LaShana Lewis

LaShana Lewis

Speaker
Founder & CEO – L. M. Lewis Consulting

LaShana M. Lewis’s leadership has been recognized by business leaders across the region and the nation for her mission to empower Americans through education and create a system that works for everyone. 

  • LaShana began to work with computers when she asked her high school teacher in East St. Louis to help her learn to code. She attended university as a computer science major, but didn’t have the money to finish. Without a completed degree, LaShana worked in customer service for low wages, while being written off for the kind of work she was truly qualified to do. At the same time, she was asked to do exactly that work by co-workers, but without recognition or compensation.  She discovered LaunchCode’s “CoderGirl” (now, LaunchCode Women+) program, which helped her find a position at Mastercard, where she worked for four years as a Systems Engineer and a Software Engineer. LaShana became a national success story, including in a speech given by President Barack Obama.  She later worked as CTO at multiple companies and Director of Aerospace IT at Astral AR while reporting on tech and entrepreneurship for the St. Louis American, the largest weekly newspaper in Missouri.  
  • LaShana is now the founder and CEO of LM Lewis Consulting to help corporations and nonprofits with technology, governance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • When Show Me Integrity worked to pass Proposition D for Democracy, LaShana took it upon herself to explain to fellow St. Louisans how approval voting improves government accountability, while also making elections more unifying and less divisive
  • Once LaShana joined the board of Show Me Integrity, she helped develop policy and lead community outreach for Proposition R for Reform to educate, answer questions, and advocate for regulating conflicts of interest and ensuring accountable, representative government in St. Louis.  LaShana also serves as a leader on national television with Business for Missouri, Show Me Integrity’s joint partnership with Business for America.  
  • Now LaShana is the Board Chair of Show Me Integrity Education Fund, bringing her love of education, collaboration, and empowerment to engage business leaders and other Missourians in government of, by, and for the people
  • As CEO of a local business, LaShana serves as board president for Black Girls Do STEM, an organization dedicated to fostering opportunities for young, black girls to participate in and learn about STEM fields. She is also chair of the STARS advisory council for Opportunity@Work to help those “Skilled Through Alternative Routes” find opportunities as she did. LaShana also serves as the Chair of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, Board Secretary of the Downtown Community Improvement District, and Board Secretary of the International Institute. In addition, she serves on the Downtown Engagement and Public Safety Initiative, the Steering Committee of the St. Louis Diversity & Inclusion Consortium, and UMSL Succeed
  • LaShana lives with her wife Seanna and their two rabbits.
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