News release from the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership:
1 Million Cups Fort Wayne brings entrepreneurs together
(November 2, 2015) РThe Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership is working with Start Fort Wayne and sponsors Sweetwater Sound and Utopian Coffee to support the launch of 1 Million Cups Fort Wayne, a program designed to educate, engage and connect entrepreneurs in the region. The free networking events are open to the public and held weekly at 9 a.m. every Wednesday starting November 4 in the Crescendo Caf̩ at Sweetwater Sound, 5501 U.S. 30, Fort Wayne.
1 Million Cups begins with a six-minute presentation by a local business owner to mentors, advisers and other businesspeople. Then the presentation is followed by 20 minutes of feedback and questions from the audience. There’s also an online curriculum, coaching and networking opportunities to help foster change by repurposing challenges into opportunities.
“1 Million Cups will bring our entrepreneur community together to solve the business problems that entrepreneurs face every day. Start Fort Wayne is proud to help bring this event to our area as another tool in our box to increase the opportunities for entrepreneurial and startup growth in our community,” said Dave Sanders, of Start Fort Wayne.
Fort Wayne’s first event will begin with a presentation by Fort Wayne native and millennial entrepreneur Brendon Maxwell, owner of Utopian Coffee.
“I’m hoping that entrepreneurs are encouraged, yet challenged. I’ve had a lot of business ideas in my life, and not all of them were good. One of the most valuable things we can receive is constructive criticism. It’s easy to get up in front of people and talk about the triumphs, but that can be misleading in the world of entrepreneurism. I’m invested in this area and love encouraging new ideas, so I’m looking forward to this initiative being part of the progressive regional landscape,” said Brendon Maxwell, owner of Utopian Coffee.
Other scheduled presenters include:
– Jeremy Diller, owner of Scenario 77
– Jennifer Ford, owner of Jennifer Ford Art
– Bo Gonzalez, owner of BravasDeveloped by the Kauffman Foundation, 1 Million Cups is a free networking event held in more than 70 cities across the United States. Based on the notion that entrepreneurs discover solutions and network over a million cups of coffee, the culture surrounding 1 Million Cups is that of a supportive, neutral space welcoming entrepreneurs to be open and honest about their businesses and the challenges they face.
The Partnership is participating in the launch of 1 Million Cups to support the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Northeast Indiana. At the end of 2014, the Regional Opportunities Council (ROC), the Partnership’s investor board, elected to make building an entrepreneurial ecosystem a priority under Vision 2020’s entrepreneurship pillar.
For more information about 1 Million Cups, visit www.1millioncups.com/fortwayne, or to learn more about Northeast Indiana’s entrepreneurship pillar visit www.neindiana.com/vision.
About the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership was formed in 2006 to help build a globally competitive economy in Northeast Indiana. It is a public-private partnership creating business investment by generating business leads, developing product and fostering regional collaboration. In 2010, the Partnership launched Vision 2020 to bring the region together around five key areas for economic growth: 21st Century Talent, Competitive Business Climate, Entrepreneurship, Infrastructure and Quality of Life. The 11 counties of Northeast Indiana include Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley. For more information, visit www.NEIndiana.com.
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