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

        KC-built sports tech startup acquired by AI-powered fundraising, engagement platform

        By Tommy Felts | June 25, 2025

        The acquisition of Kansas City-built Athlete Network — a platform designed to foster lifelong connections between student-athletes and athletic alumni — deepens the startup’s work a decade after it launched, its founder said. “This is a huge milestone for our team, and I want to take a moment to sincerely thank our teammates, partners and…

        Investors laud emerging founder’s expertise as CarePilot logs $2.5M for AI healthtech tool

        By Tommy Felts | June 24, 2025

        It’s rare for a regional venture capital firm like KCRise Fund to invest in an entrepreneur just out of college, the Midwest-focused firm told Startland News, detailing the remarkable talent that led it to join an early round for Joseph Tutera’s digital health startup. Overland Park-based CarePilot recently announced a $2.5 million seed round led…

        Whir to find hyper-local deals: Startup launching app to help newcomers, natives connect to small biz exclusives

        By Tommy Felts | June 24, 2025

        A side quest for $5 burger baskets and cheap beers has matured into a tech platform built to help a wide range of users easily discover local deals, said Blake Coffee, noting his startup deepens small businesses’ engagement with their communities. “We definitely thought it would be more of a college app at first,” said…

        How this startup founder earned $200K in unrestricted, trust-based funding to transform KC’s relationship to food

        By Tommy Felts | June 19, 2025

        Long-term community change comes one meal at a time, acknowledged one of Attane Health’s biggest supporters, reflecting on the Kansas City startup’s growth from the “spark of an idea to a full-fledged solution” — ultimately earning its founder a game-changing funding boost. The St. Louis-based Missouri Foundation for Health this month announced its inaugural Spark Prize…