Sheila Burkett

ceo & founder, spry digital
  • Sheila started her career at Edward Jones in Information Systems while going to college at University of MO-St. Louis. She attended school full time while working part-time at Edward Jones.
  • She spent 20 years at Edward Jones in the IS area and worked her way up to being a partner in 1999.  In 2006, she decided to leave Edward Jones to become an entrepreneur.
  • She started a business with her husband, building race cars and doing engine performance management of sports cars. She also began consulting in digital marketing. She helped solopreneurs with their websites and enhancing their digital presence. In 2008, she and her husband bought the building that Spry is currently located.  In 2013, they completed a historic re-development of the building for office space and warehouse usage.
  • In 2010, Sheila and three partners started Spry Digital—two of which are still partners today. We took the small businesses and clients we had to build a business in the digital space.
  • Over the past twelve years, they have grown the business from the four founders to a team of 31 creative and critical thinkers. They value both pragmatism and results when it comes to the digital solutions they design and build for clients.

Tracy Hart

President, Tarlton Corporation
  • Tracy currently serves as President of Tarlton Corporation and as President and CEO of Waterhout Construction, both WBENC-certified construction firms based in St. Louis.
  • With more than 35 years of industry experience, Tracy enjoys the people who work in construction.  From craftworkers to clients, some of her favorite things to do are to walk a jobsite and attend the ribbon cutting. Our business is filled with talented people.
  • She began her career as Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator for Pepper Construction in Chicago. She then joined Tarlton as Project Engineer and after a decade of learning every facet of the business, was named President in 1999. She was the first woman to become president of a major general contracting company in St. Louis, and one of a few nationally.
  • As a native St. Louisan, her commitment to being involved in the region and community has led her to serve on the boards of multiple civic, industry and charitable associations. Most recently, she serves as a member of the Greater STL Chair’s Council, member of the Muny Board of Directors and Executive Committee, as a trustee for St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and as chair of Board of Directors for the St. Louis Development Partnership.  She also serves on the Board of Directors for ONEGas, a public utility headquartered in Tulsa and Midwest BankCentre.
  • She received her BA in English and Communications from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and has remained a proud Wolverine ever since.
  • Tracy has two sons, a yellow lab Maizie, and when she isn’t working, you will probably find her doing something outdoors.

Dr. Monique Williams

senior medical Director, oak street health
  • Dr. Monique Williams currently is the Senior Medical Director of Oak Street Health in St. Louis.
  • Monique has received the Alzheimer’s Association St. Louis Chapter Volunteer of the Year and the Gerontological Society of America Minority Issues in Gerontology Committee Outstanding Mentorship Award.
  • She is the current president of the Mound City Medical Forum (Missouri Chapter of the National Medical Association) and an advisory board member for the St. Louis County Department of Public Health North County Stakeholders.
  • Monique earned her undergraduate degree in biology and French, magna cum laude, from Washington University. She was awarded her MD from the Washington University School of Medicine, alongside an MS in clinical investigation.  Her postgraduate work was completed at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
  • She was an associate professor of medicine in the division of geriatrics at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University.
  • Monique has been studying French since she was 7 years old.
  • Monique was inspired to study geriatric medicine by her great-grandmother, who lived to be 114 years old.
  • A true WashU kid, Monique’s father was dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.