Fayetteville 1 Million Cups leverages power of networking
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Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani recently made headlines after signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers for $700 million over 10 years. With this deal, he secured the largest contract in American team sports history.
Since its inception, some executives and players of Major League Baseball have contested the concept of a salary cap. However, many of these owners financed their teams through other vehicles of revenue. In addition, major league owners such as Ewing Marion Kauffman, founder of the Kansas City Royals, believe in giving back.
At age 33, Kauffman left his job at Lincoln Laboratories and founded Marion Laboratories as a one-man operation that grew into a billion-dollar corporation. His entrepreneurial journey mirrors that of many entrepreneurs (minus the “billion-dollar corporation” part).
Breaking down economic barriers
Through the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 1 Million Cups was founded in 2012. According to its website, 1 Million Cups seeks to change conditions, address root causes and break down barriers so that all people have the opportunity to achieve economic stability, mobility and prosperity.
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1 Million Cups operates in over 100 communities, and it includes more than 22,000 entrepreneurs.
Communities around the country meet every Wednesday to share ideas, gather resources and collaborate. 1 Million Cups has five communities across North Carolina — Fayetteville, Asheville, Lake Norman, Robeson County and Wilmington.
Fayetteville’s 1 Million Cups Community
The Fayetteville 1 Million Cups community meets on the campus of Fayetteville Technical Community College. Each Wednesday, Lori Register, a Business Administration instructor and advisor, leads a group of entrepreneurs in collaborative thought. Guest speakers are invited to share their entrepreneurial journey and resourceful knowledge.
The latest guest speaker to attend the Fayetteville 1 Million Cups meeting was Jennifer Frye, founder of Appreciated Asset. Appreciated Asset is a business consulting company that assists with connecting businesses with resources to grow their sales.
“What got you here won’t get you to the next stage”, says Frye.
Network: Pooling ideas and resources
Entrepreneurs have innovative ideas but often lack the resources to convert those ideas into a business. 1 Million Cups is designed to create a peer network of founders.
Members of the Fayetteville community range range from providers of commercial services to health care professionals. One of the more notable members of the Fayetteville 1 Million Cups community is newly elected Hope Mills Mayor Jessie Bellflowers.
To join the 1 Million Cups community, log on to 1millioncups.com or attend a Wednesday meeting in Room 108 in the General Classroom Building on the campus of FTCC.
Business owners are encouraged to present during meetings (sign up is available on the 1 Million Cups website).
Salute to Lori Register, the 1 Million Cups community and every activist getting active. Peace.
Rakeem “Keem” Jones is a community advocate and father of three from the Shaw Road/Bonnie Doone area of Fayetteville. He can be reached at keemj45@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville 1 Million Cups brings together entrepreneurs
