Square Inc. founder to appear at Southeast Missouri State University

More than 200 Southeast Missouri State University students from all academic disciplines will have a chance to meet with Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Square Inc., at noon today in Glenn Auditorium of Dempster Hall.

Lunch will be provided, and the event is free for students.

Square Inc., which he co-founded with Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, is one of McKelvey's several companies. Square Inc. is a mobile payment processing system that makes it possible to accept credit cards on iPhones.

McKelvey's efforts are part of another company he founded, LaunchCode, a volunteer network that connects businesses to potential computer programmers/developers to cultivate a stronger information technology sector in St. Louis, a university news release said.

McKelvey is looking for students in any major; aspiring programmers do not need direct programming experience. Interested students may apply for what is essentially a paid apprenticeship with cooperating companies that agree to train them, often with the possibility of permanent employment, the release said.

Dr. Gerald McDougall, dean of the Donald L. Harrison College of Business at Southeast, said McElvey has a Launch Code initiative in St. Louis, and in discussions with the St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce, indicated he wanted to speak with people outside the St. Louis area. The St. Louis chamber referenced Southeast, McDougall said, and the university followed up on that.

"He just really wants to make people aware of the opportunities for programmers in the technology sector of St. Louis, but also almost anywhere," McDougall said. He noted St. Louis has been developing a "very robust" technology center for the last five years or so.