1 Millions Cup Fort Worth

About

1 Million Cups is a free, weekly program that first and foremost educates, but also engages and connects, local entrepreneurs. Developed by the Kauffman Foundation, 1MC is based on the notion that entrepreneurs network and discover solutions over a million cups of coffee. Format As an experiential learning opportunity, the 1MC format is consistent in each location:

• Every Wednesday morning, one or two early-stage startups present their companies to a diverse audience of peers, mentors, educators, and advisors

• Prior to presenting, the founder prepares by incorporating lessons from the Kauffman Founders School “Powerful Presentations” series, featuring Nathan Gold, a seasoned presentation coach

• Each founder presents for six minutes, followed by a 20-minute question-and-answer session with the audience • Afterward, each startup receives feedback via an audience survey and from their city’s local organizers

• The culture surrounding 1MC is that of a supportive, neutral space that welcomes entrepreneurs to be open and honest about their businesses and the challenges they face.

History 1MC was created at the Kauffman Foundation in 2012 to connect what was, at the time, a fragmented Kansas City startup community. The 1MC name was inspired by an article titled “A Million Cups,” written by Seth Kravitz, founder of Technori. The premise of the article is that true communities are built through the meaningful interactions between people over a million cups of coffee.

Culture 1MC’s culture is that of a supportive, neutral space that welcomes entrepreneurs to be open and honest about their businesses and the challenges they face. The program platform is not a traditional “pitch” environment; rather, an entrepreneur makes an educational presentation to a room of individuals who can provide constructive criticism, share experiences, and support one another as a community.