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2020 Class of Rising Stars Jason Carter-Solomon

Jason Carter-Solomon is vice president of commercial real estate and commercial banking at Enterprise Bank & Trust. He specializes in helping business owners, real estate developers, and investors purchase commercial real estate and businesses and manage their working capital.

In 2013, Jason was the first Master of Science in Entrepreneurial Real Estate graduate at the UMKC Henry W. Bloch School of Management. He is now a board member of the school. According to an interview Jason gave in 2017 to Bloch News: “I fell into commercial banking unintentionally, which is pretty common. I learned pretty early on that the most impactful part of what we do as bankers is developing relationships with people. I truly love hearing the stories about the entrepreneurial journey. I love learning about people’s lives and their innovations and helping them meet their objectives.”

Jason has lent his financial and operational experience to other boards in the area. Due to his love of tinkering with old cars and attending car shows with his daughter, Jason serves as the building committee chairman for the Kansas City Automotive Museum, currently located in Olathe. The Museum is more than just a cool car collection; it serves to inspire young adults into careers in STEAM through interactive workshops and experiences for groups like Boy Scouts of America, as well as students. The Museum also specifically highlights Kansas City’s significance in automotive history and is working on a new location that will allow it to expand its experiential programs and be another great family destination.

Jason is also an alumnus of the Centurions Leadership Program and serves as civics co-chairman for the alumni board. The Centurions Leadership Program is like a master’s program unto itself, focused on learning what makes Kansas City “work.”

The reason why Jason is so successful as both a professional and as a volunteer is that he was blessed with outstanding opportunities. “I grew up poor and often in hard circumstances. The opportunities I’ve had can be directly attributed to people who were generous with their time, talent, and treasure in the city I grew up in. I was fortunate that I have had some very impactful people championing me and inspiring me. I feel so fortunate for this. I think it obligates me to show similar interest in our city and become positively involved in people’s lives somehow. I hope that I can contribute in some small way to creating the types of opportunities for others that I had growing up.”

Jason feels humbled to be a part of the current and previous classes of Rising Stars. “I think the Rising Star recognition is really more about highlighting the philanthropic spirit of our great city, not necessarily about the individual. Certainly, the real recognition belongs to those on the daily front lines of our schools, hospitals, and many non-profit organizations. The people on the front lines are the ones helping those who need it the most. I’m just lucky to serve to support these folks and be a part of talented teams and awesome missions.”

Also featured in the July 11, 2020 issue of The Independent
Photo credit: Tom Styrkowicz
By Ann Slegman

Ann Slegman

Ann Slegman has thoroughly enjoyed her various positions at The Independent since she started in 2006. She has been the managing editor and editor and is now a contributing writer for the magazine. She and her husband, Tom, are parents of two adult children who live in Brooklyn, David and Kate. Ann enjoys reading, traveling, playing tennis, bridge and Mahjong, watching Netflix shows, and walking her Havanese dog, Morris. She has written a novel, Return to Sender, and a collection of poems, Conversation.

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