A refrain echoed through the ballroom before a single award was handed out — a reminder of dignity, resilience and possibility.
“I am somebody,” read KSDK news anchor Brent Solomon, invoking the words of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson. “I may have made a mistake but I am somebody. My face is different, my hair is different but I am somebody. I am God’s child.”
That affirmation set the tone for the St. Louis American Foundation’s sold-out 24th Annual Salute to Excellence in Business luncheon, held February 19, 2026, at The Ritz-Carlton in Clayton, where business and civic leaders gathered to celebrate achievement not simply as personal success, but as a pathway to collective progress.
At a time when equitable economic growth remains both an urgent priority and an ongoing challenge in the St. Louis region, the Salute to Excellence spotlights Black executives, entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders whose work strengthens communities, creates jobs and expands opportunity. Proceeds from the luncheon support the foundation’s education, workforce development and community-impact initiatives — investments designed to widen pathways to economic mobility across the metropolitan area.
This year’s honorees reflect the breadth of leadership shaping the region’s future: Eric Rhone, Entrepreneur of the Year; Keith Williamson, Lifetime Achiever in Business; Akberet Boykin-Farr, Corporate Executive of the Year; and Leslie Gill, Nonprofit Executive of the Year.
For Leslie Gill, president and CEO of Rung for Women, the honor carried personal resonance.
A graduate of Rosati-Kain High School, Gill recalled walking past the St. Louis American’s offices on Lindell Boulevard as a teenager. Years later, she stood at the podium as the foundation’s 2026 Nonprofit Executive of the Year.
“I consider it to be such an honor to receive this award,” Gill said. “I have been really grateful to receive a number of honors from this community, but the American has such a special place in my heart.”
She was quick to shift the spotlight to her team.
“I don’t do this work alone. At Rung for Women, we are creating a place where women can rise, where families can thrive and the future looks brighter for everyone.”
As Corporate Executive of the Year, Akberet Boykin-Farr, vice president of human resources and corporate functions at Emerson, was praised not just for her leadership but for her presence.
“My co-presenter Michael McMillan said he only needed nine words to perfectly describe Akberet,” said Allison Roberts, senior vice president of Greater St. Louis Inc. “‘She showed up when people needed it the most.’”
Boykin-Farr, born in a home “the size of a bedroom” before being adopted by a St. Louis woman who taught on a military base, reflected on legacy rather than accolades.
“It means that maybe I’ve done something right,” she said. “To be named in the same sentence with Leslie, Keith and Eric doesn’t seem possible — but thank you.”
Instead of traditional remarks, she told the story of her mother teaching first grade on a military base in Turkey in 1966. A parent once insisted her son “could not be taught by Ms. Boykin.” The principal disagreed. By the end of the year, the boy’s father — a colonel — invited her to dinner to thank her for helping his son succeed after multiple failed attempts at first grade.
“She took the time to teach him,” Boykin-Farr said. “It makes me think about all the things that people did that were difficult when they weren’t welcomed in the room. And the people who come behind them that now know they belong at the table.”
Entrepreneur of the Year Eric Rhone traced his journey back to comedy clubs in St. Louis and East St. Louis, where his longtime friend Cedric the Entertainer worked the stage.
“He would do the comedy, and I would do the business,” Rhone said.
The pair quit their jobs on the same day, packed their belongings and drove from St. Louis to Hollywood in pursuit of opportunity. Today, Rhone is a producer and content creator through his company, Bird and a Bear.
“How can I continue to expand this firm and how can I get more people who look like me and Cedric into this business?” he said.
In a recorded tribute, Cedric described Rhone as “a business partner and friend for over forty plus years.”
Rhone also praised the St. Louis American.
“The St. Louis American has controlled the narrative of our community in a way that we can all be proud of,” he said.
Lifetime Achiever in Business Keith Williamson, president of the Centene Charitable Foundation, was introduced by Michael McMillan as “a statesman in the legal community.”
“He is the epitome of grace, class, professionalism and dignity,” McMillan said, noting that Williamson is among the few African Americans in U.S. history to serve as general counsel of a Fortune 25 corporation — the largest publicly traded company in Missouri.
In a video tribute, Williamson credited family.
“I had the good fortune of being careful in selecting my parents,” he joked. “I did a good job of picking older siblings who were excellent role models.”
He described the award as especially meaningful because of his respect for St. Louis American publisher Donald Suggs.
“He is the consummate Renaissance man,” Williamson said. “So getting an award from the St. Louis American Foundation and the impact that the foundation has had on this region makes this award special.”
True to form, he added levity.
“I’m a last-minute person, so I waited until this morning to let AI write my remarks,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd before thanking the many friends and colleagues he has made during his two decades back in his beloved city.
Throughout the afternoon, speakers returned to a common theme: recognition matters, but access matters more.
For Geoffrey Ratliff, senior financial advisor with Merrill Lynch, honoring Black leaders in corporate and entrepreneurial spaces sends a powerful signal in a region that has often seen its talent migrate elsewhere.
“A rising tide lifts all boats,” Ratliff said, emphasizing the need to expand opportunity for those who might not otherwise have it.
Jami Ballentine echoed that sentiment.
“It’s not enough to be a mentor,” she said. “Open the door, pull a seat up to the table, and provide the place setting. You need to escort people to the industry they want to be in.”
As applause filled the Ritz-Carlton ballroom, the Salute to Excellence felt less like a celebration of arrival and more like a call to action — to build, to invest and to ensure that the next generation not only enters the room, but leads it.
If the afternoon began with the declaration “I am somebody,” it ended with a collective understanding– in St. Louis, excellence is not simply honored. It is expected, cultivated and shared.