If there’s a lesson to be learned from businesswoman and nonprofit owner Zekita Armstrong Asuquo (C’19), it’s that hard work in secret leads to open success and recognition. But a little (or a lot) of single-minded determination doesn’t hurt either. And with her work with her nonprofit recently recognized on the St. Louis Business 500 list, it’s safe to say Asuquo has determination in abundunce.
You can find evidence of this in her Principia story. When Asuquo came to the College in 2017 on the non-traditional student track, the mother of three was already taking on more than her peers. "I've always been entrepreneurial,” says Asuquo. “So as crazy as it sounds, I had a full load of classes as well as kids at home. Late at night on the weekends, I was literally writing out the plans for my nonprofit. . . . The only person who knew about it was my professor, Dr. Billy Miller (C’72). By the time I graduated in 2019, I had already hit the ground running.”
A humble description for what would become a mammoth undertaking. Since its founding in 2018 (yes, you did the math right), Gateway Global American Youth and Business Alliance Academies has looked to the future in more ways than one. The nonprofit’s purpose is to immerse youth in what Asuquo terms “future-facing tech,” offering courses such as Geospatial Intelligence, Geographic Information Systems, Cybersecurity, Robotics, and more.
The nonprofit’s tuition-free model attracts students from all over the greater St. Louis area, drawing like-minded problem solvers from diverse backgrounds. It’s also the only organization in the United States accredited in geospatial intelligence at the high school level. “I’m very passionate about youth development,” says Asuquo. “I want to make sure smart and determined students get the resources they need, no matter their background.”
Asuquo regularly uses her passion to help inspire Principia upper schoolers and shared her story and the opportunities available through Global Gateways at a recent Upper School Career Fair. “It means a great deal to me to help guide the next generation of Principians," she says. “Paris Patterson (US’24) went through our training program and was awarded a scholarship when she went to school in Abu Dhabi. She’s our ambassador now in the Middle East.”
Given its current success and scope, it’s hard to imagine this educational enterprise was once a passion project. But with Asuquo at the helm, you can bet Global Gateway is destined for more.
"I always tell people I have a nonprofit heart but a for-profit brain,” jokes Asuquo. Along with the recent creation of a Gateway Global Headquarters—a project developed start to finish by Asuquo—the nonprofit plans to build a 36,000-square-foot geospatial simulation theatre and data center in downtown St. Louis. “From the beginning, I’ve thought about Gateway Global’s future,” says Asuquo.
And while a geospatial simulation theatre may seem like too far-fetched a goal to some, to Asuquo, it’s just the next step in her future-forward plan. “This project is designed to drive revenue to Gateway Global so we can fund our nonprofit without having to rely on grants. I want to do business while also doing good.”
And with the impact Asuquo is having on students’ lives, whether they're Principians or not, it’s safe to say she is doing plenty of good.