SUBJECT: Working and Supporting Each Other in Uncertain Times

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Watching communities adapt to virtual 1MC while remaining focused on the entrepreneur has been a remarkable experience. After working through the initial challenges, 1MC Nation was able to pivot towards a virtual #1MC experience for communities around the country. 

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Entrepreneurship is more necessary now than ever before. There are MANY entrepreneurs who are desperately trying to pivot to stay afloat to solve issues arising from this global experience. Our mission and format is KEY in helping. We can and SHOULD seek out and offer help and support as a community to those who are working to be resilient against new and challenging odds.

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COVID-19 Keys to Collaboration

During this time of virtual connection, entrepreneurs can apply to present across the country and organizers can now visit other 1MC chapters–without the cost of travel. This allows local communities to stay connected, gives entrepreneurs a chance to learn from different communities and unites #1MCNation around a common objective - supporting entrepreneurs and their communities.

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Essential Virtual Fundamentals

1. We must remember to continue to focus on our mission of support-helping educate entrepreneurs. Keeping presenters–not us–and their barriers to success in the spotlight is so important right now.

2. Encourage presenters to share their barriers to success, reminding them to be open to learning, feedback, and support. You can also coach them to apply to present in other chapters, gaining more experience and finding additional support. 

3. Take advantage of reduction in physical travel constraints to find out what other communities are doing. Visit other 1MC communities virtually. 

4. Share what is working for you and your community in the 1MC #virtual-event slack channel. You can also discover tips from other communities. 

5. 1 Million Cups has the potential to shift the culture of entrepreneurship and to cultivate an environment rich for learning and collaboration. Monthly gatherings can be great events, but weekly meetings create a startup community who learns and grows together. #GoWeekly

6. Kauffman Foundation deployed Zoom to support virtual delivery of 1 Million Cups weekly events. Use of issued Zoom accounts for any other uses are not approved.

Technology Solutions

We can’t discuss virtual without acknowledging that having the right technology solutions can affect your ability to support and grow your 1MC community, which is why we’d like to start providing more regular updates about the technology fixes/solutions and tools we are building for you and your communities. 

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• What’s Being Fixed: 1MC Communication Platform Delivery Issues
  We are aware of this and are actively working to resolve it. We appreciate your feedback and patience as we work and test to make things better for the 1MC Nation.

• What’s New: Facebook Live Link
  You can now add your Facebook Live link in the ‘Video Media’ link field. Organizers can now duplicate previously sent communication messages (via a “duplicate” button), saving you time and energy. 

Organizer Onboarding Update

We are excited to begin offering a monthly organizer orientation, open to new and existing organizers. We’ve heard from organizers around the country that this would be an asset. 

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Orientations will be designed to:

• Provide understanding of 1MC history and core program design

• Give an overview of roles and responsibilities for organizers

• Provide information about tools and resources available to organizers
   

We invite all organizers to complete this orientation training at least once a

year. The first orientation will take place in May.

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SUBJECT: 1MC Nation - Share Your Story

If you're reading this email, we'd guess you have heard, learned from, and repeated countless stories of entrepreneurs - their failures, successes, lessons, and more. Stories are universal. They can evoke emotion, persuade listeners to take action, even create powerful shared language within a nationwide movement.

1 MILLION CUPS' STORY IS SIMPLE, AND EASILY SHAREABLE.

We educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.

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We seek to lower the barriers to education and resources for new and aspiring entrepreneurs in their communities.

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We believe that educational access shouldn't be defined by how scalable or innovative a business is, but by how willing someone is to share it boldly with their community.

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1 MILLION CUPS IS ALSO AN ECOSYSTEM BUILDING TOOL.

Each of our 168 local communities have their own stories - traits that make them unique.

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We invite you to think through what the value proposition for this program is within YOUR ecosystem.

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Weave it into your community's story, and use it to build a unique entrepreneurial movement.

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THE POWER OF STORYTELLING
THE PASSION BEHIND THE WORK

The power of storytelling is seen through every collaboration, conversation, and moment of growth in our movement. Without sharing our stories and the ones of those we serve, there would be no passion behind the work.

Take a look at a message from Andy Stoll, Senior Program Officer of Entrepreneurship, as he discusses the strength behind storytelling and sharing a narrative.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO THIS WEEK
TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS?

ASK. YOUR. COMMUNITY.
 
Here are a couple of things to try!

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Just do it!
For your next few meetings, have three people stand up at the end and share with everyone why THEY come, what is different about 1MC from other things in your community. Watch for trends. We're guessing you'll hear a few common phrases. Add those phrases to your marketing posts, your emm-ceeing each week, your emails. Why? We'd bet that an easier way to talk about 1MC means it becomes easier for community members to help source presenters.

 
Power of Asking
For those who are feeling advanced: Over the next few weeks, ask your upcoming presenters what THEY'RE needing help with/to learn that they haven't gotten in other places in the community. Then voice those things to your attendees on Wednesdays. Ask them to be willing to help find resources, offer advice, or connect your founder to things that will help. We're betting if you follow up with those presenters after a couple of weeks, they'll have stories that will add to your local narrative, making it easier to find other presenters who need similar help!

 
THE MOST POWERFUL WAY TO INCREASE YOUR PIPELINE OF PRESENTERS AT YOUR LOCAL 1 MILLION CUPS?

Help your community build their story. By creating a unique, local offering, while leveraging the larger brand, you are able to support presenters in their quests to gain knowledge and grow their business. Utilize common language, goals, and consistent expectations each week to support this.

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Up next week: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion! We know we’re strongest when we focus on these key values and put them at the core of everything we do.

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