Your Chamber at Work - January 21, 2020

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

WE’RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!! And we are certain Lamar Hunt is smiling. Along with everyone else in Kansas City.

KC was pumped up for the AFC Championship and that enthusiasm will ratchet even higher before Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens February 2.

And our American Jazz Museum gets a donation from the Nashville Area Chamber and the Titans, thanks to a bet we placed with the Nashville Chamber.

In non-sport happenings, we’re extremely pleased that a bipartisan compromise has been worked out to expand Medicaid in Kansas. That’s been a priority for the KC Chamber for years now, and we were in the audience as Governor Laura Kelly and Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning announced the agreement.

In our divided political climate, this is exactly what needs to happen – elected officials reaching across the aisle to find common ground. The same spirit we saw last summer as Governors Kelly and Mike Parson of Missouri signed the agreement to end our region’s economic border war.

Meanwhile, legislative sessions are underway in both states and the Chamber is at work advocating for our priorities in both Missouri and Kansas.

We’ll keep you posted. But in the meantime, GO CHIEFS!!!

NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING: THE CLUBHOUSE EXPERIENCE

How about a 5-iron with your coffee? Join us for our next Neighborhood Networking event Friday, January 24 at The Clubhouse Experience, 1101 Walnut, Kansas City, MO. This Chamber member offers all the perks of your favorite country club without membership dues. Enjoy the Topgolf Swing Suite bays where you can test your mettle on simulated golf courses, or you can take a shot at basketball, hockey, and football. This event is from 8:30 to 10 a.m., so of course there will be plenty of coffee, great conversation, and some of the best networking in the region. This event is free to attend for Chamber members and just $15 for non-members. Register here. The KC Chamber’s overall networking sponsors are Mazuma, SS&C, and Sprint.

SMALL BUSINESS CELEBRATION APPLICATION WORKSHOP

Bring your questions to the KC Chamber Board Room Thursday, January 30 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. for our second Small Business Celebration Application Workshop. Past Mr. K Award winners, past judges, and past Top 10 Small Business owners will be there to share their advice, guidance, and insight on filling out the application for 2020 Small Business of the Year. Chamber staff will also be there to answer questions you may have about the process itself and review important dates. Register here to attend this free event. The Chamber Board Room is located on the first floor of historic Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Rd., next to Pierpont’s. Don’t forget: applications are due February 7.

EMERGING TRENDS IN REAL ESTATE

The KC Chamber’s Real Estate Committee and the Urban Land Institute Kansas City have partnered to present an emerging trends national forecast and panel discussion of the Kansas City real estate market, Thursday, January 23 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Chamber’s Board Room on the first floor of Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Rd. Michael Collins of JE Dunn will moderate a panel of industry leaders as they review the ULI Center for Capital Markets’ Emerging Trends report. This report spotlights upcoming real estate trends in capital markets, property sectors, and geographic markets. Networking follows the panel and discussion. Registration is $65 for Chamber members and $90 for non-members. Click here now to reserve your spot. Thank you to our sponsors BNIM, Centric, McCownGordon, Polsinelli, and VanTrust Real Estate.

THE 2020 DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION SUMMIT WITH PROJECT EQUALITY

Join the KC Chamber and our partner Project Equality for the 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Summit: Elevating Humanity Through Equitable Neighborhoods, Wednesday, February 26 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at UMKC’s Pierson Auditorium, 5000 Holmes. Themes this year include equitable housing, affordable housing, removing barriers to housing, and desegregating neighborhoods. Keynote speakers are Richard Rothstein, Senior Fellow at the Haas Institute at UC Berkeley School of Law and author of “The Color of Law,” and john a. powell, Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Tara Raghuveer of the Kansas City Eviction Project will take part in a fireside chat with Rothstein. Tickets are $50 for the full-day event; $25 for students, including continental breakfast, parking and lunch. Register here. This program has been approved for 3.0 Continuing Legal Education credit hours in Missouri. Kansas credit pending. Indicate your interest at checkout or email projectequalitykc@gmail.com for more information. The KC Chamber’s D&I presenting sponsors for 2020 include CommunityAmerica Credit Union, Evergy, Hallmark, and Sprint.

HEALTHY KC BREAKFAST

Join us March 4 for our Healthy KC Breakfast and Vendor Expo at Children’s Mercy Park! The Healthy KC certification is now every other year, so this year’s breakfast will focus on workplace mental health. We’ll review and discuss the fascinating results of Healthy KC’s new Workplace Mental Health Assessment -- created with the American Psychiatric Foundation’s Center for Workplace Mental Health, Mental Health America, and One Mind at Work. There is still time to take this confidential survey right here. Let us know what kind of employee support and services your company offers, or what you don't have but need. Then we’ll hear from a mental health expert in one of KC’s most unique workplaces: the Kansas City Chiefs. Dr. Shaun Tyrance is the Chiefs’ team clinician – just the second full time, in-house team clinician in the entire NFL. Dr. Tyrance will discuss why mental health in the workplace matters all the time and not just in times of crisis, and the impact positive well-being has on productivity and performance. Cost to attend is $25 for KC Chamber members and $35 for non-members. The presenting sponsor is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. If you’re ready to commit, online registration is available here. If you have a business that would like to participate in the vendor expo, please contact Madison Rich at rich@kcchamber.com.