1 Million Cups Cedar Rapids: May 4

1202 3rd Street Southeast,Cedar Rapids IA 52401

04 May, 2022

Description

This week's presentation Race for the Space This week's presenter: Race for the SpaceThis program is called “Race for the Space” and its goal is to support a new business to locate to Downtown Cedar Rapids and become a staple in the district for years to come. The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, in conjunction with the Downtown Self-Sustaining Municipality Improvement District (SSMID), will produce this program for Downtown Cedar Rapids in 2022. A similar program was run in Ithaca, New York in 2011 and 2017. Both efforts had success drawing businesses that ordinarily would not have considered establishing a business in their downtown district. In the wake of the global pandemic, the Economic Alliance and the Downtown SSMID are committed to leading and supporting efforts like Race of the Space in order to draw people more consistently to downtown. Applications will open on April 26, 2022 and close on June 30, 2022. The winner will be announced on Thursday, August 11, 2022. We hope this program attracts dozens of prospective start-ups and existing businesses alike due to the spotlight it will generate, and the incentives provided. This is not limited to residents who live in Iowa. Anyone in the country, or world, can apply for Race for the Space. Jesse will talk about: - How this program came to fruition - Why it’s important to invest in entrepreneurs - What kind of entrepreneurs this program is looking for - The spaces that are available for the applicants - What the application process looks like - Any other questions that the audience have(PLUS, free coffee and donuts!) About 1 Million Cups Cedar Rapids1 Million Cups Cedar Rapids is a free, weekly program that happens nationwide designed to educate, engage, and connect entrepreneurs. Developed by the Kauffman Foundation, 1MC is based on the notion that entrepreneurs discover solutions and network over a million cups of coffee. Early-stage businesses and established companies facing interesting challenges are welcome to present their companies to a panel of experts for advice, and engage the audience in a question-and-answer session to encourage collaborative and honest conversations. We also feature expert speakers, founder fireside interviews, and exploration of business failures and the shared learning that comes from those failures. 1 Million Cups Cedar Rapids is led by a group of passionate volunteers: Jourdan McChesney (NewBoCo)Eric Engelmann (Iowa Startup Accelerator)Laura Gansemer (Office Evolution)Rina Jensen (Rina Jensen.com)Julie Lammers (America's SBDC)Emily Bettridge (Groundswell Cafe)Jessica Abdoney (NewBoCo)Jennifer Murphy (NewBoCo)Sponsors1MCCR is sponsored by local companies and organizations that support our entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem: