The Cocktail Hour Podcast

Jessica returned to the Kansas City Sports Commission in September of 2018 as the Director of the Women’s Intersport Network for Kansas City after 11 years, having started her career with WIN in 2003 as an intern and then the Program and Media Relations Coordinator. Jessica has spent 15 years in the non-profit sector, specifically in events and marketing. After four years at the KC Sports Commission, she moved on to the Women’s Sports Foundation in New York and then, Atlanta. In her time there, Jessica had the opportunity to work with sports greats like Billie Jean King, Michelle Kwan, Aimee Mullins, Julie Foudy and Jessica Mendoza, managing the organization’s major fundraisers and community events. She then took a role at Teach For America where she led the national events marketing team that served as the internal events agency to the organization’s 54 regional offices and five national departments. While there, she was tapped to lead the event marketing and experiential components for TFA’s 25th Anniversary Summit. She later joined staff at Visit KC allowing her to focus her time and efforts back in the Kansas City community as the Director of Partnerships & Events. Jessica grew up in Manhattan, KS, played softball for two years at Johnson County Community College and then graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Communications. She is currently working on her Master’s in Organizational Development & Leadership at Rockhurst University. She lives in downtown KCMO with her wife, Julie, and two dogs.

Nicole Jacobs-Silvey is a community-minded connector who strives to empower others to live their best lives. With 20+ years in the not-for-profit sector, she is both mission-driven and passionate about Kansas City, the community she calls home.  Nicole is the Founder and President of Connection Coach KC, where she focuses on connecting people to their purpose and passion so they can reach their potential.  Nicole helps clients connect with others in authentic ways through intentional networking mapping and relationship building.  In addition, Connection Coach KC consults with not-for-profit organizations to increase board diversity through a training series called At the Table.  This training series coaches boards in the recruitment and retention of diverse board members by exploring implicit bias and helping to create a pipeline of candidates. Nicole is the Co-Founder of the Sisters’ Circle GKC, a giving circle for African American women, and the Rise Tribe, a group of African American women who host a podcast addressing the unique complexities of life for people of color.  

Laura Lee Jones, CEO & President, founded LionShare® in 1995. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has dedicated most of her career to healthcare analytics and marketing. Together with her "Best Places to Work" award-winning team, LionShare® has achieved national recognition as a leading healthcare firm.  LionShare® has guided hundreds of hospitals in their quest to link data analytics to decision insights, better outcomes and marketing execution with the use of DIATA- their Business Intelligence and CRM platform. When not in work mode, Laura Lee enjoys watching her daughter play soccer, working out, or training Dobermans.

Sylvia Hall is the cofounder of LIFTED and is the creator of multiple probiotics designed to decrease anxiety and enhance mood. She lives in Kansas City with her family of 2 kids, 2 dogs, and one husband (her fellow cofounder). Sylvia is wildly optimistic about our capacity to feel better.

Lesley brings a dynamic mix of events and catering experience, sales and marketing acumen, and operational insights to her role as Resident District Manager for Bon Appétit at LinkedIn.  She started her career in a high-tech startup, ventured out to work internationally, and then transitioned into leading hotel groups such as Kimpton and Viceroy.  As a whole, Lesley is dedicated to delivering impactful and memorable experiences to both clients and employees alike.  She believes her corporate background, coupled with her passion for hospitality and people have resulted in a perfect match with Bon Appétit.   In her down time, Lesley enjoys traveling with her husband Justin, and her two children Jordan and Chloë .  She also loves listening to books on Audible, so if you have any great titles, feel free to share them with her!

Dr. Linda L. Moore is a licensed psychologist practicing in Kansas City, Missouri. She is President of Linda L. Moore and Associates, which offers individual and group therapy, executive coaching, management consulting, and presentations for organizations and associations around the country. Dr. Moore has worked extensively throughout the United State as well as abroad. She is known for her work with women, leadership training, addictions, stress management, and human relations. Dr. Moore writes and publishes on women and power, leadership, and stress management.

Kimberly Yates is a strategic executive, brand builder, and inspiration leader. Most recently, she has served as the VP of Marketing for Lee Jeans. Kim joined the VF Corporation and Lee Jeans in July 2015 with the intent of retelling the story of the 130-year-old authentic, American Lee brand. She created a new brand positioning, campaign, and architecture for the iconic brand. She transformed the look and feel of the brand, including the launch of three high end collections that have placed the brand in Free People, ShopBop, and on the runways of New York Fashion Week. Kim led a team of marketers, PR & digital strategists, creative design, and e-commerce leaders. She also served on the lead team to reinvent the Lee organization and to create the 5-year strategic business plan. Prior to joining Lee, Kim grew her career via both sales and marketing at Procter & Gamble. From 2012-2015 Kim served as the VP of Marketing for the P&G luxury beauty business in New York City. She led a team of marketing, internal sales, and design, across a portfolio of brands, including: Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, SK-II, Lacoste, Hugo Boss, and The Art of Shaving. Prior to that, while working at P&G’s Global Headquarters in Cincinnati, Kim held global and North America marketing roles for Pampers – P&G’s largest brand, Secret Deodorant, and Old Spice. Kim began her career with Procter & Gamble in her home town of Kansas City, where she sold nearly all P&G’s brands to grocery stores throughout southwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas. While working for P&G in Chicago, Kim obtained her MBA from Northwestern University, the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, with degrees in Marketing and Finance. Kim completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Missouri where she earned her BSBA in Marketing and Minored in Spanish. Kim and her family reside in Overland Park, KS. Her husband, Chris, her two children, Megan & Zachary, and her dog, Leroy, are all thrilled to be back in Kansas City surrounded by family and friends. Kim and her husband spend most of their free time cheering on youth sports of all sorts – football, soccer, basketball, baseball and track, listening to piano practice, and reviewing high school homework. Kim dabbles in photography, practices yoga, loves musical theater, and enjoys running.

Yasmine Simmons is a 10+ year dynamic certified nurse practitioner with many resources and tools to help anyone reach their health goals. Health goals that can change lives, save lives and transform society. Founder of The Healthiest You, Yasmine Simmons delivers powerful messages to raise awareness of suicide, childhood obesity, prediabetes, and depression; that are sure to empower, educate and inspire audiences to want to get to the root of what motivates them. Yasmine started the Healthy Mom’s Rock Club where faith, health, and life are embodied.  This powerful group is standing against the war on obesity, diabetes, and lifestyle-induced chronic diseases. Through partnerships, heart-filled connections and transparency they are together breaking generational health curses among families. Subscribe to The Cocktail Hour Podcast at https://CocktailHourPodcast.com

Chandra Clark is the Manager of External Partnerships and Post Secondary Programming for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City. Her previous professional experience includes serving as the Career and Alumni Coordinator for Kauffman Scholars, Community Relations Director for Newhouse Shelter and Founder and President of M.O.D.E. L. Chandra earned a Master's degree in Educational Studies from Rockhurst University in 2011. She has been fortunate to have received numerous awards and recognitions including the Faber Young Alumni Award (Rockhurst University), Young Athena Professional Leadership Award (Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce) and Most Influential Women in Kansas City Business Honoree (Kansas City Business Journal). Chandra is committed to advocating for youth facing adverse circumstances and adults abused as children. She is most passionate about empowering others, education and enriching the community of Kansas City. Her former board and volunteer service roles include the Nelson Atkin’s Young Friends of Art, University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Arts & Sciences Alumni Board and the Central Exchange. She currently serves as a member of The Nelle, the Junior League of Greater Kansas City, Executive Women’s Leadership Council and Teach for America’s Champions Board. In her spare time, Chandra enjoys modeling, traveling and blogging. Her proudest accomplishment is raising her 17-year old daughter Jada.

As co-founder and managing partner, Stephenie is Sophic's lead authority on executive project management, organizational structure & design, and operations improvement. She has led a number of efforts to align not-for-profit policy with community investments, with a special emphasis on large-scale transformation. Additionally, she serves as Chief Strategy Officer with NourishKC, an organization committed to ending hunger in greater Kansas City and beyond. Stephenie is engaged in the revitalization of the community by fostering strategic partnerships and leading program innovations. In her previous role as Executive Director of the Linwood Y, Stephenie's efforts, along with a team of volunteers and staff, resulted in the successful completion of a $12 million capital campaign. Above all, her work is shaped by a holistic approach to well-being and the belief that equity matters. With over 20 years of experience, Stephenie’s work has focused on the effects of poverty and oppression. In doing so, community revitalization, change management and diversity, equity & inclusion have taken center stage. These involvements have led to her serving on a number of local boards and national committees. Stephenie is a graduate of Fisk University and the University of Tennessee College of Social Work.

Shanna Adamic is a Senior Operations Manager for First Hand, Cerner Corporation’s corporate philanthropy dedicated to improving the health of children, families, and communities around the globe.  She fundraises alongside Cerner associates, Cerner business partners and key members of the Kansas City community in order to create a healthy tomorrow around the world. Recently, Shanna helped raise over $1.8M for First Hand through sponsorships and special events and in 2017 was selected as a “Cerner Masters” award recipient because of the world-class experiences she creates within the foundation. Through her sixteen years with First Hand, Shanna has remained devoted to her other interests including cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs for 8 years while she traveled the world entertaining U.S. troops, where she was also selected as the 2007 Pro Bowl Cheerleader.  Shanna and her loving husband are raising two beautiful, crazy toddlers (Ava 4, Jonah 3) and this past year Shanna was diagnosed with a rare benign brain tumor called an Acoustic Neuroma. The tumor was golf ball-sized and life-threatening as it was pressing into her brainstem. Shanna and her support system were determined to find the right care plan and that is exactly what they did. After a nearly 12-hour surgery, her surgical team removed 98% of the tumor and Shanna was determined not to let that moment define the rest of her life. She was committed to come back stronger than before, and that is exactly what she did. 

Kelly Hancox has worked for Garmin Ltd. for nearly eight years, cultivating partnerships to bring new features to the Olathe, Kansas-based company’s multitude of devices. As director of business development and strategic partnerships, Hancox works closely with Garmin engineers to find out what they need, ranging from new Bluetooth stack software to brand partnerships. Kelly is a passionate, highly driven, strategic business leader with global comprehensive experience. Her team works to license or secure developing partnerships for Garmin’s five segments: aviation, marine, outdoor, fitness and automotive. Kelly has made a name for herself in Kansas City business by being named one of Kansas City Business Journal’s rising stars in 2014 and becoming a 2016 Next Gen Leader Honoree. 

Elizabeth Glynn, CEO, leads the Travois staff of 50 who work in the areas of affordable housing development, design and construction services, asset management and compliance, economic development, and environmental services. Elizabeth started as a project coordinator at Travois in 2005, and later became a director, vice president, COO, and finally CEO in 2016. She succeeded David W. Bland, her father, who founded Travois in 1995 and led the company for 20 years, helping clients to develop more than $1 billion in housing and economic development projects in 20 states. Elizabeth graduated from Wake Forest University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and from Washington University in St. Louis with an executive MBA degree. She is a strong advocate for policy changes that benefit housing and economic development in Indian Country. In Kansas City, where Travois is headquartered, Elizabeth has volunteered since 2008 with Amethyst Place, a transitional home for women who are recovering from addictions and their families. She was named Kansas City Business Journal’s 2014 class of NextGen Leaders, and was honored as part of its class of 2015 of Women Who Mean Business. And is the 2018 recipient of the When Work Works Award.

Kristen Christian is co-founder of Bee Organized and the Chief Marketing Officer of Bee Organized Enterprises. Bee Organized focuses on helping their clients find the joy in their stuff by assisting with organization and efficiency. It has been built on the solid foundation that you treat everyone with compassion, non-judgment and patience. Kristen runs the Client Relations side of Bee Organized, and has loved building Bee Organized from the ground up. Kristen attended the University of Kansas with a degree in Journalism and has business experience in sales, marketing, entrepreneurship, and business development. Kristen has a broad range of experience from the large corporate setting to locally owned small businesses. As a salesperson, Kristen loves the rush of closing a sale, but truly relishes in the unique relationships that are established by servicing clients and going the extra mile in meeting their needs. Kristen is fascinated by organization and people’s relationship with their STUFF. She continues to daily hone her organizational skills and takes joy in always finding a place for everything while raising her four children with her husband, Matthew.

Marquita Miller owns and operates Five Star Tax and Business Solutions from her headquarters in Kansas City, MO. Her full service accounting & business consulting firm focuses on a diverse menu of business solutions, including tax planning and preparation, accounting and payroll, business startup planning, and revenue generation. From the business’ inception as a part-time hobby in 2009 to its current position as a local marketplace leader, Miller has sought to focus her services on small- and medium sized businesses. Miller fosters entrepreneurship in others, and her business places special emphasis on services for startups. Miller’s business senses, commitment to her faith and values have catapulted her to the forefront of Kansas City’s business scene, and the community has taken notice. After working for Fortune 500 companies as an accountant for years, Miller knew her time to shine had arrived. The decision proved to be golden: Miller resigned from the corporate ladder and branched off into the world of small business ownership. During those first years, Miller relied on her faith to help her survive the trials and tribulations of beginning a small business. She shaped herself into more than just an entrepreneur—she became a Faithpreneur, a person who follows the path to entrepreneurship by first following the path to God. In 2009 Five Star was nominated for Small Business of the Year in the metro and has been certified as a woman-owned and minority-owned business. A Kansas City native, Miller has accomplished her dreams and beyond while also serving as a mother, daughter, mentor, woman of faith, educator, international speaker and board member in multiple organizations. Miller has managed to stretch the limits of time to also author four books, co-author another book (which is now an Amazon best seller), produce two CDs and take her annual “No More Excuses, Only Results” conference nationwide in 2016. Miller unfortunately became a widow May 2017 after being married for 23 years. Miller not only talks it but she walks the No More Excuses Only Results Lifestyle.

Samantha Green is the President and National Organizer of Crawl for Cancer. What was a small event that started in Westport, Kansas City, MO in 2001, has grown to 28 cities across the country, supporting over 50 charities and raising over $2.6 million dollars. Samantha also led Crawl for Cancer to a Guinness World Record in 2013 for Most People on a Bar Crawl. The record still stands today. Samantha is a mother of four girls, and her husband DJ does all of the IT programming for Crawl for Cancer.

E. LaVerne Manos, DNP, RN-BC, is Program Director of Interprofessional programs in Health and serves as Director and graduate informatics. She holds expertise in human factors engineering in informatics and simulation and in implementation science Prior to her academic role, Dr. Manos worked in the industry over many years in health informatics in the United States and globally. Dr. Manos’ vision is to involve the patient/family/caregiver in the health record at more than a “patient-centric” level of care, but at a patient participatory level where the patient/family/caregiver is part of the interprofessional care team.

Angie Gensler is the founder of AngieGensler.com, a social media and digital marketing blog. She teaches busy entrepreneurs how to market and grow an online business without the hustle or tech confusion. Angie worked as a corporate marketer for over 10 years. After receiving her MBA in 2010, she quickly worked up the ranks until she was head of marketing for a $150 million dollar business. Despite her perceived success, she was miserable and felt called to do more. She started AngieGensler.com in 2016 and quickly grew it using social media. In 2018, she was able to quit her six-figure job and build a business and life she loves. If you have a burning desire to turn your passion into a profitable business, visit AngieGensler.com for access to valuable tools, actionable tips, and helpful resources to grow your business without the confusion and overwhelm. Visit Angie on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/angiegensler/

Dr. Andrea Henricks is a resident of Kansas City. She earned degrees in Human Development Psychology and Mass Communications and a Master’s of Science in Consulting Psychology from Kansas State. She then went on to earn her doctorate in Educational Psychology and Policy Analysis from Missouri University. For the past 25 years, her work has included collaborating with leaders in education, diversity, and organizational development. During her career, she has presented at workshops, diversity seminars, and leadership development forums, including the FBI Diversity Conference, Friends of the Urban League Advisory Board, and the Diversity Business Council of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of the Central Exchange, Black Achievers of Kansas City, the United Way Women’s Leadership Council, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and many more. In 2003, she received the Greater Kansas City Mayors Citizen of the Month award. In 2008, she was inducted into the Black Achievers Society of Kansas City, and in 2013 received the NAACP of Kansas City community leader award.

The Account Director at Geometry Global is not only a special guest because she is a woman in business shaking shit up, but also because she is co-parenting with podcast host Aaron Fulk's daughter, Lillianna. Ryan Robertson is a native to the Kansas area growing up and splitting her time between the suburbs of Lenexa and a farm outside of Lawrence. Between four parents (two moms and two dads), four siblings and participating in lots of activities growing up, Ryan quickly thrived in a role she affectionately deemed “chaos coordinator"; which has translated into her marketing career in Account Service. With over 10 years of experience, Ryan works to match her passion, enthusiasm and innate ability of organization with her rich knowledge and deep expertise in traditional, digital and experiential marketing. She prides herself on the ability to assemble and lead teams as well as earning the trust of her clients through the spirit of partnership, strategic approach, and an efficient nature.