What is The Hayek Group?
The Hayek Group is a 501c3 non-profit with the mission of promoting freedom and the prosperity freedom brings. Among social organizations, this local charity is one of the best charities to donate to in Northern Nevada. Hayek Group monthly dinner meetings feature speakers on a wide variety of topics that inform, challenge, and develop those who attend. The Hayek Group K-12 financial education outreach places the Dave Ramsey Foundations in Personal Finance program in Northern Nevada schools, recognizing sound money management provides financial freedom. The Hayek Group Hobnobber Program provides college aged youth with a Hayekian education, financial education, and the opportunity to network with accomplished Hayek Group members. The Hayek Discussion Group provides participants the opportunity to discuss the issues of the day. In all it does, The Hayek Group seeks to arm people with the understanding of why freedom is both fair and fruitful.
Why is the organization called The Hayek Group?
The Hayek Group adopts the name of the late Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek because we embrace his central premise: Freedom is not only an end worth pursuing, but also a primary means for producing prosperity. At the end of his ROAD TO SERFDOM book, Hayek said, “A policy of freedom for the individual is the only true progressive policy.” The Hayek Group seeks to inform, challenge, and develop its members and guests by providing thoughtful speakers at dinner meetings, by providing opportunities to mix with people who value freedom, and by engaging in meaningful outreach that extends freedom and its benefits.
THE FOUR WAYS THE HAYEK GROUP PURSUES ITS MISSION
Get Involved!
The Hayek Group is operated by an all-volunteer board, and implements its programs entirely through donations. To support our monthly dinner meetings, you can become a Hayek Group member. Member donations primarily fund the travel and honorariums of speakers who come from outside Northern Nevada. To support our financial education program for youth, you can become an educational Ambassador at a donation level of $2500 or more. Or, you can make a donation of a lesser amount. To support a Hayek Group Hobnobber, you can make a $300 charitable donation.
A TEAM OF HAYEK GROUP MEMBERS IS WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO HELP ENSURE THE CURRICULUM IS USED TO ITS FULLEST EXTENT.
The Hayek Group has funded the Ramsey curriculum for some classrooms in 13 schools in Northern Nevada that are not in the Washoe County School District.
One big accomplishment was the negotiation and funding of a 7 year site license of the Dave Ramsey Foundations in Personal Finance curriculum for the Washoe County School District. This ensures up to 5000 seniors per year will have access to quality financial education. The curriculum is also being used in innovative ways, like in a 9th grade math class to motivate students to learn how to use percentages. The current effort is to extend the efforts in these and other Northern Nevada schools to reach more students. Site licenses are the best way to reach all students at the lowest cost. They must be negotiated and funded one school at a time.
Meet the Hayek Group Team
The Hayek Group Board is a dedicated group of volunteers who take on various roles in order to execute the activities that pursue the mission of The Hayek Group.
Mark Pingle
PRESIDENTMark Pingle is a professor of economics, a member of the University of Nevada, Reno Department of Economics since 1990. He received his B.S. degree in economics from Southern Oregon State College in 1983. He received his M.A. in 1984 and Ph.D. in Economics in 1988, both from the University of Southern California. He appreciates the Hayek Group's commitment to promoting freedom and the prosperity it brings, including the prosperity the Hayek Group promotes by helping young people learn how to effectively manage their finances.
Emily Mimnaugh
SECRETARYEmily Mimnaugh is a Reno-based attorney. In 2019 she opened the Nevada Office for a non-profit law firm dedicated to defending fundamental freedoms including religious liberty and other civil rights. Before coming to Nevada, she practiced law overseas with a focus on debt and equity capital markets. Emily grew up in Northern California where she became a lifelong tennis fan and supporter of traditional jazz. She received her B.A. from Yale University, her M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge and her J.D. from the University of Michigan. Go Blue!
John Phillips
AUDIO VISUAL CHAIRJohn Phillips volunteers his audio-visual expertise to the Hayek Group, allowing those who cannot make dinner meetings to still examine the talks of the many great dinner meeting speakers.
Kellie R. George
TREASURERKellie George is a certified human behavior consultant and a certified John C. Maxwell leadership speaker and trainer; she brings over 34 years of experience in public speaking, business development, sales, marketing, and business management. She specializes in helping companies retain their talent with internal development. Kellie is actively involved in multiple community organizations, and provides leadership training and financial education to youth and adults.
Parky May
PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIRParky May is the Vice President and Grand High Poohbah of Bergdahl Associates, a small, woman-owned business in Reno that specializes in aerospace and industrial adhesives, sealants, dispensing systems and cleaners. He is a national expert on both sticking important things like airplane parts together, and getting them unstuck again later, when the need arises. With over 50 years’ experience as a manager and leader, small business owner, general contractor, Red Cross disaster services volunteer and consultant to industry and non-profits, he brings to Hayek a passion for service, a commitment to excellence, and a dedication to the importance of financial literacy as a stepping stone to success. In addition to Hayek, Parky is a patron of the arts, actively involved with the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra and Artown. He has an AAS Degree in Computer Sciences from American River College.
Jonathan Breiter
MARKETING CHAIRJonathan is a professor of business at University of Nevada, Reno, who focuses on teaching entrepreneurship, marketing, and management. He has 35 years of business experience. He worked on advertising campaigns for Wendy’s hamburgers and Yoplait yogurt, among many others. At Hasbro, he launched Barney and Elmo, along with about 150 other products. He left Hasbro to start his own company which he later sold to an international conglomerate that he joined. At that company, he helped launch Teletubbies, Pokemon, and SpongeBob Squarepants. Today, is greatest joy and interest is teaching.
Kathryn Guthrie
FINANCIAL LITERACY CHAIRKathryn Guthrie graduated from UC Davis in 1990 and married her husband and business partner Stewart. Kathryn has three adult children whom she raised in California before moving to Reno to own and operate The Liberty Group of Nevada, Inc., a brokerage specializing in selling main street and lower middle market businesses. Kathryn is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of business experience in a number of industries. Her passion lies in supporting small business owners to successfully transition their businesses to the next generation of ownership. Kathryn is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) through the Exit Planning Institute and a Value Builder Advisor, which makes her well-equipped to provide comprehensive guidance and support throughout the transaction process. She serves on the Member Engagement Committee for the International Business Broker Association (IBBA), and is committed to leveraging technology and ongoing professional development to enhance the buying and selling experience for her clients. As a 4-H and scouting volunteer Kathryn developed a passion for youth education which she hopes to expand in her volunteer activities with the Hayek Group Financial Education Committee.
ORIGINATION OF THE HAYEK GROUP: THE GENESIS OF THE HAYEK GROUP OCCURRED IN NOVEMBER, 2008.
The following are excerpts from two emails sent by Tom Motherway in mid November 2008 to a few others. These excerpts express the heart and intention of the genesis, and these still animate The Hayek Group today.
“I’ve mentioned to some of you the possibility of getting a group … together for discussion of current topics of interest to our society in economics, politics, education, finance, social mores, etc. My interest is to hear intelligent voices from varying backgrounds with the common interest in the values upon which our country was founded, liberty and democracy. All this, in an atmosphere of comradery and fun. … The common link is a desire to see the country governed properly.”
“Our nation’s future is in grave danger given the one-sidedness of the educational establishment and the fourth estate. This coupled with the educational level of the average voter does not augur well for our country, children and grandchildren. Recall the Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.”
“The majority have responded affirmatively in favor of regular periodic get-togethers to discuss topics of interest … . I therefore propose a regular mid-week early dinner group …. We could agree on different times, places and formats if the discussion concept has legs after the first couple of meetings. Our “interesting times” present a wealth of opportunity to learn, debate and discuss important issues of the day. The group itself brings a wealth of experience to the effort. … Best to all,”
Tom Motherway