4436 State Line
Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 50 cities and 20 countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead.
Barnett Helzberg, Jr. is the Former Chairman of the Board at Helzberg Diamonds, a family owned business started in 1915. At the helm since 1962, expanded the company from its then 15 units into the third largest jewelry retailer consisting of 145 units in 23 states by the time it was sold in 1995 to Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett).
He then founded the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program, a mentoring program by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, which is sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Barnett is also the creator of the I Am Loved! theme and now developing a licensing program for the trademark that will provide funding for public TV. Teaching “Achieving Management Excellence” course to MBA students at Rockhurst College.
A Kansas City area native, Barnett is a graduate of Pembroke Hill School and received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
