1 Million Cups

Lima is now the newest home of a national program to engage, educate and connect local entrepreneurs. One Million Cups (1MC) was founded in 2012 by the Kauffman Foundation and has since expanded to more than 107 communities across the country.  The program allows entrepreneurs and their communities to gather and connect, so they can work through business challenges and identify opportunities. On Wednesday mornings, entrepreneurs across the country meet up, network, discuss business ideas, and discover solutions over a million cups of coffee. 

The free and weekly nationwide gatherings help build startup communities on a grassroots level. In each 1 Million Cups city, local entrepreneurs drive the program as community organizers. 

Entrepreneurs, innovators, funders, and other interested community members are invited to attend 1 Million Cups each Wednesday from 9-10 AM at the Cambridge Center, 418 N. Central Ave, Lima, Ohio. 

Each week, an early-stage business startup will present its company to an audience of community-based mentors, advisers, and fellow entrepreneurs. Each presentation lasts six minutes, followed by a 20-minute Q&A session between the presenter and the audience.

The interaction and proceeding free flow of thoughts and ideas on how to truly help the presenter, is the key to the success of 1 Million Cups and the reason for the phenomenal growth of the program nationally.  1 Million Cups licenses its tool kit of community-building resources for free to communities that meet the program’s criteria for participation.

View the 1 Million Cups national website and access the City of Lima microsite. 

Twitter: @1MC Lima

Facebook: 1 Million Cups Lima