C3KC 2020 Program

Opening Panel: 2020 Vision – Opportunities for Our City

Kansas City leaders have a long history of effectively identifying issues and opportunities facing our city and greater metropolitan area. Many times the resolution of problems comes through the partnerships created between the corporate, civic and nonprofit world. Our panelists have unique perspectives on successful efforts of the past but also on current issues that could benefit from a collaborative approach between business, government and community organizations.

Scott Hall, Senior Vice President, KC Chamber
Sheri Gonzales, Vice President, KC Civic Council; Director, KC Rising
Scott Helm, Director, Bloch School Executive MBA program; Associate Director, Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership
Moderator: Katie Werner, JLKCMO 2019-2020 President

Confirmation Bias

As a follow up to the “standing room only” Unconscious Bias session in 2019, we’re digging into Confirmation Bias. The human tendency to look for information that reinforces our world view has ramifications in the professional, political and interpersonal realms. How do we identify it and how do we combat it? Hear from experts with real world solutions that are working now.

Ann Jenrette Thomas, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Stinson, LLP, Minneapolis, MN
Sarah Haberberger, Founding Executive Director, GreenLight Fund Kansas City
Tahir Atwater, Director of Donor and Volunteer Engagement, Jackson County CASA
Moderator: Sandy Price, Member, Evergy Board of Directors, Former Senior VP Human Resources, Sprint

Decision Making in Tumultuous Times

Join Kurt Graham, Director, and Mark Adams, Education Director of the Truman Presidential Library and Museum for an interactive session looking back at three examples of the pivotal and turbulent times of President Truman and how lessons from his decision making then can inform our decision making today.

Kurt Graham, Director, Truman Presidential Library and Museum
Mark Adams, Education Director, Truman Presidential Library and Museum
Kelly Anders, Deputy Director, Truman Presidential Library and Museum

Women: The Key to Unlocking Collaborative Leadership

When women lead, everyone wins. Studies show organizations are more successful when there are women in leadership positions at all levels. While the Women’s Wave, #MeToo and other movements have recently accelerated women’s voices, there is still work to do. Hear from women across all three sectors who know first hand the power of collaborative leadership in the hands of women and how that benefits everyone.

Jeannine Strandjord, Kauffman Foundation Board
Wendy Doyle, President and CEO, Women’s Foundation
Thalia Cherry, Chief Executive Officer, Cherry Sports Gear; 2019 Women Who Mean Business Honoree
Moderator: Carolyn Watley, Board Chair, KC Chamber; Vice-President Community Engagement, CBIZ

The Power of Arts and Civic Engagement

Art and culture is the fabric that fortifies and informs a healthy public life, providing a vital voice of community pride and connection, of dissent, and of compassion. Leaders from all sectors point to the fundamental role the arts play in civility, civic and community engagement to inspire positive change. Learn about how the arts in Kansas City have sparked change in unusual and unexpected ways.

Tyrone Aiken, Chief Artistic Officer, Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey
Jason Harrington, Festival Director, SpraySeeMo
Deanna Munoz, Founder, Latino Arts Foundation
Moderator: Dana Knapp, President and CEO, ArtsKC Regional Arts Council

Mental Health: Developing Resilient Kids and Communities

The mental health of our children and teens has quickly become one of the urgent issues facing our community and the country at large. It’s going to take more than just policy changes to address this multi-faceted issue. Building resiliency in our youth and collaboration between sectors are two critical paths to holistic solutions.

Mitchell Douglass, M.D., Medical Director, Child Psychiatry Inpatient Services, Marillac,  The University of Kansas Health System
Moira Mulhern, Ph.D., Executive Director/Co-Founder, Turning Point, The University of Kansas Health System
Jennifer Vernon, Director of Child, Youth and Family Clinical Services, Synergy Services
Moderator: Stacey Koenig, Director, Child Life, Children’s Mercy Hospital

Design Thinking to Spark Change

Design thinking has emerged as a key business advantage to solve complex problems in innovative ways, and with it, a new form of leadership has been born. How can design thinking empower people to lead their organizations into the future? How can design thinking help individuals and groups spark change? This interactive session will challenge your thinking and get you out of your comfort zone.

Jason Gaikowski, Global Lead, Brand & Business Design, VMLY&R

Launching in an Attention-Starved World

Hear from one of the fastest growing companies in Kansas City about how to launch a new initiative in a noisy world. With limited real estate available in peoples’ minds, how do you earn attention when starting at zero? How do you avoid a failed launch? This talk covers both long-standing principles as well as new techniques that modernize how we introduce ideas to an attention-starved world to spark change.

Justin Watkins, CEO, Native Digital
Jake Jacobson, VP Growth and Partnerships, Native Digital

Investing for Impact

The field of impact investing has attracted record levels of investment and attention in recent years. How are its investors incorporating environmental, social and governance considerations into their investment decisions? What returns do its investors expect from both a financial and societal perspective? And on the borrower side, how do we continue to increase the flow of capital to communities and businesses not adequately served by mainstream financial institutions? All organizations will benefit from understanding how much communities need more equitable systems to enable financial access to lift us all.

Megan Crook, Executive Director, Community Capital Fund
Phil Glynn, President, Travois
Emily Lecuyer, Managing Director, Equity²
Danielle M. Ward, Managing Director and Senior Institutional Portfolio Strategist, Bank of America (Houston)
Moderator: Ruben Alonso III, President, AltCap; 2019 Aspen Ideas Festival Fellow

The Future of Productivity

How are organizations around the world preparing for the workplace and the workforce of tomorrow? From Gen-Z to the re-skilling of employees, how will organizations prepare for the future of work, continue recruiting top talent, while maintaining a positive culture?

Scott Helm, Director, Bloch School Executive MBA Program; Associate Director, Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership
Jessica Palm, Vice-President and Lead Executive of TeamKC: Life + Talent, Kansas City Area Development Council
Moderator: David Oliver, Berkowitz Oliver LLC

Titles subject to change.