MCS Executive Board

Geneviève Steidtmann, President

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Geneviève is a Human Resources professional with over twenty years of corporate and consultative experience. She is also a passionate LGBTQ rights advocate. Originally from Laramie, Wyoming, she has made her home in St. Louis, Missouri for more than two decades with her husband, David and daughter, Lauren.

Professionally, Geneviève specializes in project management, human resources, organizational communications, and merger integration activities. She has wide ranging experience from start-ups to Fortune 500™ companies. Geneviève founded G Ink. (www.g-ink.com) in 2001 and offers a mix of strategic and tactical support, custom-designed to achieve her clients' business goals.

Previously she served on the board of directors, as governance chair, for the Gateway Men's Chorus in St. Louis. In 2018, Geneviève ran for Missouri State House Representative and although she lost, she received the most votes a Democrat has ever received in her District. She holds a degree in Organizational Communication from Northwestern University.

Dr. Jacob Wilson, Founder and Vice President

Jacob is a native of Salem, Missouri. He is a higher education professional with a passion for social justice, policy, and making college more accessible for low and middle-income students.

Dr. Wilson received his Ph.D. in Higher Education at the University of Arizona. Previously he attended Iowa State University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Women's and Gender Studies. He also attended The George Washington University and received his Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration with a Policy & Finance Concentration. He has worked on numerous campaigns, including the 2008 Presidential Campaign of Hillary Clinton, interned at the U.S. Department of Education, managed an academic internship program at The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, and currently teaches an undergraduate leadership course at University of Arizona.
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Dean Carpenter, Vice President

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Dean Carpenter serves as the Courage Ambassador to New York City where he is a Theatre Producer and General Manager working in both commercial and non-profit theatre. Additionally, he is a marketing consultant working with a variety of clients to develop communication strategies and content.

Prior to living in New York City, Dean lived in St. Louis, MO where he worked in the advertising industry with a focus brand strategy and development. He earned an undergraduate degree in Theatre from Northwestern University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Management and Producing from Columbia University.

His passion for MCS springs from his experience living as closeted gay man growing up in a socially conservative family and community in the rural Midwest.

David Steidtmann, Ex-Officio Director

David Steidtmann is an inventor and a small business owner. He has always been passionate about civil rights. Two of his grandfathers marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s, and he grew up with the strong notion of equality for all.

Professionally, David owns and runs his own business, Tool Driven, which invents, engineers, custom-manufactures, and sells handcrafted products made from advanced materials to solve problems that shouldn't be ignored. David has a long history of solving problems with products. In his 25 years of work experience he's served as an engineer, a computer scientist, and a product manager.

David lives in St. Louis with his wife Geneviève and daughter Lauren.
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Lauren Steidtmann, Special Assistant

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Lauren has been passionate about LGBTQ+ rights since she knew what the letters stood for. Having grown up in a house with parents who protest and fly a rainbow flag 24/7, she learned early on that standing up for what's right is always the best path.

Lauren does a great deal of important work for Missouri Courage Scholarship behind the scenes that often goes unnoticed: from researching the addresses for scholarship checks to writing thank you notes to donors, and more. We are thankful to have her on the team!