About Janet Harman
Founder and President - KDK-Harman Foundation

When Janet E. Harman founded the KDK-Harman Foundation in December 2004, it launched her new career. When her children were young, she “retired” from her career as an electrical engineer to focus on her family and community service. Today, Janet is the President of KDK-Harman Foundation, which she endowed with over $24 million dollars. KDK-Harman Foundation was created to support educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged children. “Education is an essential means towards achieving financial independence and enabling a better life for families and their future generations. A better educated society will result in lower crime rates, a reduced burden on Medicare and welfare systems, and increased economic productivity,” states Harman. Currently, Janet also serves on the boards of Greenlights for Nonprofit Success and the Ann Richards School.

Janet lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and her four children. Janet strives to pass on her values of commitment to philanthropic efforts and community service to her children by involving them in foundation activities.

Which of your personal traits is the most important in making you a good leader?
My creativity, energy level, self-confidence, communication skills, and ability to delegate all help me to be a good leader. I seem to have the ability to “think outside the box” in the field of philanthropy, which allows me to create a powerful vision and unique strategy for a small family foundation. I don’t let our asset size or small staff size hold us back in our ambitions or activities. I take in vast amounts of information from books, conferences, articles, case studies, and meetings to formulate a concise direction for the organization and empower my staff to move forward with the vision. I do not micromanage my staff and do convey to them a “can do” attitude.
What is the most rewarding thing about working in public/social service?
The most rewarding thing about working in the field of philanthropy is being able to personally see the benefits to children that the foundation is achieving in the Austin area community. I have the privilege of attending graduation ceremonies, hearing the testimonials from many children whose education we have supported, and attending countless site visits for the quality programs we have sponsored. Making a significant, direct, and long-term positive effect in another person’s life is extremely gratifying.
What is the most significant issue you would like to be able to solve?
I would like every child to have high-quality educational opportunities, regardless of their financial status.
What gadget can’t you live without?
I, like many people, am totally addicted to my iPhone. I even check my emails and texts at stop lights. I do refrain from texting while driving! I love having my calendar, email, and contacts available real-time wherever I am. I need to ramp up on using fun applications, instead of purely practical ones.