HEMP is seeking qualified mentors, mentees for its 2017 class
July 14, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
Barnett Helzberg’s entrepreneurial program is seeking qualified applicants for both mentors and mentees.
The Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP) will accept up to 25 mentees from the greater Kansas City area for the class of 2017. Whether you run a scale up or a startup business, the program vows to match up successful entrepreneurs, creating mutually-beneficial relationships.
“The mentoring relationships we created last year between mentors and mentees will prove beneficial to those entrepreneurs who are building businesses,” Helzberg said in a release. “Our previous mentees keep telling me the time they spent in our program was invaluable while they were experiencing the highs and lows of business leadership. And, we anticipate more of the same with this year’s class.”
To qualify as a mentee, candidates must own the majority of a business and operate as the ultimate decision maker of the business for a minimum of three years. In addition, mentees must also have at least five full-time employees and generate around $1 million in annual revenue.
The three-year-program costs $5,000 per year for mentees and offers over a dozen of organized events and meetings per year.
Founded in 1995, HEMP has welcomed more than 300 entrepreneurs into its ranks to form a community that still engages with one another. Over 200 leading Kansas City business professionals have participated in HEMP as mentors, including Henry Bloch of H&R Block, Jack Schmid of J. Schmid & Associates and Dave Lockton of Lockton Companies.
To apply to be a mentee or mentor, click here.
Featured Business

2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
LaunchKC awards $300K: Six new startups enter the winners’ circle with KC investments
Editor’s note: Startland News’ coverage of Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City is made possible by the support of Husch Blackwell. Emerging entrepreneurs don’t need Silicon Valley to launch or scale their startups, said Holly Andra Small, leader of one of six companies announced Tuesday as $50,000 winners in LaunchKC’s grants competition. “We were so excited,” said…
PayIt on board the Harriet II, Montgomery Zoo; new portal offers ticketing for popular local attractions
A new digital platform designed by Kansas City-based PayIt not only provides improved interactions between residents of Montgomery, Alabama, and their local city government — the tool also offers ticket sales for some of the region’s most popular tourist attractions. PayIt — with headquarters in downtown Kansas City’s lightwell building — already boasts partnerships with…
These three KC startup founders are jumping into the Dolphin Tank, hoping to swim with the unicorns
When the Dolphin Tank pitch showcase sinks its teeth into a market like Kansas City, the goal is to accelerate women-led tech companies to a national level, said Rachel Rong. “Our mission is to build out the ecosystem and support women entrepreneurs in Kansas City,” said Rong, the director of operations for Springboard Enterprises, which…
Entrepreneur on the side: UMKC challenge awards cash for top student hustle
Side hustles are a growing trend across the country — and the UMKC campus, said Alex Krause Matlack, noting the university is leaning into its role as an innovation incubator for student founders. Now in its second year, UMKC’s Side Hustle Challenge was established with the primary goal of empowering students with the knowledge and…
