The genesis for 1 Million Cups was never to be a program of the Kauffman Foundation ... I remember distinctly this gentleman, stalwart of the community, known by everyone in the entrepreneurship ecosystem come up to me and say, '... I really want to thank you for doing this, because ... for so long, the Kauffman Foundation was like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Nobody knew what went on behind these doors. With 1 Million Cups, you've opened the Foundation to the community. And on behalf of the community, I want to thank you for that. It's been refreshing. It's been wonderful to see. We feel like now we're part of this, too.'"

— Thom Ruhe, former associate, 2007-2014