Our Mission: To help inspire others with similar backgrounds to excel beyond what society and life circumstances have set to be the norm. To provide mentoring and educational counseling to individuals returning from incarceration and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds so that they may position themselves to start building their career as opposed to obtaining temporary employment.

Our Vision: To reach, touch, and change the lives of individuals with disadvantaged backgrounds through advocacy, mentoring, and policy change.

committee member: Jake Bauss

A Red Circle is a newly found non-profit in the Saint Louis region that functions to alleviate racial disparities within the North St. Louis community. A Red Circle’s vision is to restore North County to a safe, vibrant, sustainable, and economically sound community that remains diverse, and in doing so, help heal the racial strife and division that threatens to ruin North County altogether. We have identified five focus areas in which we will work to combat North County’s economic segregation—employment, education, holistic living, policy, and the arts.

committee member: Nirali

In a time when large pharma has all but abandoned antibiotic development, Viosera creates therapies to treat the deadliest infections using already approved drugs. We find synergy between FDA-approved, off-patent antibiotics and design resistance-suppressing combination therapies. Starting with approved components saves development time and cost and may breathe new life into the dying traditional antibiotic industry.

Patrick McCarthy has worked with Bosnian refugees for more than 20 years. He traveled to wartime Sarajevo in 1994 and that same year he organized scholarships for Bosnian refugee students at Saint Louis University and other local universities. McCarty continues to be a vocal advocate for the large Bosnian community in St. Louis, which today numbers more than 50,000 -- the largest such refugee population outside of Bosnia-Herzegovina. In this talk, McCarthy will share practical life lessons and surprising insights from his refugee work and how they apply to all of us.   

committee member: Tarik Bujibasic

In June 2012 while conducting his Anthropology Master's research in South Africa, Andrew Oberle was mauled by two adult male chimpanzees and nearly lost his life.  He was in the hospital in South Africa for two months, kept alive in an induced coma and on a ventilator. He has received 26 surgeries to date to treat injuries sustained in the attack. He, with the rest of the Oberle Institute, is working on developing new protocols that revolutionize how we treat trauma patients. Andrew shares his story of survival hoping to inspire others as they experience tough times and create a national dialogue about the effects of resilience and community on a thriving recovery.

committee member: Rachel Miller

Vicki Kahn is passionate about independence. As a native St. Louisan and the working mother of a 22-year-old son with autism, she has navigated the long and winding road of social services and supports for youth with special needs and understands the challenges parents face as they help their autistic children acclimate to adult life. Until recently, Guardianship has been the primary tool used by families to ensure the safety and support of their adult autistic children – an option that is not only difficult to reverse, it strips away human rights, including the right to vote, to make personal medical decisions, and to manage one’s own money. Learn how an emerging autonomy-building support model known as Supported Decision Making, combined with the communication skills neurotypical people take for granted, can help autistic teens to develop confidence and critical thinking skills for creating a self-determined life. Necessity being the mother of invention, Vicki is developing PATHbinder™, a life management and transition toolkit for autistic young adults and their families.

committee member: Lucas Jacobson

Dr. Ghazala Hayat is Professor of Neurology at St. Louis University. She is Director of Neuromuscular Disorders, Clinical Neurophysiology and ALS Certified Center of Excellence. Her area of research is ALS, peripheral Neuropathies, myopathies and Clinical Neurophysiology. Dr. Hayat received Neurology Residency and Neuromuscular Disorders Fellowship at Medical College Of Virginia, VCU, and Richmond Virginia.

Dr. Hayat has served as, Vice Chair, interim Chair& Sr Vice Chair of Department of Neurology & Psychiatry. She has also served as chair of COAP, member of ARTC, Compensation committee, Faculty senate, and Ambulatory Care Quality Assurance committee. She served as President of Medical Staff and Chairperson Governing board SLUH.

Dr. Hayat has served as President of Interfaith partnership, Islamic foundation of Greater St. Louis, board member of YWCA, Pakistani American Association Of Greater St. Louis. She is the Chairperson of Public Relations committee of Islamic Foundation Of Greater St. Louis. She has received Norman A Stack community relations JCRC, Women of Achievement award 2015, and YWCA leadership award. She writes for St. Louis Post Dispatch Civil Religion blog.

committee member: Nick Latzo