Your Chamber at Work - June 12, 2023

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Member News

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

This is the week! On Wednesday, the KC Chamber will spotlight out 2023 Top 10 Small Businesses and announce the Small Business of the Year and Mr. K Award winner, with several other small business awards, at our annual Small Business Celebration Luncheon.

We’ve been celebrating small business for more than 30 years! Our Celebration is to honor the incredibly important role small business plays in both our national and local economies.

Did you know:

  • Small business is an economic engine. In 2014 (the most recent year data are available), small businesses generated nearly $5.9-trillion in economic output, roughly 40 percent of Gross Domestic Product.
  • Small businesses are job creators, creating nearly 13 million jobs between 1996 and 2021.  Forty-six percent of Americans are employed by small businesses. That’s 62 million people.
  • Small business and entrepreneurship are booming. In 2021, a record-breaking 5.4 million new business applications were filed. 5.1 million were filed in 2022.
  • Small business ownership is diverse. Almost half of all small business owners are women; four in ten of all small business owners are foreign-born, and one in five is owned by racial minorities.
  • There are 33.2-million small businesses in the U.S., making up 99.9 percent of all businesses in the U.S.

That’s why, at the KC Chamber, small business is a big deal. Hope to see you Wednesday!

(Thanks to our friends at the U.S. Chamber for those statistics.)

EDUCATION DATA SUMMIT

The KC Chamber’s Business For Education Committee invites you to our first Education Data for Action Summit, June 22, 3 to 6 p.m. in the KC Chamber Board Room at Union Station, 30 W Pershing Road. The Chamber and our education partners hope to have a strong business attendance, so area for-profit businesses have the most up-to-date data to strengthen dialogues on student achievement and the workforce pipeline. This robust discussion will set the stage for data-informed education policy in our region. Hear from urban education experts Dr. Karin Chang of UMKC Center for Urban Education Research, Dr. Angelique Nedved of SchoolSmartKC, and Noah Devine of the KC Action Fund. This event is free, but registration is required.

GROW TO GENKC: BUILDING A BETTER KC

KC is growing. genKC invites you to the 8th Annual Grow to genKC: Build a Better KC, Wednesday June 21 at H&R Block in Downtown Kansas City at 1 H&R Block Way. Learn about the new developments and upcoming projects designed to bring new business, talent, and families to our region. Bring your questions as you hear from leaders from the KC Streetcar, Port KC, and HNTB Corporation. The program will run from 3 to 5 p.m., followed immediately by a networking happy house at H&R Block. Space is limited and early registration is encouraged.

POWER OF DIVERSITY

Get your tickets now for the POWER of Diversity Breakfast, July 26, starting at 7:30 a.m. at the Muehlebach Tower in Downtown Kansas City. This year attendees will hear about the impact of immigrants, refugees, and newcomers as we celebrate Welcoming KC. We’ll also present the Ace Awards to mid-to-senior level diverse workforce members, and Champion of Diversity Awards to a business and nonprofit organization that epitomize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in their workforce, internal best practices, and community engagement. Individual tickets are available at $80 for Chamber members and $100 for non-members. Tables are also available. Thanks to our Presenting Diversity Sponsor, CommunityAmerica Credit Union.

HEARTLAND EXPORT ACCELERATOR PUBLIC SHOWCASE

Join us for the Heartland Export Accelerator Public Showcase, coming up Wednesday, July 12, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Plexpod Westport Commons, 300 E. 39th in KCMO. The World Trade Center-Kansas City launched HEA less than a year ago. The Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 cohorts will present their business, HEA experience, and global plans to the public. Not only will you see what these businesses have learned, but you can get details about the next cohort opportunity. This event is free, but please register.