BUILDING FUTURES TEAM

Trish Flanagan

Trish Flanagan

Executive Director

Trish Flanagan Bio

Trish returned home to St. Louis after 20 years building teams and securing investment to promote economic development and disrupt systemic poverty through innovation and education around the globe. She joined the Building Futures team in September 2022. Prior to joining the team, she founded the Future School of Fort Smith, a public charter high school centered on student voice and real world application, Think Future, a network of investors, thought leaders and students creating equitable access for opportunity in public education, Noble Impact, a social entrepreneurship education initiative, and Picasolar, an early stage solar energy company. In 2013, she was named one of Arkansas Times ”Visionaries of the Year’.

In her early career, Trish led vocational training for itinerant teens in Ireland at age 19, provided advocacy for homeless & immigrant families in San Francisco, taught secondary social studies on the US/Mexico border with Teach For America, pioneered the Sandy Bay Alternative School in the Honduran Bay Islands, and created community engagement guidelines for Room to Read’s school libraries program (Asia/Africa).

Trish has raised more than $11 million of philanthropic investment dollars. In addition to holding a Missouri teaching license, she earned an MBA from the Walton College of Business and an MPS from the Clinton School of Public Service.

Felicia Kennedy

Felicia Kennedy

Senior Fundraiser and Grants Operations Leader

Felicia Kennedy Bio

Felicia Kennedy is Founder/Chief Executive Officer of the FL Kennedy Group. Also, she is the contracted senior fundraiser/grants operations leader for Building Futures. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a Master of Public Service for the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. Felicia is an accomplished professional with more than 30 years of leadership experience. She has expertise in program and project management, program evaluation, facilitating community dialogues, grant writing/management, and youth leadership development.  Also, she served in the Peace Corps from 2018-2020 in the Republic of Georgia as an English teacher. 

Since 1992, Felicia has served in many capacities for Youth Motivational Task Force at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. From 2009-2011, she was a founding board member and Vice President of the Board for Visions Academy Charter School in Newark, New Jersey. In the past, she has supported several youth focused leadership and development programs as either fundraising director, board member or strong advocate. Her life’s goal is to support youth development and success all over the globe.

Raemese Seyss

Raemese Seyss

Administration & Outreach Specialist

Raemese Seyss Bio

Raemese returned to St. Louis from San Diego where she attended college for Business and Administration. She raised a family where she honed her skills in domestic engineering. Managing a full family of 8 was no small task. She eagerly accepted the challenge and was successful in her endeavors. After building a plumbing and maintenance company with her husband, she returned to St. Louis a few years ago to help care for her parents. She joined the YMCA as a member specialist. She loved engaging with members and looked at them as extended family going the extra mile to make sure their needs were met. Raemese is determined to not only help keep operations at Building Futures running smoothly, but take it to the next level. She wants to help make Building Futures a pathway for as many kids as possible.

Brayon Calvin

Brayon Calvin

STEAM Educator-Arts

Brayon Calvin Bio

Brayon received his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Southern Illinois University of Carbondale (SIUC) where he majored in Cinema and Photography with a Minor in Art and Design. While at SIUC, he was active in the Photography Club and served as Treasurer. Brayon also attended the St. Louis Community College (Florissant Valley Campus) where he received his Associate in Fine Arts (AFA). While attending STLCC, he served as Vice President and President of the Photography Club. He was a member of the Student Government Association where he helped organize “Chalk For Peace” to stop violence in the community. Brayon enjoys working with the children that Building Futures serves, both in the schools and during the weekend classes held at the workshop.