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Kaira Grundig Joins THRIVE ON! Board as General Community Liaison
THRIVE ON! Network Inc. (THRIVE ON!) is proud to announce that Kaira Grundig has joined the THRIVE ON! Board of Directors as General Community Liaison, bringing over two decades of business leadership, community advocacy, and a deep commitment to inclusive, participatory governance in Kingston and the Hudson Valley.
January 11, 2026
From Seattle to Kingston: A Career Rooted in Leadership and Service
Kaira Grundig arrived in Kingston from Seattle in 1999 to study at SUNY New Paltz and never looked back. Over the next two decades, she built a career in the hospitality industry, rising to senior leadership positions and becoming a partner in several multi-million-dollar restaurant ventures.
In 2017, she made history as the first female Managing Partner in her region at the Kingston franchise of Texas Roadhouse—a milestone she used as a platform to champion community service and empower the people around her.
Advocacy, Inclusion, and Community Voice
Throughout her career, Kaira has paired professional success with a commitment to giving back. Her advocacy has spanned labor law hearings at the NYS Department of Labor, forums like the Tri-State Diversity Council and the Women's National Food Service Forum, and volunteer work with Hudson Valley Hospice and veterans' causes.
She is a strong believer in the power of local institutions—libraries, parks departments, neighborhood business associations—to serve as connective tissue for inclusive community engagement, ensuring that every family and small business has access to the resources and voice they deserve.
Strengthening THRIVE ON!'s Accountability to Community
As General Community Liaison, Kaira will ensure that THRIVE ON!'s Board remains directly accountable to the broader Kingston community it serves. Her role reflects THRIVE ON!'s commitment to participatory governance—where the voices of residents, families, and local stakeholders shape the decisions of the organization.
"Kaira has spent her career building things that bring people together—businesses, coalitions, community spaces," said Keyvious Avery, President of THRIVE ON!. "That's exactly the energy and accountability our Board needs."
About Kaira Grundig
Kaira Grundig is a business leader, community advocate, and longtime Kingston resident with over two decades of experience in hospitality and civic engagement. She is a former Managing Partner at Texas Roadhouse Kingston and an advocate for inclusive local governance across the Hudson Valley.
About THRIVE ON!
THRIVE ON! is a youth-driven nonprofit based in Kingston, NY. Through its Early Thrivers program and Rootwork incubator, THRIVE ON! equips young people and grassroots leaders to design, build, and lead the solutions their communities need.