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
Heart-shaped goalllll: How city’s favorite parade of art, culture creates 150 openings for KC in 2026
Parade of Hearts scores new sculpture design as campaign looks down the pitch to World Cup potential A newly revealed sculpture design for the 2026 Parade of Hearts campaign is more than just the fiberglass from which it takes shape, Carmen Zuniga told a crowd gathered for a sneak peek at the prototype for the…
URL to IRL insights: KC analytics startup downloads $1.2M pre-seed round powered by coalition of VCs
The region’s investment community is rallying around an Overland Park tech startup that unlocks insights from videos online and beyond — and its trio of Kansas City founders is grateful to see local talent earning capital that more easily flows to coastal innovators. A $1.2 million pre-seed for dScribe AI is expected to fuel growth…
How KD Academy is redefining childcare as a pillar of KC’s economic growth
Editor’s note: The following story was written and first published by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri (EDCKC). Click here to read the original story. In the heart of Kansas City, a state-of-the-art facility — embodying innovation in early childhood education and economic development — works day-in and day-out to meet the demands…
Switchyards opening ‘work club’ in historic East Crossroads space: ‘It’s an absolute stunner’
Think dive bar with deep focus, said Brandon Hinman, describing the “neighborhood work club” concept that Atlanta-based Switchyards is bringing to the East Crossroads this spring. It’s a third-space workplace with no hot desks, standalone offices, or tiered memberships. “We actually have been more inspired by working out of coffee shops, libraries, boutique hotel lobbies,”…
