1 Million Cups is a weekly gathering that brings together entrepreneurs and the Ames community over coffee and conversation.
The hour-long gathering includes a presentation/story by the scheduled presenter followed by feedback, Q&A and support from those attending. Typically, the presenter shares slides, but just talking is great, too.
This is a friendly format; people who attend are here to support and celebrate the journey. Our goal is to raise visibility for businesses and organizations.
The event is hybrid, in that we meet in person at the Ames Regional Economic Alliance (formerly Ames Chamber of Commerce) at 304 Main Street, Ames and also broadcasting on Facebook Live.
The event kicks off at 7:30am with coffee, conversation and networking with the presentation beginning at 8am – 9am.
To help spread the word about One Million Cups and your business, we share info about the business on our social media pages including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
1 Million Cups Ames is brought to you by partners including the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, Ames Regional Economic Alliance, OEI, Inc., Knapp Tedesco Insurance and the Smith Law Firm, PC.
Based on the notion that entrepreneurs discover solutions and engage with their communities over a million cups of coffee, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation developed 1 Million Cups in 2012—a free program designed to educate, engage and inspire entrepreneurs around the country. Through the power of volunteers, 1 Million Cups has grown to more than 160 communities.
As a program of the Kauffman Foundation, 1 Million Cups works with entrepreneurs, empowering them with the tools and resources to break down barriers that stand in the way of starting and growing their businesses. Mr. Kauffman believed it was a fundamental right for anyone who had a big idea to be able to bring it to life—and we’re here to fulfill that mission.
If you are interested in presenting at 1 Million Cups, follow this link!
Please click on the “sign up” button under the “Sign In” orange bar and click on “apply to present”.
No obligation to fully complete this application, but there are some questions requiring an answer.
On the first page with pull down selections, please select Ames, IA as the “Home Community” and on the second page, check the box “I want to register a new company to present”. Again, select Ames, IA for the “Select the community where you’d like to present:” You can also upload a few photos and/or logo so we can use for social media postings.
For any questions, please contact Jean Walsh at jeanw@iastate.edu
