Show ’em KC hustle! 1 Million Cups needs you to beat Fargo (Video)
September 18, 2017 | Tommy Felts
Nice shirts. Clever designs. The perfect mix of whimsy and irreverent wordplay. They’d fit in well among the Kansas City apparel scene.
Designs by Shirts From Fargo, Fargo Stuff
Except for one glaring snag: They’re brewed in Fargo.
Yeah. That Fargo. And if you don’t want to see them on the backs of KC’s 1 Million Cups team, you’ll make plans to attend the two remaining Wednesday morning pitch events in September, organizers say.
See, Wendy Guillies, CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which developed 1 Million Cups, accepted a challenge from the North Dakota community’s version of the pitch program: Whomever gets the most attendees in September wins bragging rights.
And if KC doesn’t top Fargo?
“The losing city will have to rep the other city’s shirts,” Guillies said. “So let’s make sure we stay cool in our KC shirts. Come to 1MC each week, and bring a friend.”
Of course, there’s more to 1 Million Cups than a light-hearted competition between cities. The program — established in April 2012 in Kansas City — supports the early stage development of entrepreneurs, said Victor Hwang, vice president of entrepreneurship for the Kauffman Foundation.
And while organizers hope to have 1 Million Cups in 500 cities by the end of 2018, it’s already been particularly impactful in the program’s hometown, he said.
1 Million Cups
“Kansas City is on the verge,” Hwang said. “It’s a city full of makers, doers, and dreamers, just waiting to be unleashed. But we have to help those emerging entrepreneurs. Every piece of advice, every referral you make, every door you open – it all makes a difference.”
By helping a new entrepreneur, participants are making a difference in the city, he added.
“When you attend 1MC, you’re not just helping that entrepreneur, you are making a contribution to KC’s future,” Hwang said. “Join us at 1MC, again and again.”
Especially in September.
Featured Business
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Entrepreneur, startup advocate becomes new KC Chamber chair
A prominent Kansas City entrepreneur with some serious startup chops is now serving as the new chair of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Matt Condon, CEO of Bardavon Health Innovations and ARC Physical Therapy, was unanimously voted to serve at the helm of the chamber’s board of directors as its chairman. Condon, 42,…
Video: Healthy workplace culture begins with intention, communication
Editor’s note: This content was sponsored by Mid-Continent Public Library but independently produced by Startland News. Creating a healthy workplace culture must be done early and with intention, said Adrienne Haynes and Dwayne Lewis. To help startups develop a strategic human resource plan, Haynes, managing partner of SEED Law, and Dwayne Lewis, president of Lewis…
From Google to KC, Beth Ellyn McClendon’s advice to startups: Test everything
Don’t fall in love with an idea, Beth Ellyn McClendon said. “Test everything, especially your assumptions, and allow yourself to be persuaded by data,” said McClendon, a seed investor who formerly worked with Google, Android, YouTube, Cisco and Netscape. “Try to remember — tattoo it on your eyelids if you have to – anecdotes are not…
Bodyrite duo cooks meal prep into personal training concept
Don’t just go with the flow at a traditional gym, Jamil Nelson said. Go with Flo. “Treadmills and ellipticals are pretty archaic to us,” said Nelson — or “Mr. Bodyrite” to his wife, Florese. “A jump rope is way better because it’s going to blow up your heart rate.” Modern workouts are all about functional,…