One of Kansas City’s greatest entrepreneurial success stories traces back to a picnic table in Loose Park in the late 1970s, when Cliff Illig sat down with colleague Neal Patterson and sketched out the original plans for Cerner Corporation. They now head one of the largest and most innovative suppliers of electronic health record systems in the world, and have deepened their imprint on the region through ownership of soccer’s Sporting Kansas City and involvement in an array of civic, educational, and entrepreneurial initiatives. Illig, now vice chairman of Cerner’s board of directors, sits down with Library Director Crosby Kemper III to discuss his career and attention to civic needs and interests in the latest installment of the Kansas City: Cradle of Entrepreneurs series. The series is made possible by generous contributions from the Regnier Family Foundation and Bank of Blue Valley.