At the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, CIO Carlos Rangel leads an investment team that puts an emphasis on internal collaboration.

The Battle Creek, Michigan-based foundation managed $9.04 billion as of June 30 and was formed from donations from Will Keith Kellogg, founder of his namesake cereal company. Rangel was named CIO in 2021, following the retirement of Joel Wittenberg.

Vision, humility and belief in people are the values that have defined the organization for more than 90 years, according to Rangel.

“Investing is a multidisciplinary team effort,” Rangel says. “Within the Kellogg Foundation investment office, we emphasize collaboration and an interdependent way of working, allowing us to better balance our overall portfolio.”

Rangel says he feels fortunate for the strong organizational support provided by the Kellogg Foundation and says he has never worked with a better team of professionals than those in his investment office.

Some of the investment team’s most rewarding work has been collaborations across the organization, Rangel noted.

“We encourage open dialogue, which helps us identify risks, remain nimble and adapt quickly,” Rangel says. “Our networked organization connects the team closer to our mission, strengthening our sense of purpose and ability to contribute to the overall success of the foundation.”

Some of these inter-team collaborations included its expanding equity project to create “workplaces that work for all”; a real estate development in Battle Creek; and the foundation’s summer internship program.

“We believe our approach leads to better ideas, refined and screened by everyone in the team,” Rangel says.

—Matt Toledo