In this episode of Gateway to Growth, host Jamal Cornelious sits down with Charli Cooksey, Founder and CEO of We Power, for a powerful conversation about equity, power, and what it will take to truly transform St. Louis.

Charli shares her journey growing up in North St. Louis while also navigating spaces of privilege. That experience shaped her lifelong commitment to justice and systemic change. From voter advocacy at an HBCU in Texas to returning home as a teacher, Charli explains how living in close proximity to inequity made it impossible to look away and ultimately led her into policy change work.

Together, they explore why early childhood investment is one of the most effective levers for economic growth, gender equity, and family stability, and why St. Louis’ future depends on bold, honest decisions rather than surface-level solutions. Charli also discusses the challenges of funding policy change, the real cost of misinformation, and how employee ownership could help close the racial wealth gap during the largest wealth transfer in U.S. history.

This episode is a call to action for anyone who believes real growth requires courage, integrity, and long-term vision.

Connect with Charli and We Power:
• Charli Cooksey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charli-cooksey-4569067/

• We Power on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wepowerstl

• Charli Cooksey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlialexacooksey/

• We Power on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wepower_stl/