Page 13 - Columbus NCG 2020

“Our goal is to bring opportunities,” MacMinn said. “One square-feet of office space, to include
together a community example of this is the nationally private offices, a conference room,
renowned 1 Million Cups event, which is lounge area, and flex seating.
of individuals
based on the notion that entrepreneurs
thinking in the same discover solutions and engage with “Within the space, our starters have
mindset of creating their communities over a million cups mentors, programming, Internet,
and office supplies,” MacMinn said.
opportunities” of coffee. It is a free program designed “Incubation is available by application
to educate, engage, and inspire
and space is limited.”
entrepreneurs around the country.”
One of StartUP’s recently developed To connect with StartUP Columbus and
StartUP is also connecting digitally to
programs is CO.STARTERS, a nine- turn your dream venture into a reality,
area entrepreneurs through a mobile
week, cohort-based program to equip visit startupcolga.com.
entrepreneurs with tools needed to application called Startup Space. A
one-of-a-kind app in the U.S., it is
turn great ideas into a business.
designed to connect entrepreneurs
“Through CO.STARTERS, we teach in an ecosystem to the resources
starters strategies needed to not they need, measuring effectiveness
only start but to also grow and scale of programs, and collaborating
their business,” MacMinn said of the with community mentors, service
program. “In 2019, we ran two cohorts providers, and other key resources for
and in 2020 we will run four cohorts. entrepreneurship. StartUP Columbus vv
We are averaging 10 businesses has partnered with over 50 local and
assisted per cohort.” state organizations to serve as key
resources for early stage starters on
Networking is a big component the Startup Space app, which also
for emerging entrepreneurs, so informs users of activities and
StartUP hosts regular events with events focused on business
the focus of creating an atmosphere ownership in the community.
of entrepreneurship in Columbus.
MacMinn said such activities include One hurdle to starting a
1 Million Cups, keynote speakers, business is accessing office
a speaker series, and regular space, so StartUP Columbus
entrepreneurial happy hours. helps with that, too, through
its Business Incubator Space.
“Our goal is to bring together a Upon meeting StartUP’s criteria,
community of individuals thinking individuals housed in the incubator
in the same mindset of creating will have access to more than 3,800

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