FOCUS-St. Louis

Name

FOCUS-St. Louis

Legal name

FOCUS St. Louis

Website

https://focus-stl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Leadership Development

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership) (EDAAADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI), Leadership, Character Education & Values Development (EDAMAIAG)

Keywords

• Leadership development programs
• Civic leadership training
• Executive education programs
• Community leadership programs
• Nonprofit board placement

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition: Revenue from leadership program fees: Leadership St. Louis ($6,000), Women in Leadership ($2,500), Emerging Leaders ($1,000), Youth Leadership ($500), Experience St. Louis ($800-$1,400). Tuition often covered by employers.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue from events including What's Right with the Region Awards, Start With Leadership Conference, Women's History Month Breakfast, and other forums and networking events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FOCUS St. Louis delivers cohort-based civic leadership development programs that educate leaders about regional systems, connect them across sectors, and facilitate important civic conversations. Its portfolio spans Youth Leadership St. Louis (high school juniors), Emerging Leaders (early-career professionals), Women in Leadership, Experience St. Louis (executive orientation), and the flagship Leadership St. Louis (nine-month program for experienced leaders), supplemented by BoardBridge nonprofit board placement, Custom Programs for corporate partners, and signature events.

Product overview

FOCUS St. Louis is a civic leadership development nonprofit offering a continuum of programs designed to meet participants at various career stages, from high school students to senior executives. The core portfolio includes six distinct leadership programs: Leadership St. Louis (LSL), Women in Leadership (WIL), Emerging Leaders, Experience St. Louis, Youth Leadership St. Louis (YLSL), and FOCUS BoardBridge. Additional offerings include Custom Programs for corporate partners, events such as the annual What's Right with the Region Awards and the Start With Leadership Conference, plus periodic forums and community discussions on regional issues. The organization also offers membership tiers with various benefits including event access and networking opportunities. All programs share the common goals of educating leaders about regional systems, building cross-sector networks, and facilitating important civic conversations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leadership St. Louis: Flagship nine-month leadership program for experienced leaders, founded in 1976
• Women in Leadership
• Emerging Leaders
• Experience St. Louis
• Youth Leadership St. Louis
• FOCUS BoardBridge
• What's Right with the Region Awards
• Start With Leadership Conference

Products and services

• Leadership St. Louis (LSL) A nine-month immersive leadership program for experienced leaders, running September to May with one or two full-day sessions each month. Explores regional issues including economic development, healthcare, education, arts and culture, and government. Tuition is $6,000 total, with partial scholarships available and employer sponsorship common.
• Women in Leadership (WIL) A spring and fall program offering women the opportunity to strengthen personal, professional, and civic leadership skills through four seminars and three Field Days, covering negotiation strategies, emotional intelligence, personal brand management, and cross-sector leadership. Tuition is $2,500 total.
• Emerging Leaders A four-month program for early-career professionals that strengthens personal, professional, and civic leadership skills, including an opening retreat, full- and half-day sessions, and Civic Action Projects working with community partners. Tuition is $1,000 total.
• Experience St. Louis A two-day executive orientation program for new executives or those recently promoted to senior roles, providing an insider's overview of the St. Louis region's historical, political, economic, cultural, and social landscape. Pricing is $800 per executive or $1,400 per couple.
• Youth Leadership St. Louis (YLSL) An internationally recognized program for high school juniors from public, private, parochial, and charter schools that runs September-April with monthly sessions exploring social responsibility, economic development, public health, and career exploration. Tuition is $500 per student.
• FOCUS BoardBridge A program connecting nonprofits with potential board members, having resulted in over 100 successful matches since its launch in late 2023.
• Custom Programs Tailored leadership development programs designed for specific organizational groups or corporate partners, delivered as cohort-based engagements.
• What's Right with the Region Awards Annual awards celebration recognizing 20 individuals, organizations, and initiatives making a difference in the St. Louis region, currently in its 29th year.
• Start With Leadership Conference A half-day conference presented in partnership with the University of Missouri-St. Louis, launched in 2025, drawing over 400 attendees for learning, dialogue, and networking.
• FOCUS Forums and Community Discussions Policy forums, community discussions, and educational events covering regional issues including equity, education, politics, media literacy, and civic engagement. In 2024-25, these connected 4,153 leaders across 33 events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of participants said they expanded their network and ability to understand different perspectives
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EmersoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmerson is a program partner for Leadership St. Louis, supporting the premier civic leadership program for experienced executives.
• Kwame Charitable FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kwame Charitable Foundation supports Leadership St. Louis as a program partner, contributing to leadership development in the St. Louis region.
• Leadership St. Louis Class 45minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlumni class acting as program partners for Leadership St. Louis program support.
• RGA FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRGA Foundation supports multiple FOCUS programs including Leadership St. Louis and Women in Leadership.
• Ameren MissouricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmeren Missouri is a program partner for Emerging Leaders, supporting early-career professional development.
• Asian American Chamber of Commerce STLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsian American Chamber of Commerce supports Emerging Leaders as a program partner.
• Big League ImpactminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBig League Impact partners with FOCUS to support Emerging Leaders program.
• Blues for KidscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlues for Kids supports Youth Leadership St. Louis program as a corporate partner.
• Cardinals CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCardinals Care supports Youth Leadership St. Louis as a program partner.
• Dana BrowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDana Brown supports Youth Leadership St. Louis as a foundation partner.
• Mary Ranken Jordan Ettie A. Jordan Charitable FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable foundation supporting Youth Leadership St. Louis program.
• MOHELAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMissouri Higher Education Loan Authority supports Youth Leadership St. Louis as a program partner.
• Nestlé Purina PetCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNestlé Purina PetCare supports Youth Leadership St. Louis as a corporate partner.
• Saigh FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaigh Foundation supports Youth Leadership St. Louis as a foundation partner.
• AmerencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmeren is a major corporate partner supporting FOCUS programs and events.
• BJC HealthCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBJC HealthCare is a major corporate partner and employer sponsor for FOCUS programs.
• Edward JonescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdward Jones is a major corporate partner and supporter of FOCUS programs.
• Enterprise MobilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnterprise Mobility is a corporate partner supporting FOCUS leadership programs.
• Wells Fargo AdvisorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWells Fargo Advisors is a corporate partner and event sponsor for FOCUS programs.
• University of Missouri-St. LouiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMSL is a program partner hosting Youth Leadership St. Louis graduates and collaborating on events including Start With Leadership Conference.
• Greater St. Louis, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreater St. Louis, Inc. is a regional economic development partner supporting FOCUS initiatives.
• FleishmanHillardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFleishmanHillard is a communications firm partner supporting FOCUS programs and events.
• Washington University in St. LouiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashU is a program partner and employer sponsor for FOCUS leadership programs.
• Touhill Performing Arts CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for FOCUS events including What's Right with the Region Awards.
• CiticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCiti collaborated with FOCUS on a second cohort of Women In Leadership at Citi St. Louis, with 20 participants from the firm's St. Louis team.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Leadership Philadelphia: Philadelphia-area civic leadership program operating cohort-based experiences designed to connect and prepare regional leaders. Direct functional peer in civic leadership development through cohort models.
• Cleveland Leadership Center: Civic leadership development nonprofit operating signature cohort-based programs in Greater Cleveland (e.g., Leadership Cleveland). Direct peer: FOCUS's CEO Dr. Akande-Bartsch previously served as Senior Director of Civic Education here, evidencing a shared operating model.
• Greater Boston Chamber - Leadership Academy: Boston region's chamber-run leadership development programs targeting emerging and senior leaders. Comparable to FOCUS in leveraging a regional chamber/civic ecosystem, with similar cohort-based and corporate-sponsored delivery.
• Leadership Atlanta: Regional civic leadership development organization in metro Atlanta running multi-month cohort programs with a substantial alumni network. Direct peer in mission, cohort-based delivery, and metro-anchored operating model.
• Leadership Nashville: Civic leadership program serving the Nashville region with cohort-based experiences and an alumni network. Direct peer to FOCUS in structure (regional, cohort-based, civic-focused) and target audience (regional executives).
• Leadership Charlotte: Charlotte, NC-based civic leadership development nonprofit with established cohort programs and alumni engagement model. Comparable to FOCUS across program design, regional focus, and corporate partner ecosystem.
• Dallas Regional Chamber - Leadership Dallas: Regional chamber-affiliated leadership program in Dallas delivering a 10-month cohort leadership experience for senior executives. Comparable in mission, cohort structure, target audience, and chamber/civic ecosystem positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Toastmasters International: Global leadership and communications training organization with a large alumni/club network. Broader incumbent covering individual leadership and communication skill development at significantly larger scale; comparable in mission-adjacent territory (developing leaders) but operates a different delivery model (clubs vs cohorts).
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Global leadership development research and training provider. Broader incumbent operating across leadership training, executive education, and assessment; comparable in offering category but operates at national/global scale and a much broader portfolio.

Regional players

• Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis: Youth-focused leadership/workforce development nonprofit serving the same metro area, particularly relevant as a peer for FOCUS's Youth Leadership St. Louis (YLSL) program. Madeline Hauck joined FOCUS from Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans, evidencing an overlapping talent and program-design space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/focusstl
• Facebookfacebook.com/focusstl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/focus-st.-louis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FOCUS-St. Louis