×
Subscribe

Subscribe Today

Save almost 50% off the newsstand price!

In addition to receiving 26 issues of The Independent Kansas City’s Journal of Society, your subscription will include our annual publication, the Charitable Events Calendar and a subscription to our e-newsletter, The Insider.

Questions about your current subscription? Contact Laura Gabriel at 816-471-2800.

2021 Class Of Rising Stars Katasha Kumar

Katasha Kumar has a deep passion and commitment to philanthropy that developed early in her childhood. Growing up in Chicago, Katasha’s family introduced her to volunteerism and community engagement, not as something to do, but as a way to demonstrate their long-held family values. From her time in Girl Scouts to volunteering at senior centers, Katasha spent hours giving back to her community. 

Kansas City became Katasha’s home after she graduated from The University of Kansas with a degree in broadcast journalism. As a first-generation college student from an immigrant family, she has always had dreams and goals that involve creating greater opportunities for marginalized communities. Katasha does not shy away from a challenge and is empowered to navigate spaces not traditionally occupied by women of color. Her love of sports led her to be the manager for the lacrosse team in high school, which later paved the way for her role as manager of The University of Kansas football team. Her career journey has had significant roles with organizations such as Women Leaders in College Sports, where engaging women as leaders was normalized. During her time with the organization, she advocated alongside her colleagues to create greater gender equity.

As a volunteer, Katasha likes to engage in all aspects of philanthropy. When describing her role with the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Big Impact Group (B.I.G.) Junior Board, Katasha expressed her love of active engagement and her work in everything from serving as a Big, cultivating relationships with sponsors, and assisting with fundraising. She counts her role as a Big as one of her most treasured and impactful experiences. Katasha, who has been matched to her Little since her Little’s eighth grade year, is now guiding her as she embarks on the college application process.

Katasha leads with both compassion and empathy. She lifts up others on her team and describes her work as being mission and culture driven. This leadership style has been noted and well received by her colleagues and made her a notable star in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Chloe Isaak and Jackie Berra had this to say about Katasha, “She is a champion of giving space to marginalized communities and passing her platform to those who need to be heard. Her leadership and mentorship is effective, impressive, and inspiring.”

Katasha continuously sets goals and strives to not only reach them but consistently exceeds them. As noted by Zach Riel, “In her first year supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters through the Summer Bowl for Kids’ Sake event, she raised $3,000 between two bowling teams from her company. Since 2017, she has led her team to raise more than $52,000 across eight different teams.” As a result of her strong leadership, Katasha was named president of the Big Impact Group Junior Board at the beginning of the year.

Katasha played a key role on the leadership team of Dimensional Innovations for several years, where she was involved with BoysGrow’s Gather & Grow Farm Dinner and also worked with BrandLab to help create two internships at Dimensional Innovations for high school-aged youth. Katasha recently accepted a role as the sales operations manager for C2FO. 

Her impact in the community is furthered by her involvement with the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s diverse business committee and her engagement on community panels and discussions on diversity and inclusion. 

When asked about her philosophy on philanthropy, Katasha simply stated, “Whether large or small gestures, they all add up.” Her focus on the value everyone brings to the table, and their ability to give in meaningful ways, is at the heart of Katasha’s mindset as a truly inclusive leader.

Also featured in the July 24, 2021 issue of The Independent
Photo Credit: Tom Styrkowicz
By Nicole Jacobs Silvey

 

 

 

 

Nicole Jacobs Silvey

Nicole is passionate about philanthropy and spent more than 20 years working in the non-profit sector. She became a contributing writer for The Independent in April of 2021 and enjoys telling the stories of Kansas City’s most noted leaders. When not writing for The Independent, she dedicates her time as the Founder and President of Connection Coach KC. Nicole can most often be found cheering on her son, Rowan, during a sporting event or spending time volunteering at one of the many organizations she admires. Nicole and her husband, Patrick, enjoy raising Rowan and Cooper (their golden puppy!) in Kansas City, a community they love to call home.

Features

Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault – 30th annual Community Luncheon

Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA) will host its 30th annual Community Luncheon on May 1st with Kathy Koehler and Heather Bortnick serving as honorary co-chairs. Leah and Arlan…

Unbound Welcomes New President and CEO

Unbound is an international non profit that delivers more than $100 million in personalized support annually for children, elders, and their families living in poverty in Latin America, Asia, and…

The Symphony League of Kansas City – 2024 Symphony Ball

The 2024 Symphony Ball, to be held on September 7th at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, will launch the tenure of music director Matthias Pintscher. His Kansas City…

Catholic Education Foundation – 2023 Gaudeamus Gala

Catholic Education Foundation is so very grateful to Karen and Craig Gaffney for their leadership and support of the organization’s 2023 Gaudeamus Gala, which raised a record-breaking $2.4 million for…