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

        Roz audits its path to $2.15M in early funding; how KC helped this AI startup scale its potential

        By Tommy Felts | September 18, 2025

        A series of funding wins is boosting a Kansas City startup’s efforts to automate the most complex — and tedious — parts of compliance work, drawing from the co-founder’s own pain points and resources from a server-full of local entrepreneur support initiatives.  With $2.15 million in funding under its belt so far, Olathe-based Roz — which…

        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…

        LISTEN: Fermenting a clean future through products from meat alternatives to skin creams and baby formula

        By Tommy Felts | September 13, 2025

        On this episode of Startland News’ Plug and Play Topeka founder podcast series, we chat with Francesca Gallucci of Natáur, a Baltimore-based biotech company that’s reimagining how essential nutrients are made. Combining synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and eco-friendly fermentation, they’re producing bio-based taurine (and other naturally occurring sulfur compounds) without relying on petroleum. Gallucci takes…

        Gatekeepers hate to see them coming: Why Back2KC leaders think these outsiders could be the next best Kansas Citians

        By Tommy Felts | September 11, 2025

        A Kansas City homecoming movement with a track record of sparking real relocations and startup investment is gearing up for its annual gathering — welcoming expatriates and newcomers alike as it seeks to deepen ties between the city and its far-flung alumni. But the program’s high-octane leader insists the work of Back2KC isn’t just about…