CHANGEMAKER
MIDWEST BANKCENTRE

Midwest BankCentre has been St. Louis’ premier community bank since 1906. We Bank Our Values by investing capital profitably in our whole community and reinvesting customers’ local deposits locally. When you bank with us, you Bank Your Values® because your mortgage, line of credit or business loan has real returns within the community. Each dollar deposited with us circulates throughout the regional economy 6x, on average. As we help local families and businesses prosper, they lift their friends, neighbors and customers so that everyone can DREAM BIG and RISE TOGETHER.

The Bank employs a staff of about 280 working at 17 bank locations in the City of St. Louis, St. Louis, Jefferson, and St. Charles counties in Missouri and St. Clair County in Illinois and 11 states throughout the United States. The Bank also opened a business production office in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2023. It empowers people, enables businesses, and energizes neighborhoods through the strength of its financial services, including personalized consumer and business banking, business cash management, mortgage lending, home equity loans, financial planning and investments, insurance, and digital banking.

Since 2001, Midwest BankCentre has consecutively achieved the Bauer Financial 5-Star Superior financial rating each quarter. The Bank has been recognized for its success in bringing access to reasonably priced capital to traditionally underserved markets and elevating financial inclusivity by addressing the banking needs of low- and moderate-income market customers who are often overlooked. Recent awards include the 2023 Innovation in Philanthropy Awards from the St. Louis Business Journal, the 2022 Champions of Diversity & Inclusion Award (for-profits) from the St. Louis Business Journal, and Energage's 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 National Top Workplace overall award and awards for diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.

Outstanding Emerging Professional
Kirsten Brauch

As a native of St. Louis, Kirsten Brauch is deeply committed to serving those in her own “backyard” and helping make St. Louis a more loving, inclusive community. She is a dynamic and highly organized nonprofit leader dedicated to advancing community growth, promoting equitable access to education and resources, and advocating for the holistic wellbeing of her neighbors.

Kirsten started her career in public education, in which she taught high school English for nine years. Using her communications and teaching skills, Kirsten made the transition into the Nonprofit Development world five years ago and has been learning and growing every day since. In both fields, supporting children to help them build a brighter future has been at the forefront. She holds a BA in English and an MS in Secondary Education from Maryville University, along with a Nonprofit Management Graduate Certificate from Webster University. This diverse educational background enriches Kirsten's thoughtful approach imparting creativity and a deep service-oriented perspective into her work.

In 2024, Kirsten was honored as the Outstanding Emerging Professional by the Association of Fundraising Professionals St. Louis Regional Chapter. Currently, Kirsten serves as the Senior Director of Development at Guardian Angel Settlement Association, a role she has held since January 2022. In addition to her leadership at GASA, Kirsten dedicates her evenings part-time to iSocial, where she teaches social and professional skills development to neurodiverse adults, emphasizing her commitment to inclusive community engagement.

Throughout her career, Kirsten Brauch continues to demonstrate a keen ability to lead teams towards a common goal, plan and execute large-scale events, and drive fundraising initiatives that empower communities. Her vision for a more equitable and thriving St. Louis remains at the heart of her professional endeavors, inspiring those around her to strive for meaningful change and impact. Her goal is to leave the world a little better than she found it.

Outstanding Fundraising Executive
Yvette Hartsfield

Yvette joined Let’s Build Hope in 2022 as the Vice President of Campaigns, spearheading efforts to steer nonprofits through transformative multi-million dollar campaigns that impact their organization and community work. An accomplished professional and distinguished fundraiser, Yvette has dedicated over 30 years to the St. Louis nonprofit sector, effectively establishing and expanding development programs for diverse organizations. Throughout her career, Yvette has directed development initiatives and crafted programs for entities such as the American Youth Foundation, DePaul Hospital Foundation, General Protestant Children’s Home, Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri Foundation, Gilda’s Club St. Louis, Operation Brightside, St. Andrew’s Charitable Foundation, and the Missouri Historical Society.

Yvette earned her CFRE credential in 1999 and, in 2017, she received her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) designation from the American College of Financial Services, along with a Master's in Philanthropic Studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. In 2019, she was chosen for the Focus Leadership St. Louis program. Since 1992, she has been an active member of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals and the St. Louis Council of Charitable Gift Planners, including three terms on the AFP St. Louis Board of Directors. As a volunteer, she serves on the board of ALIVE and has contributed to other nonprofit organizations, such as Haven of Grace and ALDE (Association of Lutheran Development Executives). Yvette is passionate about mentoring young nonprofit professionals and co-founded Launch St. Louis, where she has been a founding board member since its inception.

Two quotes that shape her life philosophy:

“The three most important things in human life are: first, to be kind; second, to be kind; and third, to be kind.”

“Around here...we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths” –Walt Disney

Embracing these principles propels Yvette to continue to be curious about people, exploring everyone’s desire to create a world that is better for everyone. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, creating and traveling. A current lifegoal is to travel the world.

Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer
Todd Alan

Todd got his start in the NFP world after meeting a group of amazing individuals that founded and ran PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support), which provides resources to those living with HIV/AIDS to make sure no one ever has to make the heart wrenching choice between keeping their beloved animals and being able to afford their own needs.

In 2000, when the PAWS program moved to St Louis Effort For AIDS (now Vivent Health), Todd produced his first event at the newly opened Houska Gallery (owner Charlie Houska created the PAWS logo).

In 2004, Todd founded and continues to Chair "Art of PAWS", which celebrates it's 20th anniversary on Oct 12th, 2024. AOP has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep pets in their forever homes for people living with HIV/AIDS

Todd also produces the annual Dining Our For Life in St Louis which just celebrated it's 30th anniversary here.

In 2011, Todd joined the Board of Directors of Pride St Louis as the Director of Corporate Partnerships and has since raised over 7 million dollars for the organization in support of producing the annual PrideFest and the year round community programming Pride provides.

In addition, Todd created fundraisers such as Thirst For Life and NOH8 Project St. Louis to name a few.

Todd has also lent his expertise to organizations such as PROMO, HRC, MTUG, Children's Tumor Foundation, Santa's Helpers, Sunnyhill and many more.

Outstanding Philanthropist
Steve Lowy

For the past 30 years, Steven R. Lowy has been Chairman of Envision, a 40 year old computer services IT consulting company doing IT Staffing and application development computer programming .

With over 50 years business experience in manufacturing, distribution, real estate ownership, and computer services businesses, Steve Lowy focuses on mergers and acquisitions, implementing strategic planning, financing operations, new business development, marketing, investments, staffing, customer and employee relationships, and general administration such as insurance, legal, benefit plans, and policies. Lowy has made 3 acquisitions of competitor IT Staffing companies in the past 18 months – Solution Consultants, Inc. Preferred Resources, Inc., and Jacobson Staffing, Inc. and a total of 7 IT Staffing acquisitions in his career.

In January of 1994, Lowy purchased Envision, a computer services firm targeting computer projects and staff augmentation for Fortune 500 companies primarily in manufacturing, distribution, health care, and financial services. In January of 1999, Lowy bought Quatrix, also an IT consulting firm doing computer programming and Internet development for large corporations, focusing on web enabling business applications such as order entry, inventory control, supply chain management, customer relationship management, logistics and data warehousing. Since 1994, Envision has opened a new office in Phoenix, AZ and has more than tripled Envision’s sales with over 200 employees. Envision leases space in the building it occupies at #6 CityPlace Drive; Suite 350; St. Louis, MO. 63141.

Prior to 1994, Lowy ran a family carpet manufacturing and wholesale distributorship of all types of floor coverings, which was the four largest floor covering distributor in the US, for 25 years. 

Steve Lowy had served on the board of Keystone Bank for over 18 years, was on the Board of Directors of Kupper Parker Communications, was on the Board of John Burroughs School and of Boys Hope Girls Hope Charity. Steve was Chairman of the Patrons Committee and currently serves on the Danforth Circle committee at Washington University and has donated 42 Endowed Scholarships and over 110 term Engineering Scholarships that allow outstanding students to attend Washington University. Steve was a former Chairman of the Capital Formation Committee of the St. Louis RCGA Technology Gateway for two years when over $1 Billion of Venture Capital was invested in Missouri in 2001. 

On a personal note, Lowy got remarried on 11/24/2006 to Susie Lowy who attended U City high school and was the Mo. Baptist Heart surgeon’s office manager for many years. Susie is very sweet, social, loving, and fun and Steve is lucky to have found such a great second wife.

Lowy has four children and three step children – Holly, who got a PhD in math at Washington University, Andy who got an MBA at Washington University and who is a project manager and analyst for Scientific Gaming in Las Vegas, Nicole who got an MS in guidance counseling and manages the Environmental Department at the University of California, Berkeley, and Michael who got joint college degrees in business and computer science and who is an CSC project manager setting up servers for corporations in Connecticut. Lowy was twice a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in St. Louis and received a Washington University Alumni Award in 2018 for outstanding scholarship contributions.

Lowy was born on 4/21/46 and has lived in St. Louis all his life. Lowy went to the Washington University Engineering School, where he received a BSCHE and MSCHE in chemical engineering in 1968 and 1970. Steve loves golf, movies, traveling overseas and played racquetball for over 50 years. He is a life sponsor of the JCA and belongs to Westwood Country Club in St. Louis.