1 Million Cups

1 Million Cups KC move to Plexpod Westport Commons percolating

1 Million Cups — Kansas City’s most-popular entrepreneur event series — is brewing a move to the area’s largest coworking community. After six years of hosting the entrepreneurial showcase event at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 1MCKC is moving its weekly program to Plexpod Westport Commons. 1 Million Cups began in Kansas City in April…

Melissa Roberts, Enterprise Center in Johnson County

KCultivator Q&A: Melissa Roberts talks tough (love), hot milk soup and mansplaining

Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by WeWork Corrigan Station, a modern twist on Kansas City office space.Expertise requires experience, said Melissa Roberts. “I’ve had so many diverse roles and I’ve taken something from each of them,” the political…

1 Million Cups

1 Million Cups credits its six-year run to the strength of its volunteers, entrepreneurs

After six years, the connectivity at 1 Million Cups remains as strong as the coffee, organizers said. The Kansas City-born event series is celebrating the anniversary of its first pour 9 a.m. May 2 with the program’s trademark brew — two startups delivering 10-minute pitches to an audience with the intent to educate, engage and…

8-year-old Raytown entrepreneur strings together jewelry business

Raelynn Heath’s bling is inspiring, her mother said. The 8-year-old entrepreneur has spent half her life developing a brand built on crafting original jewelry and repairing broken pieces, she said. “We take a little bit of the old and the new and the practical,” said Regina Lastiee-Heath. Young Raelynn markets her jewelry on Facebook and…

black entrepreneurs

1 Million Cups wraps month-long black entrepreneur showcase

Celebrating differences strengthens everyone, a white 1 Million Cups volunteer told a room full of black entrepreneurs and business owners Wednesday evening. “Diversity and inclusion are important to us year-round here at 1 Million Cups,” said Kyle Smith, communications coordinator at KCSourceLink and a 1MC Kansas City community organizer. “And I am very well aware…