Habitat for Neighborhood Business Welcomes M. Spencer Garland to Board of Directors
St. Louis, MO — Habitat for Neighborhood Business (HNB) is proud to announce the appointment of M. Spencer Garland, Of Counsel at UB Greensfelder, to its Board of Directors. Spencer brings decades of legal expertise and a deep commitment to community service, further strengthening HNB’s mission to restore economic vitality to underserved neighborhoods through mentorship, education, and networking for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs.
Spencer’s practice focuses on intellectual property, technology transactions, and corporate law, with a client portfolio spanning pharmaceuticals, software, education, and entertainment. He has been recognized as Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Technology Law (2025) and is a recipient of the Missouri Lawyers Media ICON Award.
“We are thrilled to welcome Spencer to the HNB Board,” said Douglas S. Brown, Chairman of Habitat for Neighborhood Business. “His legal acumen and history of nonprofit board leadership will be invaluable as we scale our proven model beyond St. Louis to bring HNB’s impact to new markets and communities nationwide.”
Spencer has served as President of Camperships for Nebagamon and Young Audiences of St. Louis, and as a Director at The College School of Webster Groves and Temple Shaare Emeth. His appointment reflects HNB’s continued commitment to building a resilient, agile organization prepared for growth and impact.
“I’m honored to join HNB’s Board and contribute to its transformative work,” said Garland. “Supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening neighborhood commerce is a mission I deeply believe in. I am excited to help expand that mission to new communities across the country.”
About Habitat for Neighborhood Business
Habitat for Neighborhood Business, with its affiliated universities and volunteer businesspeople, seeks to help restore economic vitality to underserved neighborhoods through mentoring, education, and networking for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs. In addition, HNB collaborates with developers, government agencies, and others that share interests in strengthening neighborhood commerce. Originally launched at Saint Louis University’s Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business, HNB plans to expand its model to additional universities to build a national network of support for entrepreneurs in under-resourced communities.
Lucinda Perry Jones, Ed.D.
Executive Director
Habitat for Neighborhood Business
lucinda@habitatforneighborhoodbusiness.org
(314) 341-0868
