Empowered belonging: KC Chamber celebrates inclusive workforce efforts with diversity honors

Diversity is a strength; equity is the objective; and inclusion is the path that unites individuals together, said Amy Lee Sewell.

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce awarded Lockton Companies its 2023 Champion of Diversity award at the annual POWER of Diversity Breakfast. The event brings together the region’s diverse business community to celebrate leaders in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Awardees epitomize Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in their workforce, internal best practices and community engagement, according to the Chamber.

“At Lockton, we have an unwavering commitment and dedication that has paved the way for meaningful change — this change is reflected in the internal resource groups where our associates find a sense of belonging and feel empowered,” said Sewell, who serves as talent acquisition manager at Lockton. “… We all have the power to make a lasting impact, not just within our individual companies, but also within our greater Kansas City community.”

Earl Martin Phalen, KC Scholars (left) and Gene Willis, GEHA Health (right) at the KC Chamber’s POWER of Diversity Breakfast; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

KC Scholars was presented with the Nonprofit Champion of Diversity award for their work in assisting individuals in the community access education and jobs.

“We’re working to try to help 50,000 Kansas Citians move from either underemployment or unemployment to a great place — a place where they can care for themselves, their family, their loved ones,” said Earl Martin Phalen, president and CEO of KC Scholars. “We do it in two ways. Last year, we gave out 775 college scholarships of $50,000 each. 

“Through the incredibly generous support of the Kauffman Foundation, this year we launched a program called Great Jobs KC,” Phalen continued. “That helps adults earn credentials to get into jobs that allow them to care for themselves and their loved ones. We’re on a path to help 50,000 adults over the next 10 years live their lives. I’m just so grateful for this award [and] so grateful for the recognition.”

Click here to check out KC Scholars’ Great Jobs KC. 

This year’s POWER of Diversity Breakfast also acknowledged Welcoming KC and the Welcoming Standard — a comprehensive roadmap for immigrant inclusion in communities developed by Welcoming America. Kansas City is currently preparing to become Certified Welcoming, which officially recognizes KC as an open and welcoming community, particularly to immigrants and refugees.

Ace Award recipients

The Ace Awards celebrate up-and-coming senior level workforce members who are advocating and uplifting Diversity, Equity and Inclusive within their business and community. The 2023 Ace Award winners included: Dr. Ronald Knit-Beck, human resources director of Kansas City Art Institute; Jackie Nguyen, CEO of Cafe Cà Phê; and Godfrey Riddle, director of resource development at Arts KC. 

Andrew Eanes, JE Dunn Construction (left) and Dr. Ronald Knit-Beck, Kansas City Art Institute (right) at the KC Chamber’s POWER of Diversity Breakfast; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

At the Kansas City Art Institute, diversity and inclusion are immersed in the culture, Knit-Beck said, noting that he and his team prioritize making each individual feel valued. They also continue to look for areas in which they can improve. 

“My motto that I have in life is that if you’re not learning, you’re not growing,” Knit-Beck said. “As humans, we should be ever-evolving, trying to find the opportunities to find ways to change the way we think. We need people to diversify our experiences.”

Click here to check out the Kansas City Art Institute.

Dr. Tiffany Willis, Rediscover (left) and Jackie Nguyen, Cafe Cà Phê (right) at the KC Chamber’s POWER of Diversity Breakfast; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

Nguyen founded Kansas City’s only Vietnamese cafe as a way to find and build a community. Since doing so in 2020, Nguyen has gone on to host cultural celebrations — such as Lunar New Year, Autumn Moon Festival and AAPIconic — with thousands in attendance. 

“There was not a lot of representation for the Asian community, and so I decided to create a company and business that fosters the Asian community and that really helps to amplify the narrative,” Nguyen said. “I think what Kansas City does right about diversity is the community that comes in supports it. I feel like so many people that are part of the community — they want it to be diverse.”

Cafe Cà Phê staff is made up of all individuals from marginalized communities, Nguyen noted.

“I personally have been the token Asian person within the company before, and I know what that feels like to be the only person of color,” she shared. “So I wanted my staff to be all people of color so that we didn’t feel like we were the token ones in the company anymore. I want them to feel like they are welcomed here and recognized here and value here, just by being themselves.”

RELATED: Cafe Cà Phê returns to the West Bottoms with second location for KC’s popular Vietnamese coffee shop

Nikki Beard, Saint Luke’s Health System (left) and Godfrey Riddle, ArtsKC (right) at the KC Chamber’s POWER of Diversity Breakfast; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

As an artist, nonprofit executive and serial social entrepreneur, Riddle has created and managed lines of business for non-profit organizations that have generated over $19.4 million since 2014.

“When I think about how I would use my leadership to have an impact on DEI efforts in Kansas City, it’s always trying to be vocal about groups that are left out,” Riddle said. “From my vantage point, it’s understanding that I can’t see everything; but sometimes you have to ask the question or at least make space and time to do that and find the answer.”

ArtsKC strives to support and advance lives through the arts, Riddle continued. Riddle helped found ArtsKC’s six-week Creative Leaders program to train rising stars as adaptive, anti-racist arts leaders and appoint them to arts-based nonprofits and civic boards. 

“[The goal is] that in 5, 10, 15 years from now, the leaders and individuals who are guiding those organizations are deeply representative of those they aim to serve,” Riddle said. 

Click here to learn more about ArtsKC’s Creative Leaders program.

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 POWER of Diversity Breakfast was present by Community America Credit Union.