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.

Tagged , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder
      [adinserter block="4"]

      2017 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        LISTEN: Ground Truth Ag puts real-time objectivity into grain grading; here’s how it makes your food safer

        By Tommy Felts | October 31, 2025

        On this episode of our 12-part Plug and Play Topeka podcast series, we speak with Kyle Folk, CEO and founder of Ground Truth Ag — a next-gen ag-tech company using AI, machine vision and near-infrared spectroscopy to deliver real-time grain-quality data across the farm-to-market workflow. Folk shares how his upbringing on a Canadian farm inspired…

        MidxMidwest teases lineup for three-day investor-innovation event (and the startup party of the year)

        By Tommy Felts | October 31, 2025

        Building on Kansas City’s ambitious spirit, a new blend of music, startups and community is expected to meet at the crossroads of innovation, said Alexa Heying, pulling back the curtain on plans for the region’s flagship Midwest tech conference. “The goal of MidxMidwest is to create the connective tissue between founders, investors, and corporates so…

        AI disruption is already here: Here’s how Kansas City workers navigate reality redefined by tech

        By Tommy Felts | October 30, 2025

        Editor’s note: This story was originally published by The Beacon, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, and Missouri Business Alert. Click here to read the original story from The Beacon, an online news outlet focused on local, in-depth journalism in the public interest.…

        Alexa, show me the winners: Storytailor leads Pure Pitch Rally prize tally ahead of tech launch

        By Tommy Felts | October 28, 2025

        Storytailor’s marquee Pure Pitch Rally win comes at the perfect time for the Kansas City startup, its founders said. They’re preparing to roll out a new immersive storytelling platform through a partnership with Amazon’s Alexa+ next year — a move expected to bring their tech to more than 200 million Prime users. “It’s the most…