Since this is Monday Morning Coffee, let’s talk about coffee today. No, it’s not about a coffee shop, but rather a program called 1 Million Cups (1MC).

The St. Joseph Chamber held their annual CEO Roundtable event a few weeks ago and one of the tables was hosted by Melissa Roberts, the Executive Director at Partnership for Technology Innovation and a chairperson for the 1 Million Cups program in Kansas City, the city that started this entire program.

The hope of 1MC is to connect entrepreneurs to the communities around them. Each Wednesday at 9:00a.m., two local entrepreneurs give a six minute presentation to an audience of other entrepreneurs, advisers, and mentors. After the presentations, there is a great opportunity for feedback, networking, brainstorming and questions.

It is unique having a community come together to support these entrepreneurs, who are all brave souls, stepping out on a new adventure. Our team at SJC has a bit of a soft spot for these individuals, since we wouldn’t exist without Susan’s bravery and determination to create her own company eight years ago. 1MC is a program through the Kauffman Foundation run by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. It has now grown out from Kansas City and hosts events in almost 30 cities around the nation.

The programs are administered by the city in which they are hosted, some of them in coffee shops and libraries, and others in larger venues like universities and convention centers. With as many as 200 business hopefuls in one room, these events are everything a blossoming entrepreneur desires!

If you can’t make a meeting, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and plug in to the livestream for your week’s inspiration. Here at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions, we are very excited about this program and looks forward to the possibility of St. Joseph starting up our own 1 Million Cups. ​