Southern Indiana Business March-April 2020 | Page 46

THE LAST WORD
By Brooke McAfee
David Gramlin, co-founder of Hearth Gear, was a recent presenter at The Root as part of the 1 Million Cups Southern Indiana initiative.
Submitted photo
1 Million Cups
Programs foster creativity and connections
L
ocal entrepreneurs and
community members are
coming together to share
ideas, highlight innovation and
support each other through a
monthly gathering in Southern
Indiana.
An event at The Root in down-
town New Albany is connecting
local startups through the recently
launched 1 Million Cups South-
ern Indiana program. The 1 Mil-
lion Cups initiative was started
by the Kauffman Foundation in
2012 to allow entrepreneurs to
find solutions and connect over “a
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March / April 2020
million cups of coffee,” and it has
grown to include more than 160
communities.
The local program, which runs
from 8 to 9 a.m. on the 1st Wednes-
day of each month, launched Jan.
22, and it includes a diverse set
of speakers. The first presenters
included Rich Boling, vice presi-
dent of Techshot, a Greenville-
based technology company that
has created equipment used on the
International Space Station, and
Jim Book, owner of Starlight Cof-
fee Co., Southern Indiana’s oldest
and only roasting coffeeshop.
The speakers give presentations
explaining the background and ori-
gins of their businesses, as well as
risks, challenges and opportunities
they have experienced with their
startups. The event also serves as
a networking opportunity for com-
munity members to engage with
local entrepreneurs and learn from
each other.
Book said the program is a way
to bring people together who have
the same ideas of “growing and try-
ing to do something on your own.”
“It’s a great concept to bring
people’s experiences of business