Your Chamber at Work - August 28, 2023

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

Congratulations to two exemplary Kansas City women: Marian McClellan and Lauren Conaway. The two have been named the KC Chamber’s 2023 ATHENA Leadership Award recipients. Both will be honored at a special reception September 20 at Loews Hotel, presented by KPMG and UMB. (Click here to register.)

The ATHENA Awards are named after the Greek goddess Athena, a symbol of strength, courage, wisdom, and enlightenment and recognizes not only exemplary leadership and service, but also honors an individual who has actively assisted in opening doors for women.

Marian McClellan will receive the ATHENA Leadership Award in recognition of her professional excellence, community service, and for actively assisting women in their achievement of professional excellence and leadership skills. She is a Program Consultant for the Kansas City STEM Alliance in support of girls who are interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). She believes strongly that equity in education is a moral imperative. She supported women throughout her 30-year career in the corporate world, then moved to nonprofit work, establishing Blueprint for Education, an advisory and evaluation firm focusing on STEM and education.

Lauren Conaway will receive the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award, which honors emerging leaders who demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business, contribute time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community, and serve as role models for young women personally and professionally.

Lauren is the founder and CEO of InnovateHER KC, an industry-agnostic leadership community serving women and gender minorities. Lauren and InnovateHER KC work to create connectivity and break barriers to leadership for emerging and historically marginalized professionals. Her goal is to create a community that prioritizes people over profit and ethically drives innovation without exploitation. In addition, she co-hosts the Startup Hustle Podcast, with over 5 million downloads and a reach extending across 190+ countries.

Congratulations to both Marian and Lauren. Our hope is that these awards inspire others to achieve excellence in their personal and professional lives.

NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING

Learn more about the work of ArtsKC, a regional non-profit serving the arts and culture community through programs, advocacy, and investment. The Neighborhood Networking on September 8 is free for KC Chamber members and $15 for non-members. Register here. We’ll meet at 106 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Thank you to our sponsors, including Neighborhood Networking sponsors Rock CFO, Southwest Airlines and Unbound, as well as overall networking sponsors Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and Delta Dental.

FIND THE RIGHT GLOBAL RESOURCES FOR YOUR BUSINESS

More than 600 diverse businesses have been hosted at 13 Building Bridges to Global Markets events across the country. Next stop, on September 13, is Kansas City. Learn why exporting is a good idea for small business; find a clear path to the right international trade resources; talk about unique business needs face-to-face and build confidence in finding easily accessible places to get financing for exports. This session will be held at Metropolitan Community College Penn Valley Education Center, 3201 SW Trafficway, Kansas City MO, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is no cost to attend but registration is required. This event is presented in partnership with MCC, Mid-America District Export Council, and World Trade Center Kansas City.

MEMBER STANDUP!

Connect with KC Chamber members and the Chamber staff who support our programs and committees at the next Member Standup on August 31! It is high-energy networking that you won’t be able to sit down for. Member Standup is held in the KC Chamber’s Board Room at Union Station, 30 W Pershing Road, next door to Pierponts, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Bring your marketing materials, practice your professional speaking skills, and be a great listener during Members @ the Mic. Please RSVP for this members-only event, which is sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and Delta Dental.

AMPLIFYING INTERSECTIONALITY

Amplifying Intersectionality is a national Inclusion Summit on September 28-29 led by the Center for Disability Inclusion, in partnership with DEI Consortium KC, the KC Chamber, and National Association of Asian American Professionals KC. The event includes national and regional speakers. In-person attendance is sold out, but virtual registration is still available for $199 through September 14. Take a look at the schedule and register here.