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
‘Follow the Leader’: Brothers bootstrapping horror movie set in abandoned KC-area mall
Not enough films are being shot in Kansas City, said brothers Ben and Jacob Burghart. “The bigger problem is not enough feature films are utilizing Kansas City’s vast talent pool,” said Jacob. “[Kansas City is trying to] shoot more now, but we want to be a part of kind of kicking into another gear.”…
#MomFund: Unruh Furniture builds more than tables inside a century-old church off KC’s Main Street
A table can mean stability, said Sam Unruh, founder of Unruh Furniture. It’s four legs help provide the emotional support for a home. “Growing up, my family ate together every night at the table. We all had our spots and still do to this day,” said Unruh, whose custom, made-to-order furniture business operates out of…
Second Edison Spaces flexible office site designed for uncertainty of startup life
Growing a startup is risky enough, said Matt Druten, co-founder of Edison Spaces — entrepreneurs shouldn’t have to worry about finding and maintaining an office. “Changes are unexpected. Nobody really knows where their company is going to be in six months,” he said. “Is my startup going to double in size? Is it going to…
Digital Crossroads: Techstars sees hints of KC’s future in its history as a collision point of ideas
Techstars’ Oct. 11 programming during Techweek Kansas City finds inspiration in the past, Lesa Mitchell said, but it focuses on the metro’s future at a digital crossroads. “In the old days, it was called the crossroads because this was actually where all the trains were going through from Mexico to Canada, and east and west…