Trade was the buzzword in Lee’s Summit at Go Global conference

The hot topic was international trade development when a variety of trade professionals gathered in Lee’s Summit.

Kansas City’s Go Global KC annual event, held Thursday at the Missouri Innovation Campus in Lee’s Summit, was a chance for people to make connections.

Conference sponsors included The University of Central Missouri and Summit Technology Academy’s Global Prep Squad, a student-run business that helps clients navigate international trade. Students in the international studies program organize the event through researching, setting up and directing business partners throughout the event.

Go Global promotes Kansas City’s international trade economy and allows participants to hear from leaders on the importance of engaging global markets.

The event networks with trade centers around the world, allowing clients to attend breakout Zoom sessions with representatives from such countries as Canada, Colombia, Gibraltar, Philippines and Mexico. The event was partially virtual due to COVID-19. This was a plus, said Curtis Cook, international studies instructor at Summit Technology Academy.

“Although we’re able to host the event in-person this year, we’ve kept the Zoom breakout rooms as another way to help people connect,” Cook said. “It’s also good for students to experience leadership and a level of responsibility and organization that they can carry with them into their futures.”

Student and Global Prep Squad member Olivia Parrish said organizing the event gave her real-world experience and business skills.

“I’m not 100% sure what I want to do in the future, but I do know that I want to do something in relation to cultural ties and international business,” Parrish said. “This event helped me see potential jobs and opportunities that could be in my future. I enjoyed hearing the perspectives of the panel and being able to learn more about international trade and foreign events.”

Workforce and professional education consultant at the University of Central Missouri Joe Mullins said UCM enjoys sponsoring the event because it highlights their partnerships with the Greater KC Chamber and World Trade Center.

“We provided a lot of support and logistics for the event, and we hope to build awareness for organizations and international trade businesses,” Mullins said. “We want to learn about them while teaching them about us.”

This year’s theme focused on global supply disruptions, lessons learned and outlooks for the future. The program featured a panel of leaders from small businesses, including Ike Nwabuonwu, chairman and CEO of Alpha Energy and Electric Inc.; Jay Kim, CEO and founder of DataLocker; and Aaron Zack, CEO at Sunlighten.

This story was originally published September 28, 2021 at 5:00 AM.