HEMP brings Apple co-founder to KC as featured speaker

May 8, 2015  |  Abby Tillman

Screen Shot 2015-07-27 at 1.50.30 PM

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, will be the keynote speaker at The Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program’s 20th anniversary celebration.

Screen Shot 2015-07-27 at 1.50.30 PMWozniak’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.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

2015 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    KC GIFT launches ‘Vibe the City’ passport to showcase Black-owned arts, entertainment venues

    By Tommy Felts | September 18, 2025

    A newly published mini-guide to Black-owned arts and entertainment venues across Kansas City is expected to push community members deeper into the metro’s rich Black business ecosystem, said Brandon Calloway, highlighting a range of cultural and nightlife destinations.   “Vibe the City” passports are available now at the G.I.F.T. Business Center at 5008 Prospect Ave.,…

    Trially secures $4.7M seed round, launches ‘Margo’ AI solution to clear patient bottleneck

    By Tommy Felts | September 16, 2025

    A Kansas City startup’s AI-first platform is expected to save time — and patient lives — thanks to a successful seed round for its clinical trial recruitment tech, explained Kyle McAllister, noting his startup’s solution could help speed up access to treatment by years. Trially, one of Startland News’ 10 Kansas City Startups to Watch in…

    She scored music on Netflix and LA’s star-studded stages; now BodaciousThang is getting vulnerable in KC

    By Tommy Felts | September 16, 2025

    When Cheyenne Jolene steps on stage in the shoes of her alter ego, the singer-songwriter’s voice carries both raw emotion and unapologetic truth. Performing as BodaciousThang, Jolene blends R&B, hip hop, rock, and soul into what she describes as “genre bending” music. Her songs are steeped in authenticity and storytelling, offering listeners intimate glimpses into…

    SNAP cuts are ‘worse than they look on paper’: Food access advocates warn shelves could go bare overnight

    By Tommy Felts | September 16, 2025

    Chef Shanita McAfee-Bryant doesn’t mince words about perceptions of the hungry Kansas Citians she serves daily through her award-winning culinary social venture. “These are the people who — if you listen to the rhetoric — are deemed ‘lazy,’” the founder of The Prospect KC’s NourishKC Community Kitchen told Startland News. “We know the narratives being…