Two Wichita artists have built their small businesses, and their marriage, atop the foundation of a single phrase – for the love of the culture. Their efforts are adding cultural vibrancy to a community that needs to LEVERAGE its diversity to thrive. The question is whether the community will embrace their efforts and build the networks of support necessary to aid them in realizing their aspirations.

The WBJ had a fun time Thursday celebrating the 2024 Best Places to Work. That's the 34 companies who ranked highest among their own employees in workplace surveys.

In this collection you'll find the companies that scored highest. Nominated companies agree to have staff members take an independent employee engagement survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace. Those scores are tabulated and the top companies in each category are named finalists.

Today, Latinos make up 16% of the labor market. As this trend continues, it will also lead the U.S. into a period of major workforce transformation, where it is predicted by 2025 that one out of every two new workers entering the workforce will be Latino.

It is crucial to understand how to foster inclusion and integration of Latinos, and to explore how best to utilize their diversity and value in the U.S. Understanding this will help to further accelerate economic prosperity, enhance well-being and strengthen civic capacity.

The Evergreen neighborhood on the north side of Wichita is a culture-rich, uniquely beautiful, and historic part of our city. On Sunday, June 27, Bike Walk Wichita, Salud + Bienestar, City of Wichita District 6, and Young Latino Professionals hosted events at Evergreen Park to connect with neighbors, share some Evergreen culture, and begin the discussion of making the neighborhood more bike-walk accessible for all to enjoy. Improvements to this area are a priority of BWW’s 2021 strategic plan.

About 40 people joined us on bikes for a slow roll through the area. Local resident and bike enthusiast, Jorge Cordova, and his family rolled up on their tricked-out bikes, turning heads with his custom-designed creations. The family’s passion for bikes was evident as they so graciously shared their custom bikes with the crowd. Cordova shared that it’s something he enjoys working on in his spare time. His bikes demonstrated that passion, impressing fellow bike enthusiasts on the ride.

The Wichita Art Museum celebrates artists who call Wichita home. As the verve of the Wichita art community strengthens and the landscape of artists and arts organizations continues to expand, the museum is eager to celebrate the new and growing energy.

To mark the museum’s 85th anniversary, the museum will stage a great community exhibition. To reach into the diverse corners of Wichita and to tap the dynamic of creativity in the city, the art museum will invite artists to share a modest work of art to have their “foot in the door.”

From meter reader to chairman and CEO of a major utility company is an incredible trip up a corporate ladder, but for an African-American man, whose journey up the ladder began during segregation, his was a rise that was so outrageous that it was beyond even imagining.  

However, this is the story of Ron Holt, who The Community Voice recognized last month as a Corporate Trailblazer is a story that offers lessons for everyone, no matter their stage or current position in life. 

Ron has agreed to share his story before a live audience of friends, fans and young upstarts during an event “Conversations with Ron Holt, to be held on Mon., Nov. 18, 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Kansas Leadership Center, 325 E. Douglas, Wichita.