Our Top Three Goals: We remain focused on our top three goals by making sure our activities directly relate to at least one of them. Activities vary from in-depth, half-day meetings that inspire and educate; to actively advocating for a specific issue that affects women business owners; or faciliating doing business with one another and capitalizing on one another's sphere of business contacts. Below is a KC-CWBO activities, arranged according to our top three goals.

GOAL #1: To improve the procurement and purchasing practices of public (government entities) and private (corporations) so that all women business owners have better access. Also, this includes improving the WBE certification processes so that they are fairly and consistently administered, and encourage reciprocal acceptance of certification by other entities so that women business owners do not have to keep getting multiple certifications. 

• We have created a truly unique event at which noted area entrepreneurs are auctioned to the highest bidder. The event is called Protege For a Day: An Entrepreneur Auction. It's FUN, it's loud, and it's a chance to spend a day with an award winning, "master" entrepreneur.
• NEW BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE EVENTS were created to provide a steady stream of new business opportunities for women business owners with both corporate buyers and city purchasing agents.
• KC-CWBO led the effort for an agreement between the STATE OF MO and NWBOC (a third-party WBE-certifying organization) for the state to accept NWBOC certifications for women business owners. KC-CWBO press release. Hanaway press release.
• KCK Unified Government:  we made a difference in two ways: 1) over the course of two years we were instrumental in bringing pressure on the KCK legislature to create an M/WBE supplier program; 2) Ex. Dir and two members personally met with and had numerous calls to Jason Banks, Dir. UG Diversity Procurement, as well as specific members of their city council members.
• KC-CWBO has planned and sponsored numerous intensive workshops that have focused the "hows and whys" of WBE certification, and the details of doing business with KS and MO. We are currently working to help build the Kansas Women's Business Center as the "go-to" place for help and answers about WBE (woman business enterprise) certification for all women business owners.
• The creation of Kansas City, MO's "Fairness in City Contracts Board" is an example of why KC-CWBO is so important. We were in a position to pick up on what was happening with the KCMO City Council, and led the way to have the new board created. Two of our members currently serve on that board.

GOAL #2: To become more politically aware and informed about how public policy issues directly affect our businesses.

• The KC-CWBO is a national COALITION PARTNER WITH WIPP (Women Impacting Public Policy), a national organization focused on federal issues that affect women business owners. We actively support WIPP's efforts and in turn rest assured that we are kept abreast of issues and legislation important to us. One way we learn about issues is by attending WIPP's national conference in Washington D.C. every year. In most cases, we are able to apply what we have learned from WIPP at the Federal level to issues facing us at the local level, which is exemplified in these two articles: Ten Ways Any Woman Business Owner Can Make a Difference, and Five Ways to Get Involved in Public Policy.
• The keynote at one of our public policy training events locally was: If You Don't Drive Public Policy, Public Policy will Drive Your Business. The event included breakout sessions and was co-sponsored by the Business Journal and UMKC.
• Understanding How to Leverage Public Policy to Positively Impact Your Bottom Line was the topic of discussion at a seminar with Terry Neese, founder of WIPP and Grassroots Impact. Fortune Magazine recently named Neese as the #6 small business advocate in the nation.
• KC-CWBO has created opportunities for our members to meet with Kansas City Mo's Mayor and City Council members to discuss local issues important to women business owners.
• Collaborative efforts at the local and state levels with both the Kansas City and Saint Louis chapters of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) have resulted in bringing public policy to the forefront for our members. Examples are Public Policy Days in Jefferson City and participation in Speaker Catharine Hanaway's legislative conference concerning women business owners doing business with the state.

GOAL #3: To positively influence the representation of women serving on paid corporate boards and boards of influence.

• KC-CWBO has searched nationwide for organizations that are addressing this issue so that we don't reinvent the wheel. We continue to work with BOARDROOM BOUND of Washington, DC, to bring their expertise and processes to a broader geographical area.
• Raising awareness: An article co-written by KC-CWBO's Nancy Zurbuchen and Linda Bolliger appeared in the Small Business Monthly. (2005) Click here to see the article.
• How to Stimulate and Capitalize on New Trends in the Corporate Boardroom was the topic of seminar and panel discussion at one KC-CWBO meeting. Subject matter expert Linda Bolliger from Boardroom Bound and a panel of local individuals who currently serve on paid corporate boards were part of the in-depth seminar. (2003)
• The KC-CWBO secured the Kauffman Foundation to underwrite a research trip for several KC people to learn about what others are doing on this subject. The Central Exchange, NAWBO, and KC-CWBO was represented on the trip to Washington, D.C. (2002)
• Article on how corporate boards can boost investor trust through diversifying the board member recruitment practices, and why this is a good idea. Click here to see the article.(2002)

An exciting development was the recognition of KC-CWBO as a National Finalist in the award program, the Stevie Awards for Women Entrepreneurs. Hailed as "the business world's own Oscars" by the New York Post (September 22, 2002), Stevie Awards are conferred in three programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, and The Stevie Awards for Women Entrepreneurs. Honoring companies and organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performance worldwide.