Urban Magnate Vol 1 Issue 4

FOR WICHITA’S YOUNG, DIVERSE AND TALENTED

URBAN MAGNATE

VOL. 1 ISSUE 4 | APRIL/MAY 2015 www.ictup.org

THE AUDACITY ISSUE: THE INCREDIBLE STORIES OF FOUR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS WHO TOOK BIG RISKS TO LIVE A GREATER PURPOSE

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Jonathan Long, President Wichita Urban Professionals

I

n Barack Obama’s book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, he writes: “We hang on to our values, even if they seem at times tarnished and worn; even if, as a nation and in our own lives, we have betrayed them more often than we care to remember. What else is there to guide us?

Those values are our inheritance, what makes us who we are as a people.” He goes on to add, “We can make claims on their behalf, so long as we understand that our values must be tested against fact and experience, so long as we recall that they demand deeds and not just words.”

As we were planning this issue and preparing to tell the stories of the individuals featured, this book and, subsequently, this quote came to mind. Each of the subjects featured are living their purpose and are doing so because they had the audacity to believe that the expectations that they set for themselves could be— and would —be obtained. Even more compelling is that those expectations weren’t just to provide for themselves, but to also be a beacon of light and opportunity for others.

Photo credit: Photography by Michael E. Woods, LLC

While each story is different, there are several common themes: perseverance, determination and faith — all of which were tested at various times in their lives. Did they pass those tests every time? No. But at no point did they allow that failed test to become their last.

Too many times members of our peer group think so little of ourselves that we never move away from the starting blocks or some of us reach a barrier and allow that to become our finish line. Frankly, it seems as if “fake it ‘til you make it,” has become the primary strategy for success for too many of us.

As you look through this edition, think about your own values. Think about how they’ve shaped you and how they’ve played a part in the adversity you’ve faced. Then, if you haven’t already, understand how you’ve demonstrated those values in fact and experience because, as Obama said, your values are only as strong as the experiences that they’ve helped you get through.

IN THIS ISSUE: ICT UPCOMING EVENT

P. 14

Dreamchasers • 7

22 13

18

13

ON THE SCENE

Work the Room • 8 Mid-Continent Mayoral Candidate Forum • 9

11

SPOTLIGHT

Zora Neale Hurston Community Center • 11

26 7

COVER STORY

The Audacity Package • 12 Chef Jason Febres • 13 Ted and Ellie Kriwiel, Eight Oaks • 15 Carlos Fernandez • 18

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

8

Rachel’s Kitchen • 20

PHOTO SPREAD

ABMG - Aldo Beltran’i Modeling Group • 22

PARTNER FEATURES

20

15

Kansas Leadership Center • 26 Urban League of Kansas • 28

PROFESSIONAL EVENTS LISTINGS • 29

URBAN MAGNATE Wichita Urban Professionals (ICT-UP) exists to develop a network of rising leaders to improve the quality of life in the urban communities of Wichita. Urban Magnate is the premier publication of Wichita Urban Professionals covering events and issues of interest to the city’s young, diverse and talented. This bi-monthly publication is available in electronic and hardcopy formats. Hardcopy editions are strategically distributed to ICT-UP members and city, civic and business organizations. Subscriptions are available for $30 annually. Checks may be made payable to the Urban League of Kansas c/o Wichita Urban Professionals’ Urban Magnate, 2418 E. Ninth Street, Wichita, KS 67214.

Limited ad space is available for purchase. Contact cmlcollective@gmail.com or call 316-371-8145 for ad inquiries.

CML Collective, LLC oversees the majority of reporting, writing, editing, layout and design of this publication in partnership with ICT-UP.

On the front cover: Chef Jason Febres. On Location: Taste and See. Photo credit: David Don Wallace, Jr. On the back cover: From The Wichita Eagle’s Progress 2015 Special Section (published March 2015)

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brian black teaches inside strategies for building relationships and networking at ict-up session

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rian Black, Senior Manager for Global Diversity and Corporate Administration for Spirit AeroSystems, gave Wichita Urban Professionals key insights on how to network using the Ready, Rapport and Request Strategy during “Work the Room.”

The event, held at the Boys and Girls Club, 2400 Opportunity Drive, was offered as part of ICT-UP’s professional development sessions.

Among the strategies Black shared was the importance of wearing a nametag at public functions.

“Wear a nametag,” Black said, “unless you want to be forgettable.”

Jonathan Long, president of Wichita Urban Professionals, also arranged for a Q&A panel session where Black was joined by Don Sherman, Vice President of Community Relations and Strategic Partnerships for Westar Energy, Inc. and Laura Bernstorf, Sr. Project Management Specialist, Airbus Americas Engineering.

Photos by Christina M. Long

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ICT-UP AND YPW COLLABORATE TO BRING CANDIDATES TO MEMBERS FOR MID-CONTINENT MAYORAL FORUM

W

ichita Urban Professionals partnered with Young Professionals of Wichita to present the Mid-Continent Mayoral Forum at the Hungry Heart in February preceding the Primary Election.

Each candidate gave a three- to fiveminute speech followed by mingling with participants to answer questions one-on-one.

Jeff Longwell, who currently serves on the Wichita City Council, and Sam Williams, a longtime business executive, advanced in the primary to compete for the Mayoral seat currently held by Carl Brewer.

The general election is April 7.

Photos courtesy of Young Professionals of Wichita and Christina M. Long

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A

WICHITA NEWCOMER LAUNCHES COMMUNITY-BASED TUTORING PROGRAM; VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED

new tutoring program for Kindergarten through 12th grade students is underway thanks to the efforts of Teresa Peterson, a newcomer to Wichita.

“We welcome all students.

And we work on core courses to give the students the opportunity to achieve, maintain, and exceed the targets set by the public school district,” Peterson writes on the organization’s Facebook page.

Peterson started the Zora Neale Hurston Community Center featuring the Hurston Tutoring Program in February 2015. She operates from 4:30 p.m-5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at HealthCore Clinic, formerly the Center for Health and Wellness just

west of 21st and Grove. Her services are free.

As the mother of a 9-year-old son, Peterson places a high value on education. To get the center going, Peterson met with the Wichita Office of the Small Business Administration, received mentoring from Wichita SCORE and registered the entity with the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office. She runs background checks on all of her volunteers, and even ran one on herself, in case anyone ever asks, she said.

“I like to dot my Is and cross my Ts,” said Peterson, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois. She has also worked with the Title I program, a federal program that provides additional educational support for students whose families are considered to be low-income.

Peterson said she has plans to grow and is in the process of making the organization a nonprofit organization so that she can receive grants. Until then, she funds the operation herself; paying for all of the supplies, educational materials and incentives she uses to celebrate success with the students she works with.

“You can never have too much tutoring,” she said.

HOW YOU CAN HELP The Hurston Tutoring Program is seeking volunteer tutors. College students are encouraged to apply.

Background checks will be run on all applicants.

The center is also seeking donations of supplies including copy paper, pencils, erasers and small prizes for student incentives.

For more information about the program, donations or to apply, contact Teresa Peterson, Executive Director, Zora Neale Hurston Community Center. Call, 316-351-8964 or email teresa. peterson647@gmail.com.

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The Audacity Issue The Audacity to Believe Chef Jason Febres, Taste and See • The Audacity of Great Love Ted and Ellie Kriwiel, Eight Oaks • The Audacity of Courage Carlos Fernandez, Page Out, LLC and Clutch Studio

BE INSPIRED

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The Audacity to Believe

I

By Christina M. Long

f you don’t have haters, then you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing, says Chef Jason Febres.

He should know. He’s had his fair share.

“I remember I was working at a restaurant, here, and was taken advantage of,” Febres said of a Wichita eatery. “I had extreme talent, but I didn’t know any English. I came from having my own restaurant in Venezuela to having to start from scratch here, washing dishes and prepping.”

Febres talks about looking on high in those low moments. His faith, he says, helped him endure having to restart his climb from the bottom of the culinary ladder despite being a trained chef.

Now, at 34, Febres is among Wichita’s most celebrated chefs. He’s won scores of awards, appeared on nationallytelevised programs and is on the brink of opening, yet, another eating establishment.

He has big personality and big vision— especially when it comes to downtown Wichita.

“People tell me to stop talking about religion, but God gave me this,” he says of his accomplishments. “And I’m going to honor who I’m supposed to honor.”

‘I Don’t Want to be P roud’ When it comes to the future of the city, Febres sees himself playing a major role.

“I want to develop Old Town,” Febres said. “I want a big-city feel, and I want to develop it.”

He sees a variety of restaurants offering an array of eating options, social experiences and jobs. He also wants his own television show. He has gotten good practice for that potential gig having appeared on Spike TV and Food Network

Courtesy Photo

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Photo by EJF Studios

for programs including “Bar Rescues”, “Guy’s Grocery Games” and “Cutthroat Kitchen.”

“It’s going to happen,” he says. “It isn’t just a dream.”

What propels him: his faith, a positive attitude, the tenacity to keep pushing regardless of the obstacles and humility; so much so that he uses air quotes when talking about his “fame.”

“I realize that success without humbleness is pride and pride kills,” he says. “I don’t want to be proud. I want to be humble.”

A Bigger Platform As a young child, Febres was fascinated with cooking. Though people encouraged him to play soccer, he stayed true to his foodie fascination.

His mother eventually taught him to cook. The fascination with food turned into a passion for culinary arts. At the time, Febres said, he didn’t realize that faith was also working in his favor. He can rattle off example after example: As a teenager, he applied to be a cook but he didn’t have a resume. Two others were vying for the job. The two other candidates got into a fight.

Febres ended up getting the job.

“I wanted to be a cook. People said I couldn’t be a cook and I was.”

Being a cook soon wasn’t enough. He wanted to

be a Lead. Before long, he was a Lead. He then set his eyes on being a Sous Chef, or someone who is just below the head chef. He landed that gig, too.

“I just kept going. I just kept pushing,” he says.

After moving back to Wichita in 2006, he quickly rose up the ranks in six months to become a head chef at a local restaurant. He then set his sights on having his own. That, too, came to pass when he inaugurated the award-winning Sabor in 2007.

“It was a great achievement but, after that, I decided to move on,” Febres says.

In 2011, he opened Taste and See on east Harry. The open-air kitchen, Latin-inspired menu, and interactive atmosphere charged with Febres’ electric personality drew regulars and news articles. It also references Psalm 34:8, “O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.”

Febres opened a second Taste and See with a focus on global cuisine at the corner of Second and Washington streets in the Fall of 2013. Now, Febres — with the help of private investors — is opening a new speakeasy bar across from Taste and see called Gianni Bacci’s. Upscale drinks and tapas will anchor the menu for this new venture, Febres says.

When reflecting on how far he has come Febres simply says, “All it has done is created a bigger platform to expose what I like, and for people to be inspired.”

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The Audacity of Great Love

By Christina M. Long

Photo by Hayley McVay Photography

‘Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.’ - Mother Teresa

A

long the banks of Lake Volta, in the Republic of Ghana, thousands of children are forced to spend their days on rickety fishing boats, diving into murky bacteria- and disease-ridden waters untangling fishing nets —careful not to get tangled themselves — so they can continue to help provide for their impoverished families. Many are sold by their families into this bondage where 14-plus hour shifts replace schooling for children as young as age 5. Lack of medical care means sickness runs rampant and drowning occurs regularly.

That’s just the way things are — even as the world watches.

But Ted Kriwiel and his wife, Ellie, knew a different story could be written for even a few of those children at Lake Volta. A good friend and mentor, Jeff Miller, had changed the storyline for eight boys who he and his team saved from the lake and placed in the Father’s House International- Ghana; a children’s home and community outreach center.

In 2011, while visiting the Father’s House, Ted played soccer with the boys, listened to their stories, heard how much they missed their mothers and was crushed when one of the boys, who was only 10 at the time, confided in Ted, “when I get older, I’m going to go back to get my sister.”

“I was pretty messed up after that,” Ted said. He pressed Jeff to expand to serve girls.

And, for eight little girls, their freedom story began with Jeff’s three-word response to Ted: “You do it.”

Changing the T rajectory It would take the Kriwiels more than a year to mull the decision over. They were newlyweds who were settling into their lives. When they realized they were meant to do more than work in the daytime and watch

Courtesy Photo

television at night, they decided to use their time more productively.

“We didn’t have kids and didn’t have money,” Ellie said. “We were naïve but we thought, ‘why don’t we use this opportunity when we don’t have a lot of responsibilities to really do something.’”

With the backing of the Father’s House for structuring support, a fundraising goal of $50,000 and lots of prayer, the couple undertook the effort to save eight girls from forced labor in Ghana.

It wasn’t long before the project drew the interest of a dozen high school students. The group met weekly to pray, seek direction and to raise money. Many gave from their own paychecks. Rather than receiving Christmas gifts and birthday gifts, they asked that donations would be made to the effort.

“Their families started saying something has shifted in their children and they started giving,

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Courtesy Photo

churches started giving and, in a year of raising money, we had about $30,000,” Ted said.

By August 2013, they had enough money to shift the movement from prayer and fundraising to action. They founded Eight Oaks, a nonprofit with the mission of setting people free, and they began their efforts to rescue eight girls in Ghana.

The child slaves that we didn’t rescue As promised, the Father’s House team connected the Kriwiels with people in Ghana who could help. A group of volunteers organized to begin gathering information, piecing together histories of potential recruits and to begin talking to the families and overseers of girls who they possibly had an opportunity to rescue. The Kriwiels were also connected with a Ghanaian couple, Bernard, a college professor, and Celestine, a kindergarten teacher, who helped communicate Eight Oaks’ mission with girls, to their families and overseers.

The Kriwiels also recruited another couple, Landon and Kate Loftin, to assist with the operational efforts of the organization.

Eight Oaks quickly found and renovated a property, which just so happened to be a neighboring home to Bernard and Celestine.

An added bonus: the property sits on a college campus.

This would become the girls’ home.

As for selecting the girls who would become part of Eight Oaks, Ellie said, “we basically just prayed that God would sort of direct us to take those who we were supposed to take.”

One of the most important criteria for the recruitment depended on whether or not the girls would be released freely. Ellie explained that if Eight Oaks purchased the girls’ freedom, they would be perpetuating a system they’re working to fight against.

All eight girls, Kriwiel said, were released freely to the organization.

“We’re really careful about how we talk about their history,” Ted said of the girls. “We want to make sure it’s not oversimplified like we swooped in like white knights and saved them.

It’s not like that.”

Ted spoke of the complexities and the pervasive poverty that perpetuated the cycle of childhood slavery. Those who may be considered slave masters, Ted said, are fisherman “who are really just the child slaves that we didn’t rescue 20 years ago.”

“Some people can get hung up on who sold the children and who purchased them in an attempt to paint those individuals as the ‘villain,’” Ted says. “The problem on Lake Volta is way bigger than the individual players. Yes, the girls were trafficked; but ultimately, the children on the lake as well as their masters are all victims of the larger villain: systemic poverty.

“We had the privilege of bringing our eight girls out of that.”

Seeing the value in one life Today eight girls - Gloria, Sarah Jr., Regina, Richlove, Sarah Sr., Lucky, Dina and God’s Way –

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Courtesy Photo

have a new chance at life that is far removed from the banks of Lake Volta thanks to Eight Oaks.

The Kriwiels work to visit at least once every six months. The girls, in the meantime, receive regular medical care, have clean clothes, celebrate birthdays, are being educated and are very well fed thanks to a Ghanaian mother-daughter duo, Helen and her 22-year-old daughter, Mercy, who serve as the house cooks. Mercy is in college, the Kriwiels report and has become a very important figure in the girls’ lives.

“Mercy is living with them every day, setting the example for them every day,” Ted said.

Ellie said it’s very important that the girls remain proud to be Ghanaian. In big ways, they’re working to respect and uphold the girls’ culture. Rather than buying from American big-box stores, they buy colorful garments from local Ghanaian vendors.

They also encourage the girls to remain connected with their families despite walking a different walk.

None of the girls, Ellie said, want to go back.

“All of the parents are happy to be in the situation,” Ellie added. “They’re not bad people.

They love their kids. They’re happy for them to be in a better situation. We wouldn’t want them to be bitter toward their parents.”

It’s more challenging with the siblings who have to return to the lake following bright visits to the yellow house, where the girls live, Ellie admits.

“We would love to take more but we’re also trying to be faithful to where God has brought us and not wanting to overextend ourselves or to run out of money,” she said, playfully adding, that her husband, “the dreamer” has already found another house.

While they would like to do more, Ellie said, there is value in what they’ve already accomplished.

They appreciate the faith and the assistance of all of those who contributed along the way.

“Eight girls is just a fraction of 1 percent, but I also think that it’s about seeing the value in one life and taking small steps.”

How to Help Visit eightoaks.org to get an in-depth breakdown of the operation and the outcomes.

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The Audacity of Courage Article and Photos by Jonathan Long

H

is heart tells his why and his hands show his how.

Carlos Fernandez is a rising entrepreneur in the tech world. And while his work has taken him from Silicon Valley to the Oval Office, twice, he doesn’t allow his accolades or his fanfare to change him.

His goal is to help others succeed.

“My why is to represent change,” Fernandez said. “When people see me, I want them to be inspired. I’m still working on my legacy, but I do know I want to spark positive change.”

Creating change hasn’t come easy for Fernandez, 31, Managing Partner for Page Out, LLC and CoFounder of Clutch Studio, a mobile app-house.

Fernandez started his career doing graphic design work for record labels and musical artists. That eventually turned into building websites and other technology-based products. Fernandez made his basement his office and spent most of his work

time there constructing things and working on projects for people all across the world. He found solace in the basement partly because of his introvert demeanor and partly because of experiencing a sheer lack of acceptance.

“A lot of people see the tech world as a more laid back industry, but it wasn’t 10 years ago. I was a young Mexican guy with a lot of tattoos. I was getting talked about,” says Fernandez who can cover most of his tattoos except for his hands that sport “Work Now” on the right and “Sleep Later” on the left.

“I carry my (tattoos) with pride, but I do have to explain myself. It’s actually helped me because it allows me to tell my story when I usually wouldn’t.”

Beyond sharing a captivating story about his journey, Fernandez also shares of his time and talent in efforts to give back to those who are

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trying to forge a similar path.

Fernandez often speaks to youth groups and others about being able to see beyond their immediate circumstances. He knows too well the pitfalls and traps that face young people today and wants to make sure that he can help them avoid those distractions as much as possible.

“I wasn’t the most talented guy in my neighborhood,” he said. “I ask, ‘What’s the reason I’m still here? Why did I make?’ So I believe it’s my responsibility to help others; to help build.”

Gilbert “Gibbi” Galindo, 21, is among those Fernandez mentors. The two met when Galindo was taking the place of a relative on a trip with Fernandez to an art class in Oklahoma City.

Fernandez has been mentoring him for three years.

Among the results of their connection: Galindo has started his own business, KIKO, a graphic design company, which is housed in Fernandez’s Clutch

Studio’s office.

“He opened my eyes to this world,” Galindo said.

“He is a great mentor. He pushes you. He’ll show you what to do, then will let you experiment and then will help you work out your errors.”

And it’s not just Galindo that Fernandez is hoping to influence. Fernandez is married with seven children whose ages range from 2 to 13.

He wants his children to understand the value of success. And for him success is not as much about monetary gain.

“I put a price on my time. That’s very important because when you are doing one thing, there are several other things you aren’t doing,” Fernandez said. “But my time with my family is priceless. I have never found more happiness than seeing the smiles on my kids’ faces.”

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Photography by Michael E. Woods, LLC

‘

Rachel s Kitchen: A Soulful Family Affair

BY CHRISTINA M. LONG

R

aquel Clark’s family is well-versed on how to work together from their days at New Zion Baptist Church.

There, Clark was the music director, her father is the pastor, her mother was the church administrator and ran the daycare and her sister runs the school.

Now, they’re teaming up again with their latest collaboration — Rachel’s Kitchen, 818 N. Mosley, home of the city’s newest soul food restaurant.

“We want people to savor the ambience and aroma when they come in and feel like they’re a part of the family,” says Clark, 33.

The restaurant, which opened in November 2014, is named after Clark’s maternal grandmother.

Clark’s mom, Rhonda Williams, wanted to pay homage to a dream deferred for her mother while also creating a foundation that Williams’ own children could build upon.

“Our businesses shouldn’t die out,” Williams said. “We need to create our own economic wealth.

“We need to trust each other, uplift each other, honor each other and be patient with each other so our kids can have legacies, too.”

Eventually, Clark will run a location herself as the family expands across the city. To prepare, every workday is on-thejob training on restaurant management

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for Clark. Family members split cooking shifts. Her teenage son, Jaden Bell, picks up dishwashing and other custodial duties when he’s not in school. And her sister, Nicole Williams, volunteers when she can though she still runs the school at New Zion.

Clark, meanwhile, focuses on front-of-thehouse duties including taking orders and caring for customers.

Looking at major lessons learned, Clark says she’s most proud of how the team came together to reduce customer waittimes on food. When they first began, she said, they only had “two little fryers” which caused orders to back up. Because the family is funding the business themselves and not relying on bank loans, they were eventually able to reinvest and upgrade their equipment. The new fryer they have now helps them get orders in and out more rapidly.

As a result of the fast, friendly service, customers like Willie Kirkendoll, Sr. and his wife, Sarah Kirkendoll, say they’ll keep coming back.

“We like the food and the homey atmosphere,” Willie Kirkendoll said during one of their recent visits to the restaurant.

And the family loves seeing repeat customers.

“I’ve never worked so hard in my life,” Bell, Clark’s son, said. “It’s an amazing experience to see the smiles on people’s faces when we’re bringing them soul food.”

For Clark’s brother, Calvin Williams, it all comes back to family: “It’s a joy working with my family. I love them and so if things keep going good, it will only get better. “

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Wanted: Beautiful People

Words by Christina M. Long Photos by Keshia Ezerendu Photography

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ldo Beltran’i is looking for beautiful people with humble hearts.

He’s the founder of ABMG, Aldo Beltran’i Modeling Group. The group began July 2014, almost simultaneously with the grand opening of his hair salon, Aldo Beltran’i: the Studio, 221 S. Broadway Suite 408.

The 31-year-old says the momentum is building quickly around this effort.

He has more than 20 models and, while working to create their professional portfolios, he’s securing gigs.

The latest includes working with a local foundation to raise awareness about hemophilia.

Beltran’i says he is looking for men and women of all ages who have a “look”, are in shape and who have a desire to model.

“Opportunities don’t always have to be chased after,” Beltran’i says. “Sometimes, we have to create them.”

ABMG |Photos by Keshia Ezerendu

ABMG |Photos by Keshia Ezerendu

ABMG |Photos by Keshia Ezerendu

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Courtesy Photo

Kansas: The Ellis Island for Black Pioneers

By Chris Green, Managing Editor of the Kansas Leadership Center Journal

T

he end of the Civil War offered the promise of freedom to African-Americans in the South. But freed slaves continued to face the grim realities of political, economic and social oppression. In hopes of seeing the promise of freedom fulfilled, thousands of them came to Kansas, inspired, in part, by the opportunity to homestead and the state’s association with the abolitionist John Brown.

The Exodusters, a name that references the Biblical exodus from Egypt, became the first large wave of black migration after the war, with an estimated 60,000 traveling to Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado. Their journey to Kansas, a hopeful but often arduous one, is chronicled in a piece of art by Janice Burdine of Wichita, which was recently put on display in the Smoky Hills Room of the Kansas Leadership Center & Kansas Health Foundation Conference Center in Wichita.

“This was really our Ellis Island,” Burdine says.

“For the freedmen, Kansas has been a special place.”

Burdine, a retired high school art teacher and counselor who lives in Wichita, painted a scene of about a dozen Exodusters making their way to their new homes. The image, based on Burdine’s historical research, is split up across six separate panels. The work makes use of “negative

space painting,” in which the artist uses the black background of the canvas to portray the travelers.

Burdine was born in Boley, Oklahoma, and reared in Wichita. She received her bachelor’s degree in art education from Wichita State University, and a master’s degree in art education and counseling certification from Emporia State University. She is a lifelong educator who has worked as an illustrator, printmaker, author and activist for change through education.

For Burdine, the story of the Kansas Exodusters is a story of civic leadership from the annals of history.

They fled racial violence and oppression but could not escape it entirely in Kansas. Their travels were difficult and most arrived with very little money.

But they settled and built up communities in rural areas and cities. Some of their communities, such as Nicodemus, a National Historic Site in northwest Kansas, remain with us.

The story of the Exodusters shows how Kansas has long been a place that has symbolized hope. But it’s also a reminder that the journey to freedom and equality is challenging and difficult, and the road to get there is one that spans not only miles, but generations.

Read more in the Spring 2015 issue of The Journal, which will be published in May.

INCREASE YOUR CAPACITY TO EXERCISE LEADERSHIP.

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KANSAS LEADERSHIP CENTER

Join those who share your goals and aspirations at the Kansas Community Leadership Initiative Summit Kansas Leadership Center NOVEMBER 5-7, 2014 KANSAS LEADERSHIP CENTER 325 E DOUGLAS AVEYou. WICHITA, 67202 Upcoming Session: Lead. KS Now.

May 18-20 Register

by INFORMATION April 27, 2015 FOR MORE AND 316-712-4950 TO REGISTER CONTACT: Call,

Shaun Rojas 316.712.4956, srojas@kansasleadershipcenter.org The Kansas Leadership Center equips people to make lasting change for the common good.

KLC focuses on leadership as an activity, not a role or position. Open to anyone seeking to move the needle on tough challenges in the civic arena, KLC envisions more people sharing responsibility for acting together in pursuit of the common good. or position. Open

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APRIL 8

Meeting the 3 M’s: Learning the Basics of Marketing, Management, and Money, 1-3 p.m., Free, WSU Metro Complex, 5015 E. 29th St. N., WSU KSBDC, call, 316-978-3193 Quick Start Business Planning, 3-5 p.m., Free, WSU Metroplex, 5015 E. 29th St. North. WSU KSBDC, call, 316-978-3193.

15 Meeting the 3 M’s: Learning the Basics of Marketing, Management, and Money, 10 a.m.-Noon., Free, WSU Metro Complex, 5015 E. 29th St. N., WSU KSBDC, call, 316-978-3193

18 Financial Freedom Expo, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Free, Urban Preparatory

Academy, 2500 E. 18th St. N., Partners: Wichita Branch NAACP, the Community Voice, the Urban League of Kansas, COGIC Urban Initiatives, Youth Educational Empowerment Program, Financial Planning Associates, Money Smart Wichita, Wichita Council of Elders, Sunflower Community Action.

Starting and Growing Your Own Small Business, 9 a.m.-Noon, $20, Garvey Center Training Room. Call, Wichita SCORE, 316-269-6273

21 Quick Start Business Planning, 10 a.m.-Noon, Free, WSU Metroplex, 5015 E. 29th St. North. WSU KSBDC, call, 316-978-3193.

Honors Night, 6-9:30 p.m., $90, Call the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce for location, 316-265-7771

23 Meeting the 3 M’s: Learning the Basics of Marketing, Management,

and Money, 3-5 p.m., Free, WSU Metro Complex, 5015 E. 29th St. N., WSU KSBDC, call, 316-978-3193 6th Annual Kansas Young Professional Summit, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Salina Bicentennial Center, by the Wichita Metro Chamber-YPW, Call, 316-7771.

25 How You Come Up with the Right Idea for Your Business, 1-2:30 p.m.,

Free, Wichita Public Library-Downtown Branch, Presented by: Wichita SCORE and the Wichita Public Library, 316-261-8500

MAY Please visit www.ictup.org for a listing of May events around Wichita as listings become available.

We’re here, now it’s time to be present www.ictup.org