Joseph Kanfer
Joe is a Founding Director of Lippman Kanfer Family Philanthropies and serves as Chair of Leading Edge, the center for talent and impact in the nonprofit Jewish sector. He was the Founding Chair of Honeymoon Israel and has previously served as Chair of JFNA (The Jewish Federations of North America), JESNA (the Jewish Education Service of North America), the Akron Jewish Federation, The Lippman School, and Akron Tomorrow. He currently serves on the board of Israel Policy Forum and has served on the boards of numerous other philanthropic organizations.
Joe is also a Founding Partner, Venturer, and Chair of the Investment Committee of Walnut Ridge, the Kanfer family office and private capital firm with a purpose-driven approach to investing. He brings deep expertise and energy to applying social and behavioral sciences and Jewish wisdom to challenges and opportunities across both the business and philanthropic worlds.
From 1973 to 2018, Joe served as Chairman and CEO of GOJO, makers of PURELL®. Today, as Venturer, he continues to focus on innovation. He is a venture investor in the United States and Israel.
Joe has been recognized for his leadership and impact, including receiving the H. Peter Burg Award from the Greater Akron Chamber and the Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award from the Akron Community Foundation.
He holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. Joe and his wife, Margie, have six children and nineteen grandchildren.