In this episode of The 314 Podcast, host Sarah Fenske talks with Haliday Douglas, CEO of the St. Louis Education Fund, which harnesses private dollars to help St. Louis Public Schools students. Douglas discusses how teachers at SLPS helped change his life—and propel him to Harvard—and the work his nonprofit is doing to give kids a chance at upward economic mobility. Then, Sarah chats with SLM staff writer Ryan Krull about the new legislation in Jefferson City that would create “innovation zones” to help downtown St. Louis and other central business districts. Listen and follow The 314 Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever podcasts are available.



This episode is sponsored by Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Discover the excitement of the Opera Theatre’s 2026 Festival Season, running from May 23 to June 28. Tickets start at just $25 for the timeless classic The Pirates of Penzance and the acclaimed Tony Award-winning musical The Light in the Piazza. Enjoy unforgettable performances of A Streetcar Named Desire and the romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet, showcasing artistic excellence you're sure to love. Get your tickets now.



New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing!



Want more? Check out all of St. Louis Magazine’s podcasts.



Have an idea for a future episode? Send your thoughts or feedback by emailing podcasts@stlmag.com.



Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com.



You may also enjoy these SLM stories:


Missouri rep proposes ‘innovation zones’ as a cure for downtown’s woes
For former St. Louis rep, moving to the county was about the Special School District
The turnaround strategy inside St. Louis Public Schools that may be working—and may get discontinued
Shop The 314 Podcast and St. Louis Daily merch
More episodes of The 314 Podcast

In this episode of The 314 Podcast, host <a href="https://www.stlmag.com/author/sarah-fenske/">Sarah Fenske</a> talks with Haliday Douglas, CEO of the St. Louis Education Fund, which harnesses private dollars to help St. Louis Public Schools students. Douglas discusses how teachers at SLPS helped change his life&mdash;and propel him to Harvard&mdash;and the work his nonprofit is doing to give kids a chance at upward economic mobility. Then, Sarah chats with SLM staff writer Ryan Krull about the new legislation in Jefferson City that would create &ldquo;innovation zones&rdquo; to help downtown St. Louis and other central business districts. Listen and follow&nbsp;The 314 Podcast&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-314-podcast/id1793192207">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0mJtCTOoiTpN2Jjc2VW0eE">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGme7iXhvDnXB6ZTWV-1RtWf">YouTube</a>, or wherever podcasts are available.

This episode is sponsored by&nbsp;<a href="https://opera-stl.org/">Opera Theatre of St. Louis</a>. Discover the excitement of the Opera Theatre&rsquo;s 2026 Festival Season, running from May 23 to June 28. Tickets start at just $25 for the timeless classic The Pirates of Penzance and the acclaimed Tony Award-winning musical The Light in the Piazza. Enjoy unforgettable performances of A Streetcar Named Desire and the romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet, showcasing artistic excellence you're sure to love. <a href="http://ExperienceOpera.org">Get your tickets now.</a>
 
New to podcasts?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/how-to-listen/">Follow these instructions</a>&nbsp;to start listening to our shows, and hear what you&rsquo;ve been missing!
 
Want more?&nbsp;Check out all of&nbsp;St. Louis Magazine&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/">podcasts</a>.
 
Have an idea for a future&nbsp;episode?&nbsp;Send your thoughts or feedback by emailing&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcasts@stlmag.com">podcasts@stlmag.com</a>.
 
Interested in being a podcast sponsor?&nbsp;Contact Lauren Leppert at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lleppert@stlmag.com">lleppert@stlmag.com</a>.
 
You may also enjoy these&nbsp;SLM&nbsp;stories:
 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.stlmag.com/news/brad-christ-missouri-improvement-zones/">Missouri rep proposes &lsquo;innovation zones&rsquo; as a cure for downtown&rsquo;s woes</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.stlmag.com/news/peter-merideth-special-school-district/">For former St. Louis rep, moving to the county was about the Special School District</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.stlmag.com/news/solutions/balancing-the-equation-SLPS-consortium-partnership-network-CPN-autonomy/">The turnaround strategy inside St. Louis Public Schools that may be working&mdash;and may get discontinued</a></li>

<li><a href="https://store.stlmag.com/">Shop&nbsp;The 314 Podcast&nbsp;and St. Louis Daily merch</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/314-podcast/">More episodes of&nbsp;The 314 Podcast</a></li>
</ul>

Join St. Louis Magazine executive editor Sarah Fenske for conversations that dig into why things are the way they are in St. Louis — and how we can make them better. From the stories that inspire us to the challenges that push us, The 314 Podcast is here to celebrate the good, confront the bad, and untangle the complicated.

Join St. Louis Magazine executive editor Sarah Fenske for conversations that dig into why things are the way they are in St. Louis &mdash; and how we can make them better. From the stories that inspire us to the challenges that push us, The 314 Podcast is here to celebrate the good, confront the bad, and untangle the complicated.

The 314 Podcast

Join St. Louis Magazine executive editor Sarah Fenske for conversations that dig into why things are the way they are in St. Louis — and how we can make them better. From the stories that inspire us to the challenges that push us, the 314 podcast is here to celebrate the good, confront the bad, and untangle the complicated.

Join St. Louis Magazine executive editor Sarah Fenske for conversations that dig into why things are the way they are in St. Louis &mdash; and how we can make them better. From the stories that inspire us to the challenges that push us, the 314 podcast is here to celebrate the good, confront the bad, and untangle the complicated.