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Our Story

When our father and husband, John Kissick, founded the Kissick Family Foundation in 1994, he applied the same approach to philanthropy that served him so well in the world of business.

John was known for his unparalleled ability 
to recognize and nurture talent, as well as to willingly take bets where others would not. He fervently believed that to build a great business you “just do what you think is the right thing – not necessarily the most profitable, not necessarily the most creative, just what you think we’d all be proud of.”

John’s hope was that the foundation would 
unite our family and future generations around philanthropy – and that it would run nimbly and creatively, no differently from how a business is run. We are proud to carry on his legacy through our work.

Our Founder

John Kissick (1942-2024)

Founding President

John Harold Kissick was the founding president of the Kissick Family Foundation. Over his impressive career, John was a leader in the finance world, co-founding and leading Apollo Management in 1990 and Ares Management in 1997 until his retirement in 2019. Prior to co-founding Apollo and Ares Management, John was a Senior Executive Vice President of Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. where he began in 1975 and eventually headed its West Coast Corporate Finance Department. John graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Economics, attended the Navy Officer Candidate School to serve as a Naval Officer during the Vietnam War, and later graduated with highest honors from the Stanford Graduate School of Business with a M.B.A. in Finance.

John Harold Kissick was the founding president of the Kissick Family Foundation. Over his impressive career, John was a leader in the finance world, co-founding and leading Apollo Management in 1990 and Ares Management in 1997 until his retirement in 2019. Prior to co-founding Apollo and Ares Management, John was a Senior Executive Vice President of Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. where he began in 1975 and eventually headed its West Coast Corporate Finance Department. John graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Economics, attended the Navy Officer Candidate School to serve as a Naval Officer during the Vietnam War, and later graduated with highest honors from the Stanford Graduate School of Business with a M.B.A. in Finance.

While leading the Kissick Family Foundation, John served on numerous charitable foundation boards, including Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford School of Education, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Harvard-Westlake School, and a number of Los Angeles inner city public and charter schools. His passion for investing in the underserved and ability to take smart risks and bet on talent guided his philanthropy through the Kissick Family Foundation. 

Featured alongside John in this photograph are his children, Kasey and Ryan, and wife, Kathy, gathered together to celebrate Ryan’s wedding in 2015.

Watch John Kissick Tribute

Our Team

Kasey Kissick Duarte

Co-President

Kasey serves as co-president of the Kissick Family Foundation alongside her brother, Ryan Kissick. Kasey has centered her career at the intersection of technology and health, previously working as a product manager at Lyra Health, a mental healthcare technology company, and Invitae, a medical genetics company. She also has extensive experience in the non-profit sector, working across research, marketing, and advisory roles in the medical research and social impact space. Kasey holds a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University with a focus on Bio-Medical Science and Health Policy.

Ryan Kissick

Co-President

Ryan is co-president of the Kissick Family Foundation alongside Kasey and co-founder of Good Juju Ink, an eco-friendly design company. Ryan has extensive experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, having previously worked at Glassdoor, Stanford University, Bain & Company, and Green Dot Public Schools. In addition, Ryan has served as the board chair of SeaLegacy and has held advisory roles at The Nature Conservancy, Coral Gardeners, and Peer Health Exchange. Ryan earned a M.B.A. from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business; in addition, he earned a M.S. from Stanford University in Management Science & Engineering and a B.A. from Stanford in Human Biology.

Kathy Kissick

Vice-President & Treasurer

Kathy Kissick has been vice president of the Kissick Family Foundation since its inception. She earned a B.S. degree in Economics and an MBA with concentrations in Marketing and Marketing Research from the University of California Riverside. Her early career was with Homart Development Company, a real estate subsidiary of Sears, as west coast director of leasing for the company’s regional shopping centers. Following Homart, she continued to work in commercial real estate as Vice President for the regional shopping centers of Richard Ellis/CBRE Group. After leaving the workforce, Kathy was an active force at her children’s schools. Most recently, she had devoted herself to the care of John in his struggle with frontotemporal dementia. She is a passionate supporter of improving treatment for others living with the disease.

Rebecca Goldman

Philanthropic Advisor

Rebecca is co-founder of Acora, a strategic advisory firm that partners with philanthropists, nonprofits and purpose-led brands. She is a nationally recognized impact leader who has spent more than two decades working at the nexus of philanthropy, business, and social change. She spent five years as the founding director of Good Robot, the impact arm of Bad Robot Productions, as well as executive director of Katie McGrath & J.J. Abrams Family Foundation. Prior to this, Rebecca worked as a senior philanthropic and political advisor at Margery Tabankin & Associates. She is also a founder of TIME’S UP, as well as a founding team member of Endeavor, now the world’s leading community of high-impact entrepreneurs.

Catherine St-Laurent

Philanthropic Advisor

Catherine is co-founder of Acora, a strategic advisory firm that partners with philanthropists, nonprofits and purpose-led brands. She is a global, multilingual executive with two decades of experience leading philanthropic and communications strategies. Named one of PR Week’s “40 Under 40,” she brings a unique blend of media acumen and narrative expertise. Previously, Catherine served as Chief of Staff to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex as well as founding Executive Director of Archewell Foundation. Prior to this, Catherine spent 10 years working with Melinda French Gates shaping her public profile and launching Pivotal Ventures.

Oliver Sabot

Director of Climate

Oliver Sabot is a serial entrepreneur, social impact executive, and executive coach focused on helping to accelerate transformative solutions to the climate crisis. He currently shapes the climate portfolio for the Kissick Family Foundation and has supported the development and execution of an ambitious climate strategy for the Additional Ventures.  He coaches a range of climatetech founders and CEOs, including as part of the leading climate accelerator, Elemental Excelerator. Oliver previously founded and led three ventures in Africa focused on closing massive gaps in quality education and skill development and served as the Executive Vice President for Global Programs at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), building and leading health programs reaching millions of people across more than 20 countries.