Ep. #858 - Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

00:00.00
Lauren Conaway
And we are back. Thank you for joining us for yet another episode of the Startup Hustle podcast I’m your host Lauren Conaway, founder, and CEO of InnovateHer KC. really excited to be with you today with today’s episode sponsor because today’s episode of Startup Hustle is sponsored by Canva. It’s the place you go to collaborate and create amazing graphic designs for free. You know you can create presentations to share an idea you can create videos to launch your business social posts to start a conversation with Canva you can design pretty much anything discover the magic of visual communication and how Canva helps you create a lasting impact. Today visit http://canva.com to learn more all right? So folks I have to tell you how excited I am to have today’s guest with us. I have known this gentleman for a while and I think recently we’ve started to connect out in the community. We’ve had a couple of opportunities to chat and I’m super excited because not only is he an incredible businessman and community advocate. He’s a really fun guy. Not a fun guy not like you know a mushroom but like a fun guy and I just really love talking to him every time we talk, we just get really excited and so I cannot wait to expose you to that dear listener. But today we have with us Craig Moore and Craig Moore is a little bit of a double threat. He is the director of Kansas City for venture for America he is also the founder of black excellence KC and so we’re going to talk a little bit about both of those things but no Greg I just want to thank you. So much for taking the time to be with us today to chat with us to share your expertise in your story.

01:48.70
Craig Moore
Thank you, thank you for having me super excited to be a part of this and I was like oh man Lauren turned on that voice I mean I gotta get like that like love it.

03:52.10
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, yeah I have like ah you got to have a radio voice My husband calls it my phone voice and I’m like hey how you do I can I can’t do it when I’m like really trying though. But yes, yes I do I do have a specific podcast voice.

02:20.45
Craig Moore
Ah, love it. Um, it’s real. It’s real though. Super thank you more. Thank you for having me? yes.

04:28.42
Lauren Conaway
Ah, but yeah, we can work on that together if you want you to have a really great voice Anyway, man it’s kind of like deep and Mellif lewis. Yeah.

02:54.29
Craig Moore
I try to get those ah smooth jazz. But mean yeah, good.

04:52.26
Lauren Conaway
A yes by correct more all right? Well well let’s go ahead and let’s hop right into it and I’m going to ask you Craig tell us about your journey. You knew that was coming I warned. Yeah.

03:33.70
Craig Moore
Yeah, yes, no no, it’s fine. Um, no, my journey as I like to say ah eclectic but innocent and intentional at the same time so being from you know Windey County I went to the university of ark outside palm bluff on a. Band scholarship just because I realized that you know my academics was not gonna be able to get me into I got the scholarship I had a full role I was a percussionist. Yes, yes, yeah.

06:06.74
Lauren Conaway
Wait you put on a band scholarship. No no, no time out. But what do you? What music it? What instruments do you play? Nice wait. Do you have like a preference on what kind of leg is it is it drum symbols?

04:50.13
Craig Moore II
Well so I wanted to write I mean I was a give me more cow bill I’ll be your guy but I audition and I did not get snare John they’re like nope your chops are not getting us I ended up.

06:44.30
Lauren Conaway
Triangle.

05:23.73
Craig Moore II
I end up actually so I was in reserves I don’t know if anybody has seen drum Lomb before but I was in reserves during Bandca but like in my head I was like I’m kitten on a drum and so one day um a guy was sick during bed camp. He didn’t show up so his ba drum was just sitting there.

07:16.34
Lauren Conaway
I love that movie by the way.

06:01.53
Craig Moore II
And I picked that joint up and started slanging and slapping his heart is like and you know like say yes or god.

08:00.88
Lauren Conaway
I totally think Craig just like owning it on on bass drum with his radio voice I’m sure it will.

06:29.23
Craig Moore II
Yeah, yes, yes, so um, yeah, like if you look back at my social media party on my profiles. You’re like you’ll see Craig with a ball head with glasses on marching down the street with a huge bass drum. That’s why I have back problems now but that’s I mean that’s how I made my way and I’ve always been there. Nothing.

08:46.70
Lauren Conaway
That is awesome to see I didn’t know that you were a musical dude. You are so multi-talented, man. Yeah, you are here? yeah.

07:07.45
Craig Moore II
Oh my god um I mean I got the show I got a little show. No. Ah, but yeah, like Pablo really kind of gave me. You know my start in just trying to create community. Um. You know, being a part of the band. It was really big, just kind of being a freshman being a crab. Basically so always been the guy that you know my my my crab brothers and crab sister can really lean on and so my room was the party room so we kicked it and then that grew it Cri.

09:59.00
Lauren Conaway
Um, that is not at all surprising to me.

08:18.47
Craig Moore II
Um, my god it’s just I have this ah have this juice that I use that I created down there and it’s just basically a bunch of Tropicana and some fruit and like everybody like they will buy it by the jugs. Um, and so that I mean my entrepreneurship career just kind of like really kind of kicked in at that point. Um, but then um, you know things you know I realized that college I was there for the life and not really for academia and so I actually lost my band scholarship just kind of. Being ah ah fr I don’t want to know if I can cuss not but right? Okay, okay, cool coco so just being with being a straight of fuck off and just really really not in tune with my mom.

11:13.94
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, yeah, we do put the explicit warning, and do not be surprised here actually I’ll start it for you. What the fuck is up Greg.

10:03.83
Craig Moore II
Thought that I was doing down there so I came back to Kansas City um but I became this rebellious spirit to where I was like I’m not gonna be and there’s no slide to anybody who is but I’m like I’m not gonna be a city worker I’m not gonna be somebody who works at a grocery store like I really I want to be in some sort of leadership like. Even thinking back to when I was a kid like we did take care take a child to workday like what do you guys? Want to be I’m like I’m the CEO I don’t even know what that means but I see that he’s Boston area by around that’s gonna be Craig so I’ve always always wanted to be a leader um, ended up working for.

12:50.34
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

11:18.77
Craig Moore II
Are sorry working for an entertainer in Kansas city his name is jy he’s now like 1 of the biggest producers across the nation did an internship in Las Vegas for a Pr company? So I ended up working for like early Rick Ross when he was doing triple cs and a woman ma with.

13:39.60
Lauren Conaway
Shut up.

11:57.83
Craig Moore II
Yeah, I was working for um Floyd Mayweather and his and his foundation. So the pr company that I was working for like she really had a laying and she was like 1 of the none 3 people who I knew in person who literally likes started their business from like a napkin at a diner. Um, and I just really fell in love with what that sense of like ownership and that sense of like grind that she instilled in me so came to Kans City and really tried to replicate the same thing but realized that Kansas City is not the entertainment send me that Las Vegas city

14:54.82
Lauren Conaway
It’s not quite an entertainment mecca like I can definitely no knock to Kansas City and Craig you and I have previously talked about our mutual love of Kansas City like how much we adore this place but you know you got to be real and it’s no, we’re not.

13:11.81
Craig Moore II
No, it’s not I mean you just it just didn’t. Um, yes minutes. Yeah, not at all, not anymore like the historic entertainment got that all day. But if.

15:27.14
Lauren Conaway
Known for our entertainment scene. Yeah yeah, oh yeah I like that we definitely like the jazz district. So Kansas City has like a deep deep history of jazz you know Charlie Parker you know, got his start here and is there so it’s that’s not.

14:03.41
Craig Moore II
Um, then.

16:05.52
Lauren Conaway
Say that we don’t have you know that history. That’s not to say that we don’t have that I guess awareness and knowledge. But we’re more known for barbecue and sports and you know all that stuff. But so as he ended up here in Kansas City and it wasn’t quite the entertainment.

14:33.35
Craig Moore II
Yeah, definite double. Yes, you know, no no, no, not at all. So again I actually fell into the startup community. Um, I was.

16:42.86
Lauren Conaway
A destination that you needed it to be so we’re gonna go and.

15:10.67
Craig Moore II
Just really kind of transfer do the transferring skills before that was a term and which just won’t make you know, Um, you know how can I help out operationally like my family has a big nonprofit background So You know I’ve always had that in my back pocket that I will help start us with the first startup that I worked with is. You hoop with your Marcus weeks and so yeah.

17:46.80
Lauren Conaway
Loved and Marcus he’s amazing. Well, and he spends a lot of time in like the Philippines and you know so his startup is international but it’s interesting because so fulls scale which is one of the producers of Startup Hustle podcast.

16:04.33
Craig Moore II
Yes, yeah.

18:19.22
Lauren Conaway
They have their team is a lot of their team is located in the Philippines as well and so it was always fun for me to see you to Marcus and Matt decor you like hanging out in the same spots and you that that was always fine I love that.

16:34.65
Craig Moore II
E.

16:47.90
Craig Moore II
Right? right? A man it was no-hit it was it was so great like you know I remember us wrecking an ah one me of cups. You know they give us that that that time difference. But. When you have Craig Moore Demarcus Weeks and Ezzie Redwood presenting you just need to throw. We need to throw that time out the window so that’s basically like I went through the fa art program that was None ears this year did the fast track program of you know yielding that that you whose flag. Um.

19:13.32
Lauren Conaway
Oh, man.

19:32.30
Lauren Conaway
Wow.

17:59.15
Craig Moore II
And yeah, just kind of I mean that really you know, put me on my way to you know in a sense where I am right now I mean like if you looked at my Linkedin you like oh man, this dude Craig didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. But honestly, I took every job as a learning opportunity as a new.

20:17.58
Lauren Conaway
That.

18:34.95
Craig Moore II
Experiences I ended up working for strange music for quite some time and I ran their national street team expanded that from the seventy H Street teams that they had across the nation to hit about 102 before I hit the door and that’s what None volunteers per person like. I’m in the midst of building this plaque of like all the things that Craig was able to do as strange music. But um, you know, just really took it as trying to be in these spaces. You know, really learning from like Travis or gw is like None of the biggest like business masterminds I feel like out of Kansas City so being able to learn from him. And just really applied all those nuances to where I am today you know, um, you know I’ve managed artists I’ve managed businesses I’ve always been about development and you know-how was that look like for Kansas City and so ah.

21:59.98
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

20:17.87
Craig Moore II
To be in this position now with black excellence KC and VFA as is this talent guy. You know this guy that can bring in diverse talent who is headstrong about cultivating and retaining diverse talent I tell my fellows all the time like I’m a. Um, gonna try to find you a helpmate i’ would try to find you like once you’re six months here you’re automatically a cheese fan. You have no other choice. So yeah, that’s where I’m at now I’m just super excited to kind of really just be on purpose and see everything come together.

22:50.48
Lauren Conaway
That.

23:07.26
Lauren Conaway
I love that so much and I think you and I have something in common and it’s one of the things that I think like when I think about Craig Moore and I got to tell you man like when I have I do have conversations about you like out in the community because there’s a.

21:53.83
Craig Moore
Um, yeah.

23:42.34
Lauren Conaway
Alignment in what we do. We are both committed to inclusion and highlighting you know, historically excluded entrepreneurs and human beings really but you know the thing that we have in common I think is that we are both I Always tell people I am The. Ah, the best cheerleader who has never been a cheerleader that you’re ever going to meet like and think we are both like super excited about the brilliant things that passionate smart committed people can do, and we kind of make it our mission to elevate and amplify that and it’s.

22:37.47
Craig Moore
Fat safe.

25:00.40
Lauren Conaway
You know I just love seeing your work in the community because I’m like game recognize the game as I respect so much what you do because I know how hard it is and you always do it like I can’t listeners I can tell you right now. Craig has a giant smile on his face. Pretty much every time I see him. He has a giant smile on his face and he’s got so much energy. But I just you know I just want to acknowledge and honor the fact that you like the work that you do. But more importantly, who you are much respect. My friend liked just so much and then.

24:12.67
Craig Moore
Ah, I do I don’t I don’t know how to receive these Ta Um I did this.

26:13.68
Lauren Conaway
I know I always get super awkward news and people are like you do good work and I’m like great. Thank you go away.

24:36.17
Craig Moore
This not is is how high my nerves are right now just because it’s like I don’t know what to do with all that information. No thank you Lauren and I’m saying here that I’ve always watched you from afar and always been like I need to find time to talk to you more.

26:55.58
Lauren Conaway
I Know the first but.

25:13.29
Craig Moore
Need to do collaborative events like we need to like get this on but you know I think you know the universe has time and space for everything and so just super grateful to kind of be in this in this position and be able to. Talk with people like you I’m like I feel like I’m a cool kid now I’m on Startup Hustle um see.

27:34.82
Lauren Conaway
You have always been a cool kid. Don’t let that shit get and get in here but I do have a question for you because you said something that was really really interesting to me. You said a lot of things that were really interested interesting to me. But None things None I wanted to acknowledge.

26:02.21
Craig Moore
Um, yeah.

26:13.33
Craig Moore
G.

28:13.96
Lauren Conaway
Um, you know you you have you mentioned that you always wanted to be a leader and I do want to really quickly acknowledge the fact recently you received a pretty big honor and I’m gonna ask you to tell us about that.

26:32.81
Craig Moore
M.

26:44.49
Craig Moore
Um, yeah, um, was recently added to the 2022 next-gen leaders. Um, I don’t know what you call a list or group. Ah, but yes.

29:02.28
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, Cohort is the word that I use usually. Ah yeah, that.

27:24.11
Craig Moore
Failure cohort there. We go yes cohort um that you know, ah you know presented by the Kans City Business Journal a big shout out to Brian he and I had really cultivated a really good relationship over last year so just trying to you know, just provide positive stories about the communities that we serve and. Yeah I mean it’s I mean to be on this list with you know, None to me people who I look up to like Charlie low or even chiomi ah chioma ah is just like my god is so like.

30:09.86
Lauren Conaway
That’s how we are. Yeah, she’s an innovator I got super excited to see her name too. Yeah, I mean so just so folks listening at home if you’re not in the Kansas City area um the next-gen leaders’ award. It’s a very prestigious award. It’s only awarded to 25 individuals every year and it is designated for the people who are most committed to community building and excellence and people who are really working to create lasting change positive change here in the Kansas City area so the fact I mean it’s not surprising. Craig got it but it is a huge honor and I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate you on that. But the question all right? yeah.

29:47.27
Craig Moore
Um, thank you. Thank you? Thank you? I’ll follow you through like you were there last year so you.

31:49.70
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, I got it last and we talked when we were in pre-show prep about the fact that like neither apparently neither Craig nor I am really good at taking compliments and so like it’s super awkward. But I’m like thank you but this is so cringy you know, but you know that being said like I just wanted to take a minute to acknowledge that but I do have a question attached to it.

30:19.69
Craig Moore
This is right.

30:34.93
Craig Moore
Um, yes.

32:28.40
Lauren Conaway
That you always wanted to be a leader. You have been recognized as being a fantastic leader and I’m sure the next Gen is a night neither the first nor the last time that’s going to happen. But what does being a leader mean to you. That’s what I want to know.

31:03.13
Craig Moore
Um, I think I think you know, um I’ve always been ah to me is ah, an example right? like you as a leader especially in the spaces that we’re in we want to be able to promote people and for people to be seen in a certain light. Ah, but honestly, if you’re going to hold people to those um requirements or those standards you know you have to honestly exude that yourself and so I’ve always been a leader from the front you know, and try to lead. For example, I’m okay with bearing at all. Just so that the ones behind me don’t have to bear it.

33:37.68
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

34:03.56
Lauren Conaway
Well.

32:15.79
Craig Moore
As much and that’s really what a lot of my work is about. So yeah to me that’s basically what a leader is ah is the example of who they hope that the community would be and the community can kind of see them to kind of.

34:27.13
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, yeah.

32:49.14
Craig Moore
You know, check to make sure that they’re on the right pad.

34:38.54
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, I Love that any leader who first does like wait for you like by modeling behavior and modeling you know ideology like to me those are the best kind of leaders like so one of my I Guess. My leadership ah Belief or principle is you know I should never ask the people I am surrounded with to do anything that I am not None willing and able to do.

33:54.97
Craig Moore
Um, hundred percent

35:47.16
Lauren Conaway
And so and I and I see that in you, you know you not only are you you know out there advocating for so many people and we’re going to talk about that here in just a minute but you’re an advocate. Um, but you lead by example for sure. Like that positivity that you bring to the table that humility that you bring to the table that you know is indefatigable I think is the word, I can’t remember the exact like I was an English major what the hell but you know you just. You don’t tire and you just do it and you roll up your sleeves and you get out there and you take action and by doing so and I think this is the most important piece of the puzzle to me by doing so you give others permission and you give others the roadmap to do it themselves like this is what leadership looks like take the opportunity Now you can do it too.

35:21.70
Craig Moore
Um, yeah.

37:29.30
Lauren Conaway
I show you that it can be done now you can do it too and so that that has always really impressed me about so I just want to say? Thank you.

35:48.41
Craig Moore
Thank you it, no and it’s and um, ah my board and my wife are they both say the same thing like I’m way too transparent but like it’s about the failures right? like there’s no way.

38:02.70
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

36:21.45
Craig Moore
I Don’t want anyone to think to me think of me as ah as a bar too high. You know I’m saying like no, we’re gonna know that I failed along this way. Just so that you don’t reach those failures but then also you understand like everybody’s human. You know I mean like there’s nobody who’s unreachable. So.

38:16.20
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

38:34.60
Lauren Conaway
Right? Yeah, I heard that feedback myself actually that I’m too transparent but the fact is if there are you know stakeholders and potential partners. If there are people out there who see.

36:56.13
Craig Moore
Thank you.

39:08.16
Lauren Conaway
That this is a struggle and this is a grind and don’t want to work with me as a result of that I don’t want to work with those people. We are not. We are not mission aligned like the work that we do is really fucking hard and we do it Anyway, we show up.

37:33.63
Craig Moore
Yes, it may not be withed. Yes.

39:41.16
Lauren Conaway
And so if you are the kind of person or organization that doesn’t want to associate yourself with that great be gone like I wish I wish you all of the best but we are not the same kind of people. Yeah, well so really.

38:02.85
Craig Moore
Um, yeah peace I’ll see I’ll see you I hair not.

40:18.10
Lauren Conaway
Quickly I do want to bust in here and you and I had a little bit of a conversation about this on the way in I’ve been very excited that we’re talking about the art today’s episode sponsor today’s episode is sponsored by Canva time is just flying by the way I just like.

38:35.99
Craig Moore
Um, yeah, you’re ah no I did it.

38:54.89
Craig Moore
Um, it is It is yeah hold my, whoa it was.

40:54.00
Lauren Conaway
Shit, I gotta do the sponsor read. But no I always get really excited to do sponsor reads for Canva because I actually use Canva and I love Canva It makes it So I am not a graphic designer by any stretch but an innovator who puts out a lot of content and I know that black Excellence does.

39:20.35
Craig Moore
Um, yes.

39:38.71
Craig Moore
Um, yes, yes.

41:30.92
Lauren Conaway
And I know that VFA does you know with Canva you can design your ideas so easily they have over None free templates to inspire you. They have a rich content library that helps you and your team achieve your goals and put out the content that you need to communicate with your customers and your stakeholders in your community. So sign up and start designing for free at http://canva.com definitely check it out I’m going to give it a heavy vouch and I’m going to say Craig I know that you use Canva how do you feel about Canva.

40:35.97
Craig Moore
I love Canva like my team. My volunteer team like we’re all on 1 account and so we can all jump in there whenever we want to. We can our branded colors are already in there and so we pretty much and when I say the templates get used them templates get.

42:47.30
Lauren Conaway
Well.

42:59.12
Lauren Conaway
Seriously, you just seem to be like a blank sheet of paper and you were like design something I would be like oh but with can but it’s just it’s all there and you just kind of plug and plays and you can put in your logo colors and your logo and like it just makes it so easy.

41:13.35
Craig Moore
You So Ah, the right? you know alert is God. It’s the fun part. The fun part about Canva though is that when it’s those holidays that everybody didn’t realize it was a holiday so you can see all the camp but templates on social. Oh shit, I gotta give.

43:37.66
Lauren Conaway
I.

43:50.68
Lauren Conaway
National ice cream day you know puppy day. Yeah yeah, no I do that too you’ll find me like on a Saturday morning and I’ll be like scrolling through social media and it’ll be like hey it’s ah I don’t know national transit.

42:36.95
Craig Moore
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.

44:26.76
Lauren Conaway
Atlantic you know airplane day and I’m like cool shit and you go into Canada and you can have something designed in like 5 seconds you know it’s so great. So I love that no I totally get that. Well, so Canva we want to say thank you for not only sponsoring today’s episode you making this all possible. But thank you for helping me keep my sanity and for helping us keep our branding goals so easily within reach. Thank you, thank you? Thank you and thank you, Craig Moore

43:26.77
Craig Moore
Um, yes.

45:35.74
Lauren Conaway
Folks we’re we’re talking to Craig Moore today Craig is the director of Kansas City for venture for America he is also the founder of black excellence KC and now I want to get down to the nitty-g gritty with you and you’re going to have to do a little bit more work because you’re representing 2 organizations but talk to us give us the elevator pitch for.

44:16.10
Craig Moore
Um, yes.

46:15.60
Lauren Conaway
Venture for America and then black excellence. What do you do? Craig.

44:31.41
Craig Moore
Awesome! Awesome! Um, so I get to play this dual role to support talent in Kansas City and with its the recruiting and the retention side that’s kind of how to like to so to place it so on the recruiting side of venture for America is a nonprofit organization. Ah, where we support emergent cities like Kansas City Tulsa San Antonio which have very robust startups. Ah, ah, entities or startup communities and we support them by recruiting. Ah. You know graduates from across the nation I mean from HBC used from your ivy leagues even those who are like None ars within their industry. We recruit them to these startup communities to support. You know what? I mean a lot of these new founders. Um, you know it’s None thing you know when you’re on the path. Entrepreneurship is such a big thing now you know and so when we talk about real-world learning I think that venture for America really puts these adults in a great position to learn from founders I mean and then they are you know in they are employee number None in a high-growth startup you know? and so. Being able to get that experience and then wrapping them around with the ecosystem like Kansas City providing them with holistic services like mentorships or you know, even even as deep as how to get their business registered or as far as you know getting them ready for a seed funding round. Ah, VFA really supports these fellows during those 2 years and after those None ars they become alumni they become they can. They can become fellow founders themselves get seed funding from our evergreen fund and we have an accelerator program. So. It’s really fast-tracked. Ah, what a founder could be um, and what I really love about is just the community impact you know coming from Kansas City and you know getting mashed up with like a triple-blind or pay it or a trivia pay or novel growth I mean like getting in touch with those type of high growth.

49:53.44
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

50:16.28
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

48:40.35
Craig Moore
Companies can’t happen unless you have that pipeline and VFA provides that um and so I know that was an elevator pitch I was more like walking up 2 flights of steps. Um.

50:32.56
Lauren Conaway
Ah, right? No, I love it. I think it’s really really important to break VFA so when I was with my previous place of employment. We actually partnered with VFA ah on a pretty regular basis. And one of the reasons that we did that is because we just respected so much the opportunity to attract high-achieving talent to our city. Um, I think you know for those of you who don’t know Kansas City is smack dab in the middle of the country.

49:38.11
Craig Moore
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

49:53.53
Craig Moore
I hear.

51:45.60
Lauren Conaway
Um, we are. We are what’s known as flyover country. There’s this idea that you know we don’t really have anything interesting going on and as a citizen of Kansas City, I think Craig and I would tell you that Kansas City is actually a totally kickass place to live. You know we’ve got arts and culture and you know we’ve got sports and we’ve got you to know, just really.

50:18.73
Craig Moore
Um, and my god is this shit 1 lady behind that.

52:22.46
Lauren Conaway
Amazing stuff happening here and so being able to look to some of those you know Ivy League graduates and the high performing graduates and say hey come and check us out. We’re gonna hook you up with a really great opportunity to get to know startups get to know the entrepreneurial ecosystem but also get to know our city and hopefully.

51:06.29
Craig Moore
That you.

53:01.80
Lauren Conaway
Keep those folks here when their fellowship is over like that’s a huge opportunity to bring really really desirable awesome talent into our region that we might not otherwise have seen I mean these are folks who probably never thought of Kansas City as a growth place.

51:34.41
Craig Moore II
Um, wire person.

53:39.20
Lauren Conaway
For them and so being able to show them that here in Kansas City you know, cost of living is low. We have a great community and we have some really awesome entrepreneurial resources in this really strong startup ecosystem come be a part of it. That’s a huge opportunity.

52:20.97
Craig Moore
Yeah, yeah, yeah I mean and it’s I mean a full-time job with benefits like come on now like what like hard you and you could build your own business. So it’s.

54:13.26
Lauren Conaway
So what? a blessing you bring taking as a city. Yeah.

52:47.31
Craig Moore
Ah, love VFA honestly going through that selection process they go through is very rigorous I don’t think I would have made it if I would have made it through college just because that’s how in-depth and really intention is about like are you a recruit that can build a plane while flying it. You know so super excited more part of VFA.

55:06.20
Lauren Conaway
Um, staff.

53:26.15
Craig Moore
Shout out to all of those Venture for America fellows out there. You guys are really changing the change of the nation. But then you ah then we get into that retention piece with black excellence KC and so um, you know post-George Floyd there was a sense of urgency when it comes to actually create.

55:33.98
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

54:03.55
Craig Moore
Ah, a community for the black professional here in Kansas City and so ah, you know one of my colleagues in 2019 Kiana sink reached out to me. She’s like hey I feel like we’re really siloed.

55:55.92
Lauren Conaway
So yeah.

54:30.49
Craig Moore
I Would love to you know, create a space where you know black professionals could come and so we did start doing some networking events that we called it Black Excellence you know, giving some people their flowers while they’re still here is is what are really big and ah you know Covid hits So those in-person meetups ah well halted. Um.

56:36.98
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

56:50.00
Lauren Conaway
So yeah.

55:10.25
Craig Moore
But then a good thing out of that is that Kenna got you to know an opportunity of a lifetime to serve as a community director for the negro league baseball museum. So at that point, she was like this is all you grow like whatever like like with make it happen.

57:11.46
Lauren Conaway
Um, yeah, yeah she does She just got to sit in the ah didn’t she just do the buck O’Neil legacy seat or something like she is.

55:51.77
Craig Moore
Um, believes I have.

57:45.76
Lauren Conaway
I think she did but the point is that she’s an innovator and I’m very proud to call her a friend and you know collaborator. Um, you know, a very smart young woman and I have to tell you like I actually went I don’t know if you know this I think maybe we may have like met in past. Seeing at None of those early. Ah black excellence happy hours that you helped and I remember just like walking into this room and looking around and being like like seeing all of the people who were in the room and I knew some of them and I had heard of others and some of them I had the opportunity to meet which was great but I was just like.

56:42.75
Craig Moore
Um, yeah, yeah.

57:12.85
Craig Moore
Oh, it is this such a standard to reach every day and I think that’s what really you know help me kind of reality shift gears about BSCasey you know once you know I basically had to hold the rent or the the the.

59:00.98
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, they’re really living up to the name like this is this is black excellence at its best.

57:51.83
Craig Moore
The steering wheel myself. Um, and so we really are so now I’m in digital about programming and so what we’ve done is really build out a premium membership to again provide holistic support for these black professionals. We do an assessment-based program where we figure out what your career trajectory is. Your career directory is um, along 3 different tracks whether that’s your professional track. Ah, your civic engagement track or just your or entrepreneurship track, and what we do is we utilize the resources that are here in Kansas City because that’s what it’s about right about retention and you find in your community.

01:00:48.40
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

59:07.13
Craig Moore
Ah, so we align you with those resources, and then just like you have a career advisor in college where your career advisor is in real life. So you’ve been able to test that out later. Ah, really targeted towards corporations now by helping their employee resource groups.

01:01:06.66
Lauren Conaway
Nice. Ah.

59:41.47
Craig Moore
Um, like Hall Hallmark or black and or Brian and Mcdonald to really just give them that added support for those retention efforts like fun fact or not really too fun but Kansas City is the number 2 landing spot for black engineers but we can’t recall them because they don’t have the. Sense of community so they leave after 3 years and so it’s really really intentional now to make sure that we give them that support. They get connected to the community and ultimately they stay here and continue to grow considered to the top 10 c that we want it to be.

01:02:19.42
Lauren Conaway
Yeah. Yeah, well and we won’t be able to do it without that community of black professionals that you’re talking about So So I may be speaking out of turn I do not remember the exact stats but I remember reading somewhere that black entrepreneurship was one of the fastest-growing segments of. Entrepreneurship and startup activity worldwide. But in particular here in the Us and I think it bears mentioning that that is a truism despite the fact that black professionals and entrepreneurs and startups are often the most. Underfunded. They don’t receive the resources that they need. They don’t receive the mentorship that they need and it’s It’s a real travesty that that doesn’t happen. So when you see achievement and you see these businesses starting despite the obstacles. Um, it’s a really. It’s a huge testament to this community. Ah, that that perseveres despite adversity but let’s just knock the fuck out of the adversity like let’s remove the barriers and ah like I mean Yay! lets you know, give you your flowers for the work that you do but can we just make it easier like.

01:02:37.71
Craig Moore
Um, just through. Okay, yeah.

01:02:56.49
Craig Moore
Mean and I and I want to make sure that it’s known to its black women founders who really carried that Torch who really held that statistic up and black women. Ah, the period you know through the culture. Ah, maturity. Ah.

01:05:03.70
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

01:03:33.45
Craig Moore
Has really been that that solid point you know I grew up with my mom wanted to be in entrepreneurship. My wife is probably None of the strongest women that I know um and so to be able to persevere is really o to them and learning from what they do. Have had to put up with it and ultimately accomplish showing a big shout-out to black women out there. But then I mean I agree like there’s yeah, no I’ll be and I wish I had my clean I love black women shirt only I mean as just yeah.

01:06:06.60
Lauren Conaway
I love that you just did that like can I very selfishly I’m like yay Craig like their kids when you.

01:06:33.24
Lauren Conaway
Um, yeah, thank you for saying that.

01:04:48.49
Craig Moore
Yeah I mean I was raised by ah but um I mean awesome too is just we do things out of necessity right? And so None thing that I realized is that you know when we’re in a rush to solve a problem. We sometimes forget those small things that you know these big donors and foundations really look for which is structure. And understanding of growth and scale and all these things and we’re just like we’re just trying to put food on the table. We’re just trying to put up opportunities for our community and so um, you know another just another you know piece of what black excellence is trying to do is just early access to that information.

01:07:24.98
Lauren Conaway
Plant.

01:07:50.38
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

01:06:06.45
Craig Moore
Early access to innovation so that we can be able to have that understanding of how things are being built and we can really position ourselves I think I think I saw um Kira from the EBV she posted that ah um, wild. Yes, so thank you.

01:08:15.20
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, um, that entrepreneur business basics for folks playing at home. She is a powerhouse by the way and page recently being to St Louis she’s also an innovator and I just have so much respect for her as a human being and what she does as a leader.

01:06:44.17
Craig Moore
Um, my gosh. Yeah.

01:08:52.26
Lauren Conaway
That woman I just like can we make her Queen, like is that something we can do.

01:07:07.27
Craig Moore
I mean she was like of force and yeah, she had this slide up that said ah 2058 is that ah a deadline or a death sentence and I mean for those of you don’t know ah the um, you know the black wealth median is a. Set to hit 0 by 2058 and that’s ah, that’s a start statistic and that really plays into a lot of the things that the black group has to understand or overcome and so really doing a mind shift a perspective shift of what it is for economic development.

01:10:07.12
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

01:08:23.21
Craig Moore
You know it’s what’s needed and I’m hoping that I’m finding out now that there are other black excellence groups like that’s not really called black excellence but they’re doing the same thing that we’re doing across the nation and we’re planning to kind of figure out best practices and share information with each other that we don’t build as competitors. But.

01:10:42.12
Lauren Conaway
Oh, that’s so great.

01:09:02.97
Craig Moore
You know it’s a need. Everybody knows that it’s a need and so yeah, just I’m just happy to be a part of this industry and really make that impact here in Kansas City.

01:11:04.44
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, Well I love that and I know that you’re doing such good work to make all of these really really difficult things happen and I just I don’t think I can express to you enough. How grateful I Am you know as a. Ah, white lady. But even if I like you you would have to be pretty dense to not see how a rising tide lifts all boats and how like if we all succeed you know and so so the fact that you’re feeding into that is just um, again.

01:10:16.39
Craig Moore
Um, we heart of the prison.

01:12:19.46
Lauren Conaway
Thank you, You know I think that’s really all that needs to be said I’m gonna give you a little round of applause. Well, you’re gonna have to get used to, and like I know it’s.

01:10:33.17
Craig Moore
Thank you, Thank you? Thank you? But I don’t know how to receive it was I’m.

01:12:43.78
Lauren Conaway
Again, It’s one of those things where it’s like I know that you get your kudos all the time because they’re so well deserved. But you’re going to see it happening more and harder and faster and you’re gonna have to get used to it just suck it up. You’re amazing. So one of the things that I do want to ask you want to.

01:11:10.27
Craig Moore
Um, yeah, are you talking? Thank you.

01:13:17.28
Lauren Conaway
Talk you’ve mentioned a couple of times throughout the course of our conversation. You’ve talked about talent attraction and retention and how on the surface I think it’s important to note that venture for America and black excellence kc like on paper look 2 very different. Organizations with Not very different goals. But really the crux of both of them comes back to None thing. How do we? cultivate talent attract retain talent. How do we help people be their best for all of our benefit is that.

01:12:37.73
Craig Moore
100% 100%

01:14:26.24
Lauren Conaway
And accurate assessment. Okay, and so you do a lot of things but you really only do 1 thing 1 or 2 things couple things but I want to talk to you about the importance of that.

01:12:51.90
Craig Moore II
Um, you get 50

01:14:56.10
Lauren Conaway
You know, attraction and retention piece. You know I know that you do a lot of good work with both of your organizations but talk to us a little bit about that journey. Um, you know how are you moving that needle for Kansas City, and let’s face it. You know there’s a ripple effect like the outlying communities in the world but um beyond. Talk about how your work is moving that needle forward.

01:13:53.93
Craig Moore
I think it’s it’s coming to a new understanding of what talent needs to thrive and when we talk about the talent we’re talking about the talent that’s going to. You know, be our future leaders so you have to talk about gens ears you know and so getting to. Ah, space to where None thing that I love about this new generation is that they know who they are. They’re gonna be who they are authentic whether you like it or not and so it’s pretty much a get down or a get down or laydown type situation and so. Being able to create that safe space to where they can be authentically themselves to where they can you know, show up and and and not be charged with a characteristic that might be different than leadership I think I think that that’s the biggest.

01:17:20.60
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

01:15:42.13
Craig Moore
That’s the biggest piece you have to have a sense of community you have to see that representation wherever that you are and that’s what they’re looking for right? like that’s one of the biggest things that I’m working with our talent coming in from VFA to Kansas City and our company partners is like the reason why that profile is built to ask like what is your company culture because. These kids want to know if you have that field blank. They’re not gonna look at your job. They’re not looking for it like these are the this is the community that and then they also know how much they want to be paid like they wanted they oh god more god it’s whole little thing but ah.

01:18:26.78
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, that’s true and I mean we waged transparency as a whole another conversation. But.

01:17:01.15
Craig Moore
You know, bringing that sense of community I feel like is needed because ultimately they have the bandwidth to be to going back to like baby boomers and stay in that job for 40 years you know? and um, but they’re gonna date jobs until they find that home that makes them feel comfortable that makes them feel like.

01:19:08.80
Lauren Conaway
So yeah.

01:17:38.11
Craig Moore II
Can be who they are they have room for growth and possibly some time to do a side hustle too. 1 thing I love about VFA is that they have that sense just for internally with us as and I have like unlimited pay time off I never use it but it’s like.

01:19:53.80
Lauren Conaway
Sir. But.

01:18:13.37
Craig Moore
Being able to say that I have that and oh my god It gives me so much like the pressures of the job. Don’t feel under pressure anymore because I can literally be like I could take tomorrow off if I really feel like it. You know what I mean and so it’s like being able to do those types of things.

01:20:02.46
Lauren Conaway
We have that flexibility and it gives the mind.

01:18:49.81
Craig Moore
How the industry has to change and how the entry has to understand talent is gonna be better for everybody because if not then we’re gonna stay in this great resignation that we’ve been talking about for the last six months for quite some time.

01:21:00.10
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, well and I find yeah I Just think it’s fascinating that we as a society have found ourselves in this really really interesting time and space where employees have more power. You know us because of the great resignation and because there are so many the job market is so ah favored toward the employee and I would go so far as to say for the None time in History. It’s favored toward the employee rather than the employer. And that’s been a really really interesting gratifying and sometimes like frustrating and scary thing to watch you know like when you go. Yeah I mean there’s a gas station right by my house that they’re like yeah we only stay open till None now because we don’t have enough staff and I’m like.

01:20:26.27
Craig Moore
This video.

01:20:47.61
Craig Moore
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:22:35.80
Lauren Conaway
Ah, that says something about you Organizationally, if you can’t retain your talent that says something about you and you need to. We’re in this moment of what I consider to be deep-sea change hopefully we don’t lose that traction and momentum.

01:21:10.55
Craig Moore
Um, or anything.

01:23:10.50
Lauren Conaway
That favors the employee. Hopefully, we’re able to find a balance. You know how can we maintain profitable companies while still treating our employees like they’re human beings with lives and thoughts and feelings and you know it’s a really interesting balance. But. The fact that organizations like yours are really drilling down on that problem and trying to figure out how we serve our talent so that they stay happier longer. They don’t get burnt out I mean it’s really interesting to watch. Yeah.

01:22:26.77
Craig Moore
Oh yeah I mean is this I just had a conversation that ah is funny how now like all these jobs that I went for that I knew I couldn’t get like I’m not working with them hand in hand I’ll tell that story one day but I’m ah I’m working with black and their understanding of just like even just remote work. You know they gave their employees that option. You got No options if you can come to work every day you can do a flex schedule where you at least come 3 times or you could just stay at home because they realized that production actually increased. You know when people were working from home and so you have to be okay with knowing that the data is telling you to do something wrong.

01:25:16.54
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

01:23:46.49
Craig Moore
And you always talk about data so you might as well follow that data and get out of the comfortability that you’ve had over you know the last you know a couple of decades. You know things are not things are there is a totally new normal. We’re not gonna go back to how things were So yeah, we just have to adjust and make people comfortable.

01:25:37.82
Lauren Conaway
Right.

01:24:25.90
Craig Moore
Make people feel seen um and allow people to be their authentic sales no matter what space they’re in like I have literally stopped wearing suits I used to wear suits all the time to make grievance I no longer wear Susan if I do wear Slacks I’m probably gonna have a pair of tennis shoes on but like that’s me being intentional, you know.

01:26:26.70
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

01:26:39.20
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, yeah.

01:25:03.69
Craig Moore
That was my code-switch in a sense. You know what I mean and there’s no reason to do that anymore or you know and I know there’s some of us out there that are afraid to do so because we don’t know what will happen for our jobs in the future. So you know I’ll just say use it with tech. But.

01:26:52.30
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

01:27:16.10
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

01:25:35.83
Craig Moore
When when you don’t feel comfortable in those spaces look outside the job of how you can find your community and how you can really express yourself and I think that that balance will kind of come with when it needs to come.

01:27:45.26
Lauren Conaway
For sure. Well, I’m gonna ask you this next question and then we’re gonna move on to the human question. But um I mention this a lot on my episodes of the show but one of my favorite things to do is ask our listeners and get their expertise. You know. We have we talk about Craig Craig and the work that we do. We talk about it in terms of ecosystem building. You know, entrepreneurs don’t exist in a vacuum in order to be successful as a startup or a small owned business but small business there you go. Ah, you have to have a lot of factors at play to ensure your success and it’s things like culture and policy and finding customers and having mentorship and support, and all of these things come together to create a successful startup or small business and so. Craig and I think I’m going to speak for you. A little bit Craig but Craig and I tend to think of it at the ten thousand foot view we tend to think of it as like the community. How does the community serve the entrepreneur now not everybody listens at home. In fact, I would say that most of our listeners are at home.

01:28:01.91
Craig Moore
It? yeah.

01:30:03.24
Lauren Conaway
They’re not an ecosystem. Builders. They’re entrepreneurs and so their ecosystems tend to be much smaller and so what I love to do is offer up that practical applicable advice like how can we take what Craig does. And turn it around so that our entrepreneurs can institute it in their lives and their work and so I’m going to ask you to give advice to our listeners at home something or a few somethings that tactically they can do tomorrow to attract.

01:29:09.89
Craig Moore
In.

01:31:06.70
Lauren Conaway
Retain Talent make sure that they are valuing their teams creating cultures of psychological safety. You know what are the things that you’re hearing in your work from your VFA fellows and from the black professionals that you serve. What are the things that you hear that our entrepreneurs listening at home could use in and institute in their teams?

01:30:01.15
Craig Moore
Um, I think that first, you know you got to give yourself a good look in the mirror. Um, you know, be authentic with yourself on what your views are what your understanding is, and then when you are. Face with those things and understand those things um create ah to me is like creating a signal in your head to where when you’re hearing a new perspective or you are receiving a or you’re viewing a new characteristic that you don’t understand that it’s okay that that’s different. You know what I’m saying but how can I Actively live with that. You know what I mean and I think that the biggest thing is just the section of our differences. You know what? I mean like the biggest thing that we can do is you know so the more the most hurtful thing that we can do is ah.

01:33:13.10
Lauren Conaway
Now. Yeah.

01:31:52.93
Craig Moore
Add bias into you know any of our conversations or how we view or how we approach things um and understand that you know we all taught different languages even as an African American I have a new language that I can’t wait for Google to come out with a translation for but it’s the African American vernacular and it is and is historically called slain.

01:33:48.74
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

01:34:17.24
Lauren Conaway
Yeah.

01:32:31.71
Craig Moore
Know I’m saying but that slang is just basically how we talk you know it’s come. It can come off aggressive but that’s because we’re passionate people So oh coming up with that understanding and coming up with exactly you know how you can receive those things I think is that’s probably the best. Advice that I can give to anybody is you know, come with the understanding of who you are and come with the understanding that everybody else is different I think that’s the biggest one and you’ll see collisions every day I think one of my favorite books is um, the Medici effect right? and that is about intentional collisions.

01:35:19.20
Lauren Conaway
Still. No.

01:33:48.77
Craig Moore
And is the power of innovation from you know, culinary arts from different perspectives or you know finding out the fastest way for truck routes by studying Ants. You know if we take that intentional collision or those intentional ah ah crossroads. Different cultures and we can see that that happens in innovation in business like what? what? What can we do? as that of those crossroads meet as human beings. You know so being intentional about being in the space knowing that it’s gonna be awkward knowing that you might get shut out. Ah, but.

01:36:31.40
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, no.

01:35:07.70
Craig Moore
Consistently trying and consistently. Ah, ah, opening up that space for others to be authentic I think that that’s something that we all have to do and know that it’s going to be a row that probably where we won’t ourselves in this time won’t yield the fruit won’t be able to get the fruit that’s the yield from that. But it will pave the way for future generations.

01:37:34.46
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, well and I think that that is a perfect and stunning and very true note to close it out. You know, let’s think about building those legacies.

01:36:13.33
Craig Moore
Um, yeah.

01:38:02.22
Lauren Conaway
Of change and in making sure that like as we kind of ride this wave of societal and systemic change and updating and you know changing the way that we think about work as human beings. That’s a really fantastic approach and that is how we are going to build strong authentic teams and I just I love that that that perspective I’m about to ask you the human question and you know I So sometimes.

01:37:09.70
Craig Moore
Are ready.

01:39:07.84
Lauren Conaway
I let the previous conversation inform the human question and I’m gonna do that a little bit here your music lover. Um, and you have been. You know it sounds like your whole life and so I’m gonna ask you Craig what are you listening to these days.

01:37:33.87
Craig Moore
Ah, yes, yes oh my god um I’m actually listening to a lot of um John Coul trying as of late just because our g client really.

01:39:56.20
Lauren Conaway
Ooh.

01:38:13.37
Craig Moore
Get with the new age rap a little bit but I have started listening to the new Kendrick La Mark album which has been mind-blowing I realized that I need to sit down with a drink and really listen to it but that’s kind of where my mind has been I need some smooth sounds to need some jazz so I can get these creative juices flowing.

01:40:34.60
Lauren Conaway
Oh man I got to tell you so so cold train is actually one of my husband’s favorite artists of all time and so I get my fair share of him that is ah awesome.

01:39:12.39
Craig Moore
Um, just.

01:41:05.52
Lauren Conaway
But you know so so for the folks listening to home John Coltrain he is a fantastic historically recognized jazz artist and a great improv artist. You know he’s just got some really fantastic stuff in his catalogs that definitely check it out I can see that about you Craig like.

01:39:51.31
Craig Moore II
Um, but money is taken point for one another this. Yeah.

01:41:45.46
Lauren Conaway
A hole like a radio voice. You got that like smooth jazz kind of feels. And you got serenaded and I’m gonna tell you I’m gonna save this and someday when Craig is president of the world I’m going to bust this out and just be like hey if y’all want to hear some smooth jazz getting thrown down by our president here. It is i.

01:40:29.83
Craig MooreAnd ask.

01:40:42.21
Craig Moore
Um, and yeah, but.

01:42:38.54
Lauren Conaway
Was amazing. Ah well, you know? Thank you so much, Craig, for taking the time to chat with us today you and I always have fun chatting together I just know I think you’re such a cool guy and I’m so glad that you were willing to share yourself with our audience. Thank you, thank you? Thank you.

01:41:21.75
Craig Moore
No problem. Thank you for having me so excited about everything that you’re doing. Can’t wait to collaborate and that’s my idea. We just got to sit down and get it banged out. So super excited.

01:43:21.40
Lauren Conaway
Yeah, absolutely yeah, well we will. We will definitely have to do that and speaking of collaboration you know going back to that whole canvas thing canvas today’s episode sponsor and we’d like to say a big thank you to them. But. 1 of the cool things about Canva makes collaboration so easy Canva is you can work together from wherever if your team’s remote, you can get on the same page as your team with seamless real-time collaboration and I know I have several of our KC leaders on our account and we can actually work on designs in real time. And it’s super cool. We don’t have to like email back and forth and like wait for changes to come through. We can talk and look at things as they’re happening so we’re going to ask you? What are what will you design today. Explore those ideas and start designing for free at http://canva.com I would also invite you. No, if you are aware of this but we are very very lucky around the startup hustle offices. We have a resident eCommerce expert. So if you are selling online particularly if you are selling on Amazon or want to sell on Amazon keep it. Out for the episodes hosted by Andrew Morgans, who is our resident e-commerce expert. He attracts some really fantastic guests and he goes to like worldwide conferences where they talk about e-commerce best practices and ways that you can maximize your sales potential through online revenues trend. Streams and channels and I just highly recommend that you do that Andrew’s episodes are always super fun to listen to so keep an eye out for those friends. We are so grateful that you take the time out to listen to us week after week. We love sharing the stories of entrepreneurship and the real stories of entrepreneurship with you and we just invite you to keep on coming back. We will catch you on the flip side.