Kathy Lambert

Kathy Lambert

Title/Position:  Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director

Company/Employer: Connections to Success

Primary Industry:   Non-profit

Mission Statement:  Inspire individuals to realize their dreams and achieve economic independence by providing hope, resources and a plan.

Business Bio:  

Kathy Lambert opened Dress for Success (DfS) Midwest in 1998 after reading an article about DfS New York. The article explained how DfS provided interview appropriate attire to women in disadvantaged situations, helping them to be on the same playing field as anyone else. Understanding the need for this service locally, Kathy took a leap of faith and opened the first DfS affiliate in the St. Louis region.

Soon after seeing his wife’s success and happiness serving the community through her nonprofit, Dress for Success Midwest, Brad Lambert made the decision to leave his position as a civil engineer to found another organization, Wheels for Success, which awards automobiles to deserving participants.

As months passed, Kathy and Brad began to understand the many gaps in services, realizing that suits and cars could not meet every need. Participants lacked the job skills and life skills to excel in their place of employment. They needed childcare assistance, further education, mentors and support systems while on their journey to economic independence. To meet these needs, extensive programming was created, and in 2001, they named their group of diverse nonprofit programs Connections to Success (CtS), which became the umbrella organization housing all of the many services offered to both men and women throughout the St. Louis and Kansas City regions.

Kathy is a forward-thinking innovator, a visionary and a leader. Where there is a gap in community programming, Kathy creates a service. When funding is scarce, Kathy finds an alternative method, a social enterprise or another creative, outside-of-the-box means to raise the necessary funding. There is nothing that Kathy Lambert can’t or won’t accomplish when it comes to ensuring the economic independence, the health and the long-term sustainability for all.