Ewing Kauffman • 1966-1987
As founder and first president, Ewing Kauffman established the principles and purpose that continue to guide the Foundation. During his presidency, he shaped the Foundation’s enduring commitment to expanding opportunity through education, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy while building an organization grounded in high expectations, practical leadership, and service to others. Hands-on programs – including CPR NOW (community CPR training), Project STAR (youth drug prevention), and the Kauffman Teen Survey (data on young people’s needs) – put that approach into practice.
His vision emphasized creating opportunities for people to achieve economic independence through hard work, innovation, and access. The values and mission he established remain the Foundation’s enduring legacy.
Mike Herman • 1987-1990
Mike Herman guided the Foundation through its earliest years of growth, helping translate Ewing Kauffman’s vision into a sustainable organization. During his presidency, the Foundation expanded operating programs focused on youth development and entrepreneurship, including Project Early, Project Essential, and Project Choice while strengthening the organizational structure needed to support long-term impact. His tenure helped establish the Foundation’s early programmatic direction and operational foundation for future growth.
Bob Rogers • 1990-1995
Bob Rogers guided the Foundation through an important period of organizational evolution. During his presidency, the Foundation continued to operate programs – including Project Choice, Project Early, Project Essential, and FastTrac – while accelerating its shift toward institutional grantmaking. That transition gained momentum in 1993 as the endowment expanded, enabling the Foundation to scale its impact and advance its vision of self-sufficient people in healthy communities. He also fostered a culture that emphasized respect, collaboration, and service, helping position the Foundation for its next phase of growth.
Lou Smith • 1995-2002
Lou Smith oversaw a period of significant institutional development for the Foundation. During his presidency, the Foundation established its permanent campus, including Kauffman Legacy Park, the Foundation’s offices, and Conference Center, and the Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden. His leadership also strengthened the Foundation’s civic engagement through major investments and partnerships that advanced Kansas City’s cultural and educational landscape, including early support for Science City at Union Station and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
Carl Schramm • 2002-2011
Carl Schramm elevated the Kauffman Foundation to a leading national voice for entrepreneurship. During his presidency, the Foundation became widely recognized as the “Foundation of Entrepreneurship,” launching Global Entrepreneurship Week, expanding research on entrepreneurship’s role in job and wealth creation, and establishing the Ewing Marion Kauffman School in 2011. He also streamlined operations, advocated for greater access to startup capital, and championed entrepreneurship as a catalyst for economic growth, further strengthening the Foundation’s influence.
Tom McDonnell • 2013-2014
Tom McDonnell led the Foundation during a period of strategic refinement and organizational modernization. During his presidency, he renewed the Foundation’s focus on Kansas City, strengthened collaboration with community partners, and oversaw the growth of 1 Million Cups, a grassroots entrepreneurship program started by the Foundation in 2012. He also advanced efforts to improve organizational effectiveness through enhanced technology, data-informed decision-making, and evaluation of the Foundation’s grantmaking and strategic investments, strengthening the Foundation’s capacity to measure and maximize its impact.
Wendy Guillies • 2014-2022
Wendy Guillies led the Foundation through a period of strategic expansion centered on economic mobility, education, and entrepreneurship. During her presidency, she helped unify the Foundation’s work under a comprehensive strategy that connected education and workforce development, including the 2016 launch of KC Scholars, which expanded postsecondary opportunity across the Kansas City region and later evolved into Great Jobs KC. She also strengthened the Foundation’s global leadership in entrepreneurship and advanced initiatives such as Real World Learning, which connected schools and employers to prepare students for long-term success – reinforcing the Foundation’s integrated approach to economic mobility.
DeAngela Burns-Wallace, Ed.D. • 2023-present
Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace is the current president and chief executive officer of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Working across the public service, academic, and philanthropic sectors, Dr. Burns-Wallace carries a career commitment to enriching and strengthening equitable economic mobility.
Interim Presidents
- Benno Schmidt – 2012
- Susan Chambers – 2022-2023