Larysa Kautz

Larysa Kautz has served as Melwood’s President & CEO since July 2020, bringing nearly 20 years of experience in law, business, advocacy, and nonprofit management to this position. Larysa previously served as Melwood’s General Counsel and Chief of Staff.

After receiving her law degrees from Yale Law School (JD) and the Georgetown University Law Center (LLM, tax), Larysa focused her career on affordable housing development, venture philanthropy, and advising national and international nonprofits. Prior to joining Melwood, Larysa was a partner at the Schaner & Lubitz law firm and served as counsel at Bingham McCutchen (now Morgan Lewis).

As a first-generation American, a daughter of parents with invisible disabilities, and a mother of a child with autism, Larysa is passionate about Melwood’s mission of inclusion and has been a fierce advocate for individuals with disabilities throughout her life. She founded Melwood’s Advocacy department, which has significantly increased the organization’s effectiveness at influencing policies and legislation that benefits the communities that Melwood serves, including people with disabilities and injured veterans. Larysa has also been instrumental in advocating for the abolition of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows employers to pay workers with disabilities below minimum wage.