Laura McKnight

Laura McKnight serves as the Managing Director of Practice Development, helping extend the firm’s services into specialized industries and other trusted networks where clients have distinctive needs, such as business ownership, aviation, law enforcement, dentistry, professional sports and entrepreneurship.

Laura began her career practicing tax, corporate and estate planning law. Thereafter, spent six years leading business development and market expansion efforts as the president and CEO of a large community foundation that managed more than $5 billion in assets. In 2012, Laura took on the role of CEO at a private equity firm that administered nearly $8 billion in donor-advised fund assets on its SaaS platform before later facilitating the company’s sale to another private equity-owned company.

Laura’s first book, “Cereal for Dinner, Cake for Dessert,” published in 2012, is a story to inspire women to think differently about how work, life and community are intertwined in their lives. In her second book, “Do Good, Feel Better,” published in 2017, she explores the connection between philanthropy and positive psychology and how it helps drive success in client, employee and consumer engagement.

Laura earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Trinity University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from the University of Kansas School of Law, where she served as managing editor of the Kansas Law Review.

Laura lives in Leawood, Kansas, with her husband, daughters and two dogs. She has served on several boards of directors over the course of her career and is the grateful recipient of honors that include Ingram’s 40 Under 40 and the Kansas City Tomorrow Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005.