1 Million Cups relocating back to Kauffman Foundation, renewing weekly meetup’s energy, sense of purpose

After more than six years connecting entrepreneurs in Midtown, 1 Million Cups Kansas City is returning to its roots — relocating the weekly event series April 9 to the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center where the now-coast-to-coast morning meetup series first percolated. 

Changing the brew for the Wednesday entrepreneur pitch showcase came from the same voices the program serves, said Dr. Emmah Muema, Ed.D., program manager for 1 Million Cups at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

“We heard community feedback that said, ‘We feel that we will be better supported if we move back to the Foundation,’” she said. “There was something different about the program when it ran from where it started.” 

1 Million Cups (1MC) is a free, weekly gathering every Wednesday at 9 a.m. where entrepreneurs present their businesses and engage with their local startup ecosystem. It first launched in 2012 in Kansas City as an initiative of the Kauffman Foundation. (The local meetup moved to Plexpod Westport Commons, now the Offices at Park 39, in August 2018.)

Click here to see 1MC’s current list of participating communities.

As the birthplace of 1MC, the Kauffman Foundation’s conference center provides a familiar and inspiring space that has long been associated with innovation and collaboration, Muema said.

A relaunch event — 1MCKC Ignite — is planned for 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. April 9 at the center, 4801 Rockhill Road — also the headquarters of the influential philanthropic foundation — aiming to reignite the passion and engagement that made it a staple for early-stage entrepreneurs.

While the local 1 Million Cups operation is shifting back in-house physically, it will continue to be led by a team of organizers or “Caffeinators” from the community.

New chapter for 1MCKC

Muema joined the Kauffman Foundation in August, coming from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. She sees her role as an opportunity to blend strategy, program management, and entrepreneurial development.

Emmah Muema, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

“1 Million Cups offers me an opportunity to use all my skills that I have built through my career so far,” she said. “It gives me an opportunity to be part of a strategy, to manage a day-to-day program, and at the same time to be able to grow something.”

While the program’s core structure will remain the same — two entrepreneurs presenting their businesses each week, followed by a Q&A session — Muema is already thinking ahead about how to make 1MC more accessible.

One potential new feature: the introduction of secondary formats, like workshops, town halls, and off-site meetings.

“We recognize that not everyone can attend a 9 a.m. Wednesday session,” Muema said. “So, we’re testing alternative formats to reach more entrepreneurs who might otherwise be left out.”

Additionally, 1MC Kansas City has plans to expand, with potential new locations in Overland Park and Wyandotte County.

Presenters will continue to be selected by the community, ensuring the program remains inclusive.

A model for national expansion

Kansas City is just one of 107 locations across the country where 1 Million Cups operates. As Muema leads the Kansas City transition, she is also thinking about how the program can serve as a model for growth nationwide.

“I am looking at how to develop each person who comes to 1MC,” she said. “How do I make sure the volunteers, the presenters, and the attendees all feel like they are growing and offering value?”

One way Muema plans to standardize that experience is through certification training for organizers, as well as a July 22-24 national summit in Kansas City, where organizers from across the country will come together to discuss the future of the program.

“We want to make sure that every community is successful, that the value proposition for presenters, organizers, and attendees is the same across the board,” she said.

Adrienne B. Haynes, founding partner at SEED Law and founder of the Multicultural Business Coalition, takes a selfie in March 2018 with then-1 Million Cups Kansas City organizers Billy Hupp, Tyler Prince, Jon Fizette, Kyle J. Smith and Kaitlyn Troske Anderson in the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s conference center. Not pictured Courtney Chapman and Nicole Bussey; Startland News photo

Returning to 1MC’s roots

As the Kansas City program transitions back to its new (and old) home, Muema recognized the work of those who have kept the initiative running through its many phases, including outgoing organizers Larissa Uredi, Robert Westfall, and Jim Starcev.

Clarence Tan, Boddle Learning, speaks on stage at the Medallion Theater in 2019 at Plexpod Westport Commons, now the Offices at Park 39; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

“They have done an exemplary job in keeping 1MC running, even through COVID,” she said, referencing a period of virtual and hybrid meetups. “It was a big challenge to have an in-person program transition to online and then back again, and they made it happen. I just want to acknowledge what they have done for this community.”

The energy heading into the move back to the Kauffman Foundation’s campus is exciting, Muema added, with strong turnout in recent months and a renewed sense of purpose.

“We’ve seen the last two months, a lot of traction, more new people joining every Wednesday,” she said. “That momentum, we want to keep it going and grow it.”

For entrepreneurs, innovators, and supporters alike, 1 Million Cups remains a place for intentional gathering and sharing of innovative ideas, Muema said.

“If we want to support entrepreneurs, we have to show up for them, and that’s exactly what 1MC is doing,” she said.