An incredible run
1 Million Cups was born out of the Kauffman Foundation, a Kansas City, Mo.-based nonprofit focused on entrepreneurship and education. In a 2014 Forum story, Taylor Brown, program coordinator, explained that Kauffman staff didn’t really know the entrepreneurs in their own backyard. And they found the entrepreneurs there weren’t talking about what they did, especially across industries.
In response, they organized a weekly networking event known as 1 Million Cups. The concept spread to cities like Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Miami and San Diego.
Since debuting here in 2014, 1 Million Cups Fargo has hosted hundreds of speakers. Some were people readers had likely heard of before, like Dot of Dot s Pretzels or Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen. Others were less known at the time, such as Mukai Selekwa, winner of the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce s YEA! (Young Entrepreneurs Academy) pitch contest.
1:08
A group of legislators has introduced a measure to designate 20 percent of the Legacy Fund’s principle to make investments in North Dakota companies.
It directs the state Investment Board to make those investments. This is a bill a lot of us believe in, said the bill s chief sponsor, Rep. Mike Nathe (R-Bismarck) at a Capitol news conference. It is something the public has been calling for, to use the Legacy Fund wisely.
Nathe said anytime you can invest in North Dakota, you invest in ourselves.
Greg Tehven is the executive director of Fargo’s Emerging Prairie. He told reporters a few years ago, his organization, in partnership with the Department of Commerce and the Bank of North Dakota, brought over 100 entrepreneurs to meet with elected officials.