TeamKC Training Camp

TeamKC’s annual talent summit, Training Camp, brings together hundreds of key talent partners and leaders from the region’s top employers to learn from one another and home in on the latest talent trends affecting KC.

On February 26, 2026, TeamKC convened nearly 400 HR executives, recruiters and business leaders at The Abbott — unveiling new recruiting tools, sharing fresh workforce data and spotlighting a year of major economic momentum for the region.

2026 Program

Diana Kander

Author and Innovation Consultant

Keynote Speaker

A serial entrepreneur who entered the United States as a refugee from Ukraine at the age of 8, Diana Kander is a New York Times bestselling author and innovation consultant who has spent her career challenging assumptions and asking the big questions about what kind of culture it takes to fuel innovation. As a consultant, she has helped create multi-billion-dollar products, coached boards and executive committees on innovation best practices and led culture transformations inside organizations of all sizes.

In her keynote, The Science of Selling KC, Diana brought her expertise in curiosity and persuasion to the world of talent attraction. Through engaging stories and practical frameworks, she helped attendees reframe how they talk about place, purpose and opportunity. Attendees left with fresh tools to strengthen recruitment messaging, elevate employer branding and position Kansas City as a compelling place to build a life and a career.

Joel Goldberg

Founder
Joel Goldberg Media

Featured Speaker

What can baseball teach us about leadership, culture and attracting talent across generations? Quite a lot, as it turns out.

Author, podcaster and Royals television broadcaster Joel Goldberg has studied the skills that turn players into leaders and teams into champions. In his talk, Winning Trust in Changing Times, Joel drew on lessons from baseball to show how trust, connection and purpose come together to build a culture where teams truly thrive. Hear from Joel.

Panel: Demystifying Workforce Initiatives

Our expert panel delivered a clear, practical look at KC’s workforce programs — what’s available, what works and how to choose the right initiatives to drive real results for your company.

Moderator | Katy Hamilton

Sr. Director, Workforce & Career Development

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Carolyn McKnight, Ed.D.

Sr. Director, Community Engagement & Business Development

University of Kansas

Kara Lowe

Chief Executive Officer

KC Tech Council

Natalie Lewis

Chief Operating Officer

Great Jobs KC

TeamKC MVP Award

Awarded at Training Camp, the KC Streetcar won the 2026 TeamKC MVP for advancing Kansas City as a top destination for talent. Beyond transportation, it has boosted ridership, spurred billions in development and reconnected neighborhoods across the region.