Esther J. Kahng

Biography

Esther Kahng currently serves as the Head of Public Policy and Chief of Staff at Zest AI, serving as a strategic advisor to the CEO and leading the company’s engagement with policymakers and regulatory bodies. Prior to this role, she was Chief Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services. In this capacity, she served as a top advisor to Ranking Member Maxine Waters on all matters under the Committee’s jurisdiction and played a leading role in the development and implementation of the Ranking Member’s policy priorities and legislative strategy. Before serving as Chief Counsel, she specialized in mortgage finance, affordable housing, and insurance policy issues as the Director of Housing and Insurance Policy, Senior Counsel, and Counsel for the Committee. Kahng’s legislative work over a decade with the Committee has led to well over 150 bills and amendments passing into law, including critical and unprecedented investments into housing and small businesses that were passed into law during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She earned her BA at UC San Diego and her JD from Georgetown University Law Center.