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
Digital Sandbox helps entrepreneurs fight summer slump
With summer knocking at the door, Digital Sandbox KC is taking initiative to provide resources and instruction to keep entrepreneurs engaged and on-point. Digital Sandbox, a proof-of-concept program that expedites area businesses’ projects, will host the third-annual “Summer in the Sand Series” as a way of prompting discussion around relevant topics for entrepreneurs. “The Summer…
Techstars acquires UP Global, expands KC footprint
The global business accelerator firm that operates the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator announced a major acquisition Tuesday that will expand its reach in Kansas City. Boulder-based Techstars reported Tuesday morning that it acquired UP Global, an international non-profit that fosters entrepreneurship with a variety of events and programs around the world. UP Global operates the…
Stackify continues global growth ahead of HQ move
Kansas City-based tech firm Stackify is posting a solid year of growth that’s leading it to hop the state line for more office space. Led by CEO Matt Watson, Stackify is moving its headquarters and 15 staff members from Kansas City’s Waldo neighborhood to Leawood, Kan., for larger and swankier offices. Watson said that Stackify…






