Your Chamber at Work - June 10, 2024

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

Remember when you were just starting out in your career and feeling like you were stumbling your way forward in the dark? That was a reality for many of us as interns or young professionals. This is why the KC Chamber’s genKC program looks to connect the region’s early career professionals with their peers, providing a network of support that sustains them as they grow as community leaders. By providing professional development, community involvement and networking opportunities, genKC facilitates the development of a variety of skills that inspire young people to live, work and thrive in the Kansas City area. 

Chamber members throughout the region can support their youngest employees by fostering their ongoing professional learning in an environment supported by their peers. Encourage your young professionals to take part in upcoming genKC programming designed specifically for them:

• Grow to genKC: Kicking KC to the Future: June 12, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., at H&R Block (1301 Main Street, KCMO) – Chamber member interns will have access to leaders like Kedra Burchman, Dan Boyd and Katherine Holland to discuss exciting new developments in regional infrastructure and insights into Kansas City's role in hosting FIFA World Cup 26™. Learn more and register online.

• ImpactKC: June 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. – This inaugural day of service on June 21 allows Chamber members to volunteer with colleagues at various nonprofit organizations around the city, including Habitat for Humanity, Harvesters, Operation Breakthrough, Junior Achievement, Cultivate Kansas City and Wayside Waifs. Learn more and register online. 

I invite you to learn more about genKC on our website and contact Emily Carter with any questions.

SMALL BUSINESS CELEBRATION AWARDS LUNCHEON

The Small Business of the Year will be announced at our Small Business Celebration Awards Luncheon on Thursday, June 13, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Westin Crown Center – Century Ballroom (1 E Pershing Rd). Doors open at 11:00 a.m. 

The Small Business of the Year receives the coveted Mr. K Award, named for Ewing Kauffman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. To be named Small Business of the Year signifies that a company has shown growth or sustainability of their business with strong employee relations, a record of giving back to the community, and prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Specialty award winners will also be announced, including:

• The KC Chamber Emerging Business Award
• The KC Chamber Legacy of Kansas City Award
• The KC Chamber Weida Award for International Small Business of the Year
• The KC Chamber Small Business Equity Award
• The Luminary Arts & Creative Small Business Award (New in 2024)


If you aren’t attending the event, please be sure to follow along on KC Chamber social media to learn the names of this year’s award winners and help us celebrate them.

NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING – BLISS BOOKS & WINE

Bliss Books & Wine (3502 Gillham Rd., KCMO) is all about building a community gathering place, so it is the ideal location for our next Neighborhood Networking event on Friday, June 21, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Stop in for a morning of creating professional connections in a space that promotes the reading culture by encouraging curious readers, endorsing local arts, and connecting great pastimes that include the social and introverted alike. This is a free event for Chamber members or $15 for non-members, so act quickly to reserve your spot. Thank you to our generous sponsors at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, Delta Dental, Southwest Airlines, UMB and Unbound for helping make this premier networking event possible.

HEALTHY KC WORKPLACE WELLNESS OFFICE HOURS

The Healthy KC Workplace action team created a health and wellness certification program that recognizes area organizations for innovation and excellence in promoting a culture of health in the workplace. Applications are now being accepted for organizations interested in seeking Healthy KC Workplace Wellness Certification. You can find the application by clicking here. The submission deadline is Monday, September 30. Do you have questions about the Workplace Wellness Certification? We're here to help! Drop in at any time on July 10 between 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to ask your questions about the certification and our Workplace Wellness Team Members are here to answer and help you complete your certification. Register for the zoom link. 

EDUCATION DATA FOR ACTION SUMMIT

Join us on Tuesday, July 11, at 3 p.m. in the KC Chamber Boardroom (inside Union Station at 30 W. Pershing Rd.) for a free event designed to collectively inform and collaboratively inspire the business community into dialogue and action that prioritizes student success and improved outcomes across the Kansas City Public Education System (KCPES). The event is a platform for meaningful dialogue with area business leaders about the data, local and statewide trends, and opportunities to collaborate on policy and strategies to address student performance issues including the literacy crisis, chronic absenteeism, learning gaps, and other topics imperative to student outcomes. Our goal is to ensure area business leaders have the most up-to-date data to strengthen conversations on student achievement and the workforce pipeline, setting the stage for community-wide action to support data-informed policy and advocacy toward improving lifelong learning outcomes for our students and their families. Register online now!