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 […]

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 […]

How investing in collaboration, readiness, and regional capacity is shaping a new approach to systems change.

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, […]

Parade of Hearts sculpture “CommUnity Through CommonUnity” finds permanent residency at the Foundation.

Meyers will retire summer 2026, leaving a strong legacy as a visionary, and Kansas City as SourceLink’s flagship city and a model for entrepreneurship support.

Michael Evangelist is a senior data officer with the Research, Learning, and Evaluation team at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he implements the RLE team’s data strategy and operationalizes data analysis to inform policy and local activities in alignment with the Foundation’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities. Prior to joining the Kauffman Foundation, Evangelist […]

The award honors those who have brought their vision to life by creating lasting, measurable change.

2026 Inaugural Visionary AWARDee Tysie McDowell Founding SuperintendentCrossroads Charter Schools, Inc. The Visionary Award The Kauffman Uncommon Leader Visionary Award is designed to honor an executive leader from a 501(c)(3) public charity in the Kansas City region who is building an inspiring and impactful legacy within their community, particularly aligned with the Foundation’s mission to advance economic […]

David Ryckman is a sourcing and vendor manager in Finance and Grants Administration for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he supports teams in securing high-quality partners that align with the Foundation’s mission by providing expertise in sourcing strategies, vendor relationships, and procurement processes that strengthen operational capacity and cross-functional effectiveness. Ryckman serves as the […]