Under the Arch | S5 Ep. 2: "Powerful People, Worthy Places" ft. Dara Eskridge

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them. 

In this episode, our hosts speak with Invest STL CEO Dara Eskridge about the good, the bad, and the ugly of community development in St. Louis. Some efforts prioritize residents’ histories, resources, and vision while others bulldoze memorable places because someone in power said to. Hear how Invest STL is working with residents to reflect the changes and improvements they want to see on their block and in their neighborhood. 

As an urban planner, architect, and philanthropic leader, Dara Eskridge works to advance opportunities to build wealth and power in Black and other racially and economically marginalized neighborhoods through equitable development and investment practices.

Since 2019, Dara has been proud to serve her incredible team and board as the first CEO ofInvest STL. Prior to Invest STL, Dara served in various design, planning, policy, and senior leadership roles in places including Urban Strategies, St. Louis County and St. Louis City governments, and the Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport, CT. 

Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at underthearchpod@gmail.com. This week's Music Minute features the song "Freedom" by Monkh. Follow them @_monkh_ and stream on your favorite streaming platform.