Your Chamber at Work - June 29, 2020

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

Here’s a new acronym for you: W.O.R.C.

It stands for Workplace Opportunities for Returning Citizens, and it’s an outgrowth of the Chamber’s Crime and Violence Task Force.

The question that started the task force: what can the business community do in the face of violence and crime in our community? The answer: jobs.

It’s been proven: having a job lowers recidivism rates for ex-offenders, but getting hired is incredibly difficult for those men and women trying to turn their lives around.

Last week, after more than a year in preparation, the Chamber launched our W.O.R.C. initiative – a pilot program of seven companies willing to give returning citizens a chance and agencies that work with those potential employees. (We’d hope to launch the pilot program in March, but were delayed thanks to COVID-19).

We’re excited about the possibilities ahead – and will keep you informed as to our progress.

COCKTAILS & POLITICS WITH AMERICAN PUBLIC SQUARE

In August, Missourians will vote on Question 2 – whether to expand Medicaid in Missouri. The KC Chamber has been a longtime supporter of Medicaid expansion. Join our President & CEO Joe Reardon, Health Forward Foundation President & CEO Qiana Thomason and the American Public Square for Cocktails & Politics, Tuesday, June 30 at 6 p.m. Learn about the Missouri Medicaid Expansion Initiative, what Medicaid expansion would mean for the state of Missouri, and the strides being made for the health of the Greater Kansas City Community. Register for this free online event here.

HISTORY OF STRUCTURAL RACISM, NATIONALLY AND IN GREATER KANSAS CITY: A LISTENING SESSION (PART III)

We’ve been listening to the shared experiences of racism faced by black men and women in KC, and that racism didn’t just happen overnight. In this session we take a deep dive into the history of structural racism in KC and across the nation. Join us Wednesday, July 8 at 3 p.m. as Gwen Grant, President & CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, moderates our next listening session, “History of Structural Racism, Nationally and In Greater KC.” Register here. The KC Chamber and our partners at the Urban Neighborhood Initiative are co-sponsoring this series developed to help the business community learn more deeply about the inequities and lack of access and opportunities for too many in our region. Mark your calendar for Part IV on July 15 also at 3 p.m.

POWER OF DIVERSITY

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the 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 awards, we welcome several of KC’s Black leaders as we continue our listening series, Where Do We Go From Here?: A Listening Session (Part V). Register now for this virtual event. We’re also honored to welcome Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II as our featured speaker. Thanks to our 2020 Diversity Presenting Sponsors for continued support of this program: CommunityAmerica, Evergy, Hallmark, and Sprint.

WORLD TRADE CENTER KANSAS CITY UPDATES

The World Trade Center Kansas City has two programs coming up that focus on the global market and Kansas City. Register now for Unlocking Infrastructure Growth Potential: Sub-Saharan Africa, July 14 at 10:30 a.m. This virtual event features an in-depth conversation on infrastructure project opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa, featuring exporter perspectives from both large and SME companies. Our 2017 Mr. K Award Winner Ike Nwabuonwu, Chairman & CEO of Alpha Energy and Electric, is a featured speaker, as well as Anand Pattani, Global Vice President and Director of Black & Veatch’s international power generation business. 

And Go Global is going virtual! Our annual event will be held online, Tuesday, August 11. We’ll give an update on the Greater Kansas City Regional Export Plan, as well as international trade in KC. We will also announce our 2020 Economic Development Agency of the Year and Service Provider of the Year awards. Register here.

VIRTUAL NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING: SWELL SPARK

Escape rooms. Axe throwing. A choir bar. And mini golf—in your home. Swell Spark has made a name for itself by creating interactive social experiences. When COVID hit, co-founder Matt Baysinger and his team had to find a way to bring people together, even when they were apart. Join Baysinger and your fellow Chamber members at our next Neighborhood Networking event Friday, July 10 at 9 a.m. Bring your coffee and your questions as we get together online to connect before the weekend. Register now. Thank you to our networking sponsors, Mazuma, SS&C and Sprint.