Michael Kahn has been one of Charlotte's leading silent philanthropists for several years. His heart is in helping the city's disadvantaged youth, which he has demonstrated by working with several organizations including Alexander's Children Center, Children's Miracle Network, Special Olympics and others that foster the belief that every child should have an opportunity to be the best they can be. He also serves on several boards including the Fletcher School, Darlington School and Hospitality House of Charlotte.

Kahn is ingrained in the North Carolina sports community, having become the owner of the Checkers in 2006 and a minority owner of their parent club, the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, in 2011. Since Kahn took control of the Checkers, the organization has helped several individual children and their families who were in need, both directly and through charitable organizations, raising a total of over $2.3 million. In 2011, the Checkers' work with the family of a young fan named Zach Bennett was featured on ESPN's weekly investigative newsmagazine show E:60.

Along with his brother, David, Kahn is a third generation owner of Empire Distributors, Inc., a wholesale wine and spirits company located in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Founded by their grandparents in 1940, Michael and David have, through hard work and a dedication to both family and tradition, taken the company to heights their grandparents never dreamed. As with the Checkers, the focus has been not only about growing the business, but about how Empire can give back to its community through employee initiatives and local charities.

Kahn, a native of Atlanta, moved to Charlotte in 1988, where he still resides with his wife Wendy and their three sons. A die-hard Georgia Bulldog fan, he has supported many different ventures with the University of Georgia, including several scholarship endowments and facility upgrades. The university honored him by unveiling the Michael A. Kahn Family Gate at Sanford Stadium in 2006.

Profile

Hometown	Atlanta, Georgia
College and major	University of Georgia - Business
As a kid, you dreamed of becoming:	Hard to remember that far back, however I'm sure it would have had something to do with hockey or football
Name one thing on your bucket list	Winning a championship for the city of Charlotte
If you were an animal, what would you be?	I think that's obvious ... Bulldawg
First CD/tape	Led Zepplin 1
Favorite food	Sashimi
Favorite movie	Stripes
Favorite pro/college sports team	Charlotte Checkers and Carolina Hurricanes / Georgia Bulldawgs
Favorite type of music	70's – 80's Rock
Favorite band	Dire Straits
Favorite book	The Twelve Universal Laws of Success
Fun fact	Once climbed a light tower during a concert at Grant Field (where Georgia Tech plays) to get a better view of the stage. Foreigner was playing and needless to say the Atlanta Police Department didn't follow my reasoning for pulling this stunt (their words).