Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4)
Registration No. 333-232704

PROSPECTUS

7,011,589 Shares

Common Stock

This is the initial public offering of CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc. We are offering 5,750,000 shares of our common stock and the selling stockholders are offering 1,261,589 shares of our common stock. We will not receive any proceeds from the sales of shares by the selling stockholders.

Prior to this offering, there has been no established public market for our common stock. The initial public offering price of our common stock is $14.50 per share. Our common stock has been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “CFB.”

We intend to use the net proceeds of this offering for general corporate purposes, including maintenance of required regulatory capital and to support our future growth. See “Use of Proceeds.”

Investing in our common stock involves risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 21.

We are an “emerging growth company” under the federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements.

The underwriters have an option to purchase up to an additional 1,051,738 shares from us at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount, within 30 days from the date of this prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Shares of our common stock are not savings accounts or deposits and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

The shares of common stock will be ready for delivery on or about August 19, 2019.

The date of this prospectus is August 14, 2019.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About this Prospectus

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus that we authorize to be delivered to you. We, the selling stockholders and the underwriters have not authorized anyone to provide you with different or additional information. We, the selling stockholders and the underwriters are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

Unless we state otherwise or the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “we,” “our,” “us,” “ourselves,” “our company,” and the “Company” refer to CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc., a Kansas corporation, its predecessors and its consolidated subsidiaries. References in this prospectus to “CrossFirst Bank” and the “Bank” refer to CrossFirst Bank, a Kansas chartered bank and our wholly-owned consolidated subsidiary.

This prospectus describes the specific details regarding this offering and the terms and conditions of our common stock being offered hereby and the risks of investing in our common stock. For additional information, please see the section entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.”

You should not interpret the contents of this prospectus to be legal, business, investment or tax advice. You should consult with your own advisors for that type of advice and consult with them about the legal, tax, business, financial and other issues that you should consider before investing in our common stock.

Unless otherwise stated, all information in this prospectus gives effect to a two-for-one stock split of our common stock effected in the form of a stock dividend, whereby each holder of our common stock received one additional share of common stock for each share owned as of the record date of December 19, 2018, which was distributed on December 21, 2018. The effect of the stock dividend on outstanding shares and per share figures has been retroactively applied to all periods presented in this prospectus.

Unless otherwise stated, all information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters have not exercised their option to purchase additional shares of our common stock from us.

Market and Industry Data

Within this prospectus, we reference certain market, industry and demographic data, forecasts and other statistical information. We have obtained this data, forecasts and information from various independent, third party industry sources and publications. Nothing in the data, forecasts or information used or derived from third party sources should be construed as advice. Some data and other information are also based on our good faith estimates, which are derived from our review of industry publications and surveys and independent sources. We believe that these sources and estimates are reliable but have not independently verified them. Statements as to our market position are based on market data currently available to us. Although we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the economic, employment, industry and other market data presented herein, these estimates involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on assumptions that are subject to change.

Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company

As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an emerging growth company (“EGC”) under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). An EGC may take advantage of reduced reporting requirements and is relieved of certain other significant requirements that are otherwise generally applicable to public companies. As an EGC:

In this prospectus we have elected to take advantage of the reduced disclosure requirements relating to the presentation and discussion of our audited financial statements and executive compensation, and in the future we may take advantage of any or all of these exemptions for so long as we remain an EGC. We will remain an EGC until the earliest of (i) the end of the fiscal year during which we have total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more, (ii) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities and (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

In addition to the relief described above, the JOBS Act permits us an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards affecting public companies. We have elected to take advantage of this extended transition period, which means that the financial statements included in this prospectus, as well as any financial statements that we file or furnish in the future, will not be subject to all new or revised accounting standards generally applicable to public companies for the transition period for so long as we remain an EGC or until we affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period under the JOBS Act.

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making your investment decision. You should read the following summary together with the entire prospectus, including the matters discussed in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections and the historical financial statements and the accompanying notes before deciding to invest in our common stock. Some of the statements in this prospectus constitute forward-looking statements. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

Our Company

CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc., a Kansas corporation and registered bank holding company, is the holding company for CrossFirst Bank. The Company was initially formed as a limited liability company, CrossFirst Holdings, LLC, on September 1, 2008 to become the holding company for the Bank and converted to a corporation in 2017. The Bank was established as a Kansas state-chartered bank in 2007 and provides a full suite of financial services to businesses, business owners, professionals and their personal networks throughout our five primary markets located in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. As of June 30, 2019, we had total assets of $4.5 billion, total loans of $3.5 billion, total deposits of $3.6 billion and total stockholders’ equity of $499.2 million. We have highly engaged employees who are focused on driving profitability and sustainable growth across our markets of operation.

We are committed to a culture of serving our clients, stockholders and communities in extraordinary ways by providing personalized, relationship-based banking. We believe that success is achieved through establishing and growing the trust of our clients, employees, communities and stockholders. In addition to our strong culture, we believe our leadership has effectively aligned incentives for management and stockholders to aggressively pursue business opportunities in our designated markets. Our focus continues to be on middle market businesses and professionals to whom we can cross-sell our multiple products and services. Historically, our success has been evidenced by the significant growth in our franchise, growing assets at a compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”) of 48.8% between 2008 and 2018, and raising over $400.0 million in capital to fund such growth. Going forward, our focus will be on driving increased profitability combined with continued strong growth.

Our History and Growth

The Bank was organized by a group of financial executives and prominent business leaders with a shared vision to invest in highly experienced people and technology to offer unprecedented levels of personal service to our clients. We achieved initial profitability in the third quarter of 2009 and have since grown to be the third largest bank headquartered in the Kansas City metropolitan statistical area (“MSA”) by asset size. At the same time, we have expanded our operations to seven full-service banking offices primarily along the I-35 corridor, with locations in Leawood and Wichita, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Dallas, Texas.

We have demonstrated significant balance sheet growth and an ability to organically expand into new markets with our relationship-based, branch-lite approach. We do so, in part, by hiring experienced, high-caliber bankers and banking teams that share our passion for delivering extraordinary client service. We have invested in scalable technology that allows us to compete for sophisticated business clients and to serve clients sufficiently without a large branch network. We have had the benefit of numerous high net worth investors and clients concentrated in our MSAs, who have provided important business relationships. Additionally, we have enhanced our growth and geographic presence by successfully integrating two strategic bank acquisitions.

Our Strategy

Since inception, our strategy has been to build the most trusted bank serving our markets, which we believe has driven value for our stockholders. We establish the trust of our clients with our experienced and motivated teams of employees that provide superior products and services, with the goal of delivering on our promises and consistently exceeding our clients’ expectations. This trust has afforded our bankers the ability to effectively integrate into the local markets allowing for strong asset and loan growth, while maintaining superior asset quality. Historically, we have made significant investments in human capital to grow local market share. We remain focused on robust growth and are equally focused on building stockholder value through greater efficiency and increased profitability. We intend to execute our strategic plan through the following:

Operating Revenue ($M)⁽¹⁾

We also believe our geographic markets provide synergistic growth opportunities, as numerous clients throughout our markets operate in broader geographic footprints and continue to experience growth and a need for sophisticated financial services. Our strategy is to continue to focus on organic growth throughout our footprint by deepening ties within our communities, building upon current client relationships and further leveraging the extensive experience of our senior management team, commercial lenders and local stockholder base.

Return on Average Assets⁽¹⁾

We calculate “non-GAAP core operating return on average assets” as non-GAAP core operating income divided by average assets. Non-GAAP core operating return on average assets and non-GAAP core operating income are non-GAAP financial measures. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to non-GAAP core operating return on average assets is return on average assets, and the most directly comparable measure to non-GAAP core operating income under GAAP is net income. See “GAAP Reconciliation and Management Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of these measures.

Efficiency Ratio

We calculate “non-GAAP core operating efficiency ratio” as non-interest expense adjusted to remove non-recurring non-interest expenses as defined under non-GAAP core operating income, divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income adjusted to remove non-recurring non-interest income as defined under non-GAAP core operating income. Non-GAAP core operating efficiency ratio is a non-GAAP financial measure. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is the efficiency ratio. See “GAAP Reconciliation and Management Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of this measure.

synergistic acquisitions and new market expansion. We anticipate that any future acquisitions or new market expansions we may pursue would be consistent with our strategy of operating in attractive and adjacent metropolitan markets with a branch-lite structure and with banking teams that are proficient and knowledgeable of our target client base and that provide a strong cultural fit. In addition, our acquisition activity could occur in our existing core markets or as part of a new market initiative with an already established presence. We would seek acquisitions that provide meaningful financial benefits, long-term organic growth opportunities and economies of scale without compromising asset quality to the overall organization. While we evaluate and engage in discussions with potential acquisition candidates from time to time and will continue to evaluate opportunities for acquisitions, we do not have any current plans, arrangements or understandings to make any acquisitions at this time.

Competitive Strengths

We believe that the following strengths will help us achieve our principal financial objectives of continued balance sheet and earnings growth:

Experienced and Invested Leadership

Our executive leadership team is comprised of established industry veterans with a track record of profitable organic growth, operating efficiencies and strong risk management. Each member of our executive leadership team is a participant in our partnership program and has made a meaningful ownership investment in the Company. Our Board of Directors has decades of combined business experience from a variety of backgrounds and actively participates in and supports community activities, which we believe significantly benefits our business development efforts. In addition to our executive leadership team, we believe that we are supported by a deep and talented bench of business unit leaders, many of whom have been with the Company for much of its existence. We believe the following executive leadership team has the experience to execute on our strategic vision:

officer for Solutions Bank in Overland Park, Kansas. Previously, she was senior vice president of operations for $1.0 billion in assets at Hillcrest Bank. Ms. Fauss is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin - Madison and earned an MBA at the University of Missouri - Kansas City.

Disciplined Underwriting and Structured Credit Administration

Since 2014, we have driven tremendous balance sheet growth, with a CAGR in loans and assets of 39.1% and 33.5%, respectively. We have achieved this balance sheet growth while maintaining superior credit quality. We have established a strong risk management culture supported by comprehensive policies and procedures for credit underwriting and monitoring. We are guided by the following principles, which have served us well throughout our history:

Our credit quality is proven out through our low net charge-off and nonperforming asset history. Since 2014, we have experienced a total of $10.8 million in net charge-offs relative to a volume of loans that have grown from $785.2 million as of December 31, 2014 to $3.5 billion as of June 30, 2019.

Net Charge-offs / Average Loans	Nonperforming Assets / Total Assets

We seek to be nimble and responsive in our credit underwriting and client mandates. We believe that our larger competitors require inflexible terms and requirements of their small and middle market clients. We recognize that businesses differ, and we tailor our lending to suit our clients’ needs. We believe our combination of local business unit leaders, disciplined and standardized underwriting and experienced credit officers enables us to meet varied borrowing needs. Additionally, our senior management review potential applications early in the process, which allows us to be more responsive than many of our larger competitors.

Scalable Infrastructure Designed to Accommodate Significant Growth

We have made significant investments in technology, risk management systems and people, and we believe that we have developed an infrastructure that can support significant additional asset growth with minimal capital

investment. As described above, we utilize a large bank core processing service provider that we believe can support our growth plan. Each of our banking locations is structured to be able to provide extraordinary service with a heightened level of autonomy and accountability for performance. This means that with respect to each banking location: (i) a significant investment is made in the real property and improvements thereon, (ii) the location is led by an experienced local leader and staffed with talented bankers responsible for various lines of business, including real estate, commercial, corporate, private and relationship banking and (iii) comprehensive information is captured and disseminated to measure productivity and progress towards financial, business and strategic goals. In addition, we have organized our lending team into specialized areas of expertise, both geographically and by lines of business, and reinforced our team approach to building client relationships, which further fosters our ability to scale our business model. We believe that our scalable operating platform will allow us to manage our growth effectively, resulting in greater efficiency and enhanced profitability.

Sophisticated Suite of Banking Services to Facilitate Full-Service Commercial Relationships

We provide products and services that compete with large, national banks, but with the personalized attention and responsiveness of a relationship-focused community bank. We also offer technologically sophisticated cash and treasury management solutions to our clients to help build and maintain our commercial relationships. Ultimately, our focus on establishing a full-service relationship with our clients and incenting our employees to generate core funding has provided us with a strong base of core deposits to fund our loan growth, with approximately 75.3% of our loan relationships also maintaining deposit accounts with us as of June 30, 2019.

We believe we have an attractive mix of loan and deposit products. As of June 30, 2019, approximately 36.1% of our loan portfolio was comprised of commercial loans and 27.9% was commercial real estate loans. As of June 30, 2019, approximately 14.3% of our deposits were non-interest-bearing, with a deposit CAGR since 2014 of 34.0%. Non-interest-bearing deposit generation and overall enhancement of the funding base will continue to be a key initiative of the Bank.

Specialized Lending Verticals

As a result of our market expansions, we have developed a diverse portfolio of loans both geographically and by type. Each of our markets offers innovative and relevant lending verticals that we believe offer attractive risk-adjusted returns and will contribute to our future growth. These verticals include the following:

Our Markets

We have a growing presence in what we believe are among the most attractive metropolitan markets in the United States, each generally situated along the I-35 corridor from Kansas City to the north through Dallas to the south.

The strength of these markets is demonstrated by their size, growth prospects and economic diversity. Each market presents unique opportunities with attractive business climates and skilled workforces. We believe that our current market areas provide opportunity for significant continued growth in loans and deposits. The following summarizes key statistics of each market:

Source: S&P Global

Kansas City MSA

We operate three full-service branches in the Kansas City MSA, two in Leawood, Kansas and one in Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City MSA has a population of approximately 2.2 million, according to S&P Global. This area is the largest contributor to assets, deposits and earnings for our Company. The market is characterized by its stable growth and central location. Kansas City continues to grow as a leading distribution hub due in part to its centralized location. The area outperformed the United States in terms of population growth, GDP growth and unemployment rate since the 2008 Great Recession. The Kansas City MSA’s major contributors to gross domestic product include financial services, professional and business services, government and manufacturing. Together, these industries contributed 58% of the area’s GDP. Private service-providing industries

contributed over 80% of the area’s private GDP. Kansas City is home to notable company headquarters including Cerner Corporation (which is its largest private employer), HCA Midwest Health System, Hallmark Cards, Inc., H&R Block, Inc., Sprint Corporation and Garmin International, Inc. With over 10 years of operation in the Kansas City market, we believe we are well positioned to continue to benefit from our deep relationships in this large and growing metropolitan market.

Wichita MSA

We operate one full-service branch in the Wichita MSA. Wichita is the largest MSA in Kansas with a population of over 600,000. Known as the “Air Capital of the World,” aircraft manufacturing is Wichita’s largest industry with several companies across the supply chain based in the area including Textron Aviation, Learjet and Spirit AeroSystems. Other prominent corporations with a substantial Wichita presence include Koch Industries, Cargill Meat Solutions and The Coleman Company. In 2010 the city government, in partnership with local businesses, announced a 20-year vision to revitalize the downtown area. Over $1.0 billion has been invested in the city’s urban core with an estimated $1.1 billion economic impact as a result of the project in addition to the development of new residential units, retail stores and office space. Overall, given Wichita’s diverse employment universe which includes many highly-skilled workers, prudent focus on economic development, low cost of living and location at the confluence of major railroad systems, we believe the market is well-positioned for further growth.

Oklahoma City MSA

We have one full-service branch in the Oklahoma City MSA. The Oklahoma City MSA is the largest in the state of Oklahoma with a population of approximately 1.4 million, according to S&P Global. Historically, the economy had been primarily energy-focused, but today Oklahoma City hosts a wide range of businesses and employers. Agriculture, energy, aviation, government, health care, manufacturing and industry all play major roles in the city’s economic well-being. The city was named the most “recession proof city in America” in 2008 (during the Great Recession) by Forbes and has experienced consistent increases in employment, a strong housing market and stable growth in the energy, agriculture and manufacturing industries. Oklahoma City’s visionary capital improvement program, “MAPS” or Metropolitan Area Projects, has provided for new and upgraded sports, recreation, entertainment, cultural and convention facilities and is now entering into its fourth phase supporting a vibrant and growing city.

Tulsa MSA

We have one full-service branch in the Tulsa MSA, which also serves as the headquarters for our energy lending vertical. Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma with a diverse economic landscape. The Tulsa MSA has a population of approximately 1.0 million, according to S&P Global. Tulsa is home to some of the nation’s largest companies, with key industry sectors that include aerospace, energy, health care, technology, manufacturing and transportation. Tulsa is also home to the Port of Catoosa, an inland river port, which is a major economic engine for the region. The port has five public terminals that can transfer inbound and outbound bulk freight between barges, trucks and railroad cars. Two Fortune 500 companies are based in Tulsa - Oneok, Inc. and Williams Companies.

Dallas MSA

We operate one full-service branch in the Dallas MSA, which serves as one of the economic hubs of Texas and is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth MSA, the fourth largest MSA in the United States, both by population and by GDP. The Dallas/Fort Worth MSA has a population of approximately 7.6 million, according to S&P Global. The Dallas/Fort Worth MSA continues to attract business relocations, with one recent notable move being Core-Mark, which will become the 23rd Fortune 500 company headquartered in Dallas when it moves its headquarters from San Francisco. Businesses are attracted to the highly skilled and diverse workforce, business-friendly climate, lower taxation, central location and two international airports. According to the data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Dallas/Fort Worth MSA was responsible for producing nearly 33% of the state’s total gross domestic product in 2017. The Dallas/Fort Worth MSA is an important market for us to continue to pursue our outsized loan growth. We are currently considering the opening of a second smaller full-service branch in the Dallas MSA. This process is in the preliminary stages and there can be no assurance as to whether or when a second branch will be opened.

Recent Developments

Stock Split

On December 21, 2018, we effected a two-for-one split of our common stock in the form of a stock dividend, whereby each holder of our common stock received one additional share of common stock for each share owned as of the record date of December 19, 2018. The effect of the stock dividend on outstanding shares and per share figures has been retroactively applied to all periods presented in this prospectus.

Preferred Stock Redemption

On December 18, 2018, we provided notice to all holders of our 7.00% Series A Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred Shares”) of our intent to redeem all 1,200,000 outstanding Series A Preferred Shares on January 30, 2019 (the “Redemption Date”). On the Redemption Date, we redeemed each outstanding Series A Preferred Share at a redemption price of $25.00 per share and paid a pro rata share of a 30-day dividend for January 2019 in the aggregate amount of $175.0 thousand. From and after the Redemption Date, all of the Series A Preferred Shares ceased to be outstanding, all dividends with respect to the Series A Preferred Shares ceased to accrue and all rights with respect to the Series A Preferred Shares ceased and were terminated.

Risks Related to Our Company and an Investment in Our Common Stock

An investment in our common stock involves substantial risks and uncertainties. These risks are more fully discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors,” beginning on page 21, and include, among others, the following:

Corporate Information

Our principal executive office is located at 11440 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Leawood, Kansas 66211, telephone number: (913) 312-6822. Our website address is www.crossfirstbankshares.com. Neither this website nor the information on or accessible through this website is included or incorporated in, or is a part of, this prospectus.

THE OFFERING

ability to service any equity or debt obligations senior to our common stock and other factors that our Board of Directors deems relevant. See “Market Price of Common Stock—Dividend Policy.”

Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus relating to the number of shares of common stock to be outstanding immediately after the completion of this offering is based on 45,367,641 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2019. Unless expressly indicated or the context otherwise requires, all information in this prospectus:

SELECTED HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING INFORMATION

The following table sets forth (i) selected historical consolidated financial and operating data as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 and as of and for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 and (ii) selected ratios as of and for the periods indicated. Selected financial data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 has been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus, and the selected historical consolidated financial information as of and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 has been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements not appearing in this prospectus. We have derived selected financial data as of June 30, 2018 from our unaudited consolidated financial statements not included in this prospectus. Selected financial data as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and for the six months ended June 30, 2018 has been derived from our unaudited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus and has not been audited, but in the opinion of our management, contain all adjustments (consisting of only normal or recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly in all material respects our financial position and results of operations for the period in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The historical results set forth below and elsewhere in this prospectus are not necessarily indicative of our future performance. The performance, asset quality and capital ratios are unaudited and derived from our audited and unaudited financial statements as of and for the periods presented. Average balances have been calculated using daily averages.

You should read the following financial data in conjunction with the other information contained in this prospectus, including under “Risk Factors,” “GAAP Reconciliation and Management Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and in the financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.

held-for-sale, state tax credits and a one-time charge to income related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “2017 Tax Act”). Non-GAAP core operating income is a non-GAAP financial measure. The most directly comparable measure under GAAP is net income. See “GAAP Reconciliation and Management Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of this measure.

GAAP RECONCILIATION AND MANAGEMENT EXPLANATION
OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

Our accounting and reporting policies conform to GAAP and the prevailing practices in the banking industry. Some of the financial measures included in this prospectus are not measures of financial performance recognized by GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures are used by management to evaluate our performance. A financial measure is considered non-GAAP if the measure (i) excludes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding amounts, that are included in its most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP in the statement of income, balance sheet or statement of cash flows of the issuer or (ii) includes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of including amounts, that are excluded from the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

The non-GAAP financial measures that we discuss in this prospectus should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the most directly comparable or other financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Moreover, the manner in which we calculate these non-GAAP financial measures may differ from that of other companies reporting measures with similar names. It is important to understand how other banking organizations calculate their financial measures with names similar to the non-GAAP financial measures we have discussed in this prospectus when comparing such non-GAAP financial measures.

We calculate “non-GAAP core operating income” as net income adjusted to remove non-recurring or non-core income and expense items related to:

The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure for non-GAAP core operating income is net income.

We calculate “non-GAAP core operating return on average assets” as non-GAAP core operating income (as defined above) divided by average assets. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is return on average assets, which is calculated as net income divided by average assets.

We calculate “non-GAAP core operating return on average common equity” as non-GAAP core operating income (defined above) less preferred dividends divided by average common equity. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is return on average common equity, which is calculated as net income less preferred dividends divided by average common equity.

Management believes that non-GAAP core operating income, non-GAAP core operating return on average assets and non-GAAP core operating return on average common equity removes events that are not recurring and not part of core business activities and are useful analytical tools for investors to compare periods excluding these non-recurring or non-core expenses and charges.

The following table reconciles, as of the dates set forth below, net income to non-GAAP core operating income, non-GAAP core operating return on average assets and non-GAAP core operating return on average common equity:

The following table reconciles, as of the dates set forth below, net income to non-GAAP core operating income and non-GAAP core operating return on average assets to return on average assets:

We calculate “tangible common stockholders’ equity” as total stockholders’ equity less goodwill and other intangible assets and preferred stock. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is total stockholders’ equity.

We calculate “tangible book value per share” as tangible common stockholders’ equity (as defined above) divided by the number of shares of our common stock outstanding at the end of the relevant period. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is book value per share.

Management believes that tangible stockholders’ equity and tangible book value per share are important to many investors in the marketplace who are interested in changes from period to period in our stockholders’ equity, exclusive of changes in intangible assets. The following table reconciles, as of the dates set forth below, total stockholders’ equity to tangible stockholders’ equity and presents tangible book value per share compared to book value per share:

We calculate “non-GAAP core operating efficiency ratio” as non-interest expense adjusted to remove non-recurring non-interest expenses as defined under non-GAAP core operating income divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income. Management believes that the non-GAAP core operating efficiency ratio is important to many investors because the ratio removes events that are not recurring or not part of core business activities and is a useful analytical tool. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is the efficiency ratio, which is calculated as non-interest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income. The following tables provide the calculation of the non-GAAP core operating efficiency ratio:

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before you decide to invest, you should carefully consider the risks described below, together with all other information included in this prospectus. We believe the risks described below are the risks that are material to us. Any of the following risks, as well as risks that we do not know or currently deem immaterial, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. In that case, you could experience a partial or complete loss of your investment.

Risks Relating to Our Business and Market

A decline in general business and economic conditions and any regulatory responses to such conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and growth prospects.

Our business and operations, which primarily consist of lending money to clients in the form of loans and borrowing money from clients in the form of deposits, are sensitive to general business and economic conditions in the United States, generally, and in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas in particular. If the U.S. economy weakens, or if the economies of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma or Texas weaken, our growth and profitability from our lending, deposit and investment operations could be constrained. Unfavorable or uncertain economic and market conditions could lead to credit quality concerns related to borrower repayment ability and collateral protection as well as reduced demand for the products and services we offer. In recent years, there has been a gradual improvement in the U.S. economy and the economies of the states in which we operate, as evidenced by a rebound in the housing market, lower unemployment and higher valuations in the equities markets; however, economic growth has been uneven, and opinions vary on the strength and direction of the economy. Uncertainties also have arisen regarding the potential for a reversal or renegotiation of international trade agreements and the impact such actions and other policies of the current administration may have on economic and market conditions. In addition, concerns about the performance of international economies can impact the economy and financial markets here in the United States. If the national, regional and local economies experience worsening economic conditions, including high levels of unemployment, our growth and profitability could be constrained. Weak economic conditions are characterized by, among other indicators, deflation, elevated levels of unemployment, fluctuations in debt and equity capital markets, increased delinquencies on commercial, mortgage and consumer loans, residential and commercial real estate (“CRE”) price declines and lower home sales and commercial activity. All of these factors are generally detrimental to our business.

Our business is also significantly affected by monetary and other regulatory policies of the U.S. federal government, its agencies and government-sponsored entities. Uncertainty about the federal fiscal policymaking process, the medium and long-term fiscal outlook of the federal government and future tax rates are concerns for businesses, consumers and investors in the U.S. Changes in any of these policies are influenced by macroeconomic conditions and other factors that are beyond our control and are difficult to predict. Adverse economic conditions and governmental policy responses to such conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and growth prospects.

We may not be able to implement aspects of our growth strategy, which may adversely affect our ability to maintain our historical earnings trends.

We may not be able to sustain our growth at the rate we have enjoyed during the past several years. Our growth over the past several years has been driven primarily by new market expansion, a strong commercial and real estate lending market in our market areas and our ability to identify and attract high caliber experienced banking talent. A downturn in local economic market conditions, a failure to attract and retain high performing personnel, heightened competition from other financial services providers and an inability to attract core funding and quality lending clients, among other factors, could limit our ability to grow as rapidly as we have in the past and as such may have a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may become more susceptible to risks associated with failing to maintain effective financial and operational controls as we grow, such as maintaining appropriate loan underwriting and credit monitoring procedures, maintaining an adequate allowance, controlling concentrations and complying with regulatory or accounting requirements, including increased loan losses, reduced earnings and potential regulatory penalties and restrictions on growth, all could have a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to manage the risks associated with our anticipated growth and expansion through de novo branching.

Our business strategy includes evaluating potential strategic opportunities to grow through de novo branching. As part of this strategy, we are currently considering the opening of a second smaller full-service branch in the Dallas MSA. De novo branching carries with it certain potential risks, including significant startup costs and anticipated initial operating losses; an inability to gain regulatory approval; an inability to secure the services of qualified senior management to operate the de novo banking location and successfully integrate and promote our corporate culture; poor market reception for de novo banking locations established in markets where we do not have a preexisting reputation; challenges posed by local economic conditions; challenges associated with securing attractive locations at a reasonable cost; and the additional strain on management resources and internal systems and controls. Failure to adequately manage the risks associated with our anticipated growth through de novo branching could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may grow through mergers or acquisitions, which may not be successful or, if successful, may produce risks in successfully integrating and managing the merged companies or acquisitions and may dilute our stockholders.

As part of our growth strategy, we may pursue mergers and acquisitions of banks and non-bank financial services companies within or outside our principal market areas. Although we occasionally identify and explore specific merger and acquisition opportunities as part of our ongoing business practices, we have no present agreements or commitments to merge with or acquire any financial institution or any other company, and we may not find suitable merger or acquisition opportunities in the future. We face significant competition from numerous other financial services institutions, many of which will have greater financial resources or more liquid securities than we do, when considering merger and acquisition opportunities. Accordingly, attractive merger and acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. If we fail to successfully evaluate and execute mergers, acquisitions or investments or otherwise adequately address these risks, it could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Mergers and acquisitions involve numerous risks, any of which could harm our business, including:

Mergers and acquisitions frequently result in the recording of goodwill and other intangible assets, which are subject to potential impairments in the future and that could harm our financial results. In addition, if we finance acquisitions by issuing convertible debt or equity securities, our existing stockholders may be diluted, which could affect the market price of our common stock.