Dr. Yemi Akande-Bartsch Named Non-Profit Executive of the Year

The St. Louis American has named Dr. Yemi Akande-Bartsch, Ph.D. (GMLC Class of 2014) as Non-Profit Executive of the Year. She will be honored at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 2023 Salute to Excellence in Business on February 16th.

Dr. Akande-Bartsch has served as president and CEO of FOCUS St. Louis since 2014, and has worked with the organization for more than 20 years. FOCUS St. Louis is a non-profit organization that provides experience-based leadership training, as well as civic issue education and public engagement initiatives in order to promote growth and success in St. Louis. During her time with FOCUS St. Louis, Dr. Akande-Bartsch has be integral in designing and facilitating leadership training, development, and coaching programs.

“At FOCUS St. Louis, we view leadership training as a combination of self-awareness, civic issue education, leadership development, and experiential training to amplify strengths and minimize weaknesses,” Dr. Akande-Bartsch said to the St. Louis American. “We have natural born leaders who come to us to fine-tune their leadership skills and we have others who may not be natural leaders but learn about the leadership playbook in ways that strengthen their impact at work, at play, and in community.”