Kelly Loeffler, the 28th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, is an entrepreneur, executive, philanthropist, and former U.S. Senator from Georgia who has dedicated her three-decade career to growing businesses and advancing economic opportunity for all.
A self-made businesswoman, Loeffler rose from modest beginnings. She grew up in rural Illinois working on her family’s farm, attending public school, and waitressing - becoming the first in her family to graduate college. She was recruited into the automotive industry and later earned her MBA.
She then built a 25-year career in financial services and technology, including as SVP of Investor Relations, Chief Communications Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer at Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE). As a member of the executive leadership team at ICE, Loeffler contributed to more than a dozen transactions including the company’s acquisition of the NYSE - helping grow the business from a small startup with less than 100 employees to a Fortune 500 company.
In 2018, she was the founding CEO and first employee of Bakkt (NYSE:BKKT), a fintech startup formed to bring institutional infrastructure to the crypto asset class.
Loeffler was appointed to serve in the U.S. Senate in 2020, where she brought her private-sector experience to Washington. She championed conservative values, advocated for small businesses, and passed legislation to strengthen healthcare, veterans’ services, and economic growth. A decade-long WNBA team owner, she was the first U.S. Senator to introduce a bill to protect girls’ sports.
After her Senate service, Loeffler founded Greater Georgia Action, an election integrity advocacy and voter outreach nonprofit. She also founded RallyRight, a conservative tech startup – while serving on several corporate and philanthropic boards.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois College of Commerce, an MBA from DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, and is the only CFA® charterholder to ever serve in Congress. A lifelong Catholic, she is also a tireless advocate for President Trump’s America First agenda and strongly supports the pro-growth policies that enable the American Dream.
