Kent Dauten is Chairman of the Dauten Family Foundation which he and his wife Liz created to pursue their strong interest in brain health and science, and serves in his “day job” as Chairman of private equity firm Keystone Capital in Chicago, IL. The Dautens are one of the most active philanthropic families focused on the field of bipolar disorder, and have supported numerous leading research and community mental health programs across the country. They created the Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation at Mass General Hospital in Boston in 2017, and collaborated in 2022 with the Brin and Baszucki families to found BD2, a new non-profit dedicated to bipolar research organized by the Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy. Kent started his career in 1979 at First Chicago Venture Capital where he eventually led the spinoff of the firm to co-found Madison Dearborn Partners, creating the Midwest’s largest private equity firm. He later left to acquire and run as CEO a health care records management business, and to eventually co-found Keystone Capital, a family office investment firm. He has served as a board member of Iron Mountain (NYSE) since 1997. Kent has served as board Chair of several Chicago civic organizations including the Museum of Science & Industry, Northwestern Medicine Foundation, Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance, and Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, and is currently Co-Chair of inner city school Big Shoulders Fund. Born and raised in Champaign, IL, Kent is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Business School.
