Your Chamber at Work - March 27, 2023

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

I love this time of year. Spring Training is just about over and this Thursday, baseball is back at Kauffman Stadium!

The Kansas City Royals’ season kicks off on Opening Day this Thursday, March 30. The KC Chamber is excited for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a chance to root for the Royals! But second, and most importantly, we know that sports provide another great opportunity to bring our community together.

That’s why we’re supporting the Royals’ Bring Out the Blue initiative. It’s as easy as it sounds. Bring out your hats, your shirts, raise your flags and support the team as they kick off the season. Make sure you Bring Out the Blue every time the Royals come home — all season long.

To make it even easier to cheer on the Royals, we’re giving KC Chamber members a special code to get 20% off tickets to select games in April. Just go to royals.com/forthecity and use code CHAMBERBOTB20.

Get ready to Bring Out the Blue for an exciting season of Royals baseball. We’ll see you at the K!

MEET THE CANDIDATES

Small businesses – their enthusiasm is inspiring, and contagious! Meet some of the best companies in Kansas City on April 4 for a fun networking experience that will leave you excited to see what is next for them. (For some, what’s next might just be a KC Chamber Small Business Award.) From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Union Station, you can meet the candidates for the Mr. K/Small Business of the Year Award, the Legacy of Kansas City Award, the Small Business Equity Award, the Emerging Small Business Award, and the Weida Award for International Small Business of the Year. Admission is $10 and includes food, drink ticket, and complimentary parking in the West Yards garage behind Union Station. RSVP here.

Our Small Business Presenting Sponsor is Evergy. Our Small Business CEO Sponsor is Kansas City National Security Campus, managed by Honeywell FM&T. Our Small Business Superstars Presenting Sponsor is EAG Advertising and Marketing. Our Media Sponsor is Startland News. Our Superstar Sponsors are Strang Chef Collective and FastSigns Overland Park. Our Top 10 Announcement Event Presenting Sponsor is UMB Bank. Our Top 10 Reception Event Presenting Sponsor is Bank Midwest. Our Awards Luncheon Presenting Sponsor is Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Our Executive Sponsors are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, CommunityAmerica Credit Union. Our Partner Sponsors are Commerce Bank, Meta. Our Associate Sponsors are Arvest Bank, Country Club Bank, Enterprise Bank & Trust, H&R Block, Mazuma Credit Union, Menlo, PNC Bank, Southwest Airlines, US Bank.

JOB FAIR FOR FREE WITH KCPD

Join the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department at Northland Neighborhoods, Inc., 5340 Chouteau Trafficway, for a Community Job Fair on April 18. The Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and you can be a part of it for free. Tables and chairs will be provided for all businesses. All you need to do is register with KCPD, then show up ready to talk about your jobs with any equipment you may need. Space is limited, so please register. You can do so by contacting Officer Rick Jones, (816) 949-1760 or richard.jones@kcpd.org; or Officer Megan Gates, (816) 437-5230 or megan.gates@kcpd.org.

NOMINATE FOR ACE AWARDS, APPLY FOR BUSINESS OR NONPROFIT CHAMPION

Who is driving your DEI efforts? The KC Chamber’s Ace Awards go to individuals that are purpose-driven to improve their organization’s diversity success in areas like recruiting, retention, and supplier diversity. Nominations for the 2023 Ace Awards are open now until April 21. Remember, a C-level executive may nominate for an Ace Award but cannot be considered for one. You can learn more about the 2022 Ace Award winners here. The nomination form is available here.

The KC Chamber’s Champion of Diversity and Nonprofit Champion of Diversity Awards are directly applied for, with no nomination necessary. These awards go to businesses and organizations that serve as role models to others because of the strength of their DEI efforts and engagement. You can apply for these awards here by May 12. All of the KC Chamber’s Diversity Awards are presented each year at the POWER of Diversity event in the summer (more to come on that later). If you have questions about the awards process, please reach out to Greg Valdovino, valdovino@kcchamber.com or (816) 374-5494.

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 Healthy System.

TALKING TRADE: NETWORKING & COFFEE

Whether you are a seasoned expert in international trade, or just starting out, this event provides you an informal platform to connect with peers and international service providers. This event will focus on an Introduction to International Trade. Hear from our partners on what you need to know starting out as an exporter. Space is limited. Please register here to secure your spot. This event will be held March 30 at the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce, 9001 W 110th St. in Overland Park, KS from 8:30 to 10 a.m. We look forward to seeing you there!