Meet the Kauffman Foundation’s newest board member
February 9, 2017 | Bobby Burch
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has added a new member to its high-caliber board of trustees.
The foundation announced Thursday that Esther L. George — the current president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City — will serve on its board. As a member of the board, George will support the foundation’s mission of advancing educational achievement and entrepreneurial success.
“I am excited for this opportunity to contribute to the Kauffman Foundation’s mission of developing entrepreneurs, who drive the U.S. economy,” George said in a release. “The importance of the legacy Mr. Kauffman left for Kansas City through his foundation, and the support it provides to this region and beyond, cannot be overstated.”
George was appointed as the Kansas City Fed’s president in 2011 after serving nearly 30 years, most recently as chief operating officer. As president of the Kansas City Fed, she directs Federal Reserve activities in a seven-state region with offices in Kansas City, Omaha, Oklahoma City and Denver. George is also a member of the Federal Open Market committee, which is responsible for setting U.S. monetary policy.
“We are honored to have President George join the Kauffman Board of Trustees,” Kauffman board chairman Janice Kreamer said in a release. “Her deep roots in our community along with her understanding and expertise in economics and finance will greatly inform our work with entrepreneurs around the country. She has the experience and insight to help us move forward on our strategic directions.”
A Missouri native, George received a degree in business administration from Missouri Western State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She is a graduate of the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
George joins nine other trustees on the Kauffman board, which you can check out here.

2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Opening KC to black entrepreneurs begins with teaching startup lingo, tearing down walls
Most entrepreneurs operate within silos, said Adrienne Haynes, noting that black-run startups face particular — though not insurmountable — challenges becoming embedded in the Kansas City startup scene. Seemingly approachable community events and coworking spaces aren’t always as open as organizers think, added Quest Moffat, founder of Project United Knowledge, joining Haynes and Donald Hawkins,…
Facing failure? Think about the bad ideas first
Entrepreneurs need to stop glamorizing the startup world, and recognize the inevitable burnout or failure involved, said Danielle Lehman. Lehman, founder of Kansas City-based consulting firm Boxer & Mutt, knows about failure, she told a crowd Friday at Global Entrepreneurship Week, noting a list of startups that she was involved in, including MySpace, that didn’t…
‘Don’t shut yourself off’: Seniorpreneurs reveal power in age, experience, savings
Figure out what you love to do and monetize it, Ann O’Meara told a room of entrepreneurs looking for advice on starting their second act after retirement. Seniorpreneurs — entrepreneurs over the age of 50 — are working to turn their lifelong hobbies into cash flow, O’Meara, CEO of Fantastic 55, revealed during a Global…
