Arts Chamber Board Member Nominated For Regional Leadership Award

The St. Louis Arts Chamber congratulates Tejas Sekhar for being named an honoree in Focus St. Louis’s 25th Annual “What’s Right With The Region Awards.”

Tejas Sekhar, a member of the St. Louis Arts Chamber’s Board of Directors, has recently been announced as an honoree for FOCUS St. Louis’s annual “What’s Right With The Region Award” in the “Promoting Community Health and Well-being” category. The honorees in this category are “working to improve the collective health and wellness of our region’s residents, as well as addressing the social determinants of health.” This event shines a bright light on those who are advancing the equity, prosperity, collaboration, and strength of our communities. The Awards Celebration will be held on May 22, 2022.

Sekhar was nominated for his work as the Executive Director of EndingCOVID, a nested nonprofit initiative with the mission of helping those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through a holistic approach centered on pertinent information, relief efforts, and personal protective equipment (PPE distribution) with operations localized to the Greater St. Louis and Chicago areas. Through its efforts, EndingCOVID has made it easier for people to shelter-in-place and for health care workers to do their work safely. Beneficiaries of EndingCOVID’s support include Creve Coeur Assisted Living & Memory Care, Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry, Jackie Joyner Kersee Center, Missouri Baptist Children’s Home, and Saint Louis Crisis Nursery.

Tejas Sekhar is a Master’s in Biology candidate at Washington University in St. Louis, and is passionate about leveraging medicine, technology, and social entrepreneurship to make the world a better place through radical and innovative thought. Tejas graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience and English Literature. Tejas is the Founder and Executive Director of TejHospitality, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on local asset-based community development in St. Louis, MO. Tejas is an avid danver, having performed with Northwestern Bhangra and Ahana Dance Project, and is currently dancing with Washington University in St. Louis Bhangra. He is an active member of the St. Louis Arts Chamber’s board, where he has used his background in literature and journalism to lead our Seven Neighborhoods Oral History Project, a collaboration between University City Public Library and Seven Together.

About FOCUS St. Louis: FOCUS St. Louis is the region’s premier civic leadership organization. FOCUS prepares a diverse base of leaders to work cooperatively for a thriving St. Louis region through experience-based leadership training, civic issue education, and public engagement initiatives. More than 10,000 people each year connect with FOCUS through leadership programs, civic engagement initiatives, and active alumni network.