Liza Kuzmina Liza Kuzmina is a financial coordinator in Finance & Grants Administration for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where she supports enterprise-wide financial planning and the Foundation’s grantmaking efforts, helping to ensure that resources are allocated effectively to maximize impact. Prior to joining the Kauffman Foundation, Kuzmina was a budget analyst with the City of Kansas […]
Micah Torgerson, CPA Micah Torgerson is a finance manager in Finance & Grants Administration for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he oversees core financial operations of the Foundation and affiliates, ensuring accurate financial reporting, maintaining strong internal controls, and supervising finance staff. Prior to joining the Kauffman Foundation, Torgerson was a senior assurance associate and audit manager […]
Why Collective Impact matters: Lessons from Kauffman’s first implementation investment July 20, 2026 How investing in collaboration, readiness, and regional capacity is shaping a new approach to systems change.
Sam Aleinikoff Sam Aleinikoff is a director of college access and completion on the Impact team for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. He serves as the Foundation’s programmatic and operational strategist for its college access and completion priority area, translating the organization’s grantmaking vision into an intentional and robust grantmaking portfolio. Aleinikoff began his career in education, […]
Virginia Commonwealth University Support to conduct community-engaged research, alongside ESO partners, into the experiences of racially and ethnically diverse entrepreneurs in Richmond, Virginia.
WGU Corporation Support for a college access and completion project to support the development of community-led nursing pathways through a unique 1-year bachelor of nursing program for RNs who do not currently hold bachelor of nursing degrees.
Washington University Support for research to build existing models of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in St. Louis, MO and expand those to include current and historical racial disparities and emerging models of shared ownership and prosperity.
Washington University Support for research on emerging entrepreneurship-centered community wealth building (ECCWB) models.
Washington University Support to study how the gig economy affects entry into entrepreneurship, young firm growth, and their sources of capital.