Kara Gustafson

Kara Gustafson is President of RBC Foundation USA, where she leads the integration of philanthropic strategy and community investments across Royal Bank of Canada’s U.S. businesses. She is shaping a unified approach that brings together the firm’s capital, expertise, and partnerships to expand opportunity, drive employee impact, and strengthen communities, contributing to RBC’s C$2 billion global community investment commitment by 2035.

Kara brings 25 years of experience at the intersection of finance, business, and impact, and has played a leading role in designing and scaling initiatives representing over $2 billion in philanthropic and impact investments. She has developed and led programs spanning economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, workforce development, innovative partnerships, and the potential of AI to strengthen nonprofits and prepare communities for a changing economy.

During her 15-year tenure at Goldman Sachs, Kara was a founding team member of the firm’s Office of Corporate Engagement. She played a central role in launching and scaling its global impact platform, including signature initiatives 10,000 Women and 10,000 Small Businesses, which continue to drive long-term economic growth globally.

She subsequently served as Executive Director of the Aspen Institute’s Finance Leaders Fellowship, advancing values-based leadership among senior finance executives.

Kara chairs the Management Advisory Council at Fairfield University’s Dolan School of Business.

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