KC Tech Council

As Spring Break wraps up, it’s time to plan for summer. Leadership and Empowerment for Girls in Tech (LEGiT) equips female-identifying high school juniors and seniors with tech exposure, career guidance, leadership skills, and mentorship—no experience needed! More information and an application can be found at https://lnkd.in/g5yW8GKe. ?? Help us spread the word to students and teachers as we work to develop the next generation of KC's tech talent.

At the CEO Retreat, presented by RSM US LLP, we'll dive into private equity, venture capital, and other critical funding opportunities that tech leaders and founders need to navigate. Our panel of experts includes: ? Canem Arkan – Managing Director, Endeavor Heartland ? Maggie Kenefake – Founding Partner, Iron Prairie Ventures ? Thad Langford – Founding Managing Partner, Flyover Capital ? Eleanor Welles-Gertz – Principal, ParkerGale Capital A few spots remain for the CEO Retreat! Learn more and sign up at https://lnkd.in/g2iKHisb

"A strong vendor management program is essential". Today, we had an insightful discussion on third party, vendor, and supply chain security as party of Exec Roundtable | Cybersecurity, sponsored by Zerto. Amongst the key takeaways from Brett Conlon, Jason Rogers and Brad Thies were: 1?? Third parties are prime targets for cyberattacks—they offer bad actors a way to breach multiple companies at once. Even more concerning? Fourth-party breaches (when your vendor’s vendor gets compromised) are growing. Do you know what agreements your third parties have in place with their vendors? 2?? A strong vendor management program is essential. Tier your vendors based on access levels, monitor them accordingly, and ensure contracts include clear breach notification and security expectations—both for them and their subcontractors. 3?? Transparency is improving in cybersecurity. Organizations are increasingly sharing breach experiences and solutions to strengthen collective defenses. Figure out what you can’t share—then share everything else. Collaboration makes us all safer. Thank you to American Century Investments for hosting this morning's event!

Burns & McDonnell is searching for an IT Director, Information Security - Corporate IT, to lead the company’s cybersecurity strategy, ensuring data, assets, and operations are protected. The position also develops and maintains security programs, ensuring compliance with regulations and risk management standards. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/eH_nZ6Q5

Funding is a critical factor for tech leaders and founders, and with that in mind, we look forward to welcoming Eleanor Welles-Gertz to the CEO Retreat in May. Welles-Gertz is a Partner at ParkerGale Capital, a small private equity firm out of Chicago focusing on tech companies, and will be part of an important panel discussion on funding opportunities. Learn more about the CEO Retreat and grab one of the remaining spots at https://lnkd.in/g2iKHisb.

Join us on April 28-29 for the DC Fly-In, where we team up with the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) to bring together members of Congress and key federal stakeholders with leaders in the tech community to discuss policy priorities. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gyKws34N.

Are you involved in recruiting, hiring, training, managing, or other HR functions? We're planning for our third annual KC Tech Workforce Summit in August and request your input on programming by visiting https://lnkd.in/gFn_3jsm. Share your thoughts?on what's relevant and important in your world and help us build the conference for you, by you. Learn more about our Workforce Summit at https://lnkd.in/ghtUGCJz.

Grab a seat for our next Exec Roundtable | Cybersecurity on March 27th where Brett Conlon from American Century Investments and Jason Rogers from Invary will discuss cyber supply chain risk management. We’ll also dive into strategies to build safe supply chains and reduce the impact of cyber incidents. RSVP today at https://lnkd.in/g_AtH_wN.

Kansas City is gearing up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and with it comes business development opportunities. ??? With that in mind, we are pleased to announce that Pam Kramer, CEO of FIFA World Cup 26? Kansas City, will speak at our upcoming CEO Retreat on opportunities for tech companies around the region to be involved before, during, and after the games. This is a can’t-miss conversation for leaders looking to position their businesses for success on an international stage. Interested in attending or sponsoring the CEO Retreat? Learn more at https://lnkd.in/g2iKHisb.

Thank you to Bluebird Fiber for hosting today's Exec Roundtable | Mission Critical, sponsored by JE Dunn Construction. Richard Amos from Arborpoint Advisory Group, LLC gave us some insight into IT sustainability in data centers and other mission critical facilities. Amongst some key takeaways are that: - As you are planning an IT sustainability strategy, establish a multi-year business case beyond three and less than eight years. Maximize the amount of work with the least amount of energy consumed while meeting reliability, resilience, and performance needs. - Facilities and IT need to work together to create and meet goals and requirements. Critical considerations include siting, design, and energy availability from the facilities side, and equipment inventory, demands, and utilization from the IT side. - It’s not always the obvious things that impact IT sustainability. Even using simpler languages can drive efficiency and sustainability. Keep an eye out for future KCTC events at https://lnkd.in/gUFg4qqb.