Jim McKelvey is an entrepreneur, glassblowing artist, author, and philanthropist.
But above all, he’s a problem solver.
Have you paid with a credit card lately? Then there’s a good chance you’ve run across Square. McKelvey, frustrated when he lost a sale because he couldn’t take American Express, saw a problem that needed solving—an easier way for every business to accept credit cards. So, he joined up with friend and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey to launch Square.
Although he’s most widely known for his payment processor, it’s just a high point in a rich and varied career. McKelvey is also a master glass artist and author, having written the leading book on glassblowing, The Art of Fire. His latest book, The Innovation Stack, focuses on creating repeatable and competition-proof entrepreneurship.
McKelvey’s ventures don’t stop there. He also formed LaunchCode, a nonprofit that offers free programming lessons and helps anyone land a full-time job in under six months. His new venture Invisibly strives to give people control of their online identities.
McKelvey’s eclectic business background and knack for solving problems with simple ideas enables him to speak knowledgeably about the Invisible Revolution with first-hand entrepreneurial experience.
Find McKelvey and a full slate of innovative thinkers at THINK 23.
Join us as McKelvey shares how thinking outside your own industry’s perceived barriers can transform global behavior, using his experience founding Square, where he revolutionized the retail business model by innovating how goods and services can be purchased “on the go,” as a case study.
Co-op THINK 23 takes please May 2–4, 2023, in Tucson, Arizona, featuring an exciting lineup of industry-disrupting speakers, exclusive original research, informative breakout sessions and roundtables, as well as the opportunity to network with credit union industry peers. Register today.
