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Rising into the Unknown

Life is a journey, let’s chase the summits and relish the adventure all along the way.

latest adventure posts

CRG Raises $450 Million for National Projects

CRG, Clayco’s development arm, officially raised $450 million as part of its U.S. Logistics Fund II. This will help build even more projects within the industrial sector. It’s exciting on many fronts, and I couldn’t be more proud of my son Shawn for leading this initiative and exceeding the initial goal.

The Clark Family Branch St. Louis Library

The Clark family is humbled to be able to do something that will impact generations to come by donating $6 million to the new St. Louis County Library Headquarters. Libraries are the cornerstones of the community and are more relevant than ever post-pandemic. My family and I joined the St. Louis County Library Director & CEO Kristen Sorth, members of the Library Board, and the St. Louis County Library Foundation on May 24th as we announced the project. Together, we plan to evolve public libraries and invest in their limitless potential.

Clayco Named One of St. Louis’ Best Places to Work

Clayco just made the St. Louis Business Journal’s 2022 list of Best Places to Work in the giant company category, amongst other industry leaders such as CarShield, Cushman & Wakefield, and Stifel. This is an honor that we’re really proud of. Every year, the St. Louis Business Journal’s Best Places to Work program is designed to identify and highlight the companies that stand out for having the best workplace perks and the strategies they have adopted to attract and retain top talent. Clayco was acknowledged for offering a challenging, creative work environment where our team members trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do, and enjoy the people they work with. Our flexible working arrangements and employee benefits were also key factors.

Recent Feature: Crain’s Chicago Business

Since returning stateside, I had the opportunity to speak with Crain’s Chicago Business magazine about some incredible projects and experiences I’ve been a part of. Crain’s has always been one of my favorite business sources to read interesting analyses, commentary, and features. During our conversation, we spoke about what prompted me to make a call to the White House before the Expo, a scar I have that turned me from a child to an adult, and an exciting client Clayco is constructing rocket test facilities for. I also shared some of the key turning points that shaped my career path and how I operate in business today.

Healthy People, Healthy Planet – Minnesota Expo 2027

I am excited to work with my co-chair Marc Lore and the rest of the team for the Minnesota Expo 2027. The experience of leading the U.S. Delegation at Expo 2020 Dubai gave me great insight into the importance of these gatherings for American business interests and our global diplomatic relationships. I’m proud to join in and help reshape this campaign to host the first World’s Fair on American soil in nearly 40 years. The theme of the Expo is “Healthy People, Healthy Planet,” and will be the first to focus on bringing together health and wellness issues and innovations from as many as 170 countries.Well-being is more important now than ever before, and I’m happy to be part of the effort to bring this Specialized Expo to Minnesota. The goal is to generate engagement with governments, businesses, academia, and consumers to create impactful opportunities and solutions for our communities and the world.

Theaster Gates’ Arts Incubator Breaks Ground in Grand Crossing

Theaster Gates’ Arts Incubator broke ground in its largest project to date at the former St. Laurence Elementary School on May 3rd. This is the start of the process to convert it into an arts and creative incubator on Chicago’s South Side. I am extremely proud that the Clayco Foundation has committed $1 million to help develop this state-of-the-art 40,000-square-foot innovation hub for local artists and entrepreneurs.

ADVENTURE

Building Buttercup

a fence in a field with trees in the background

I can’t describe the powerful emotion I felt at this moment, for everything lost and gained in my whole life. It was a spiritual experience, from my heart.

ADVENTURE

Climbing Capitol Peak

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Adventure

Adventure is in my DNA

Ever since I read the stories of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, I’ve looked at all of my life as an adventure. Listening and learning from my father was amazing story in history over the course of 40 years taught me that adventure was in my DNA at conception.

I’ve always been able to keep calm and have a level head and every situation I can remember. The only exception of this rule is that I don’t believe a person should not panic if they’re drowning. I would definitely drown panicking.

Beyond that all of life’s twists and turns good and bad ecstatic or heartbroken all add up to the different color crayons in your crayon box. That was a quote from my dad upon hearing some shocking news about my own colorful life.