Fort Worth is a city on the move; hoping to become a major power player in the nation when it comes to big business and job growth.
Every week, a group of Fort Worth small business owners and start-up owners gather to discuss ideas to push North Texas to the next level.
The idea is to bring the Fort Worth go-getters together every week for a think tank. The gathering is called “One Million Cups.”
“'One Million Cups' is a weekly educational program for entrepreneurs. It gives entrepreneurs in Fort Worth a chance to come and tell the community what they are working on,” local group organizer Cameron Cushman said.
The group meets every Wednesday morning with similar meetings in more than 100 cities across the country including Dallas and Frisco.
“The goal is really embedded in the name One Million Cups. The idea is that if we had one million cups of coffee with our local entrepreneurs it would fundamentally change the way our city thinks about entrepreneurs,” Cushman said.
Each week, several business owners make six to eight minute presentations of 20 to 30 minutes and take questions and provide feedback. It’s a bit like a mini version of a "TED Talks" with elements of "Shark Tank."
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“There could be that investor that you are looking for, that co-founder that you are looking for. Maybe you need a lawyer. Maybe you need an accountant,” Cushman explained. “You are able to tell your story to a broad group of folks and that enables you to fill in the pieces you need for your own start-up.”
Both the Fort Worth and Dallas gatherings have been around for four years and continue growing in popularity.
“Fort Worth is growing like crazy and so is our local entrepreneurial community here. We have new people every week that show it at One Million Cups,” Cushman said.
They call it the "front porch of entrepreneurship in Fort Worth.” It is a place to discuss ideas, cultivate business relationships and craft new plans.
“I think for a long time, Fort Worth and Dallas have relied on big corporations to provide a lot of the jobs, but we know that true job creation comes from start-ups – from firms less than five years old,” Cushman said.
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