about us

The Charles Koch Foundation works to ensure all people have the opportunity to live a life of meaning and contribution based on their unique gifts and aptitudes.

We do this by investing in social entrepreneurs who can transform the institutions most responsible for lifelong learning, post-secondary education, and business, empowering people to engage in work that enables virtuous cycles of mutual benefit.

Our Guiding Values

The way we conduct our philanthropy reflects our vision for a society that is guided by:

Equal Rights Everyone should be treated equally under the law.
mutual benefit People succeed by helping others improve their lives.
openness An open exchange of ideas creates new knowledge, innovations, and opportunities.
self-actualization Every person deserves the opportunity to discover,  develop, and apply their talents and contribute to society.

Our Leadership

Charles G. Koch

chairman & ceo

Charles Koch is chairman and CEO of Koch Industries, one of the largest privately held American companies. An influential philanthropist for more than 50 years, he supports education, a community of organizations addressing persistent poverty, and public-policy research focused on developing effective solutions to societal problems. He has founded numerous nonprofit organizations, including Stand Together. He holds two master’s degrees in nuclear and chemical engineering from MIT and lives in Wichita, Kansas, with his wife, Liz.

Brian Hooks

President

Brian Hooks is chairman and CEO of Stand Together and president of the Charles Koch Foundation. Previously, he served as executive director and COO of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is co-author with Charles Koch of Believe in People: Bottom Up Solutions for a Top Down World. Brian was named to the 2021 TIME100 Next list, featuring leaders who are shaping the future of their fields. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife and daughter.  

Ryan Stowers

Executive Director

Ryan Stowers has been a leader at the Charles Koch Foundation for over 15 years. Before joining the Foundation, he worked for the American Enterprise Institute after earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Utah State University. Stowers serves on the board of the Bill of Rights Institute and the Institute for Humane Studies, as well as the national advisory board for the John M. Huntsman School of Business and the Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University.