Your Chamber at Work - May 8, 2023

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Newsletters

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

Transparency and accessibility were two of the qualities Kansas City wanted in a new police chief as determined in the Public Safety Coalition’s listening sessions and surveys prior to the selection of new KCMO Police Chief Stacey Graves. (The Chamber is one of 16 civic, business, and faith-based organizations that make up the Coalition.)

In that spirit, the Coalition is holding a Listening Session with Chief Graves this Thursday and you’re invited. The hour-and-a-half session is being facilitated by KC Common Good, another of the Coalition members.

Dr. Bob Hill and Dr. Marj Williams will once again moderate this Thursday’s event, the same role they served in our original listening sessions. (If you haven’t seen them in action before, I think you’ll come away impressed.)

Chief Graves will open the session by sharing her ideas on ways to reduce KCMO’s high rate of violent crime and then community members will engage in world café style conversations around tables, reporting out their thoughts and concerns and then Chief Graves will respond.

The Chief attended several of last year’s listening sessions, studied our final report, and told us she appreciated our recommendations. We’re looking forward to Thursday’s event.

Admission to the Chief Graves Listening Session is free, but we kindly ask you to register by clicking here so we can set up the room appropriately.

We appreciate Chief Graves’ willingness to meet with the community, and we hope to see you there on Thursday, May 11 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at United Believers Community Church, 5600 East 112th Terrace, KCMO. Please join us if you can!

APPLY FOR THE CHAMPION OF DIVERSITY AWARD

You have until this Friday, May 12, to apply to be the Champion of Diversity. This award celebrates businesses that are advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. The award recognizes both a for-profit business and a nonprofit organization that have each made an impactful commitment to embrace diversity in their workplace, diversity supplier partnerships, and the community. Submit your applications here by the end of the day this Friday, May 12. Award winners will be honored at the POWER of Diversity Breakfast this summer. The Chamber’s 2023 Diversity Sponsors include Presenting Sponsor CommunityAmerica Credit Union; and Cornerstone Diversity Sponsors American Century Investments, Bayer, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, JE Dunn Construction, Lockton Companies, REACH Healthcare Foundation, Saint Luke’s Health System, T-Mobile, and The University of Kansas Health System.

HEALTHY KC NETWORKING FORUM

The Chamber wants to help companies achieve Workplace Wellness Certification. This year Healthy KC will focus on the principles of each of the four Workplace Wellness pillars. The first Healthy KC Networking Forum is May 11 at 7:30 a.m. at CommunityAmerica Credit Union’s Hickman Mills Community Access Center, 11501 Blue Ridge Blvd. First up: Enterprise Community Involvement, which focuses on social responsibility. Hear how business leaders in our region engage with the local community and how it impacts their business and the health of their employees. Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.

NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING: UNBOUND

Hot coffee, a slight breakfast, and connecting with a great KC Chamber member. Join the Chamber for our next Neighborhood Networking this Friday, May 12 at Unbound, located at 1 Elmwood Avenue in KCK. Unbound partners with families living in poverty, empowering them to become self-sufficient and fulfill their desired potential. Register here. Neighborhood Networking is always free for Chamber members and $15 for non-members. Unbound is a 2023 Neighborhood Networking Sponsor, along with Rock CFO and Southwest Airlines.

SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS LUNCHEON

Find out which Top 10 Small Business will be named Small Business of the Year at the Small Business Awards Luncheon, Wednesday, June 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Muehlebach Tower, 1213 Wyandotte in Downtown Kansas City. Not only will we name the Small Business of the Year, but we’ll announce winners of the Emerging Business Award, the Small Business Equity Award, the Weida Award for International Small Business of the Year, and the Legacy of Kansas City Award. In addition, we’ll have a special panel discussion on small business access to capital. Special thanks to the 80 small businesses that applied for our small business awards this year. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2023 Small Business Celebration Awards Luncheon! The Small Business Presenting Sponsor is Evergy.