Your Chamber at Work - November 8, 2021

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

We’re in the thick of planning for the KC Chamber’s 134th Annual Dinner, set for November 23 and you’re invited! Though the in-person event is full, you can still join the festivities online. (Thanks to the pandemic, last year’s Annual Dinner was completely virtual; this year, again thanks to the pandemic, we’ve limited in-person attendance.)

We’ve designed a great evening for you. Our theme is KC For All, a celebration of all that Kansas City is and aspires to be. And we’re looking forward to hearing from our keynote speakers. Davyeon Ross, Co-Founder and President of ShotTracker, is a native of Trinidad and Tobago who came to the US on a basketball scholarship to Benedictine College. ShotTracker, based in Merriam, was founded in 2013, the latest in a series of companies started by the serial entrepreneur.

Kalen Allen, rising content creator, actor, entertainment personality, and native of Kansas City, Kansas, is our second keynote speaker. He’s a very funny man – you may have seen him in his recurring guest spot on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

The highlight of the evening will be the announcement of the Chamber’s 2021 Kansas Citian of the Year, along with remarks from the Chamber’s Outgoing Chair Carolyn Watley and Incoming Chair Ramin Cherafat.

If you’d like to register for the Annual Dinner livestream, click here.

And special appreciation to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City – our Presenting Sponsor. We are thankful for their support.

NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING: VERACITY

Save your spot now and start this Friday, November 12 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. with great coffee, conversation, and connecting with your fellow Chamber members at tech consulting firm Veracity Consulting. Join us at Veracity’s Overland Park location, 8100 Newton #210. Learn about their mission to help clients through technology, transparency, and authenticity. Chamber members can register here for free; it’s $15 for non-members. The KC Chamber's 2021 overall networking sponsors are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, Delta Dental, and Mazuma. The KC Chamber's 2021 Neighborhood Networking Sponsors are Menlo and Unbound.

CENTURIONS INFORMATION SESSION FOR DIVERSE PROFESSIONALS

Diversity is essential to the growth and sustainability of the Centurions Leadership Program – the region’s oldest and premier leadership development program. Join us for the Centurions Information Session for Diverse Professionals, November 16, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This virtual session will be focused on diversity within the program, specifically what work still needs to be done - and how Centurions can help build equity within Kansas City. Learn about the program, the application process, and new financial opportunities aimed at ensuring the program is available to everyone. While this event will focus on the experience of diverse participants, all are welcome to join. To reserve your spot, email Katherine Gathje at kgathje@kcchamber.com.

GENKC'S GENERATIONAL COLLABORATION PANEL

Join genKC for the Generational Collaboration Panel, November 18, 4 to 6 p.m. at The Kill Devil Club, 31 East 14th St. in the Kansas City Power & Light District. Discuss the benefits and challenges of working and collaborating intergenerationally. You’ll hear from members of three workforce generations in a panel moderated by expert Rockhurst University Professor Acey Lampe. They’ll cover common issues experienced between current young professionals and their supervisors and company executives. This will be a welcoming and inclusive event, designed to bring people together while addressing very real challenges. Space at the Kill Devil Club will be limited so make sure to register now. Registration includes one drink ticket and appetizers.

ECONOMIC FORECAST:  WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS

Wouldn’t it be nice to know if the pressure of finding talent will ease at all in 2022? What’s up with supply chain and the price of nearly everything climbing? What do the economic indicators say? The KC Chamber’s Economic Forecast event is coming up from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 9. Frank Lenk of Mid-America Regional Council will deliver the Chamber’s Forecast and we will also feature a panel discussion moderated by Mary Sanchez on the current and future challenges and opportunities of workforce. We are still social distancing, which limits our in-person capacity, but tickets for the virtual livestream are available for $10 which includes Forecast materials. Register here. Special thanks to our Economic Forecast Presenting Sponsor, BMO Harris Bank. Additional sponsors include Black & Veatch, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, Grant Thornton, and UMB.