Barbara and Amos Hostetter are cofounders and trustees of the Barr Foundation of Boston, Massachusetts, among the largest private foundations in the New England region, with assets of $2.8 billion. Since its inception in 1997, Barr has granted over $1.5 billion, principally in its priority areas of the arts, climate, and education. Barbara Hostetter has served as chair of the board of trustees since Barr’s founding.

A pioneer of the cable television industry, Amos Hostetter cofounded Continental Cablevision and served as its chair and CEO from 1980–1996. During this period, Continental grew to become the third largest company in the cable television business. He was also a founding director and chairman of C-SPAN and, for his contributions to the cable industry, he was inducted into the Cable Television Hall of Fame. Among his civic leadership roles, Hostetter is chair emeritus of the boards of Amherst College and WGBH, and he has served on the boards of AT&T, Colonial Williamsburg Society, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, among others.

Barbara Hostetter is actively engaged in Boston’s cultural life through a variety of civic leadership roles. She is currently a trustee and chair of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and she serves as a trustee of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She is also a life trustee of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where she served as president of the board for ten years. During her leadership tenure, she led the museum through a major expansion, with the new Renzo Piano-designed wing which opened in 2012. Her prior board service includes the New England Aquarium, Friends of the Public Garden, and Milton Academy.