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United States Jim McKelvey is an American entrepreneur, co-founder of Block, Inc. (formerly Square), and philanthropist, known for his work in technology innovation and community development.
Cofounder of the mobile payments company (rebranded to Block in 2021). Jim's struggle to sell an art piece inspired the creation of Square. He remains on Block's board and has significantly profited from selling Block shares.
Founder of Invisibly, a company powering micropayments for journalism and publishing, and seeking to allow consumers to profit from their online data.
Sits on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, and was appointed as an independent director in January 2017, becoming chair in January 2022.
Started this nonprofit organization to teach people how to program, aiming to grow new talent and create pathways to on-the-job training and employment. In 2014, it was named 'The Best Thing to Happen to St. Louis'.
Co-founded this glass art studio and gallery in St. Louis in 2002, which also provides space for private events.
Established Mira in 1989 with a team of software engineers, developing commercial document imaging systems. Jack Dorsey was an intern at this company.
Alumnus of the university, where he earned degrees in economics and computer science. He later donated $15 million to its School of Engineering and Applied Science, leading to the renaming of the engineering school in his family's honor.
Jim McKelvey and business partner John Berglund formed Starwood Group, which has been instrumental in building Downtown North, an Urban Insight District in St. Louis since 2019.
James Morgan McKelvey Jr. was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He pursued his education at Washington University in St. Louis, earning bachelor’s degrees in economics and computer science. During his early career, McKelvey demonstrated a diverse skill set, working as a contractor for IBM in Los Angeles and St. Louis. Concurrently, he embraced his artistic side as a glassblowing instructor and founded Disconcepts, a CD-cabinet manufacturing company. In 1986, he authored and published a textbook on UCSD Pascal and Apple Pascal, showcasing his early contributions to computer science education.
In 1989, McKelvey established Mira Conference Inc. in St. Louis, where he and a team developed commercial document imaging systems. Notably, a young Jack Dorsey worked as an engineering intern at Mira, foreshadowing their future collaboration. McKelvey’s passion for glass art led him to co-found Third Degree Glass Factory in St. Louis in 2002 alongside Doug Auer, establishing a prominent studio and gallery. A pivotal moment in his career came in 2009 when he co-founded Square with Jack Dorsey, a financial payments firm that revolutionized mobile transactions. The idea for Square emerged after McKelvey encountered difficulties selling a $2,000 art piece from his studio, highlighting a real-world problem that Square aimed to solve.
McKelvey served as Square’s chairman until 2010 and remains on Block’s board (the company was renamed Block in 2021). Beyond his entrepreneurial endeavors, McKelvey actively engages in philanthropy and community building. In 2013, he co-founded LaunchCode, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing technology education and fostering pathways to employment through paid apprenticeships. He also founded Invisibly in 2016, a company focused on enabling consumers to monetize their online data. His commitment to education is further evidenced by his 2016 donation to the Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Science, leading to the establishment of a new building named after his father and the subsequent renaming of the engineering school to the McKelvey School of Engineering in 2019. In 2017, McKelvey was appointed as an independent director of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, becoming its chair in January 2022. He also co-leads the Starwood Group, contributing to the development of Downtown North, an Urban Insight District in St. Louis since 2019.
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