Your Chamber at Work - August 16, 2021

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

The Greater Kansas City Chamber continues to find ways to help our members and businesses throughout the region grow and prosper. A key aspect of that is workforce development, including issues surrounding mental health and substance use disorder.

We are proud to be partnering with the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the University of Missouri, the Missouri Hospital Association and the Missouri Rural Health Association to do a study of businesses in the KC region and we need the opinion of those doing hiring in your organization.

To collect the data, we have contracted with an independent research firm to conduct a survey of your opinions regarding how mental health and substance use disorder affect hiring and retention. We are using a third-party survey research company, in part, so we can keep your responses anonymous. The questions were developed in collaboration with other states to enable state-by-state analysis.  

In the coming days, you will receive an email from Adam Masters. It should take ten minutes or less for you to complete this survey. The greater the participation in this survey, the better data we will have to engage in improving outcomes for our businesses. Please watch for a link from adam@chs-inc.com and take time to let us know what you think.

And a heads-up: the KC Chamber will be sending you a survey later this week in an effort to find out how our member businesses are coping as the COVID Delta variant surges across our community and the nation. We hope you’ll respond to that important survey as well.

TACO ROYALE

Whose tacos will you love the most? On Friday, September 10, taco lovers can sample from 14 immigrant and refugee-owned restaurants at Taco Royale, the inaugural Welcoming KC self-guided taco tour. You’ll start with registration at Bethany Park, 1120 Central Avenue, in KCK, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., to get your map and your wristband and set your eating game plan. Participating restaurants will be serving their Taco Royale special menu items from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Early bird pricing is $25 per person which includes one specially designated item per restaurant. Register here.

GRATITUDE IS THE ATTITUDE

How does gratitude in the workplace translate to caring for the community at large? What does it mean to “be the difference”? Enjoy a thoughtful and timely discussion moderated by Dr. Michelle Robin with panelists Stacie Engelmann of Lockton Companies, Darwin Pennye of Urban Youth Academy, and Dr. Dale Marrant of Cleveland University Kansas City. This is the Healthy KC Networking Forum on September 22. We’ll meet at Cleveland University Kansas City, 10850 Lowell Ave., with registration and networking at 7:30 a.m., program from 8-9 a.m. Register here. The event is free to attend. Healthy KC is presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. Lockton is Premier Sponsor, AdventHealth and HCA Midwest Health are Corporate Champion Sponsors.

NETWORKING FOR PET LOVERS

Enjoy networking in person this week! Bring your business cards and meet some new folks at the Kansas City Pet Project, 7077 Elmwood Ave. in Kansas City, MO, for Neighborhood Networking.  Doors open at 8:30 a.m., followed by networking, a raffle, and tours. This event is free for Chamber members and $15 for non-members. Register here. 2021 Neighborhood Networking sponsors are Menlo and Unbound. Overall Networking Sponsors are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, Delta Dental, and Mazuma.

SUPPLY CHAIN AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

Backorders. Wait lists. Empty shelves. Supply chains have had a rough go of it, due to the pandemic and many other unique, converging circumstances. Get the outlook for 2022 and beyond from a panel of local small businesses that have been tested in the global marketplace by these challenging conditions. You’ll learn how they have continued to adapt and find success. We’re having this discussion at World Trade Center Kansas City’s Go Global KC event, on September 23 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. This is an in-person event at the Summit Technology Academy, 1101 NW Innovation Parkway, Lee’s Summit MO. In addition to the supply chain panel, the WTCKC will announce the 2021 Economic Development Agency of the Year and 2021 Service Provider of the Year. The cost to attend is $30 per person, or $50 after September 2. Register here. This event is sponsored by Global Prep Squad, and University of Central Missouri, with Keynote Presenting Sponsor Black & Veatch Corporation.