Banking on KC

On this episode of Banking on KC, Thomas Hoenig, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, joins host Kelly Scanlon to offer his insights and perspectives into this unprecedented time in U.S. history. Listen in as Hoenig discusses the: CARES Act. Role monetary policy can play in buoying the economy. Residential and commercial real estate markets. Impact of technology on the work...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Rania Anderson, founder of The Way WoMen Work, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how businesses and communities can foster economic prosperity through gender parity. Tune in as Rania discusses: The economic case for gender parity. The difference between a mentor and a sponsor. How to amplify diverse voices in the workplace. How the Women’s Capital Connection is...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Tiffany Monroe, Chief People Officer of H&R Block, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the organization’s Make Every Block Better initiative, which supports neighborhood revitalization and small businesses across the country—and also strives to combat social isolation. Although the program is national in scope, H&R Block has committed $3.5 million to the effort in...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Jennifer Mendez, director of cultural arts at the Mattie Rhodes Center, joins host Kelly Scanlon to share how the organization has worked for 125 years to promote the well-being of Kansas City children and families through social services, behavioral health counseling, and the arts. Tune in to find out how: Mattie Rhodes is the legacy of a young woman whose dying...

On this special Veteran’s Day episode of Banking on KC, Lt. General James Rainey, Commanding General, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, and Michael Hockley, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Kansas (Eastern), join host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the work of the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth and its global impact. Ft. Leavenworth is the oldest continuously operating...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Daniel Silva, President and CEO of the Kansas City Kansas Chamber of Commerce, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the Chamber’s newest division—the Women’s Chamber Network—to spur more women to leadership and board positions. The WCN is an outgrowth of combing the Kansas City Kansas Women’s Chamber of Commerce with the KCK Chamber. The WCN focuses on the needs of...

On this episode of Banking on KC, John Thomson, CEO of PayIt, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss PayIt, the company he founded to make government at all levels more accessible to people. PayIt’s award-winning digital platform allows citizens to access government services from any device—to make payments, set calendar reminders, renew licenses and registrations, and more. Tune in to find out: What...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Kurt Neutgens, co-founder of Orange EV, joins host Kelly Scanlon to share his entrepreneurial journey, including the inspiration that led to the founding of industry disruptor Orange EV. The Riverside-based company manufactures an all-electric version of the terminal truck, or “mule”—a small semi-tractor used to move trailers around cargo yards, airports and other...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Thalia Cherry, founder of clothing manufacturer CHERRY Co., joins host Kelly Scanlon to talk about leveraging her love of sports into a sportswear company that elevates women and entrepreneurs. Tune in as she discusses the inspiration for launching the company, how she has grown it and kept it relevant, and how she is introducing entrepreneurship to students throu...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Toby Rush, CEO of Smart Warehousing, joins host Kelly Scanlon to share insights on entrepreneurship and innovation that he’s learned as a serial tech entrepreneur. He recounts his own entrepreneurial journey, from the straw business he started as a farm kid to launching, growing, and exiting two tech companies to recently taking over as CEO of an established Kansa...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Meredith Walrafen, project manager for New Roots for Refugees, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how the organization helps refugees put down new roots in Kansas City. The program builds on the agricultural strengths and experience that program participants already possess and helps them start their own small farm businesses. Walrafen explains the basics of comm...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Kelly Wilson, owner of Weave Gotcha Covered, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss her entrepreneurial journey and how it led to the founding of her nonprofit organization, The Sewing Labs. Wilson discusses the three-tiered mission of The Sewing Labs: job skills training, community connections and the legacy of sewing. She also provides insights into how businesses...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Jonathan Kemmerer, founder of Odd Bird Farm, joins host Kelly Scanlon to talk about his efforts to revive a 5,000-year-old pig breed, promote sustainable agriculture practices in a modern world, what’s driving agricultural innovation—and how he hopes to change the way animals are treated and people are eating. Country Club Bank – Member FDIC The views and opinions...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Edgar Palacios, president and CEO of Latinx Education Collaborative, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discusses the mission and work of the Latinx Education Cooperative. The organization Palacios founded in 2018 strives to build a community of Latinx education professionals and to provide Latino students with classroom role models. Palacios describes the improved educa...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Jeanette Prenger, president and CEO of ECCO Select, joins host Kelly Scanlon to share her entrepreneurial journey and her insights into growing a successful company. As the company celebrates its 25-year anniversary, Prenger reflects on her decision to make the entrepreneurial leap, the changes that have occurred in the tech staffing industry, the company’s “secre...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Darcy Howe, managing director of the KCRise Fund, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the state of funding for local startups. Howe shares some of the key criteria the KCRise Fund looks for in a company to fund, provides insights into questions potential investors might have, reveals the results of a recent survey of early-stage Kansas City companies, and offers w...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Tom Corbin, world-renowned artist and founder of Corbin Bronze, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss his evolution as an artist—including his foray into multiple mediums—as well as what it takes to create a business while staying true to his artistic vision. Tom also shares the stories behind some of his most notable pieces, such as the Harry Truman bronze for the...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, joins host Kelly Scanlon to share the history of Negro Leagues Baseball and to reveal the fascinating stories behind some of the museum’s collections. He also discusses the pivotal role baseball played in helping to integrate America, the inspiration behind the museum and the experience people can expec...

On this episode of Banking on KC, the chair of the KC Tech Council, Karen Hornig, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the Tech Council’s vision of making Kansas City a great home for tech. Gain insights into the organization’s efforts to enhance workforce development, improve industry access and boost policy advocacy in order to drive change in the tech industry. Karen also discusses the current K...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Dr. Carmaletta Williams, president of the Black Archives of Mid-America, joins host Kelly Scanlon to take us on a tour of some of the historical artifacts and exhibits in the Black Archives’ collection. The museum preserves the lives, history, and culture of people of African descent in the Kansas City area. The museum is open to the public and is also an educatio...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Lori Ross of FosterAdopt Connect joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how the organization has created a community that works together to support and advocate for abused and neglected children and the families who care for them. As a foster parent herself, Lori co-founded the organization to plug the gaps she saw in services, programming, advocacy and networking op...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Mary Jane Judy, co-office managing partner of Polsinelli, joins host Kelly Scanlon to talk about her early entrepreneurial influences, her journey into the legal profession, why it’s important to mentor other women and why she’s so passionate about civic engagement. Judy draws on her rich leadership experiences and community involvement to provide insights into Ka...

On this episode of Banking on KC, Roshann Parris, founder and CEO of Parris Communications, joins host Kelly Scanlon to share an entrepreneurial journey that was shaped by working in her parents’ Kentucky drugstore and that’s taken her around the world. Tune in to discover how her expertise in crisis communications has given her a front row seat to many defining local, regional and global events d...

Wendy Guillies, president & CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, joins host Kelly Scanlon on this episode of Banking on KC. Founder Ewing Kauffman’s vision and philosophies continue to shape organizations throughout the world, especially in Kansas City. Tune in to learn more about the Foundation’s programs and initiatives that encourage people to live “uncommon lives,” the state of entrepr...

Danny O’Neill, the founder of The Roasterie, joins host Kelly Scanlon on this episode of Banking on KC. As a foreign exchange student in Costa Rica in 1978, Danny—or the Bean Baron—as he’s now known, picked his first coffee cherries and fell in love with “everything” coffee. Fast forward 15 years to Danny’s Brookside home, where he founded The Roasterie and began building what was to become an ico...