Where It All Began

In 1978, civic leaders Beth Smith and Marjorie Powell Allen sat down for lunch together. Allen, at the time President of the Powell Family Foundation, wanted Smith’s help in creating a space for women to interact with each other and support each other in improving their careers. The two studied the idea for two years before they opened The Central Exchange in a Crown Center office.

At the time, women were prohibited from joining both the Kansas City Club and the University Club — places where business was conducted by men. They envisioned a place where women could exchange ideas and opportunities.

The pair set out to gather an intentionally diverse group, in ethnicity and in age. When The Central Exchange opened its doors for the first time, it opened with 12 initial members:  Beth Smith, Majorie Powell Allen, Terry Satterlee, Kay Barnes, Anita Butler, Joan Dillon, Adele Hall, Mamie Currie Hughes, Dorothy Johnson, Linda Moore, Linda Hood Talbott, and Judith Whitaker.

“Women needed services to help them get on track; then they needed opportunities. Other women, with funds to contribute, could offer this specialized support.”

~Marjorie Powell Allen

Central Exchange History
UMKC Bloch

Central Exchange enters a strategic collaboration with UMKC Bloch School. Ann Hackett, PhD, takes the helm as CX Bloch Leader. CX relocates to the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.  

Courtney Thomas

Courtney Lee Thomas joins Central Exchange as President and CEO and later announces new tagline, “Where Women Shape the Future”

CiCi Rojas

CiCi Rojas is named President and CEO

WiSTEMM

Central Exchange launches WiSTEMM, an initiative designed to put a well-deserved spotlight on women in Kansas City working in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine. By focusing on successful STEMM leaders, WinSTEMM hopes to draw attention to the resource shortfall in these careers and provide inspiration for

New Logo

Central Exchange rebrands with a new logo, a modified name (dropping “the”), and a new tagline: Connect. Achieve. Transform.

30th Anniversary

The Central Exchange celebrates its 30th Anniversary. During this milestone year, a new state-of-the-art website was activated and the organization officially launched a community-wide initiative called “win | win, a business case for Kansas City.” The goal of the initiative is to increase gender diversity at the top results in

Social Media

CX groups form on LinkedIn and Facebook; a social media special interest group starts. Groundwork begins for a community-wide initiative to increase gender diversity at the top of area businesses and firms. The Executive MBA program at the Bloch School-UMKC presents another professional development series as does the Hauptmann School

The Enlightened Leader

The Executive MBA program at the Bloch School-UMKC presents a four-part, eight-hour series called, The Enlightened Leader: Strategies for the 21st Century Professional, for which attendees receive a certificate of professional achievement. CX begins podcasting some programs, launches an e-mentoring program, and initiates a board intern program.

Women’s Lyceum

The Central Exchange Women’s Lyceum celebrates its fifth anniversary with a sellout crowd of more than 1,000 women. Membership reaches an all-time in June

Emerging Leaders

In partnership with Right Management, The Central Exchange pilots an intensive, yearlong leadership development program called “Emerging Leaders”

Central Exchange Today

Our membership of hundreds of women and men from the Kansas City metro includes managers and executives, business owners, nonprofit and civic leaders, and community volunteers.

With more hundred programs a year, CX offers a wide variety of professional development opportunities and networking events that provide resources and connections for members to advance their careers and build their businesses. Central Exchange leadership development programs create a pool of highly qualified leaders available for executive positions in the Kansas City area.

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