Rita A. Strickland is the founder and owner of Elevated Experiences with Rita, her full-time consulting and experiential marketing business focused on strategy, hospitality, content creation, business development, brand partnerships, and community engagement. After more than 20 years in corporate sales, leadership, media, and business development, Rita stepped fully into entrepreneurship, bringing her corporate experience, creativity, and community relationships together to help businesses and organizations grow.

She is also the founder of SP31 Creative Events & Designs, a wedding and events company originally created to help couples have beautiful, thoughtfully planned weddings without breaking the bank, which has since evolved into a hands-on training environment for developing interpersonal communication, organization and management, professionalism, leadership, customer service, problem-solving, and essential soft skills.

Rita serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association and Eye of an Immigrant, serves as Vice Chair of the Next Paige Foundation, and is Chair of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Welcoming & Belonging Diversity Business Committee. Her community and cultural leadership also includes serving as Event Director at Covenant Baptist Church and Director of Marketing for the Wat Lao Association.

Within the hospitality industry, Rita serves as a Manager with Penny’s Corp, supporting Bamboo Penny’s and Penny’s in the Village through marketing, operations, events, community partnerships, and brand growth. A first-generation Southeast Asian American, Rita has built her career around connecting people who may never otherwise find themselves in the same room and creating opportunities where business, culture, hospitality, creativity, and community intersect.

Beyond every title, Rita is most proud to be a mother to her beautiful daughters and to have shared more than 21 years of life, growth, and partnership with her husband. Whether she is consulting a business, producing an event, serving her community, mentoring others, or holding a microphone on stage, Rita’s purpose remains the same: creating elevated experiences, meaningful connections, and opportunities that leave an impact long after the moment is over.