[4] His father, Mark Knaster, who held several patents relating to metal coatings, batteries and solar cells, worked in a number of respected scientific institutions, including USC.
His mother, Tatyana Knaster, is a civil engineer who taught at Pennsylvania Institute of Technology.
[8] Knaster also serves as Executive Fellow, London Business School, member of faculty at Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship.
[10] Knaster is an active philanthropist, who has made significant contributions to different academic institutions, including Carnegie Mellon University and Harvard Business School, where he serves as a regional Campaign Leadership volunteer.
In 2011, in partnership with fellow alumnus Bruce McWilliams, Knaster helped to establish the Knaster-McWilliams scholarships, which allow for increased access to faculty and early research opportunities in addition to tuition assistance.
[13] Knaster along with Stan Polovets and three fellow Russian Jewish oligarchs, Mikhail Fridman, Pyotr Aven, and German Khan, founded the Genesis Philanthropy Group whose purpose is to develop and enhance Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews worldwide.
He has transferred the bulk of his assets to it and plans to develop it to become a leading global donor to early stage cancer research.