About Us

How did it all begin?

In 2024, a vision took root north of Delmar Boulevard, a vision born from the deep desire to uplift communities that had long been overlooked. What began as a conversation among changemakers soon blossomed into North of Delmar, a collaborative movement powered by unity, purpose, and the belief that sustainable change is only possible when we come together.

Rather than creating yet another organization, North of Delmar set out to amplify the incredible work already being done by local nonprofits. With the support of leading corporations, generous philanthropists, and engaged universities, this initiative became a bridge, connecting resources, research, and strategy to the heart of community work.

At its core, North of Delmar exists to empower local nonprofits: helping them grow, validating their impact through research, and ensuring they have the funding and collaborative strength to drive long-term, holistic development across St. Louis.

Our Mission

North of Delmar strives to create a thriving and inclusive community by fostering collaboration among non-profit organizations, corporations, philanthropists, and universities. Through strategic partnerships and targeted investments, we aim to improve quality of life, promote economic opportunity, and drive sustainable development in the St. Louis area.

Team Members

At the heart of North of Delmar lies a dedicated team of changemakers, individuals who believe in the power of collaboration to uplift communities. Founded in 2024, North of Delmar is a community collaboration initiative aiming to foster holistic development and sustainable growth in the St. Louis area. The project brings together non-profit organizations with support from major corporations, philanthropists, and universities in the region. The goal is to raise funding to bolster the ongoing initiatives of the non-profits and conduct research to validate their impact.

Our Key Players

The North of Delmar initiative is guided by passionate and dedicated leaders who believe in the power of collaboration to transform communities.

Stuart Z, Eric M and Eliot S bring together their expertise, vision, and deep commitment to creating a thriving and inclusive future for the neighborhoods North of Delmar.

Stuart Zimmerman

Stuart is an Executive in Residence at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, where he helped develop one of the world’s largest master’s programs in Wealth and Asset Management. He is a co-founder of Buckingham Asset Management (now Focus Partners Wealth), which grew from a four-person startup in 1994 into one of the nation’s largest investment advisory firms, managing over $140 billion. He also co-founded BAM Advisor Services (now Focus), which supports CPAs and RIAs in becoming successful independent wealth advisors.

Before Buckingham, Stuart spent 28 years at RubinBrown LLP, where he led the Personal Financial Consulting department and served on the executive committee, helping grow the firm from 11 people to 200. He has over 40 years of experience in personal financial planning, has spoken internationally on investing, and contributed to professional publications like the Journal of Accountancy.

Deeply engaged in the St. Louis community, Stuart has held leadership roles in numerous civic and cultural organizations, including the Jewish Federation, American Jewish Committee, Clayton Chamber of Commerce, and Craft Alliance of St. Louis. A University of Missouri–Columbia graduate in business administration, Stuart lives in St. Louis with his wife, Susie. They have two sons and three grandchildren.

Eric Marquart is a Retired Partner at Pay Governance LLC, where he has specialized in executive compensation and corporate governance for over 15 years. Based in St. Louis, he advises boards and senior management on executive pay, performance alignment, and governance practices, drawing on extensive experience in the field.

Eric holds a Master’s in Labor and Industrial Relations (MLIR) from Michigan State University and a BBA in Organizational Behavior and Marketing from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. His expertise includes executive pay strategy and the compensation aspects of mergers and acquisitions.

Eric Marquardt

Eliot H. Sherman

Eliot H. Sherman has been part of Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business for over 40 years, where he developed and taught courses in Personal Finance, Working Capital Management, and Entrepreneurial Finance. Even after his retirement in 2020, he continues as a part-time lecturer, managing the long-running online Personal Finance course. He also spent nearly a decade teaching at Hult International Business School and has led professional development programs for the AICPA and multiple state CPA societies, earning awards for his contributions to financial education.

Beyond academia, Mr. Sherman has more than 30 years of financial leadership experience as CFO, controller, consultant, and board member for companies ranging from startups to Fortune 50 corporations. He also advised and trained numerous non-profits, including AmeriCorps and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. A Harvard graduate with master’s degrees from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and Bentley College, he is also an author of several books and training programs on financial management and business planning.

Our Affliated Organizations

Stronger Together Through Alliances

North of Delmar works with a strong network of nonprofits, universities, community groups, and development organizations, each bringing unique expertise to improve housing, education, health, arts, and economic opportunities for our neighborhoods.

Health care

Bridge of Hope :Offers housing and medical respite care for unhoused individuals.
Friendly Temple : Supports community well-being through faith-based initiatives and local outreach

Housing

Bridge of Hope :Provides temporary housing for unhoused individuals.
McCormack Baron :Brings expertise in affordable housing and neighborhood redevelopment.
Wells-Goodfellow Neighborhood Association : Represents residents’ housing and neighborhood priorities.

Transportation, Infrastucture & Smart Technology

Trailnet : Promotes safe, accessible transportation and pedestrian-friendly community design.

Arts, Recreation & Beautification

COCA (Center of Creative Arts) : Brings arts education and cultural programs to the community.
Craft Alliance : Engages residents in creative events like Trash to Treasure, promoting sustainability and community beautification.

Education, Training & Employment

St. Louis Community College : Offers educational programs and workforce training for residents.
UMSL (University of Missouri–St. Louis) : Supports community research, education, and capacity-building initiatives.

Workforce Development and Business Growth

Wellston Loop CDC : Focuses on economic revitalization and development in key corridors.
Washington University :Conducts community research and practicum projects to inform workforce and business growth strategies.

Together, these alliances create a powerful force for positive change. If your organization shares our vision for thriving, self-reliant communities, we invite you to join us and make an impact North of Delmar.

Washington University Practicum

As described above, we are delighted to have launched our Washington University Practicum in January 2025, to study our first community project in Wells Goodfellow. Following is our action plan.

Step 1 Assess: First, we’ll analyze all the current data we can find for the Wells-Goodfellow region.

Step 2 Prepare: Based on our findings, we will seek community input and identify effective short and long term goals for improvement.

Step 3 Progress: Collaborating with our NOD network, we will seek support for launching our most promising programs.

Step 4 Review: We’ll continue to measure our effectiveness over time.

This summer of 2025 MBA interns from Washington University are helping to redesign our website, improve digital communications, and develop tools to support local entrepreneurship. Their work is helping create a more connected and accessible platform for our community and partners.

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