1 Million Cups creates support system for entrepreneurs

Rozanna M. Martinez, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·4 min read

Mar. 25—Wednesday is the day that local entrepreneurs come together and connect through 1 Million Cups.

The program provides an inclusive space for entrepreneurs to discuss their business challenges and identify opportunities. Speakers rotate each week at the 1 Million Cups event that takes place at 9 a.m. at FatPipe ABQ, 200 Broadway NE.

"1 Million Cups is a program sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation and they support the program all over the nation," said Lisa J. Adkins, lead organizer for the Albuquerque chapter. "The city of Albuquerque actually licensed their program under the administration of Mayor (Richard J.) Berry and he came to FatPipe ABQ to see if we would host. 1MCABQ has been going strong now for over 10 years here at FatPipe ABQ."

The concept is to get the community together over coffee in support of small business and entrepreneurship, Adkins said.

"Each week the founder of a company gives a presentation about their journey," she said. "The key is that this is not a pitch to investors, and we don't call them networking events. We are a community and come together to hear the entrepreneur's story, who is also asked to share a business challenge, and then the audience provides feedback and support."

Each Wednesday, a local entrepreneur who has founded a company has about 10 minutes to tell their story. Entrepreneurs can apply to present at 1millioncups.com.

"We're notified when someone applies to present, we assign them a coach and we give them 30 minutes of coaching and try to teach them how to do the presentation," Adkins said. "... These are stories. We want to hear why you started the company you started, who makes up your team, how do you make money, and then they're asked to share a business challenge."

The audience can attend in person at FatPipe ABQ or via Zoom. In-person attendees can ask questions and provide feedback.

"Great connections are made, and we see all types of companies from tech to science to horses to glass blowing," Adkins said.

Shayla Lucero, owner of The Light Event Planning, has presented at 1 Million Cups. Her business is a full-service event management company that does strategic planning for a client's event, marketing, registration and setting everything up. The Light, which launched in 2022, specializes in corporate and government conferences that host from 200 to 2,000 attendees. Lucero also does workshop development, training and fundraising events.

Lucero began attending 1 Million Cups events late last year and enjoyed the presenters. She later built up the confidence to share her story.

"It took me a while to sort of work up the courage myself to present," Lucero said. "But I knew it was something that I needed to do for my business because I'd been going and introducing myself but no one still really knew what I actually did."

Lucero received guidance and direction on how to present from 1 Million Cups staff.

"The staff, their volunteers, are all super helpful and knowledgeable," she said. "Most of them have their own businesses, so they were able to not only help me with my presentation, but give some business advice and insight. So that was great."

Cliff Shunsheng Han, the developer of AllerPops, will present at 1 Million Cups on Wednesday. He will discuss his prebiotic lollipops that helps maintain "peaceful immunity" in the body.

"Mostly, I want to get audience feedback, if it resonates with them and if there's a bridge gap of the marketing message," Han said. "The AllerPops product supports prebiotics in the mouth, which is the foundation for sinus health. ... We assume our potential customer knows probiotics in their gut and most likely they don't know every human being has prebiotic in their mouth. It is the foundation of sinus health that relates to allergies and those things."

Han said his presentation will be a way to test the AllerPops message and share the benefits of the product with the audience.

"I believe it is going to be a beneficial dialogue because this message, this theory, really will help everyone get their immune system in check," he said.