Erica Williams named inaugural cohort of Ecosystem Changemakers.

(St. Louis, Mo., June 14, 2024) Erica Williams, the Executive Director and Founder of the nonprofit A Red Circle, has been recognized nationally by being selected as part of the inaugural cohort for the Pava LaPere Award for Cultivating Ecosystems (PLACE) Builders fellows’ program. This fellowship is a joint initiative by EcoMap, an ecosystem intelligence AI software company, and Forward Cities, a national nonprofit that works with partners to build equitable entrepreneurial communities.

Williams is one of eight individuals from different parts of the United States chosen for this honor. The PLACE Builders program aims to empower changemakers in catalyzing more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems in their respective communities. Fellows receive professional mentorship, access to a digital toolkit, funding support, and a platform to share the story of their communities with a broader audience.

“I am extremely honored to be selected as a PLACE Builders fellow, which identifies my work in cultivating an equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem in North St. Louis County,” said Williams. “This recognition supports my vision to create supportive spaces like a shared commercial kitchen to enable the success of food entrepreneurs and producers in our community.”

Founded in 2017, A Red Circle is a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of racial equity in North St. Louis County, Mo. The organization creates economic and community betterment solutions through education, employment, and empowerment. A Red Circle has four Missouri locations – Healthy Flavor Community Garden in Riverview, North County Agricultural Education Center in Pine Lawn, The Creative Spot in Ferguson, and North County Community Nexus in Bellefontaine Neighbors – to best serve the community and improve wellness opportunities for its citizens who experience healthy food access disparities in the region.

For more information, call (314) 328-2286 or visit www.aredcircle.org.