Your Chamber at Work - July 21, 2020

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

A very important election for Missourians is coming up this August 4 – a vote on expanding Medicaid in the Show Me State.

The KC Chamber strongly supports this measure and encourages you to vote “Yes on 2.” (We also support Medicaid expansion in Kansas.)

Expansion would close the coverage gap for 230,000 Missourians who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to be able to afford coverage on the health insurance exchange. Without expansion, these people are slipping through the cracks. Food – or medicine? Rent – or a visit to the doctor’s office?

Expansion would also bring more than a billion dollars of our tax money back to Missouri, dollars that 36 other states receive because they’ve expanded their Medicaid programs. Those dollars will be a boost to our economy, creating thousands of new jobs.

Expansion will also help our hospitals, especially in the rural parts of the state where ten hospitals have been forced to shut their doors in recent years.

Medicaid expansion is morally right and it makes good business sense. Vote “Yes on 2” August 4.

VOICES OF BLACK YOUTH: A SPECIAL LISTENING SESSION

Join us for Voices of Black Youth: A Special Listening Session on July 22, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. The KC Chamber and our partners at the Urban Neighborhood Initiative welcome members of Generation Z to share their experiences as young Black men and women across Greater KC - and share what they see in our future. Kiona Sinks, founder of Black Excellence KC, will moderate this discussion, led by the voices of our future leaders, our future workforce, and the future of our community. Register here. Thank you to our 2020 Diversity & Inclusion Presenting Sponsors CommunityAmerica Credit Union, Evergy, Hallmark, and Sprint.

POWER OF DIVERSITY

Be ready to listen, learn, and be inspired at this year’s POWER of Diversity event, Wednesday July 29 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Register now. The Chamber’s Diverse Business Committee will recognize honorees in our community advancing diversity and inclusion in the business world, and also recognize an individual business or organization fully committed to diversity and inclusion in their daily mission. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II is this year’s keynote speaker. After his remarks, our listening series on understanding the Black experience in Greater KC culminates with a special panel moderated by Nicole Jacobs Silvey, focusing of where we go from here to create equitable change in KC. Our Presenting Sponsors for this event are CommunityAmerica Credit Union, Evergy, Hallmark, and Sprint.

VITUAL HIRING OUR HEROES GRADUATION

The KC Chamber is once again pleased to host this exciting online graduation ceremony, celebrating military men and women who have finished their Corporate Fellowship Program, as they transition from the military into the workforce. Register now for this free virtual ceremony, July 23 from 9 to 11 a.m., to show your support for the graduates – more than half are from the KC Metro! Hiring Our Heroes is a program through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation that prepares services members for leadership roles within the civilian workforce. This is the second of three graduation ceremonies for 2020. Thanks to our presenting sponsors Honeywell and Waddell & Reed, and our supporting sponsors Spire and Blue KC.

GO GLOBAL GOES VIRTUAL!

Register now for this year’s Go Global event, Tuesday, August 11. Go Global KC is World Trade Center-Kansas City's premier annual event showcasing and promoting Kansas City's global trade economy. You’ll get an update on the Greater Kansas City Regional Export Plan and have the unique opportunity to meet other local international trade professionals, and hear from thought leaders on the importance of engaging global markets. This year, we welcome keynote presentations from Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas and Trade Economist Pete Mento.  You’ll also get exclusive access to representatives from other WTC chapter’s from across the globe thanks to virtual breakout rooms. Special thanks to this year’s event sponsor Children’s Mercy. RSVP here.