Kauffman Foundation selects familiar face as new CEO
June 9, 2015 | Bobby Burch
After a yearlong, nationwide search for a new CEO, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation wound up selecting one of its own.
Guillies
The Kansas City-based foundation selected Wendy Guillies as the Foundation’s new president and CEO.
Guillies, who previously served as interim CEO and vice president of communications for the foundation, joined the organization in April 2000. She’s led such initiatives as Global Entrepreneurship Week, which engages communities in 150 countries around the world. She also was vital to developing the foundation’s strategic plan in Kansas City and around the world, the foundation said.
“Given my deep respect for Mr. Kauffman, it is an honor to be named CEO of the Foundation that bears his name,” Guillies said in a release. “While the Foundation has accomplished a great deal, there is much work to be done. I look forward to working with our extraordinary staff, trustees and leaders in our Kansas City community to fulfill Mr. Kauffman’s legacy and realize his vision of helping individuals attain economic independence by advancing educational achievement and entrepreneurial success.”
A native of Kansas City, Kan., Guillies serves on the boards of KCSourceLink and Kauffman FastTrac, and in 2014 was appointed to the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors. A graduate of the University of Nebraska, Guillies now lives in Overland Park with her husband and two daughters.
“Over the last year, the Kauffman Foundation has been an active and involved partner on countless initiatives focused on education, entrepreneurship and quality of life in Kansas City,” Kansas City Mayor Sly James said in a release. “Wendy’s passion for our community is evident and her knowledge of the issues related to education and entrepreneurship is deep. I look forward to partnering with her to continue to advance the important work currently underway at the Foundation to address some of our community’s most important and pressing challenges.”
Guillies has worked with the foundation’s previous three CEOs, including Tom McDonnell, who stepped down from the CEO post at the end of 2014.
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Just-launched retail hub gets first tenant, battling ‘blight of the heart’ on Troost corner
‘We are each other’s bootstraps’ Transforming a long-vacant building along Troost into a space for neighborhood small businesses is about empowering the entrepreneurs already living and working in the east side community, said Father Justin Mathews. The newly unveiled RS Impact Exchange — built within the renovated, 1920-built Baker Shoe Building at 3108-3116 Troost Ave.…
Hog Island to Parkville: Justus Drugstore owners docking new seafood concept in historic Parkville
The Parker Hollow builds on Chef Jonathan Justus’ mission to put small town Missouri on the menu PARKVILLE, Mo. — A bright yellow, nearly 150-year-old former Italian restaurant could become Kansas City’s go-to seafood destination with help from the world-renowned hometown culinary team behind Justus Drugstore and Black Dirt. Chef Jonathan Justus and his wife…
You can’t plan for this: ‘Mr K’ finalists wary of another ‘wrench into the face’ from Washington
An upended national political and economic climate has rippled down to Main Street, acknowledged leaders of this year’s Top 10 Small Businesses, bringing concerns about racism, DEI backlash, tariffs, and supply chain disruptions to Kansas City’s front door. “We’ve had people come into the shop and harass our employees, our customers,” explained Dulcinea Herrera —…
Hyde Park coffee space reopens with family vibe fitting historic neighborhood’s roots, owners say
A newly opened neighborhood coffee shop in Hyde Park hopes to bring a fresh, family-friendly vibe to Kansas City’s bustling coffee scene, its owners said. “We created 1888 Coffee to be something different — not just another café, but a welcoming hub for our community,” said Christine Kehoe, co-owner and operator of 1888 Coffee with…