Heather Kahlert | EVP | The Kahlert Foundation

Heather’s foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations in the areas of healthcare, education, youth programs, veteran organizations and human services. She has made a significant impact on the University of Utah by providing scholarship support, ensuring student housing for 1,400 students annually with the Kahlert Village, supporting the new medical education building and executive producing documentaries that bring awareness to discoveries at University of Utah Health. Heather also helped establish the Kahlert School of Computing, ensuring an innovative workforce that will continue to drive tech globally. She regularly mentors young women, encouraging them to pursue careers in STEM.

Who inspires you most? Why?

I find inspiration in those tirelessly working to bring about actual systemic change. They recognize that there are deep-seated issues in our society that must be addressed and are committed to making a bold difference. As a parent of three wonderful children, however, there is no question that they are my biggest inspiration. I feel a deep responsibility to create a better world for future generations. I am committed to doing my part to make their global community a better place to live. It is a lofty goal, but one that is worth striving for.

What do you most want to accomplish in your career?

I want to address systemic challenges in our community by leveraging cross-sector collaboration in philanthropy, business, government, education and more. As a philanthropist, we must collectively challenge the status quo of how tax-exempt organizations have traditionally been funded and strive for more effective and sustainable solutions in addressing real social problems. Let’s inspire people to give unrestricted funds!