Energizing an Ecosystem: Brewing 1 Million Cups

Abstract

In April 2012, Kauffman Labs launched the 1 Million Cups (1MC) program in Kansas City, Missouri, a weekly event for entrepreneurs that showcases presentations from early-stage startups. From initial attendance of about a dozen people in April 2012, the event had, eight months later, reached more than 200 attendees per week. It also has expanded to other cities, including St. Louis, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Houston, and Reno, with further expansions currently in development. As a way to track the evolution of this emerging program and the entrepreneurial community it represents, we surveyed attendees in November 2012. Our findings provide insight into how an entrepreneurial network grows and develops, and underscore the need for continued data collection.

We present these findings in the spirit of 1MC itself: as exploratory, not definitive. This is the first of many surveys that will be conducted, and we fully expect that the findings will evolve along with the program itself.

Keywords: 1MC, 1 Million Cups, kauffman, startup, entrepreneur, community, entrepreneurial, network