1 Million Cups — Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Program
Kauffman Foundation
Free (no funding)
Researched for this program: 2 rejection traps · 2 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
Free founder feedback & community in 160+ cities
1 Million Cups (1MC) is a free community presentation program — it does not provide grants, loans, or any financial award. Run by the Kauffman Foundation in 160+ communities across the United States, entrepreneurs present for 6 minutes, answer questions for 20 minutes, and receive actionable feedback from local business community members. 1MC is a free community resource providing coaching, connections, and visibility. It is especially valuable for early-stage founders seeking feedback, co-founders, customers, or introductions to local investors and accelerators.
- Funding type
- Program
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount
- No monetary award — 1MC is a free community program providing mentoring, feedback, and network connections. Some 1MC communities have facilitated introductions to local grant programs, angel networks, or accelerators, but these are community-dependent and not guaranteed.
- Realistic amount
- No direct funding. Value is in feedback, network access, and community visibility. Indirect benefits (customer introductions, co-founder connections, accelerator referrals) can be substantial but vary by city.
- Deadline
- Rolling — weekly sessions in each community. Present applications accepted at any time; presenters are scheduled 2–6 weeks in advance depending on local waitlist.
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- subsidized services
Who qualifies
- Any entrepreneur or small business owner is eligible to present — no revenue, industry, stage, or demographic requirements
- Business must be operating or in active development (not purely an idea with no execution)
- Presenter must be available to present in person at a local 1MC community session (virtual options are available in some communities)
- Nonprofit and for-profit organizations are both eligible
- No ownership demographics requirements
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- N/A — 1MC does not provide funding
Ineligible expenses
- N/A — 1MC does not provide funding
How to apply
-
1
Find your local 1MC community
Visit 1millioncups.com/communities to find a 1MC chapter near you. Communities are active in 160+ cities. If no community exists near you, 1MC also has resources to start one.
~30 min
-
2
Submit a presenter application
Apply to present at 1millioncups.com/present. Provide your name, business name, one-paragraph description, and availability. The local 1MC organizer reviews and schedules you — typically 2–6 weeks in advance.
~30 min
-
3
Prepare your 6-minute presentation
1MC presentations are exactly 6 minutes — practice until you can deliver a clear business overview, current challenge or opportunity, and a specific ask (feedback, introductions, customers) in exactly 6 minutes. No slides required; conversational style preferred.
~5 hrs
-
4
Present and receive 20 minutes of community Q&A
Present at your scheduled weekly session. The audience — local business owners, mentors, and community members — asks questions for 20 minutes. Engagement is constructive and focused on helping you. Sessions are typically hosted at a local coffee shop or coworking space.
~1 hrs
Don't present a polished pitch — the 1MC community is most useful when you bring a real, unsolved problem. Founders who ask 'we're struggling with X — who in the room has solved this?' leave with more than those who present a fundraising deck.
Deadline & timing
Each 1MC community runs weekly sessions (typically Wednesday mornings at 9 AM). To present, submit a request at 1millioncups.com/present and select your community — you'll be scheduled based on local availability, typically 2–6 weeks out. To attend as an audience member, all sessions are free and open with no registration required in most cities.
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