The Kairos Foundation was first conceived in 1979 by its co-founders Roy Whitten and Brad Brown as a way to offer the skills and practices they had developed through their own work in psychotherapy and pastoral counseling. Their partnership originally began in the mid-1970's, and developed until Roy Whitten, a parish minister in the Episcopal Church, became Family Pastoral Counselor at Dr. Brown's Institute for Family and Human Relations.

Brad Brown explored the connection between social, psychological and spiritual development since his first degree in social psychology in 1957. During the 1960's he became the Rector of All Souls Church, close to Berkeley College campus, and established the Center for Human Interaction there. He was also active in the civil rights movement, before briefly becoming a visiting fellow in adult education at Oxford University. As a clinical psychologist, he worked with many of the pioneering therapists of the time, including Victor Frankl, Carl Rogers and Alexander Lowen, and studied with Alan Watts, a pioneering teacher who has played a key role in the introduction of Eastern thought to Western culture.

Together, Brad Brown and Roy Whitten had the vision of a training program that could combine the contemplative traditions with contemporary psychological tools, and offer a path of individual self discovery that could be followed in the midst of our daily lives. The Kairos Foundation has been dedicated to promoting this work for the past 20 years.

During the history of the Kairos Foundation many other individuals have also helped inform its mission and contribute to its development, from its original board members to its trainers. Sue Oldham has been a key figure among these since the earliest days. As a trainer, a board member and Executive Director, Sue was part of an Executive Team with David Templer and the two co-founders which shaped the program as it developed over time.

Other More To Life trainers have also been centrally involved in the growth of the Foundation, bringing insights and experiences from their own fields and taking key roles in its administration. The current Executive Director of the Kairos Foundation is Peggy Jarrett.