2020 – 2029 Past Speakers

November 5, 2024
Tom Bowser, Retired CEO of Blue Cross/Blue Shield

October 22, 2024
Chris Sexton, Anxiety Specialist, UMKC School of Medicine

October 15, 2024
Anna Thomas-Rio, Junior League CEKC Conference

October 8, 2024
Jennifer Kraenzle, Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, University of Kansas

October 1, 2024
Wayne Simien, KU Basketball Alum and Team Chaplain

September 24, 2024
Roger Coldsnow, Always Bring a Cannon to a Gunfight

September 17, 2024
Mike Zeller and Andrew Carlson, Rock Island Bridge Project

September 10, 2024
Don Dunn, Veterans’ Ventures

August 20, 2024
Jan Kreamer and Kathy Nelson, Mr. K’s Gift to the Community and the Jackson County Vote

August 13, 2024
Mayor Quinton Lucas

August 6, 2024
Amy Castillo, CEO of Ability KC

July 30, 2024
Dick Flanigan, Digital Health KC

July 23, 2024
Melesa Johnson, Candidate for Jackson County Prosecutor

July 16, 2024
Paul Kempinski, CEO of Children’s Mercy Hospital

July 9, 2024
Natalie Julien, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)

June 25, 2024
Shelli and Michael, Big Brothers Big Sisters KC

June 18, 2024
Tracey DeMeara, LGBT Chamber of Commerce

June 11, 2024
Steve Michael, Retired Brigadier General, U.S. Army

June 4, 2024
Zach Walker, City Manager, Independence, MO

May 21, 2024
Maria Meyers, KC SourceLink

May 14, 2024
Erik Dickinson, Urban Ranger Corps

May 7, 2024
Captain William Irwin, U.S. Navy (Retired)

April 30, 2024
Mayor Quinton Lucas

April 23, 2024
Soren Petro, WHB Sportscaster

April 16, 2024
Hold for BB/BS, Michael Lawrence

April 9, 2024
Julie Quirin, CEO of St. Luke’s Hospital

April 2, 2024
Dr. Roy Jensen, Vice Chancellor and Director of the KU Cancer Center

March 26, 2024
KCMO Police Chief Stacey Graves

March 19, 2024
Jeff Ellis, Medicaid and the Kansas Economy

March 12, 2024
Michael Baxley, Englewood Arts

February 27, 2024
James Dornbrook, KC Business Journal
Commercial Real Estate Non-Accrual Loans

February 20, 2024
Lance Claiborne: The Builders

February 13, 2024
Charlie Schorgl: The Markets and a look Forward for 2024

February 06, 2024
JJ Piccolo, Royals General Manager
The New Royals

February 06, 2024
JJ Piccolo, Royals General Manager
The New Royals

January 30, 2024
Anthony Lupino, UMKC Entrepreneurship Programs Director

January 23, 2024
Matthew Mellor, Plaza District Council
Building an Inclusive, Activated and Engaged Greater Plaza District

December 19, 2023
Carolyn Watley and David Frantze
KC Rising

December 12, 2023
Jay Cooper, General Manager T-Mobile Center

December 05, 2023
Mark Culliton, KC Uncornered

November 28, 2023
Chris Kuel, Director & Co-Founder Armada Corporate Intelligence

November 14, 2023
Mike Valentine, Netsmart CEO

November 07, 2023
Fred Logan, Former Chairman of the Kansas Republican Party

October 31, 2023
Dr. Andrew Bowne, President Johnson County Community College

October 24, 2023
Jason Kander, 39th Secretary of State of Missouri, American Hero

October 17, 2023
Haley Lewis, KSHB and ESPN Sports Reporter

October 10, 2023
Lumen Mulligan, Dean of the UMKC School of Law

October 03, 2023
Hunter Wolbach, Senior Vice President UBS Financial Services
The Market and the Economy

September 26, 2023
Jean Peters-Baker, Jackson County Prosecutor

September 19, 2023
Chick Keller, Former Executive & Professor
Climate Change: Big Changes Coming

September 12, 2023
Joe Reardon, President of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

August 29, 2023
Alex Burton, CEO Truman Library

August 22, 2023
Earl Phalen, Founder of Phalen Leadership Academies and CEO of KC Scholars

August 15, 2023
Douglas Girod, Kansas University Chancellor

August 08, 2023
Rick Walker, DeSoto KS Mayor
The Panasonic plant: the largest economic development initiative in the history of the Sunflower state

August 01, 2023
George Guastello, Union Station CEO

July 25, 2023
Kay Barnes, Former KCMO Mayor

July 18, 2023
Matt Naylor, CEO WWI Museum

July 11, 2023
Brian Platt, KCMO City Manager

May 16, 2023
Stacey Graves, KCMO Police Chief
Kansas City’s Pulic Safety Strategy

May 9, 2023
Josh Maxfield, Associate General Counsel, Garmin Industries

May 2, 2023
Julie Myers Wood, CEO Guidepost
Security in a world with AI

April 25, 2023
Vahe Gregorian, Sports Reporter Kansas City Star
An Update on KC Sports Journalism

April 18, 2023
Bob Kendrick, CEO of the Negro League Baseball Museum
History of the Negro Leagues and Museum Significance

April 4, 2023
Dred Scott, President of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City
Improving Education and Kansas City’s Economic Growth

March 28, 2023
Rick Ginsberg, Dean of KU’s School of Education
The Role of Educators in Society

March 21, 2023
Greg Farmer, Editor of the kansas City Star
The Evolution of Legacy Media

March 14, 2023
Chip Osborn
Vietnam: A Combat Photographer’s View of the War

March 7, 2023
Steve Schram, CEO of Phoreus Biotech
Next Generation Vaccines and Therapeutics

February 28, 2023
Vivien Jennings, Founder and President of Rainy Day Books
Legacy of Literacy

February 21, 2023
Mike Frazier, CEO ReeceNichols
An Update on the Housing Market

February 14, 2023
Alvin Brooks, Founder Adhoc Group Against Crime
Crime, Civil Rights, and Public Service

February 7, 2023
Linda Lyon, VP RA Bloch Foundation
Richard & Annette Bloch Family Foundation
The Bloch Families and Kansas City

January 31, 2023
Blair Kerkhoff, Sports Writer
The Kansas City Star
KC Sports: Past, Present, and Future

January 24, 2023
Tom Bloch
H&R Block
The Bloch Families and Kansas City

January 17, 2023
Carol Marinovich, Former Mayor of KCK
The Renaissance of Wyandotte County and Kansas City Kansas

December 13, 2022
J.J. Picollo, President of Baseball Operations
Kansas City Royals
2023 Royals Outlook

December 6, 2022
Jim Huntington
The Partnership and Genius of Lincoln and U.S. Grant

November 29, 2022
Bob Page, President and CEO
The University of Kansas Health System
Health Outlook

November 15, 2022
John Bluford, Bluford Healthcare Leadership Institute
LOVE, HOPE & JOY
Eliminating Healthcare Disparities

November 8, 2022
Travis Goff, Athletic Director
University of Kansas
Rock Chalk Jayhawk, Go KU!

November 1, 2022
Brandon Martin, Vice Chancellor Director of Athletics
UMKC Athletics, The Rise of the Roos
A New Era in Kansas City Athletics

October 25, 2022
The Honorable Carol Beier
former KS Supreme Court Justice

October 18, 2022
Jay Sexton, Director
Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, University of Missouri
What Today’s Citizens Need to Know About the U.S. Civil War

October 11, 2022
Chris Mann
Candidate for Kansas Attorney General
2022 Election

October 4, 2022
Hunter Wolbach, SVP Wealth Management
UBS Financial Services
Economic Outlook

September 27, 2022
Eric Schmitt, Missouri AG
Candidate for US Senate
The Campaign

September 20, 2022
Jeff Row
Axiom Strategies
2022 Midterms

September 13, 2022
Josh Earnest
Former Obama Press Secretary
The Press Secretary Job and the 2022 Mid-term Elections

August 30, 2022
The Honorable Laura Kelly
Governor of Kansas
Forthcoming 2022 Election

August 23, 2022
Dr. Roy Jensen, Director
KU Cancer Center
National Cancer Institute’s highest designation

August 16, 2022
Jeff Chadiha, Senior Columnist
NFL Network
Chiefs 2022

August 9, 2022
The Honorable Sharice Davids, US Congresswoman
3rd District of Kansas
My record in Congress Serving the 3rd District of Kansas and the forthcoming election

August 2, 2022
Ashok Gupta, Sr. Energy Economist
Nat’l Resources Defense Council
New Clean Energy Developments

July 26, 2022
Kathy Nelson, CEO
Visit KC & KC Sports Commission
World Cup, NFL Draft, and the New KCI

July 19, 2022
Katheryn Shields-James Martin, City Councilwoman-Public Art Administrator
City of KCMO
The Art in the New KCI Airport

July 12, 2022
Chris Kuehl, Managing Director
Armada Corporate Intelligence
The Economy Ahead

June 28, 2022
Eliah Drinkwitz, Head Coach
University of Missouri
MU Football 2022

June 21, 2022
Tony Mattivi, Candidate for KS Atty. General
Mattivi for Kansas AG
Compare & Contrast the Candidates

June 14, 2022
Bill Dietrich, President and CEO
KC Downtown Council
The Status of Downtown

June 7, 2022
Gene Morgan, Athletic Director
Kansas State University
NIL Change of College Sports

May 24, 2022
Corey Mohn, President and Executive Director
Blue Valley School District
CAPS Network – Profession-based Education

May 17, 2022
Desireé Reed-Francois
University of Missour Athletic Director
Student-Athlete Focused, Championship Culture in Columbia

May 10, 2022
Vahe Gregorian
Columnist, Kansas City Star

April 26, 2022
Dan Moylan, Sr. Development Manager at Edgemoor
Justin Meyer, Deputy Aviation Director KCMO
The New KCI

April 12, 2022
Raymond Doswell, Ed.D.
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

April 5, 2022
Steve Edwards, CEO/Chairman of Black and Veatch
Global Megatrends in Engineering and Construction

March 29, 2022
Fred Sherman, Johnson County Board of Elections
Fair Elections in Johnson County, KS

March 22, 2022
Dr. Jeff Burns, University of Kansas Medical Center
Alzheimer’s & Dementia

March 15, 2022
Robert Bell, Advisor, U.S. Government
Ukrainian Crisis

March 8, 2022
Doug Burns, Publisher & Editor, Carroll Times Herald (IA)
The Urban/Rural Divide-An Opportunity

March 1, 2022
Dr. Michael Weaver, CEO, Mission Vision Project
Attracting Minorites to Medicine

February 22, 2022
Christopher Leonard, Author
Easy Money (about the Federal Reserve Bank)

February 15, 2022
Darcy Howe, CEO, KC Rising
Growing KC Innovation Companies

February 8, 2022
Chris Long, CEO, Palmer Square Capital Management
Growing the next Cerner’s and Palmer Square’s

February 1, 2022
Kyle Palmer, Editor and Organization/Company: Shawnee Mission Post
The Shawnee Mission Post – Where It’s Been and Where It’s Going

January 25, 2022
Tom Hoening, Retired President of the KC Fed and Vice Chair of FDIC
Inflation and the Pandemics Impact on Our Economy

January 18, 2022
Jean Peters-Baker, Prosecuting Attorney, Jackson County Courthouse
Law Enforcement Moving Forward

January 11, 2022
Dr. Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado, Exec. Director & Chief Scientific Officer, Stowers Institute
The COVID -19 Future

December 14, 2021
JJ. Picollo, General Manager, Kansas City Royals
Royals 2022

December 7, 2021
Chris Kuehl, Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence
2022 Economic Outlook

November 30, 2021
Mark Josey, CEO of the KC Pioneers
The Esports Explosion of Interest

November 16, 2021
Barry Nelson, SVP and Private Wealth Manager Certified
with The Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals, The New York Institute of Finance/Blockchain

Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets – Part 2

November 9, 2021
Barry Nelson, SVP and Private Wealth Manager Certified
with The Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals, The New York Institute of Finance/Blockchain

Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets – Part 1

November 2, 2021
Melissa Taylor Standridge, Associate Justice, Kansas Supreme Court
The Judicial Branch: Be An Informed Voter

October 26, 2021
Danan Hughes, Color Commentator Chiefs Radio Network
How the Chief’s Turn Our Season Around

October 19, 2021
Mike Czinege, Overland Park Mayoral Candidate
Overland Park, Kansas

October 12, 2021
Curt Skoog, Council President of Overland Park, Kansas
Curt Skoog for Mayor

October 5, 2021
Mike Frazier, President & CEO of Reece Nichols Estate
Rising Home Prices

September 28, 2021
Gene Taylor, Athletic Director of Kansas State University
The New Big 12

September 21, 2021
Dr. Anna Stubblefield, Superintendent of Kansas City, KS Public Schools

September 14, 2021
Raymond Doswell, Ed.D., Vice President of Curatorial Service

August 31, 2021
Chris Long, Palmer Square Capital Management LLC
Women’s Pro Soccer in KC

August 24, 2021
Mauli Agrawal, UMKC Chancellor

August 17, 2021
Dr. Mark Bedell & Kelly Wachel, Superintendent of KCMO School District
Blueprint 2030

August 10, 2021
Jeff Martin, VP of Customer Relations, Evergy
Cutting Evergy Carbon Emissions

August 3, 2021
Dr. Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado, Executive Director & Chief Scientific Officer
The Delta Variant

July 27, 2021
Jonathan Thomas, American Century, CEO
Economic Outlook

July 20, 2021
Phillip Journey, Judge & NRA Board Member, KS Division 1, District 18
Today’s NRA and Leadership

July 13, 2021
Jack Britton, Jon Hile, Lew Berey, & Keith Alm – Plaza Club Officers
The Plaza Club Past, Present and Future

June 29, 2021
Kasey Vena, General Manager of The Country Club Plaza
2021-2022 Outlook

June 22, 2021
Greg Dobbs, former ABC & PBS International Correspondent
Darkness in the Middle East

June 15, 2021
Tony Jones, President and CEO of the Kansas City Art Institute
Positioned for the Future

June 8, 2021
Carl Ghattas, Former FBI Ex. Asst. Dir.
Our National Cyber Security Threat

May 25, 2021
Dr. Roy Jensen, Director of KU Cancer Center
The KU Cancer Center in the 21st Century

May 18, 2021
Darron Edwards, Pastor of United Believers Community Church
Policing, Regaining Community Trust

May 11, 2021
Debbie Wilkerson, President & CEO of Greater KS Community Foundation
Making an Impact

May 4, 2021
Jeff Chadiha, Senior Writer and On Air Talent for NFL.com and NFL Network
Chief’s 2021

April 27, 2021
Vlatko Andonovski, Coach of US Women’s National Soccer Team
Coaching the #1 Team in the World

April 20, 2021
John Sherman, Owner of KC Royals
Getting Better

April 13, 2021
Daryl Forte, Sheriff of Jackson County
Regaining Trust

April 6, 2021
Jim Sterk, Athletic Director at MU
Covid-19’s Impact on Athletic Departments

March 30, 2021
Sam Brownback, Former Ambassador, Governor and US Senator
Racial Reconciliation

March 23, 2021
Robert Litan, Economist & Writer
Is there any way out of our polarization?

March 16, 2021
Ken Harding, Director of the National Weather Service, Central Division
Our Changing Weather

March 9, 2021
Bob Bell, Former Senior Defense Official
The EU & the Future Security of Europe

March 2, 2021
Rep. Steve Huebert, Chair of KS House Education Committee
Teaching Civics Again

February 23, 2021
Ashok Gupta, Senior Energy Economist, Climate & Clean Energy Program
Clean Energy Under Biden

February 16, 2021
Kevin Collison, Publisher of City Scene
Streetcar’s Impact on Midtown Kansas City

February 9, 2021
Mike Fannin, Publisher-Editor of KC Star
The Star’s Apology to Black Community

February 2, 2021
Tom Hoenig, Former Vice-Chair FDIC
The American Economy

January 26, 2021
Kurt Graham, Director of Truman Library
The Library Transformed 2021

January 19, 2021
Tom Coleman, Former US Congressman from KC
Charting a New Federal Course for Governance

January 12, 2021
Jeff Stingley/CBRE and Paul Fogel/Karbank
Apartments & Industrial Outlook for 2021

January 5, 2021
Hunter Wolbach & Charlie Schorgl, Financial Advisors
Moving Beyond 2020: What to Expect in the Market

December 15, 2020
J.J. Picollo, VP & Assistant GM of the KC Royals
The Young Arms

December 8, 2020
Danan Hughes, Chief’s Alum and Announcer
Playoff Outlook

December 1, 2020
Jeff Roe, Noted Republican Strategist, Axiom Strategies
2020 Election

November 17, 2020
Jeff Lanza, Former FBI Agent & Nationally Acclaimed Speaker
The World is a Dangerous Place, Domestic Terrorism

November 10, 2020
Paula Neth, President & CEO of the Family Conservancy
Early Childhood Education During COVID

November 3, 2020
Chris Kuehl, Armada Business Intelligence Briefing
The Post-Election Economy

October 27, 2020
Roger Marshall, Congressman & US Senate Candidate
Why Should We Vote for Marshall

October 20, 2020
Amanda Adkins, Candidate for US Congress KS 3rd
My Agenda in Congress

October 13, 2020
Adam Hamilton, Senior Pastor at Church of the Resurrection
Lessons Learned from 30 yrs Leading Resurrection

October 6, 2020
Dave Helling, Political Editorial Writer at KC Star
2020 Elections – The Final Sprint

September 29, 2020
Barbara Bollier, Candidate for US Senate in KS
How I will Make a Difference

September 22, 2020
Mike Theissen, Attorney & Connoisseur
Enjoying Wine

September 15, 2020
Nicole Galloway, MO Auditor & Candidate for Governor
My Vision for Missouri

September 1, 2020
Representative Sharice Davids, KS 3rd District
My 2020 Candidacy

August 25, 2020
David Bitner, Head of Americas Capital Markets Research at Cushman & Wakefield
Commercial Real Estate/C-19 Impact

August 18, 2020
Quinton Lucas, Mayor of Kansas City
Gun Violence & Police Reform

August 11, 2020
Neil Oxman, Noted Democrat Political Consultant
Election Perspectives

August 4, 2020
Dan Moylan, Sr. Development Manager at Edgemoor
Progress on the New KCI Terminal

July 28, 2020
Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of Health, Kansas
Getting Beyond COVID-19

July 21, 2020
Daryl Forte, Sheriff of Jackson County, Missouri
Police Reform

July 14, 2020
Jeff Montgomery, Kansas City Royals Broadcaster
The 2020 KC Royals

July 7, 2020
Bill Hancock, Exec. Director of the College Playoff System
COVID’s Impact on College Sports

June 23, 2020
Dr. Ed Ellerbeck, Chair of Population Health at the KU School of Medicine
Leveraging the Tools of Epidemiology to prepare for a potential next round of COVID

June 16, 2020
Mike Matheny, Kansas City Royals Manager
Team Update and Prospects for the 2020 Season

June 9, 2020
Gretchen Craft Rubin, NY Times Bestseller
How to be happier, healthier, and calmer in the time of COVID-19?

June 2, 2020
Stephanie Kelton, former Chief Economist on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee
The Deficit Myth

May 19, 2020
Denise St. Omer, VP of Grantmaking and Inclusion Initiatives
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation

May 12, 2020
Danan Hughes, former Kansas City Chief & Sports Commentator
Games Without Fans???

May 5, 2020
Bob Litan, Economist & Writer
Economic Recovery Outlook

April 28, 2020
Dr. Andrew Cusser, Envision Physician Services
How Kansas City is responding to Covid-19

April 21, 2020
Joshua McElwee, Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter
Life in Italy During the Pandemic

April 14, 2020
Chris Kuehl, Armada Corporate Intelligence Managing Director
The Great Viral Recession

April 7, 2020
Jeff Lanza, Former FBI Agent
The World Is a Dangerous Place 15.0

March 10, 2020
Dr. Roy Jensen, Director of KU Cancer Center
Coronavirus and The War on Cancer

March 3, 2020
Rick Smith, KCMO Chief of Police
Curbing Gun Violence

February 25, 2020
Tom Hoenig, Former Vice-Chair FDIC & KC Fed President
Global & US Economy

February 18, 2020
Hank Hermann, Retired CEO & Board Chair of Waddell & Reed
Perspective on the Economy

February 11, 2020
Jeff Roe, CEO Axiom Strategies
Politics 2020

February 4, 2020
Governor Laura Kelly
State of Kansas

January 28, 2020
Damon Daniel, President of Ad Hoc Against Crime
Curbing Metro Murder Rate

January 21, 2020
Tom Watson, Professional Golfer Extraordinaire
What Caused Me to Aspire to be a Professional Golfer

January 14, 2020
Tom Waggoner, SVP at HOK
History of Sports Architecture in KC

January 7, 2020
Danan Hughes, Chief’s Analyst & Commentator
The Playoffs and Beyond