Your Chamber at Work - June 28, 2021

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

The “Celebration” was back in the Chamber’s Small Business Celebration last week. After going virtual the year before, our annual SBC Awards Luncheon included actual human beings in person.

Though we limited attendance, keeping safety in mind, it was obvious that the crowd enjoyed greeting and networking with others live and in person.

We also celebrated our Mr. K Award winner and 2021 Small Business of the Year – Charlie Hustle. Founder Chase McAnulty founded his business in his parents’ basement in 2011, taking his love of vintage t-shirts and creating what has become an iconic KC brand. You see his KC heart on chests everywhere (and on socks, hats, flags, face masks, and more), and it’s been adopted as KC’s global icon by the Kansas City Area Development Council.

We honored all of this year’s Top 10 Small Businesses as well. It is an outstanding group of KC businesses. See all of their stories here.

Four specialty awards were presented as well:

• The Legacy of Kansas City Award: Sunlighten
• The Emerging Business Award: The Market Base
• The Small Business Equity Award: The Next Paige Agency
• The Weida Award for International Small Business of the Year: Sunlighten

Congratulations to all!

LAST CALL: ATHENA AND ATHENA YOUNG PROFESSIONAL NOMINATIONS

Submit your nominations now for the ATHENA and ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Awards. You have until Wednesday, June 30. The ATHENA Award honors a person who has achieved the highest level of professional excellence, devoted time and energy to the community, and, especially, opened the doors of leadership opportunity to women. The ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award is presented to emerging women leaders in the metro area, across professional sectors, for exemplary leadership. Recipients will be selected in August, and awards will be presented in October.

POWER OF DIVERSITY

Join us for the POWER of Diversity Event livestream, the region’s premier celebration of the Metro’s culturally diverse business community, July 28, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. We will present ACE Awards to mid-to-senior level diverse managers who are having a positive impact on their company’s profitability and increasing their diversity efforts in the workplace, as well as the Champion of Diversity Award. The keynote speaker is former Chamber Board Chair and current member of the Kansas City Royals Ownership group, Karen Daniel. Due to COVID restrictions, this event is already at capacity, however it is open to the public via free livestream. Register here. Special thanks to our Presenting sponsors CommunityAmerica Credit Union, Evergy, and Hallmark.

NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING PATIO SERIES: T-SHOTZ

Neighborhood Networking is back and we can’t wait to see you in person! Join us for our upcoming Neighborhood Networking: Patio Series at T-Shotz in the Northland, Friday, July 23, 8:30 to 10 a.m. Register here. This locally-owned golf and entertainment venue has 66 climate-controlled hitting bays. You’ll want to brush up on your swing so you can share coffee, conversation, and connection with your fellow Chamber members. It’s free for members and just $15 for non-members. The KC Chamber's 2021 Neighborhood Networking Sponsors are Menlo and Unbound. The KC Chamber's 2021 overall networking sponsors are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, Delta Dental, and Mazuma.

WHAT OUR NEW NORMAL MEANS FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Join us for genKC’s virtual event, What Our New Normal Means for Mental Health, July 22, 4 to 5 p.m. This free event features a group of experts who will discuss and answer questions regarding mental health challenges and struggles to maintain healthy work life balance during and post-pandemic. Register now for this free event, and you’ll be able to submit your own questions.