón Haberberger is the founder and CEO of LUZCO Technologies, LLC, which she launched in 2017. Under her leadership, LUZCO has grown from a one-person operation into an award-winning, woman- and minority-owned engineering firm with offices in Missouri, Kansas, and New York. Lus’ expertise in electrical engineering and project management has earned her recognition for her ability to lead cross-functional teams and execute complex projects.

Passionate about empowering youth, immigrants, and women in STEM, Lus launched LUZCOmmunity, a philanthropic initiative driven by her employees. She holds degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Texas and California State University, as well as an MBA from UCLA. Lus’ achievements have been widely recognized, including awards from Enterprising Women and St. Louis Business Journal.

Byron Witherspoon

Supplier Diversity and Supply Chain Sustainability, Ameren

Byron Witherspoon is the Director, Supplier Diversity and Supply Chain Sustainability, at Ameren, responsible for establishing and implementing the strategic vision for Ameren’s Supplier Diversity department and developing and implementing a standard of sustainable and environmentally preferable purchasing that demonstrates Ameren's commitment to environmental, social, and economic impacts within the Supply Chain.

Witherspoon has 25+ years’ experience developing and executing Supplier Diversity programs specifically designed to provide meaningful contract opportunities for diverse suppliers for both the public and private sectors.

As a St. Louis native, Witherspoon earned a Bachelor of Science from Southeast Missouri State University in Social Work and a master's degree in Public Policy Administration from the University of Missouri St. Louis. Witherspoon is an accredited Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute.

Witherspoon was recognized in MBNUSA magazine as one of the Top 75 Leading Men in Corporate Supplier Diversity. Witherspoon received the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis Business Advocate of the Year and is also a past recipient of the Diversity Excellence and Advocacy Diversity Champion Award by the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers (SLCCC).

Witherspoon is the chairperson emeritus and currently serves on the Edison Electrical Institute's (EEI) Executive Advisory Committee for Business Diversity. He is a University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL) Supply Chain Management Board member and serves on the Advisory Committee for the Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council (IUBDC).

Witherspoon resides in St. Peters, Missouri, and is married with two children.

Kevin Wilson

Executive Director, St. Louis Small Business Empowerment Center

Kevin Wilson is the Executive Director of the Small Business Empowerment Center, a Missouri 501c3 nonprofit organization sponsored by the Greater St. Louis Empowerment Zone to serve as is a one-stop shop to help urban entrepreneurs start and grow their own business enterprise.

For 20 years, Kevin has also been an SBA technical assistance provider, specializing in issues dealing with the urban core. There he provides technical assistance to small businesses owners and helps prospective borrowers in developing viable loan packages, applying for Empowerment Zone tax credits, and business growth strategies. Before coming to the SBEC, he worked for the St. Louis Development Corporation underwriting SBA 504 loans, micro loans, and prescreening bonds deals. Kevin received his undergraduate and master’s degree from the University of Missouri. Kevin is a certified Economic Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council, certified SBA 504 Loan Packager from the NADCO. Currently, he is an active member of the U.S. Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship, and the Association of America’s Small Business Development Centers. Currently, Kevin is board chair of the TREX Innovation Community in Downtown St. Louis.

Adam Kazda

Moderator
Vice President, Government Relations, Greater St. Louis, Inc.

Adam Kazda is the Vice President of Government Relations at Greater St. Louis, Inc., Adam leads a team of government relations professionals focused on implementing pro-growth public policy for the St. Louis region at the local, state, and federal levels.

Adam previously served in various public policy roles including work as a staffer for U.S. Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, U.S. Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, and Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson of southeast Missouri. Adam also served as one of the founding staffers to former Senator Tom Coburn’s nonprofit, Pursuit, a think tank formed to help young Americans understand and take active ownership in discussions on the national debt. He has a Bachelor of Science and Business Administration Degree in Marketing Management from Southeast Missouri State University. Adam is a graduate of the Republican National Committee’s Communications College, a former Heritage Foundation Congressional Fellow, a member of the Missouri Athletic Club, and an Eagle Scout. A St. Louis native, Adam and his family currently reside in University City.

The Hon. Christopher Belt

Illinois State Senator for the 57th District

State Senator Christopher Belt grew up in Centreville and is a lifelong resident of Illinois’ Metro East area. He represents Illinois’ 57th Senate District, which encompasses communities in St. Clair and Madison counties, including Belleville, Collinsville, O’Fallon, Granite City, Freeburg, Mascoutah and Scott Air Force Base.

Prior to serving in the Illinois Senate, Belt enjoyed an 18-year career as a law enforcement officer. He spent 16 years with the St. Clair County Probation and Detention Center and two years as the regional deputy administrator of Aftercare for the central and southern regions of Illinois.

Senator Belt saw firsthand the impact positive role models have on youth in his community. In 2003, this experience led him to found the Difference Makers Professional Organization, which is dedicated to strengthening the decision-making capabilities of young men between the ages of 9 and 18. He authored an educational children’s book, “The Adventures of Nate the Gnat,” to teach youth how to be safe, responsible citizens.

Through his experiences as a father and a mentor, Senator Belt recognized that education is vital to the development of young people. To help make a difference, he served four years on the board of Cahokia Unit School District 187, including two years as board president.

Senator Belt is a graduate of Lincoln Sr. High School in East St. Louis and has a bachelor’s degree in history from Illinois State University, as well as master’s degrees in public administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and in professional counseling from Lindenwood-Belleville.

During the 103rd General Assembly, Belt serves as Chair of the Senate Appropriations-Public Safety and Infrastructure Committee and is a member of the Education, Energy and Public Utilities, Insurance, Labor, Licensed Activites and Transportation Committees.

He resides in Swansea with his wife, Stephanie.

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The Hon. Tracy McCreery

Missouri State Senator for the 24th District

Senator Tracy McCreery, a Democrat, represents the 24th Senatorial District in St. Louis County, which includes Creve Coeur, Des Peres, Fenton, Frontenac, Glendale, Huntleigh, Kirkwood, Ladue, Maryland Heights, Sunset Hills, Valley Park, Westwood and unincorporated parts of the county. 

Senator McCreery was the first woman elected as an Independent to the Missouri House of Representatives in a 2011 special election. In her previous role as State Representative, she served as the ranking minority member for the House Agriculture Policy Committee, the House Emerging Issues Committee and the House Utilities Committee.

Prior to her legislative duties, Senator McCreery was a district aide and volunteer coordinator for state Sen. Joan Bray and served in the administration of Gov. Bob Holden. She has held positions in sales, sales training and management in the pharmaceutical, telecommunications and health care industries.

Senator McCreery is currently a board member of the Consumers Council of Missouri and Family Care Health Centers. She volunteers with Olivette in Bloom.

Senator McCreery is a 1985 graduate of Edison High School in Milan, Ohio. She received her bachelor of science in business in marketing in 1989 from The Ohio State University. She and her husband, Thom Wham, currently reside in St. Louis County.

LinkedIn | Website

Aimee Wehmeier

President and CEO, Paraquad

Aimee Wehmeier grew up in St. Charles, Missouri, with a belief she could change the world. While attending college, she found a shared sense of culture and empowerment and, for the for the first time, didn’t feel ashamed of her disability. After advocating at the state level about her personal experiences, she realized the power of her voice. Currently Aimee is the President of Paraquad, one of the first grassroots advocacy Centers for Independent Living in the United States. To this day, Aimee believes that by working together and standing up for what you believe in, we can create meaningful policy change and make the world a better place.

Aimee earned a Bachelor of Educational Studies from the University of Missouri and an MBA from William Woods University. Aimee serves on The Mission Attempt and St. Louis Equal Housing Opportunity Council Board of Directors, The Gathering UMC Executive Leadership Team, United Way Women's Leadership Society, and the Washington University Occupational Therapy and MO Better Foundation Advisory Boards. Wehmeier was recognized in the 2015 Class of Diverse Business Leader and 2018 Class of Most Influential Business Women by the St. Louis Business Journal.

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Fireside Chat: Building the Capacity for Civic Collaboration: Public-Private Partnerships to Solve Problems and Drive Inclusive Growth
 

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Valerie E. Patton, BBA, MA, MSW, MAPS, D.H.L.

Moderator
Chief DE&I Officer, Greater St. Louis, Inc. President, Greater St. Louis Foundation

Valerie E. Patton has spent two decades building, leading, and designing diversity and inclusion strategies. She is a connector, innovative catalyst, teacher, and a proven thought leader. As the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and President of the Greater St. Louis Foundation at Greater St. Louis, Inc., her focus includes developing multicultural and racially diverse business leaders and entrepreneurs, supporting workforce and talent development, and championing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In 2006, Valerie founded The Fellows Experience and has since graduated more than 1,100 Fellows. She has held numerous positions at Southwestern Bell and SBC (now AT&T), and Bank of America, and she holds degrees from Eden Theological Seminary, Washington University in St. Louis George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Webster University, and Howard University, as well as an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Harris-Stowe State University. She has been featured in Black Enterprise and Diversity Inc.com magazines.

LinkedIn | Website

 

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Xavier de Souza Briggs, Ph.D.

Featured Speaker
Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

In his landmark book Democracy as Problem Solving, Xav Briggs, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, describes how communities can build and deploy civic capacity, “the capacity to create and sustain smart collective action.” Xav argues that understanding and building civic capacity is crucial for strengthening governance and changing the state of the world. By combining learning and bargaining, forging multiple forms of accountability, and leveraging the capacity of both “grassroots” and “grasstops,” communities can develop civic capacity and take collaborative action to solve their greatest problems.

The morning’s panel discussions will explore how St. Louis business, governmental, and civic leaders are building civic capacity to create and scale diverse small businesses. Xav will reflect on these discussions and offer his own unique insights about how we can accelerate the development of civic capacity to drive inclusive economic growth in St. Louis.

LinkedIn | Website

 

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