Cross-program collaboration leverages networks, resources, and expertise that exists within Kauffman FastTrac and 1 Million Cups

Entrepreneurial support leaders from 89 communities and 27 states, as well as Puerto Rico, recently convened in a surge of connection and shared purpose: to create conditions for anyone who wants to start and grow a business to be successful.

1 Million Cups (1MC) and Kauffman FastTrac (KFT), operating programs of the Kauffman Foundation, welcomed 230 attendees to its annual summit in Kansas City. The three-day event featured keynotes, interactive workshops, and relationship building under the theme, “One network. Greater impact.”

“We’re bringing together leaders, educators, and volunteers working in these programs around FastTrac’s excellent curriculum and 1MC’s proven model. We’re doubling down on it. Curriculum made more accessible, more flexible, and AI-enabled; and enhanced support for organizers to execute 1MC’s weekly format,” said the programs’ Executive Director Olatunji Ajani.

These programs align directly with the Foundation’s strategic priority to support and sustain small business ownership. Last year, Ajani led a refresh of 1MC and KFT strategy to better align with the programs to leverage their networks, learning resources, and the expertise of 1MC organizers and KFT facilitators to support entrepreneurs.

We are optimizing and unlocking the collaboration that is available inside 1 Million Cups and FastTrac. By helping 1MC and FastTrac leaders build relationships and support one another, we can increase entrepreneurs’ access to knowledge, tools, and resources. We can increase the chances of success for the entrepreneur.

— Olatunji Ajani
Executive Director, 1 Million Cups & FastTrac

The strategy aims to fulfill what the national network of leaders, educators, and volunteers working in these programs said would better help them serve entrepreneurs:

• Deeper connections across communities and with ecosystem partners.
• More high-touch support from regional leads and 1MC and KFT program leaders.
• Expanded training and capacity-building opportunities.

The summit brought leaders together to demonstrate, in real time, how this connected network strategy expands entrepreneurial access, capacity, and impact.

FastTrac teaches aspiring, early-stage entrepreneurs how to launch their businesses. The curriculum, offered in English and Spanish, can be completed with self-paced courses online or with an in-person affiliate-led cohort in their community.

1 Million Cups brings entrepreneurial ecosystems together every Wednesday morning in more than 100 communities across the country. Each week, the learning format welcomes entrepreneurs to present their business to the 1MC community. Presenters do this to gain response, insight, and expertise from their community. Every presentation ends with the same question, “How can we, as a community, help you?”

Decades of investment and research in entrepreneurship has validated the strategy that when aspiring, early-stage, and established business owners are connected to peer networks, startup training, tools, and resources, we improve conditions for both individual and community economic mobility. Together, 1MC and KFT do just that.

That was no secret to some of this year’s summit attendees who are already working with 1MC and KFT as collaborative networks. Freddie Morris, lead organizer for 1MC Ocala, Florida, said the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) leverages both programs in its ecosystem.

“I work in a business incubator,” Morris said. “We actually require our incubator partners to attend 1MC and present as well as complete FastTrac. So, it actually is a really cohesive relationship, and it really works wonders.”

Ajani asked attendees to think about it: Once the newest 1MC communities are launched, the program will have 120 active communities, and FastTrac has 195 affiliates across the country. “That’s extremely powerful,” he said. “Imagine just having a relationship with 10% of those people in the network. Imagine the kind of access or resources that you have.”

Within the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center, learning and connection happened among attendees from communities near and far, illustrating the power of a cross-program, national network of leaders.

Ajani said one thing is clear: no single individual, organization, or community has all the resources for entrepreneurs to succeed. It’s connected, collaborative, accessible ecosystems that create conditions for entrepreneurs to succeed.

“Every single community, every single organizer, every single affiliate, every single organization represented here can have access to more of what their entrepreneurs need if we all work together.”