Our Approach

Reimagine St. Louis City, Build For All.

We tackle the disconnect between talent development, the mainstream economy, and the physical spaces that sustain thriving communities. Many organizations build skills but fail to connect participants to real opportunities, leaving them unprepared to navigate or contribute to the broader economy.

In marginalized areas, neglected physical spaces—homes, businesses, and community hubs—reinforce stagnation and disconnection. Without revitalized environments that attract investment and inspire ambition, efforts to develop people and economies remain incomplete.

We bridge these gaps by combining workforce development and placement with revitalizing physical spaces, creating a holistic model that connects, individuals, businesses, and communities to the larger marketplace. This approach fosters growth, opportunity, and resilience at every level.

2x

Median Household Income

In St. Louis, White families earn nearly 1.5 times more than Hispanic or mixed-race families and twice as much as Black families. This income gap highlights systemic barriers and the need for equitable access to education, careers, and wealth-building opportunities.

From the US Census Bureau

3x

Have a Bachelor’s Degree

White residents are three times more likely than Black residents to have a bachelor's degree, creating an opportunity gap in jobs requiring a four-year degree.

From stlouis-mo.gov

The income gap isn’t just a racial issue but an economic one, affecting the entire region’s growth and sustainability. Closing the gap would benefit all communities by fostering a more thriving and equitable metro area.

True community development happens when people, businesses, and structures grow together, each vitally supporting the other.

8 Keys of Community Development

  • Must be birthed from the richness of experiential creation not external prescription.

  • Join forces across a comprehensive stream of effort. Social. Educational. Economical. Spiritual. Governmental. Etc.

  • The family must be valued and strengthened.

  • The youth must be inspired. Out of them flows the energy for new ideas, trends, and creativity.

  • Value, embrace & maintain rich culture through shared cultural experiences and history.

  • The progress made and wisdom gained are the launching pad for multi-generational efforts.

  • Leaders with vision, conviction, passion, and purpose will create the environment while others will follow and multiply.

  • The dollar must circulate within the community.

How do we put this approach into action?

We identify and select individuals from North St. Louis City and County, providing them with an intensive three-month training focused on soft and hard skills development through property renovation, education and high-accountability support. Graduates are placed into family-sustaining careers with businesses that embrace skills-first hiring and advancement practices. The program ensures long-term success through structured follow-up, including coaching, mentoring, and ongoing growth support for up to two years, creating a sustainable cycle of talent development, community transformation, and economic empowerment.