Alumni Spotlight: Cyril Loum

Over the past 110 years, more than 200,000 individuals have graduated from Webster University around the world.

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Meet Cyril Loum, who earned a Master of Arts in Legal Studies from Webster in 2014 and was recently named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list.

What enticed you to choose Webster for your degree?

I decided to go to Webster because I could work full-time and attend classes. Attending Webster was less of a financial burden, and it kept me close to family and allowed me to attain a graduate degree while working full-time.

What stood out about your studies at Webster?

My legal study course with Margaret Morrison stood out to me. Her approach to law and critical thinking shaped me to think outside the box.

How did your Webster degree help advance you in your career?

My Webster degree helped me understand the legal aspects of running a nonprofit, especially how the structure of the entity should be formed.

What advice would you give to others who are considering Webster for their degree?

Enjoy Webster University. Don't just think of it as a place to earn your degree. I recommend seeing it as a place where formation happens and leaning into the faculty's knowledge.

What has your life journey looked like?

I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, moved to St. Louis during college and now call St. Louis home. My life journey consists of a child of a missionary that lived in numerous countries before the age of 5. I am from Gambia, West Africa, and my family migrated to Fort Wayne, Indiana, which I called home and where I did lots of my formation.

As an immigrant, my educational pursuit was to be an attorney to help make the migration process better in comparison to the 1990s. I never did become an attorney, the Lord Jesus Christ had other plans for me, and this led to me becoming an entrepreneur who would try to address pain points for immigrants in St. Louis. This entrepreneurial thinking led me to teach at Saint Louis University as an adjunct professor and then eventually going to Washington University (WashU) as the manager of venture development for the Skandalaris Center and an adjunct professor.

After understanding more about the entrepreneurial ecosystem and understanding the importance it plays in shaping St. Louis, I decided a few months ago to step away from my full-time role at WashU to launch Mustard Seed Collective, which is a faith-based venture development ecosystem to help Christian entrepreneurs launch and scale their businesses.