Podcasts about greater kansas city chamber

Qiana Thomason draws from over twenty years of leadership at the intersections of health and behavioral healthcare, corporate healthcare payment, health policy, health philanthropy and business. This aerial command of the political, private market, and social factors that shape health uniquely positions Qiana to impact the wellbeing and prosperity of communities. Qiana's “self to systems” leadership practice, her commitment to organizational care and accountability, and her practice of centering people in driving change and managing transitions makes her a trusted executive in ensuring the effectiveness and sustainability of the organizations and movements she supports. Further, Qiana's prowess in strategy, enterprise risk management, regulatory and compliance agility, human capital optimization, organizational sustainability, ESG facility and DEI expertise makes her an effective partner on boards. As President & CEO of Health Forward Foundation, Qiana guides the $1B foundation in stewarding diverse capital investments, leadership in public policy, and institutional social capital that fosters health and economic equity throughout Missouri and Kansas. Qiana's leadership has positioned Health Forward as a national model for health equity through trust-based public, private, and philanthropic partnerships, spanning resident and faith leaders, grassroots to large non-profits, Chambers of Commerce and business councils, municipal and state government. Qiana's leadership in governance and civic spheres is multi-level. Nationally, Qiana is a board member of Grantmakers in Health, the National Association of State Health Policy, and the National Rural Health Resource Center. Regionally, Qiana is as a board member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and William Jewell College. She is a member of the International Women's Forum, a global organization of preeminent leaders and Women of Influence. Qiana's impact is recognized broadly. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce recognized Qiana with the international ATHENA Award (2024) and the national Business Journal recognized Qiana on its inaugural listing (2022) of BizWomen making an impact in their local business communities. The Urban League of Greater Kansas City recognized Qiana with its Difference Maker award (2024), Kansas City University bestowed upon Qiana an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters (2023), and Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey conveyed its Race, Place, and Diversity award (2022). https://healthforward.org/Citations:Glover Blackwell, A. (n.d.). The Curb-Cut Effect. PolicyLink. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://www.policylink.org/resources-tools/curb-cut-effectHosts: MaryAnne Metheny, and Tina Johnson If you are in an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.For information about our services and how Hope House can help, call our 24-Hour Hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.hopehouse.net

This week, we revisit our interview with Gayle Packer, Board Chair, CEO, and President of Terracon. She joined Terracon (ENR#24)* in 2004. During her 17 years with the company, Gayle has served in multiple leadership roles, including attorney, co-general counsel, director of corporate services, and chief administrative officer. She has been instrumental in Terracon's growth, coordinating the acquisition of more than 50 companies and expanding the company to over 150 offices nationwide.  Gayle holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Laws from the University of Arkansas. In addition, she also has earned bachelor's degrees in political science, international studies and agricultural economics, as well as a master's degree in agricultural economics and applied business management from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Terracon, Gayle held roles in sales and public relations for the agricultural broadcasting network in Ohio and was as an attorney (specializing in the areas of corporate, tax and employee benefits) at regional and national law firms in their Kansas City offices.  In April 2021, Gayle was elected to the board of VHB, Inc., (ENR#56)* an employee-owned transportation and energy engineering firm, and she serves on VHB's audit committee. Gayle was recognized in the Kansas City Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business class of 2010 and Ingram's top Women Executives in 2020. She currently serves on local, regional and national non-profit boards of directors, including the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation (audit committee and investment committee), ACE Mentor Program, ACEC Research Institute (finance committee), Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.  In addition, Gayle was recently elected to the executive committee of the Design Professionals Coalition. Gayle is a member of both the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and Women Corporate Directors where she has served on the programming committee for the local chapter.

A nationally recognized thought leader, Bernard Franklin completed the Hoffman Process in June 2022. As Bernard shares, he was a man who had blocked his emotions, feelings, and energy, and "all of those channels were ready to explode." He was shaky. He wasn't comfortable in his own skin. And having arrived at the world's best educational institution and at the height of his career, he found himself profoundly needing something he could not yet name. He found it at the Hoffman Process. At Bernard's Process: Bernard beautifully shares a story from the first night of his Process. In the first few hours, something did not sit right with him. Old childhood memories were triggered. At that moment, Bernard spoke up from his belly. He said what he couldn't say as a child. And at this moment, he was met by his Process teacher with kindness, gentleness, and the invitation to look deeper. Bernard stayed and had a profoundly transformative experience. His story is an example of how surrender to the Process does not imply or insist on acquiescence. The recurring theme woven throughout this rich conversation with Bernard and Sharon is that of healing the wound left by a father who could not love his son in the way his son needed. Bernard takes us into the journey of healing his relationship with his father and in turn with his own masculinity. Through his Process, Bernard was able to truly embrace the reality of his parents' lives as they were, not as he'd wished they'd been. In this embrace, he found a deep and lasting compassion for both his parents. Consequently, the direction of his life's work has changed. After integrating the work of the Process, Bernard realized he must follow a new path. He is now bringing his lifetime of work and his open, vulnerable heart to what he names "our world's toughest men."  Content Warning: This episode does mention abuse and might not be suitable for all audiences. More about Bernard Franklin: Dr. Bernard Franklin is a nationally recognized thought leader on issues confronting urban trauma and violence, mental health, resilience, boys' and mens' development, and K-12 and higher education issues. His 40-year career includes leadership at five higher education institutions and a Kansas City philanthropy. In 2022, Bernard completed a Fellowship with Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative focused on urban mental health research, specifically on violent and marginalized urban individuals. He is the Managing Director of Uncornered, a Boston-based organization transforming urban communities into violence-free neighborhoods. Bernard earned an MS in Counseling and Behavioral Studies from the University of South Alabama. He obtained a Ph.D. in Counseling and Higher Education Administration, with an outside emphasis in family studies from Kansas State University. Bernard earned a master's Professional Training Certificate focused on the trauma/resilience theory model of Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) from Texas Christian University. He has been a speaker, taught courses, and consulted K-12 and higher education organizations on social-emotional teaching and learning, trauma, attachment disorder, resilience, and neuroscience. Bernard served as Chaplin and a member of the NFL Kansas City Chiefs professional counseling team. He is a member of the distinguished advisory board of The Center for Law, Brain & Behavior at Harvard. Bernard is a widowed and proud father of a daughter and three sons; and has seven adorable grandchildren. Discover more about and connect with Bernard on LinkedIn. Among Bernard's many awards and honors: Bernard was twice honored among the 100 Most Influential African Americans in Kansas City (1998, 2009). The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce honored him with the Distinguished Leadership Award for contributions to urban education. The Kansas City Downtown Council awarded him “Urban Hero” for his urban public education work.

Who is Brian Weaver?20 years of experience leading mission-driven, high-growth, technology-focused companies. Torch.AI helps leading organizations leverage arti icial intelligence in a unique way via a proprietary enterprise data management software solution. Today, Torch.AI supports clients like H&R Block with fraud detection and mitigation, and the U.S. Department of Defense with machine learning-enabled background investigations for all federal employees, supporting the determination of an individual's trustworthiness and security credentialing. Prior to Torch.AI, Brian launched or acquired several companies all focused on technology-enabled services and data connectivity. His companies serve nearly 1,300 clients and have been recognized as Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.Brian has been featured in Forbes magazine for concepts around data encapsulation using blockchain technologies. He received the Defense Innovation Award at DITAC in 2017. Brian gave thecommencement speech for the 2019 class at his alma mater, Northwest Missouri State University, where he earned a degree in communications (minoring in Philosophy).He has raced in numerous Ironman competitions at an elite amateur level in the US and Europe, ranking as high as No. 1 in the world for the class. He lives in Kansas City with his wife of 20 years and two teenage daughters.How to Connect with Brian?Website: https://torch.ai/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briangweaver/.....Enjoy A Free 1 Week Trial of Quantum Abundancehttps://drvic.systeme.io/quantum-abundance-lp Check Out the Classes Dr. Vic Offers:https://www.empoweryourreality.com/classes Do You Want to Learn the Simple Business Success Formula to Quantum Leap Your Life, Business and 10X Your Fulfillment in Life?Are you looking to double your profits, create financial freedom/independence, create more fulfillment, work less, make more, and have more freedom and time with your loved ones? If you answered "YES" to any of these, let us set up a call to discover how I can accelerate that process for you. Just visit the link below and set up a time that works best for you to connect. www.CallwithDrVic.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Banking on KC, Drew Eanes, co-founder of The Hadley Project, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how the fund uses a trust-based philanthropic model to amplify marginalized voices and support racial, social and environmental justice. ABOUT DREW EANES Drew Eanes is a Senior Client Solutions Manager at JE Dunn construction, responsible for business development initiatives throughout Kansas City. He is also the Regional Chair for JE Dunn BUiLD (Blacks United in learning and development) and has led partnership initiatives with the Urban League of Kansas City and SWAGG Inc that have resulted in access to opportunity for minorities in construction. He has received multiple honors for his dedication to the community and commitment to important initiatives, including being a Kansas City Man of the Year candidate for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, completing the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce's Centurions Leadership Program and being voted Centurion of the Year, City Year Idealist of the Year. He is also a 2022 Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Ace Award recipient. Eanes is a founding board member of the Hadley Project, a $6 million fund that awards grants to grassroots nonprofits led by people of color focused on equity around racial, social, and environmental justice. To date, The Hadley Project has partnered with more than 30 local organizations. He is also co-chair of the Launch KC Kansas City Social Venture Studio, a six-month program custom-designed for social entrepreneurs to grow their business and increase their community impact. He serves on the board of directors for the Kansas City Kansas Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and MOKAN Basketball. Country Club Bank – Member FDIC

Moments after Argentina's game-winning penalty kick hit the back of the net to defeat France in the World Cup final, thoughts turned to the next World Cup, the 2026 event to be held in 16 North American cities, including Kansas City. On today's SportsBeat KC podcast, Star columnists Vahe Gregorian and Sam McDowell sat down with three Kansas City officials who attended the World Cup in Qatar: Kansas City Sports Commission and VisitKC president Kathy Nelson, Kansas City deputy city manager and executive director of convention and entertainment facilities of Kansas City Kimiko Gilmore, and Joe Reardon, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce president and former Kansas City, Kan., mayor. They spoke of their experiences at the World Cup and vision for the event in Kansas City, which is the smallest U.S. market serving as a host city. First, you'll hear a conversation with Gregorian, who spoke to the enormity of the World Cup in Kansas City and how it will translate here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brian serves as CEO of Torch.AI and has more than 20 years of experience leading mission driven, high growth, technology-focused companies. Torch.AI helps leading organizations leverage artificial intelligence in a unique way via a proprietary enterprise data management software solution. Today, Torch.AI supports clients like H&R Block with fraud detection and mitigation, and the U.S. Department of Defense with machine learning-enabled background investigations for all federal employees, supporting the determination of an individual's trustworthiness and security credentialing. Prior to Torch.AI, Brian launched or acquired several companies all focused on technology-enabled services and data connectivity. His companies serve nearly 1,300 clients and have been recognized as Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.   During the show we discuss: ● How machine learning can anticipate what may happen and how you can use this ● How data can be broken down in a way that simple machines can easily process ● How machine learning uses data to produce actionable info for entrepreneurs  ● How to use advanced tech to reduce churn and keep customers longer ● What data infrastructure it is and how to fix the problems it causes ● Why business owners deal with more data than they can manage ● What causes data to be unsecure and how to make it safe ● How AI and machine learning can help business owners ● What's the future look like for AI and machine learning ● How to break down lots of data to make it easy to use ● How to use advanced tech to attract more customers ● How AI can make data easier to use   Show resources: https://torch.ai/ 

Rebecca Baumgartner is the Vice President of Human Resources for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. As a champion for personal and professional wellbeing, Rebecca brings her extensive background in human resources, organizational development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion to help others strengthen their personal awareness and build new skills to more powerfully navigate their journey. She draws from skill sets such as emotional intelligence, positive psychology, resilience, and courageous leadership to support others in their goals to become more inclusive and more impactful leaders to themselves and others. Rebecca is skilled in professional and leadership development, coaching, and the strategic planning and implementation of diversity and inclusion programs, initiatives, and efforts. She has been a featured speaker for organizations such as National Association for Legal Professionals, Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals, Tulane School of Law, Central Exchange, Anheuser-Busch, Hallmark, and the Professional Development Consortium. Additionally, she has contributed to and written for publications such as Forbes, The American Lawyer, Working Mother Media, and The Good Men Project. Rebecca was featured by InsightsSuccess as one of the “10 Most Inspiring Business Women in 2021.” Rebecca sits on the board of the Northland Symphony and Orchestra, dedicated to providing music and arts education to youth in the community, as well as the Racial Equity and Inclusion Kansas City organization. She serves on the Patron Committee for UnitedWe, is an Advisory Board Member for the Conscious Inclusion Company – a national diversity, equity and inclusion consulting organization – and is a faculty member for the Executive Leadership Institute. Rebecca has also dedicated her time to national committees including the Law Firm Anti-Racism Alliance Voting Rights Committee and the National Diversity Council. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/freeman-means-business/support

Our “C” word for this week is COURAGE. In the “C” You In the Major Leagues vernacular, COURAGE in leadership is someone who wants the opportunity to decide the outcome; someone who's not afraid to fail; and someone who fears no one.This week's guest definitely fits that.Whether you live in the Kansas City area or not, you've undoubtedly seen his company's work out there somewhere. That t-shirt with the heart and KC in the middle that have been worn on national TV by the likes of Rob Riggle and Paul Rudd? They came from his company.The Crown Town shirts that are part of fundraisers for “C” You In The Major Leagues to support mentoring and leadership development for high school students? Those came from his company, also.And, by the way, earlier this summer his company, Charlie Hustle, was selected as the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce's 2021 Mr. K Small Business of the Year Award winner.He, of course, is Chase McAnulty, founder and CEO of Charlie Hustle apparel here in Kansas City.In this episode, Chase takes a swing at our Pregame Batting Practice, discusses the importance of the Mr. K Award and the importance of giving back to the community, the COURAGE it takes to fail as an entrepreneur, and much more. LINKS:A gift of at least $100, which is DOUBLED until Oct. 15, gives a student more than five weeks of mentoring AND you get the Crown Town T-shirt designed exclusively by Charlie Hustle. To do that, click here.For more about the Charlie Hustle brand, visit their website.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

Brian serves as CEO of Torch.AI and has more than 20 years of experience leading mission-driven, high growth, technology-focused companies.  Torch.AI helps leading organizations leverage artificial intelligence in a unique way via a proprietary enterprise data management software solution. Prior to Torch. AI, Brian launched or acquired several companies all focused on technology-enabled services and data connectivity. His companies serve nearly 1,300 clients and have been recognized as Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.Brian shares so much of his knowledge about artificial intelligence.   He shares the problems companies are facing that inhibit the use of AI.  He also shares practical steps for getting started with AI in your company.  Show Notes:[00:27] Brian is the CEO of Torch.AI.[01:38] He left his company at the time and started his own company.  Within 3 years, he was so successful he had the opportunity to buy his last employee.[02:14] Brian shares his journey and how his position evolved over time. [04:39] He needs to be doing something, solving a problem, or using his brain creatively.  [07:01] Brian has been featured in Forbes Magazine for concepts around data encapsulation using blockchain technologies.  [07:34] As a business they specialize in high-risk environments dealing with sensitive data on a large scale.   [08:46] He shares about the impact of his Iron Man racing on his life personally and professionally. [11:41] The job of a CIO has changed.  Now the CIO is a business-critical role and they have a tough challenge the way work is changing.   [13:14] The point of AI is to provide more flexibility and improve the cost-effectiveness of some time of technology application. AI should be flexible and adaptable to a specific environment. [14:08] Right now there is not a lot of successful application of AI because the IT side has so many problems dealing with enterprise information.  [15:17] The purpose of AI is to create an automated rule to improve an outcome and make use of data on a scale that a human being just can’t do. Unless we solve all these other huge issues, it is not possible to do that at scale. [17:51] The remote working phenomenon gives the CIO a massive opportunity to go back and look at the fundamental underpinnings of the organization. [18:09] Companies should be paying attention to the framework that underpins all the information in the enterprise. [19:21] Many companies are focusing on the application layer that makes use of the data, but if they can’t get the data into their fancy analytic application there isn’t a point. [21:21] Right now if we develop an AI model and we want to deploy it we have to wrap it in code and we end up having a stand-alone application. When that changes across the landscape, you will see an easier adoption. [22:22] The CIO that does the best job will get the rest of the C-suite just as passionate about dealing with the challenges with messy data as they are the pretty pictures.  [24:46] Agriculture is ahead of manufacturing in AI. Agriculture has a set of standardized data that is friendly with advanced technology. [26:43] Brian shares his advice for his younger self including trying to be self-aware. [27:11] Be honest with yourself and others about what you are good at and not good at. Understand where you get your energy, how you make decisions, and what other personality types you need around you.[28:36] At the end of the day, if you’re a good person, you mean well, and try to treat others well you will make a good decision.  You make the best decision you can based on the information you have.[29:24]  His last piece of advice is to enjoy the journey. [30:42] Brian shares his best worst boss story.  [31:06] Lighten up a little.  He shares about a fun work culture that he enjoyed being a part of. [32:26] The CIO has a very challenging set of circumstances ahead.  The most successful seek to understand the foundational components first and the fancy applications second. They are happier in their job, inspire those around them, and are the best at their job. Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInBrian on LinkedIn

On this episode, host Kelly Scanlon visits with Joe Reardon, president and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. The Reardon family has a long history of public service in the Kansas City community. Listen in to learn how Joe’s passion for community service and his ability to foster collaboration has been key to launching some of the Kansas City region’s game-changing initiatives. Country Club Bank - Member FDIC.

Welcome to Episode 35 of Building My Legacy.In this podcast Brian Weaver – the CEO of Torch AI, an artificial intelligence company – shares with us his thoughts on the future of AI and its challenges. He also talks about what he, as a creative person, considers when networking and building a team. Brian’s thoughts are particularly timely today in light of the business challenges we all face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.Although Brian admits he hasn’t thought much about building his legacy, in our discussion, he took time to look at the journey of his career, how he has built his network and how all of us should think about our lives differently as we build our legacy.So if you want to know:- The importance of being self-aware and recognizing the unique talents of those around you- What your decision-making process says about you- Why companies need to make technology decisions at the department level – rather than from the top down- Why today’s business challenges – as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic – are likely to lead to a period of great innovation About Brian WeaverThe CEO of Torch AI, an artificial intelligence company, Brian has more than 20 years’ experience leading mission-driven, high-growth technology companies. Today his company helps leading organizations leverage artificial intelligence via proprietary enterprise data management software.Brian has launched and acquired several companies, all focused on technology-enabled services and data connectivity. His companies’ nearly 1,300 clients include the U.S. Defense Department and H&R Block. He received the Defense Innovation Award at DITAC in 2017 and has also been recognized by Forbes Magazine and as the Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.About Lois Sonstegard, PhDWorking with business leaders for more than 30 years, Lois has learned that successful leaders have a passion to leave a meaningful legacy. Leaders often ask: When does one begin to think about legacy? Is there a “best” approach? Is there a process or steps one should follow?Lois is dedicated not only to developing leaders but to helping them build a meaningful legacy. Learn more about how Lois can help your organization with Leadership Consulting and Executive Coaching: https://build2morrow.com/ Thanks for Tuning In!Thanks so much for being with us this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below!If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends by using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic episode updates.And, finally, please take a minute to leave us an honest review and rating on iTunes. They really help us out when it comes to the ranking of the show, and I make it a point to read every single one of the reviews we get.Please leave a review right now.Thanks for listening!Building My Legacyhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/building-my-legacy/

Welcome to Episode 35 of Building My Legacy.In this podcast Brian Weaver – the CEO of Torch AI, an artificial intelligence company – shares with us his thoughts on the future of AI and its challenges. He also talks about what he, as a creative person, considers when networking and building a team. Brian’s thoughts are particularly timely today in light of the business challenges we all face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.Although Brian admits he hasn’t thought much about building his legacy, in our discussion, he took time to look at the journey of his career, how he has built his network and how all of us should think about our lives differently as we build our legacy.So if you want to know:- The importance of being self-aware and recognizing the unique talents of those around you- What your decision-making process says about you- Why companies need to make technology decisions at the department level – rather than from the top down- Why today’s business challenges – as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic – are likely to lead to a period of great innovation About Brian WeaverThe CEO of Torch AI, an artificial intelligence company, Brian has more than 20 years’ experience leading mission-driven, high-growth technology companies. Today his company helps leading organizations leverage artificial intelligence via proprietary enterprise data management software.Brian has launched and acquired several companies, all focused on technology-enabled services and data connectivity. His companies’ nearly 1,300 clients include the U.S. Defense Department and H&R Block. He received the Defense Innovation Award at DITAC in 2017 and has also been recognized by Forbes Magazine and as the Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.About Lois Sonstegard, PhDWorking with business leaders for more than 30 years, Lois has learned that successful leaders have a passion to leave a meaningful legacy. Leaders often ask: When does one begin to think about legacy? Is there a “best” approach? Is there a process or steps one should follow?Lois is dedicated not only to developing leaders but to helping them build a meaningful legacy. Learn more about how Lois can help your organization with Leadership Consulting and Executive Coaching: https://build2morrow.com/ Thanks for Tuning In!Thanks so much for being with us this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below!If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends by using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic episode updates.And, finally, please take a minute to leave us an honest review and rating on iTunes. They really help us out when it comes to the ranking of the show, and I make it a point to read every single one of the reviews we get.Please leave a review right now.Thanks for listening!Building My Legacyhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/building-my-legacy/

Welcome to Episode 35 of Building My Legacy.In this podcast Brian Weaver – the CEO of Torch AI, an artificial intelligence company – shares with us his thoughts on the future of AI and its challenges. He also talks about what he, as a creative person, considers when networking and building a team. Brian’s thoughts are particularly timely today in light of the business challenges we all face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.Although Brian admits he hasn’t thought much about building his legacy, in our discussion, he took time to look at the journey of his career, how he has built his network and how all of us should think about our lives differently as we build our legacy.So if you want to know:- The importance of being self-aware and recognizing the unique talents of those around you- What your decision-making process says about you- Why companies need to make technology decisions at the department level – rather than from the top down- Why today’s business challenges – as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic – are likely to lead to a period of great innovation About Brian WeaverThe CEO of Torch AI, an artificial intelligence company, Brian has more than 20 years’ experience leading mission-driven, high-growth technology companies. Today his company helps leading organizations leverage artificial intelligence via proprietary enterprise data management software.Brian has launched and acquired several companies, all focused on technology-enabled services and data connectivity. His companies’ nearly 1,300 clients include the U.S. Defense Department and H&R Block. He received the Defense Innovation Award at DITAC in 2017 and has also been recognized by Forbes Magazine and as the Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.About Lois Sonstegard, PhDWorking with business leaders for more than 30 years, Lois has learned that successful leaders have a passion to leave a meaningful legacy. Leaders often ask: When does one begin to think about legacy? Is there a “best” approach? Is there a process or steps one should follow?Lois is dedicated not only to developing leaders but to helping them build a meaningful legacy. Learn more about how Lois can help your organization with Leadership Consulting and Executive Coaching: https://build2morrow.com/ Thanks for Tuning In!Thanks so much for being with us this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below!If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends by using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic episode updates.And, finally, please take a minute to leave us an honest review and rating on iTunes. They really help us out when it comes to the ranking of the show, and I make it a point to read every single one of the reviews we get.Please leave a review right now.Thanks for listening!Building My Legacyhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/building-my-legacy/

Introducing Brian Weaver Todays guest Brian serves as CEO of Torch.AI and has more than 20 years of experience leading mission driven, high growth, technology-focused companies. Torch.AI helps leading organizations leverage artificial intelligence in a unique way via a proprietary enterprise data management software solution. Today, Torch.AI supports clients like H&R Block with fraud detection and mitigation, and the U.S. Department of Defence with machine learning enabled background investigations for all federal employees, supporting the determination of an individual's trustworthiness and security credentialing. Prior to Torch.AI, Brian launched or acquired several companies all focused on technology enabled services and data connectivity. His companies serve nearly 1,300 clients and have been recognized as Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Brian has been featured in Forbes magazine for concepts around data encapsulation using blockchain technologies. How The Dots Joined Up For Brian An avid endurance sports athlete, Brian has ranked among the top amateur Ironman athletes in the world, has achieved "All World Gold" athlete status five times, USAT All-American six times, Ironman XC's 2011 and 2012 Athlete of the Year for the 70.3 distance and in 2011 for the 140.6 distance taking class wins at both the Ironman 70.3 World Championship and Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii and has qualified for and raced the Boston Marathon.  He lives in Kansas City with his wife of 20 years and two teenage daughters. So what is it about launching and buying businesses that he loves so much, and of course where do people go wrong? And does the endurance stuff actually make him a better businessman due to the commitment to the cause? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Mr. Brian Weaver Show Highlights During the show we discussed such weight subjects with Brian Weaver such as: Brian shared how he struggles with doing the same thing time and time again and the steps he took to overcome it. Why it is so important to embrace your pioneer nature and complement by running a team that allow you to flourish. Why so many people need all the data before starting to move out of your comfort zone and build their own future. And lastly....... The reason that is so much easier to fascinate a customer into working with you instead of encouraging them to sign up.

Brian Weaver serves as CEO of Torch.AI and has more than 20 years of experience leading mission driven, high growth, technology-focused companies. Torch.AI helps leading organizations leverage artificial intelligence in a unique way via a proprietary enterprise data management software solution. Today, Torch.AI supports clients like H&R Block with fraud detection and mitigation, and the U.S. Department of Defense with machine learning-enabled background investigations for all federal employees, supporting the determination of an individual's trustworthiness and security credentialing. Prior to Torch.AI, Brian launched or acquired several companies all focused on technology enabled services and data connectivity. His companies serve nearly 1,300 clients and have been recognized as Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. “the first rule is don't be afraid and the second rule is just do right by other people and in the end you will be fine. Put others ahead of you and ahead of money and everything”…[Listen for More] Click Here for Show Notes To Listen or to Get the Show Notes go to https://wp.me/p6Tf4b-7mx

Kansas City’s Nonprofit Voice! Sharing the stories of local nonprofits and connecting them with the community! We talk with philanthropists, volunteers, community activists, executive directors, and nonprofit lovers from the Kansas City nonprofit community. Be seen, be heard with KC Cares! Kansas City’s Nonprofit Nonprofit Voice! _________________________ Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Scott Hall, SVP of Civic & Community Initiatives For more than 130 years, the KC Chamber has been leading the way to a better KC region. We do this by convening innovative leaders, collaborating with like-minded organizations, advocating for positive change, and helping small businesses grow. kcchamber.com   Find us on Facebook:@ Kccaresradio Twitter: @kccaresradio Instagram: @Kccaresonline _________________________ Also available on Itunes || Spotify || Stitcher || Soundcloud || Youtube  KC Cares, Kansas City’s nonprofit voice, tells the stories of Kansas City nonprofits and connects them with the community.  Produced by Charitable Communications  In partnership with the Kauffman Foundation Think. Do. Be Uncommon.

Brian serves as CEO of Torch.AI and has more than 20 years of experience leading mission driven, high growth, technology-focused companies. Torch.AI helps leading organizations leverage artificial intelligence in a unique way via a proprietary enterprise data management software solution. Clients include the Department of Defense and companies like Microsoft and H&R Block  Prior to Torch.AI, Brian launched or acquired several companies all focused on technology enabled services and data connectivity. His companies serve nearly 1,300 clients and have been recognized as Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.  

In this episode of the Expert Pespective podcast, hosted on BenefitsPro and sponsored by American Century Investments, we’ll look at highlights from the recent webcast titled “Design Retirement Plans with Both Plan Sponsors & Participants in Mind.” The presentation broke down recent survey results from American Century Investments, and featured Diane Gallagher from American Century, and Sasha Franger of Empower Retirement.   For the full on-demand presentation, click here: https://www.benefitspro.com/2019/06/17/how-to-design-retirement-plans-with-both-plan-sponsors-participants-in-mind/   About Diane Gallager: Vice President Diane Gallagher is responsible for developing content and value-add programs for clients and is also a spokesperson on retirement investing. Diane originally joined American Century Investments in 1995 and developed communication programs for clients of J.P. Morgan/American Century Retirement Plan Services. Prior to returning to American Century in 2012, Diane was vice president, Retirement Insights for J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Previously, she led product marketing for J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services and directed the participant communications and education department. Prior to 1995, Diane served as media relations manager for the Mutual Fund Education Alliance (MFEA). She also worked in Corporate Communications and Marketing for Sinai Health Care System in Detroit, Michigan. Diane earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, magna cum laude, from the University of Detroit. She is accredited by the International Association of Business Communications (IABC) and has earned many awards for her communication programs. She is a Board member of the Hands & Hearts Auxiliary for Children for Children’s Mercy Hospital and is a member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Centurions Leadership Program, class of 2019. She is Past-President of the Board of Directors of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City and currently serves on its Advisory Board. In 2007, Diane was named one of Kansas City’s “40 Under 40″ leaders by Ingram’s magazine. A frequent conference speaker, she holds series 7, 63 and 24 licenses. About Sasha Franger: Sasha Franger is the Director of Thought Leadership for Empower Retirement. In her role, she leads the strategy and execution of thought leadership programs for advisors, plan sponsors and consultants. Sasha believes that we do not just want to live longer but that we want to live well longer, and an important aspect of this is to be prepared financially for retirement.   Seizing the opportunity to build a thought leadership content program from the ground up, Sasha joined the organization in 2016. She has 10 years of industry experience and has also worked as an Analyst with Lipper, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters, where she created reports for mutual fund company boards, and as a Marketing Manager at Jackson National Life Distributors.   Sasha holds a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and a master’s degree in political science from Michigan State University. She currently maintains FINRA Series 6 and 63 securities registrations and holds FINRA Series 7 credentials.

The worst nightmare of many retirement plan fiduciaries is to find themselves the target of a class action ERISA or 401(k) lawsuit.  My guests today, are intimately familiar with that feeling and more importantly, lived to tell about it.  Returning to the podcast I have Jamie Fleckner, ERISA Litigation Chair at Goodwin and Diane Gallagher, the Chair of the American Century Corporate Retirement Plan Committee. During this fascinating conversation you will hear how the 401(k) class action against American Century got started, what the plaintiffs were alleging, what it was like to be personally named in a multi-million dollar lawsuit, defending fiduciary decisions at trial and much more.  This episode is probably one of the more timely, informational and even emotional ones to date, enjoy!   Guest Bios Diane Gallagher is the Chair of the American Century Investments Corporate Retirement Plan Committee.  She is responsible for developing content and value-add programs for clients and is also a spokesperson on retirement investing.  Diane originally joined American Century Investments in 1995 and developed communication programs for clients of J.P. Morgan/American Century Retirement Plan Services. Prior to returning to American Century in 2012, Diane was vice president, Retirement Insights for J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Previously, she led product marketing for J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services and directed the participant communications and education department. Prior to 1995, Diane served as media relations manager for the Mutual Fund Education Alliance (MFEA). She also worked in Corporate Communications and Marketing for Sinai Health Care System in Detroit, Michigan.  Diane earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, magna cum laude, from the University of Detroit. She is accredited by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and has earned many awards for her communication programs. She is a Board member of the Hands & Hearts Auxiliary for Children for Children’s Mercy Hospital and is a member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Centurions Leadership Program, class of 2019.  She is Past-President of the Board of Directors of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City and currently serves on its Advisory Board. In 2007, Diane was named one of Kansas City’s “40 Under 40” leaders by Ingram’s magazine. A frequent conference speaker, she holds Series 7, 63 and 24 licenses. Jamie Fleckner is a partner in Goodwin’s Financial Industry practice and Chair of its ERISA Litigation practice. Mr. Fleckner represents clients in a wide array of complex commercial litigation, with a focus on financial services and products, including investment management. He regularly litigates class and derivative actions under ERISA, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and related federal and state laws. His practice also focuses on regulatory investigations and governmental proceedings, and has represented clients before the U.S. Department of Labor, Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and state authorities. Mr. Fleckner’s success in litigating cutting edge legal issues has been profiled in The American Lawyer’s Big Suits and Litigator of the Week features. According to Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business where Mr. Fleckner has been selected for inclusion since 2014, Mr. Fleckner is “at the top of his game,” and is “a rare thought leader” on ERISA litigation. Since 2015, he has been recognized as a leading lawyer in the list of Who’s Who Legal: Pensions and Benefits. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over one hundred prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!  

Emmitt Mitchell is President of the Moody Center. The Moody Center’s work is focused on three broad areas: evangelism, education, and Christian entrepreneurship. Emmitt leads with strategic vision and oversight, helping the Moody Center to realize its vision of equipping and inspiring today’s ministry leaders to become more effective through innovation and continuous learning. Emmitt is a long-time Kansas City businessman with significant experience in banking, real estate and the automobile industry. He owned and operated three automobile dealerships in the Kansas City area, Mitchell Oldsmobile, Mitchell Cadillac Inc. and Mitchell Lincoln Mercury Inc. Emmitt has served the Kansas City community in many positions ranging from Chairman of Urban Youth Leader, and Senior Pastor of Victory Temple Christian Life Center to serving as Vice- Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Emmitt is a founding Board member of the Servant Foundation, recently renamed The Signatry: A Global Christian Foundation. The Signatry has facilitated charitable contributions of almost $3 billion dollars to Christian nonprofits and ministries worldwide since 2000

Kansas City's Nonprofit  Digital Resource! Sharing the stories of local nonprofits and connecting them with the community! We talk with philanthropists, volunteer, community activists, executive directors from various nonprofits in the Kansas City community. Be seen, be heard with KC Cares! Hosted by Ruth Baum Bigus and Bobby Keys This Weeks Guests: __________________________________________ Young Women on the Move Mary Beth Gentry Web site: www.youngwomenonthemove.org  __________________________________________ World War I Museum and Memorial Mike Vietti,Director of Marketing, Communications & Guest Services Ed Mardiat, Volunteer Ambassador Web site: www.theworldwar.org Twitter:@TheWWImuseum  ______________________________________ Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce-Pre K Awareness Jasmin Williams, Project Director for the Pre-KC Awareness Campaign  Web site: pre-kc.org; www.kcchamber.com Twitter: @PreKC1 __________________________________________ Find us on Facebook: Kccaresradio Instagram: Kccaresonline Twitter @Kccaresradio

Connie is the co-owner and Chief Sales Officer of Sunlighten™. Sunlighten was started in her basement in 1999 and has grown dramatically over the years. Sunlighten develops, designs, and retails infrared saunas. The company's unique Far Infrared technology, Solocarbon™, and more recently Full Spectrum Infrared, differentiate its products from the competition. Sunlighten has made appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Oz and The Doctors television programs. Additionally, Connie was honored in 2006 as a Women Who Mean Business Award Recipient and Sunlighten was named the 2008 Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

Four years ago the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce launched The Big Five Initiatives and one of the five was making Kansas Ctiy one of America's most entrepreneurial city.  Maria Meyers with KC SourceLink joins host Kelly Scanlon this week on Smart Companies-KC. Find out where Kansas City stands in year 2 in KC SourceLink’s report, “We Create”.Is Kansas City the most entrepreneurial city?  To listen to more shows hosted by Kelly Scanlon, visit our archives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOPIC 1: THE LIST NARROWS. The Greater Kansas City Chamber has narrowed its list of 182 recommendations for the “Big Five” ideas to improve the metro area to 20. The chamber will select the final five in September. TOPIC 2: … Continue reading →