Events

My story begins long before I was born. In 1984, following the anti-Sikh violence and genocide in India, my parents' generation was forced to navigate fear, uncertainty, and the difficult decision to leave behind everything they knew in search of safety and opportunity. As the daughter of Sikh immigrants, I grew up carrying the weight of those sacrifices while trying to understand my own identity as both American and Punjabi. In this presentation, I share my family's journey from Punjab to the United States, the challenges of growing up between two worlds, and how those experiences inspired me to found Eye of an Immigrant. Through storytelling, community building, and immigration support, Eye of an Immigrant works to ensure that immigrant families feel seen, valued, and welcomed. This is a story about resilience, belonging, and how the sacrifices of one generation can become the purpose of the next.

Komalpreet Kaur is the founder and executive director of Eye of An Immigrant (EOAI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping immigrant families overcome cultural barriers and achieve their American Dream. She founded EOAI as a junior in high school with a mission to elevate voices, fund pathways to citizenship, and foster a welcoming community. Through EOAI, she launched a storytelling campaign to highlight the immigrant experience and provide critical resources and financial assistance for immigrants seeking a legal pathway to citizenship.

How do you reinvent an institution without reinventing its identity?

As technology, demographics, family expectations, and the pace of change continue to reshape education, organizations face a defining challenge: adapt—or become dated…or worse, irrelevant. Diane Marty will share how Rockhurst High School has strategically evolved its approach to recruitment, student formation, fundraising, and long-term planning while remaining unwavering in its Catholic, Jesuit mission.

Using one school's experience as a case study, participants will leave with practical insights into leading organizational change without compromising core values. The setting may be a high school, but the lessons apply to any mission-driven organization.

Diane - a former Plaza Rotarian who manages to cling to her somewhat tenuous membership in the Plaza Rotary Scotch tasting events - has spent her entire career in the nonprofit world, starting in community development before moving into full-time fundraising in 1998. She served various organizations in-house before starting her own consultancy (Faire Consulting LLC) in 2010. After earning her doctorate in education with a focus on human and organizational development, she accepted an in-house, full-time role with one of her clients, Rockhurst High School. (After all, educational organizational development is a whole petri dish of study for inquiring minds!) With Rockhurst full-time since January 2021, she appreciates the deep community connections, a 5-minute commute to work (except when State Line Road or 95th Street are under construction!), and the chance to learn something new every day. Diane and Kirk (and Zeke, their Bernese Mountain dog) live in Leawood and take every opportunity they can to visit sons Max and George (presently in Chicago and Minneapolis, respectively). Grateful for the invitation to visit with the Club on September 11! 

Anthony Estrada will be speaking on his new grocery store, United Market, at 3110 Prospect Ave.

Anthony Estrada is the Owner-Operator of United Market. With more than 35 years of experience in the grocery industry, Anthony brings deep operational knowledge, leadership experience, and a strong heart for service to every store and community he serves.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Anthony understands the importance of showing up for communities where access, opportunity, and consistency are needed the most. His commitment to service has shaped both his grocery career and his public service, including more than 20 years as a part-time Roeland Park Police officer.