Ingram's October 2022

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20 in their Twenties

Ingram’s 20 in their Twenties Assembly

A sense of civic momentum, said Sam- uel Noel, is palpable. “When I was a kid, nobody ever came Downtown,” he said, but with the commercial renaissance that began 20 years ago, the area boasts a vibrant core that can attract and retain young workers. Kody Simmons, a project manager for Straub Construction, was taking a longer term view of the city’s appeal. “Kansas City provides the two main things I look for when considering a place to build my career,” he said. “First, KC provides all the factors I look for when considering a place to raise my family. Secondly, KC provides a unique opportunity for young businesspeople to work with a multitude of clients as the city is growing and revamping at an astounding pace.” Jason Chase, who also hails from the construction sector at McCarthy Building Co., is a prime example of the way this region gets its hooks into people, but good. “To be honest, I was just following a girl (my now wife) down here, but as we progressed in our careers, we couldn’t imagine working or living elsewhere. Kansas City has the perfect balance of big city vibe and small-town Midwest feel.” More than that, though, he cites a quality many others frequently mention: “Really, it comes down to the friendly people and the readiness to roll up their sleeves and jump head-first to solve a problem tog-

An agenda for KC’s future—from those who will build it.

What do young entrepreneurs and executives want? You won’t know until you ask them. So we did: after 2½ years of restricted gatherings and a growing sense that the pandemic of 2020 was finally coming under control, members of this year’s 20 in Their Twenties gathered Oct. 6 at The Maverick in the Crossroads Downtown. There, they got to know one another or, in some cases, re-acquaint themselves with honorees they already knew socially or through work experiences. And what they had to say about opportunities here and about the growth potential of the region should inspire civic leaders and inform dec- isions about howtomove themetro forward. Why Kansas City? Within this age cohort, and with their qualifications, anything might have been possible, anywhere. But they’re here, and in most cases, they’re putting down roots.Why? When she began her career in commercial realty brokerage, says Alli Moran of Colliers International, “I wanted to make sure I was in an economically stable city where the overall trajectory was moving in a positive direction. I consider Kansas City a major market, yet it is small

enough to have many close personal bus iness rela-tionships, which I like.” For Sidney Miller, a fleet sales executive withMidway Ford Truck Center, the choice was easy: “I have been a Kansas City girl my whole life,” she said. “With my job, I travel a lot, both for business and for pleasure, and I think Kansas City is a great home base. It has all the fun of a big city yet can still be quiet and laid back enough where it’s the best of both worlds.” Kansas City has always been home to Austin Miller, who specializes in commercial banking for Commerce Bank. What he really appreciates about it, he says, is the “friendly and vibrant community that has a growth mind-set where businesses of all sizes can find success. It truly feels like everyone is bought in and pulling in the same direction to find opportunities to better our city and the region.” Those opportunities, says Warehouse Quote’s Jacob Roseburrough, include an emerging tech sector that is coming on strong. “I believe Kansas City is one of the next ‘up and coming’ tech startup cities,” he says. “There are a lot of new startups popping up around KC that will provide a ton of opportunity for professionals looking to break into the startup space.”

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