Joplin newest home of “1 Million Cups”
Joplin will soon be the newest home of a national program to engage, educate and connect local entrepreneurs.
Founded by the Kauffman Foundation, 1 Million Cups is based on the notion that entrepreneurs network and discover solutions over a million cups of coffee. The free, weekly gatherings help build startup communities on a grassroots level.
Beginning April 14, entrepreneurs, innovators, funders and others will meet Wednesday mornings at the Advanced Training & Technology Center in Joplin. Each entrepreneur will have six minutes to present on their business and talk about a challenge they are facing. This will be followed by a 20-minute question-and-answer session with the audience.
The inaugural 1 Million Cups in Joplin will feature presentations by Athena Marketing, a Marketing and Events business that is launching a real-estate CRM/Project management software next month called Homestretch. And, Makala Towner Photography, which offers a full-service, luxury portrait experience focused on building a community-over-competition mindset within the industry.
In each 1 Million Cups city, local entrepreneurs drive the program as community organizers. Volunteering for the leadership roles in Joplin are
- Alicia Edens, Consumer Lender of Southwest Missouri Bank
- Dominic Buccieri, Assistant Professor of Business Missouri Southern State University
- Tammy Kabala, Senior HR Generalist of Amcor Flexibles North America
- Lowell Lane, Business Management Service Consultant of Higher Vision Coaching.Training.Consulting
- JD Buckridge, President & CEO of Higher Vision Coaching.Training.Consulting
- Toby Teeter, President of Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce
- Doug Hunt, Director of Entrepreneurship of Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce
- Jeana Gockley, Library Director of Joplin Public Library
- Erin Slifka, Marketing & Public Information Manager of Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce
View the national 1 Million Cups website at www.1millioncups.com and access the Joplin microsite at 1millioncups/joplin .