Your Chamber at Work - May 23, 2022

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

The culmination of several months’ work comes tomorrow, as the KC Chamber and our 15 partner organizations present to the Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC) the results of community input regarding selection of a new KCMO Police Chief.

We’ve held seven Listening Sessions in all parts of KCMO and collected responses from more than 1000 people to an online survey asking people what the qualities and priorities of a new Chief should be. The report is a lengthy one and will be available on the Chamber website, www.kcchamber.com, following its release to the BOPC.

The report speaks for itself and we hope the BOPC will take it to heart. We’ve listened to the community and will be watching the Board as it moves through the selection process.

What has been most heartening to me is the number of organizations that have joined us in this work. The collaboration is unique and has been very robust – the first time in my recollection that these organizations have come together to work on an issue of great importance to our community. I sincerely hope we will continue to work together on this and other priorities for our city.

I thank them all: the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City;  the Black Chamber of Commerce; the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City; Downtown Council; Getting to the Heart of the Matter; the Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce; the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; the Hispanic Economic Development Corporation; KC Common Good; the Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce; the Northeast  KC Chamber of Commerce; Prospect Business Association; the South Kansas City Alliance; and the South Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

GOOD NEWS ABOUT KCI

The KC Chamber’s Aviation Committee has been getting regular updates on construction progress at KCI. There was good news at its last meeting. Construction is on time and on budget, with the new terminal scheduled to open on March 3, 2023. In addition, MBE/WBE commitments made by the construction company have been not just met, but exceeded. In addition, there’s hope for a new direct international flight from KCI. The Missouri General Assembly passed a measure committing $5-million to making that happen.

SMALL BUSINESS CELEBRATION AWARDS LUNCHEON

When Wesley Hamilton was shot and left paralyzed, his incredible journey took an unexpected turn. He became a fitness enthusiast, entrepreneur, small business owner, and founder and Executive Director of Disabled But Not Really. Wesley will share his story as the keynote speaker at the Small Business Celebration Awards Luncheon, Wednesday, June 15, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Marriott Muehlebach Tower Imperial Colonial Ballroom, 1213 Wyandotte. He’ll tell how resiliency and self-care – especially as a business owner – helped him overcome each obstacle he encountered and fully experience his successes. This is just one of the highlights on the luncheon, which of course includes the announcement of Small Business of the Year, as well as the winners of the four specialty awards: the Weida International Small Business of the Year, the Legacy of KC Award, the Emerging Business of the Year Award, and the Small Business Equity Award. This event is open to Chamber members and non-members. Tables are still available to purchase here. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2022 Small Business Celebration Awards Luncheon. 2022 Small Business Programming Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and Evergy.

RIBBON CUTTING: TERRAPIN STATION

Celebrate one of KC’s newest small businesses as we cut the ribbon at Terrapin Station’s Northland location, 4716 NE Vivion Road, Wednesday, June 1, 10 – 11 a.m. Terrapin Station is a consumer-focused cannabis cultivator, processor, and provider of high-quality medical and retail cannabis products. Terrapin Station was founded in Boulder, Colorado in 2009, but is now opening their second location in KC. See you then!

FACE2FACE SPEED NETWORKING

Register now for one of our most popular networking events: Face2Face Speed Networking, Wednesday, June 8, 3:30 – 5 p.m. in the KC Chamber Boardroom on the first floor of Union Station. Be ready to connect with your fellow Chambers in a fast-paced way, as you move from person to person. It’s kind of like speed dating, but something you’ll actually enjoy. This is a free event and open to members only. Register here. Important note: To refrain from hearing the same elevator pitch twice, we ask that only one representative from your company attends. Thanks to our 2022 overall networking sponsors Delta Dental and Mazuma Credit Union.