Debruce Foundation| Our Story

The DeBruce Foundation was established by Kansas City business and civic leader Paul DeBruce.

Our Founder

Paul DeBruce is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DeBruce Grain, Inc., which was comprised of grain facilities, grain trading, grain and oilseed processing facilities, wholesale fertilizer terminals, fertilizer trading, feed ingredient handling facilities and feed ingredient trading throughout the United States and Mexico with 75 locations.

Mr. DeBruce chaired the Kansas City Federal Reserve Board of Directors and presided over the Terminal Grain Elevator Merchants Association. His board service extended to National Grain and Feed Association, Kansas City Board of Trade, Civic Council of Kansas City, American Royal and Customer Advisory Board to Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. His leadership as a Trustee of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and assorted other Kansas City organizations resulted in lasting impact for the community.

In 1988, he established The DeBruce Foundation to give back in the greater Kansas City region and beyond. The DeBruce Foundation is supported by DeBruce Companies, a private investment firm managing a diverse portfolio of private equity and other asset class investments across a broad range of industries, including biotech, energy, manufacturing, technology, and real estate.

Over the past three decades, The DeBruce Foundation has invested in various non- profits to improve the lives of others and strengthen our community. We’re now focused on harnessing market forces to advance our mission.

At the DeBruce Foundation, our mission is to expand pathways to economic growth and opportunity.

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Entrepreneur of the Year

Congratulations to our Founder and CEO, Paul DeBruce, on receiving the 2018 Marion & John Kreamer Award for Social Entrepreneurship.

The award is sponsored by the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to celebrate innovation and creative accomplishments in business and honors visionary leaders in the Kansas City region.

Paul joined other honorees at UMKC’s Bloch School of Management, including Steve Case, Toby Rush, Jim and Virginia Stowers and student entrepreneur of the year Andrea Savage.

Acceptance remarks included, “The students who fill this hall with their ambitious and visionary efforts tonight give hope to all of us.

Our future for solving problems rests with these and other bright young minds.

The DeBruce Foundation is proud to join UMKC, the Bloch School and Regnier Institute in nurturing the next generation of social entrepreneurs who will forever change the world for the better.”

EULA

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