Tour the UMKC Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
July 10, 2015 | Bobby Burch
Startland News took the opportunity Friday to tour the UMKC Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, which opened in late 2014. The hall aims not only to educate visitors on remarkable Kansas City businesspeople, but also celebrate the area’s entrepreneurial spirit.
Enjoy!
- The entrance to the UMKC’s Henry W. Bloch School of Management, which contains the UMKC Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. The school was designed by Kansas City-based architecture firm BNIM.
- A large touchscreen greets visitors to the hall of fame. The screen provides information on each of the now 20 inductees into the hall of fame, including a brief video on each.
- The hall of fame includes multiple pillars showcasing Kansas City entrepreneurs that have made an impact on the community and beyond. Twenty inductees are now in the hall, including such Kansas City icons as Ewing Kauffman, Lamar Hunt, Henry Bloch, Barnett and Shirley Helzberg and others.
- Within each pillar features an “artifact” that shares a personal detail into the entrepreneur’s journey. This particular artifact is H&R Block’s first tax return, which reports a profit of $347.64. H&R Block now has a market capitalization value of $8.56 billion.
- This Barnett and Shirley Helzberg artifact relates to Helzberg Diamond’s “I Am Loved” campaign, which was conceived in 1967 by Barnett Helzberg Jr.
- This artifact from former Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt is a replica of the American Airlines’ stationary on which Hunt drafted the idea and budget for the first year of the American Football League.
- A ticker provides attendees real-time stock quotes on publically-traded companies. To schedule a tour of the hall of fame, contact Beverly Stewart at 816-235-1741 or stewartbj@umkc.edu.
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
KC tech firms respond to ‘bleak’ millennial voter turnout
A meager millennial voter turnout in Kansas City’s recent municipal elections is compelling local organizations to combat apathy with technology. More Kansas Citians 90 and older cast ballots in the City of Fountain’s 2014 municipal elections than voters under 30, according to a study by Kansas City-based civic engagement company mySidewalk. A paltry 0.7 percent…
Lean Lab announces new, mature fellowship class
The Lean Lab, an education innovation incubator, announced its second cohort of fellows who hope to bring meaningful change to Kansas City education. In the 2015 class, 10 fellows with seven solutions for Kansas City’s urban education will be participating in the Lean Lab’s summer program. Fellows arrive at the program with ideas in various…
KC newbie Rex tops $1M in revenue, kicks off hiring
Surging growth at one of Kansas City’s newest startups is leading it to hire a staff six times its current size. Rex, an animal health tech company that recently graduated from the Techstars-led Sprint Accelerator, is hoping to quickly boost its headcount from two to 12. In the days following a pitch at the accelerator’s…
ShotTracker, NBA champ Klay Thompson set for virtual camp
The Golden State Warriors weren’t the only team elated from its Tuesday night NBA Championship win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Overland Park-based ShotTracker also snagged a win alongside the Warriors’ first championship since 1975, as the wearable tech firm’s recent endorsement deal with Golden State guard Klay Thompson received another coat of varnish. Golden State’s…






