1 Million Cups, a monthly program for startup founders, is now live in Philly

Think of 1 Million Cups, the nationally replicated event series for entrepreneurs, like art-class critique day.

Each month, two founders get to take the stage and pitch their companies before an audience of founders and mentors, who then offer their feedback on the idea and business model. First launched in 2012 by the Kauffman Foundation, the event series — currently live in 175 cities — recently expanded to Philly with backing from local stakeholders. The program has been in Delaware since 2014, and recently went monthly in the First State.

(The event series’ name is a riff on the million cups of coffee entrepreneurs will guzzle as they “discover solutions and engage with their communities.”)

The Philly meetup will be led by 10 volunteer organizers from the City of Philadelphia, Philly Startup Leaders and a handful of companies like Comcast and PromptWorks. The first event is happening May 23 at Saxbys Center City headquarters. Subsequent events be held on the third Wednesday of each month.

Francisco Garcia, the city’s Director of Business Development for Innovation and Technology, said the connection to the event’s national network adds value to Philly business leaders.

“This is an excellent opportunity to connect Philadelphia entrepreneurs to each other, get them in front of potential founders, and expose their companies to a larger audience through the 1Million Cups network,” Garcia said.

The Kauffman Foundation, a widely recognized Kansas City nonprofit behind 1 Million Cups, also organizes Global Entrepreneurship Week and the Mayors Conference on Entrepreneurship.

Here’s a bit more about the event: