Your Chamber at Work - July 6, 2020

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

The “Safe Return KC” guidebook. Surveys of the business community on the impact of the coronavirus.  Letters to the governors urging implementation of stay-at-home orders. Statements on the George Floyd protest and the renaming of the Nichols Fountain and Parkway. And, long before the pandemic, the campaign to educate the business community on the importance of a new terminal at KCI.

These are just a few examples of joint action by the KC Chamber, the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, and the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC).

That collaboration has been increasing, and I think it’s important – because the regional business community needs to speak with one voice. And we are.

I encourage you to read the interview in the June issue of the Chamber’s GROW magazine where Tim Cowden, head of KCADC, Marc Hill, President of the Civic Council, and I talk about the work we’ve been doing together, the differences between our three organizations, and our hopes for KC’s economic recovery.

On another subject, we were very glad to see that Johnson County has joined Wyandotte, Jackson, and the City of KCMO in requiring that masks be worn in public spaces. (In fact, the Chamber sent the Commission a letter encouraging that action prior to their Thursday meeting.) We believe the advice from our public health officials about wearing a mask is the best way for KC businesses to continue reopening and STAY open. And that’s the best thing for our economy.

VOICES OF OUR BLACK YOUTH: A SPECIAL LISTENING SESSION

Join us July 22, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., when 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. This series was developed to help the business community learn more deeply about the inequities and lack of access and opportunities for too many in our region.

POWER OF DIVERSITY

Join us as we honor men and women committed to advancing diversity and inclusion throughout Greater KC. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and its Diverse Business Committee invite you to help us honor Ace Award, Supplier Diversity Ace Award and Champion of Diversity Award winners at the POWER of Diversity, Wednesday, July 29 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Following the award announcements, we will hear from featured speaker Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, then welcome several of KC’s Black leaders as we continue our listening series with the final panel discussion on the future of our community, Where Do We Go From Here? Register now for this virtual event. Thanks to our 2020 Presenting Sponsors for continued support of this program: CommunityAmerica, Evergy, Hallmark, and Sprint.

VIRTUAL 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 a.m. 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 service members for leadership roles within the civilian workforce. This is the second of three graduation ceremonies for 2020. Thanks to our sponsor, Honeywell.

SMALL BUSINESS CELEBRATION: CANDIDATES’ SHOWCASE

We’re excited to resume our 2020 Small Business Celebration. The Candidates’ Showcase this year will be an exciting, fast-paced, Shark Tank-style virtual event over two days: August 19 and August 20 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Candidates will have 5 minutes to answer questions about their small business from anonymous judges. Show your support for local small businesses who are still competing for the 2020 Mr. K award – despite the challenges this year. Register here now. Make sure to save the dates for the Top 10 CEO Panel October 1, and the Small Business Celebration Awards October 15 when we award the 2020 Small Business of the Year, Diverse Small Business of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Legacy of Kansas City, and present the Weida Award for the International Small Business of the Year. Thanks to American Century Investments, the Presenting Sponsor of the 2020 Small Business Celebration Candidates' Showcase. Overall 2020 Small Business Programming is presented By Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and Evergy. Our CEO Level Sponsor is Honeywell.