Orlando, Fla. (April 21, 2022) — Two key elements of the Central Florida entrepreneurship ecosystem are joining forces to provide an in-person showcase of local businesses.
Starting on April 27, 1 Million Cups Orlando will host its first live event since 2020 at the Orlando UCF Business Incubator on East Colonial Drive. In addition, Michael Weiss, who manages the Orlando and Downtown incubators, will be joining the 1 Million Cups Orlando as an organizer.
“We’ve all been champing at the bit to meet in person after two years of virtual meetings, and the UCF Business Incubation Program has made that possible,” says Erik Deckers, lead organizer for 1 Million Cups Orlando. “They stepped up and offered to help when we were searching for a new location. And we’re happy to partner with them for our future meetings.”
Every week, 1 Million Cups Orlando provides an opportunity for local entrepreneurs to share the story of their business. It’s not a funding pitch, but an opportunity to build awareness and receive feedback from other entrepreneurs.
During the event, companies present a six-minute overview and then answer questions about their business from the audience. To present, a company must be in business less than five years.
“Constructive feedback is a key element to the growth of any business during its early stage and for years, 1 Million Cups Orlando has provided a very unique opportunity for entrepreneurs,” Weiss says. “This partnership represents a great opportunity for our clients to share their story, but also talk about the resources available throughout our region system to help businesses scale to their full potential.”
The featured businesses for the first meeting at the Incubator are Dipped N Color and a company to be named. To register for this event, please visit https://www.meetup.com/1-Million-Cups-Orlando/events/285125000.
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For more information please contact:
For the UCF Business Incubation Program: Michael Weiss, UCF Business Incubation Program, 321-281-8384, Michael.weiss@ucf.edu or Alan Byrd, Alan Byrd & Associates, 407-415-8470, alan@byrdconnections.com
For 1 Million Cups Orlando: Erik Deckers, 317-674-3745, erik@problogservice.com
About 1 Million Cups:
Based on the notion that entrepreneurs discover solutions and engage with their communities over a million cups of coffee, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation developed 1 Million Cups in 2012—a free program designed to educate, engage and inspire entrepreneurs around the country. Through the power of volunteers, 1 Million Cups has grown to more than 160 communities.
As a program of the Kauffman Foundation, 1 Million Cups works with entrepreneurs, empowering them with the tools and resources to break down barriers that stand in the way of starting and growing their businesses. Mr. Kauffman believed it was a fundamental right for anyone who had a big idea to be able to bring it to life—and we’re here to fulfill that mission. To learn more, visit: 1MillionCups.com.
About the UCF Business Incubation Program:
The University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program is a community resource that provides early-stage companies with the tools, training and infrastructure to become financially stable, high growth/impact enterprises. Since 1999, this award-winning program has provided vital business development resources resulting in over 300 local startup companies reaching their potential faster and graduating into the community where they continue to grow and positively impact the local economy.
With seven facilities throughout the region, the UCF Business Incubation Program is an economic development partnership between the University of Central Florida, the Corridor, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia Counties, and the cities of Kissimmee, Orlando and Winter Springs. For the 2017/2018 fiscal years, the activities of these participating firms have helped to sustain more than 6,725 local jobs and have had a cumulative impact of over $725 million on regional GDP and over $1.3 billion on regional sales. During the same period, the program has returned more than $12.00 in state and local taxes for every $1.00 invested in the program. In addition, for every $1.00 of public investment the firms also produced $118 of additional regional GDP and $226 of regional sales. For more information, visit www.incubator.ucf.edu
