HEMP brings Apple co-founder to KC as featured speaker
May 8, 2015 | Abby Tillman
Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, will be the keynote speaker at The Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program’s 20th anniversary celebration.
Wozniak’s experience shaping the computing industry and influential product design for Apple have produced him fame as one of technology’s key thought leaders.
“As a successful entrepreneur, Steve Wozniak understands the importance a mentor can make in someone’s life, which is why we’re so excited to have him help celebrate 20 years of inspiring people through mentorship in Kansas City,” HEMP founder Barnett Helzberg Jr. said in a recent release.
The event will also feature the announcement of the first inductee into the newly established “HEMP Hall of Fame” — a program established to honor mentors in the program. Since 1995, more than 300 entrepreneurs have participated in the program and their impact on businesses has been significant. The companies of HEMP participants have on average grown revenue 43 percent and increased headcount by 30 percent.
The event will be held the evening of Thursday, Nov. 19, in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, Missouri.
Advance sale group tickets of ten or more seats are on sale now, and individual tickets will be available Sept. 15. More information can be found at www.hempkc.org.
Featured Business

2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Beyond borders: Federal grant equips KC to build regional $5M seed fund
Pushing aside the Kansas-Missouri “border war,” a bi-state effort has earned a federal grant that will help create a $5 million fund for startups, which could begin investing as early as 2018. The Enterprise Center in Johnson County announced Monday it secured a $150,000 Economic Development Administration Seed Fund Support grant. The grant — which…
Events Preview: WeWork grand opening, Startup Rewind
There are a plethora of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious community member — we recommend these upcoming events for you. Are you hosting a relevant community event? Add it to the KCSourceLink Calendar for increased exposure. Email info@kcsourcelink.com for assistance. Regnier Institute…
High school student wants to secure a better world for girls in STEM
In 2015, Ruby Rios — sophomore at Bishop Miege High School at the time — arrived late to the first day of her college-level computer science class at Johnson County Community College. “I got lost, so I walked in late wearing my high school uniform in a room full of 30 college guys,” Rios said.…
Mycroft reveals newest open source AI product
Kansas City-based artificial intelligence startup Mycroft AI revealed Wednesday its newest product during Techcrunch Disrupt’s Product Showcase in San Francisco. The firm opened a Silicon Valley office in 2016, yet its headquarters remains in Kansas City. Mycroft is an open-source device, similar to Amazon Echo, using natural language processing technology to enable its everyday use in…
