Our founder & Executive Director
Tracy Carney, JD, MSW
As a single mother, Tracy understands firsthand the challenges of providing enriching extracurricular activities for children. Additionally, after graduating from Washington University’s schools of law and social work, Tracy was a criminal defense attorney at Rosenblum, Schwartz, Rogers, & Glass. This experience and her current work helping to process disability benefits claims, allows Tracy to observe the struggles of parenthood and the tough choices parents must make to ensure their children have their basic needs met. She was inspired to create a community-driven nonprofit dedicated to ensuring no parent has to choose between the basic necessities and their child’s development opportunities. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Tracy with any questions or to get involved, by phone at 314.322.5220 or by email at tracy@peoplewithpurpose.org.
OUR Board of directors
Tracy servers on our Board of Directors with Judge Nellie Ribaudo and Paul Brusati.
The Honorable Nellie Ribaudo
Judge Ribaudo took the bench as a Saint Louis County Circuit Judge in 2009 after serving over ten years as a criminal defense attorney working for the Missouri State Public Defender's Office and Rosenblum, Schwartz, Rogers, & Glass where she kindly mentored our Founder and Executive Director. The Judge continues to share her knowledge with law students as an Adjunct Professor at her alma mater Saint Louis University Law School. Throughout her career, Judge Ribaudo has observed the struggles of parenthood and the tough choices parents must make to ensure their children have the basic necessities. The Judge has demonstrated a sincere dedication to assisting parents throughout the Saint Louis community by providing parents a person they know they can count on to help their children grow and thrive.
Paul Brusati, Esq.
Paul Brusati is a partner at Armstrong Teasdale. With extensive experience crafting persuasive briefs and delivering effective oral arguments in a variety of areas—employment, products liability, tax, medical malpractice, family law, personal injury, real estate and insurance issues, and felony criminal appeals—Paul regularly achieves successful outcomes in complex appeals, including cases before the Supreme Court of Missouri and the federal appellate circuits.
Paul is also committed to pro bono advocacy, dedicating significant time to representing clients who otherwise lack access to legal counsel. He volunteers with St. Louis Survivors Legal Supports (SLSLS), helping survivors of intimate partner violence secure critical orders of protection and related relief. In addition, Paul serves as a Special Public Defender through the Missouri Coalition for the Right to Counsel, handling felony appeals for indigent defendants across Missouri. Before joining Armstrong Teasdale, Paul served as a law clerk to Judge Laura Denvir Stith of the Supreme Court of Missouri. Paul graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude).
Throughout his career and volunteer experience, Paul has observed the struggles of parenthood and the tough choices parents must make to ensure their children have the basic necessities. Paul knows the challenges of parenthood firsthand. He is the father of three young children.
