It’s 9 am Wednesday morning
the small, historic building that’s
been named the Greenhouse. It’s
time for 1 Million Cups, a weekly forum
for the city’s growing number of entrepreneurs,
small business owners and
“If you are launching a St. Pete business,
product or any kind of endeavor,
1 Million Cups is where you launch it,”
says Joe Hamilton. The co-founder
of the St. Petersburg Group and publisher
of the St. Pete Catalyst, a popular
curated news site, Hamilton was
presenting for the 7th time. His latest
endeavor, Spark St. Pete, is an advertising
and communications network and
an outgrowth of St. Pete Catalyst.
Many cities across the country host
1 Million Cups, a program funded by
the Kauffman Foundation. But St. Pete
is one of the most successful. Now
coming up on six years, the program
has hosted two presenters nearly every
week since its inception. There’s a con-
seeking feedback, and a tribe of regular
audience members who ask insightful
questions to help provide guidance.
“The entrepreneurial vibe is strong
here. St. Pete has this ability to say yes
to new endeavors,“ says Kim Vogel,
coordinator of the Greenhouse, a collaboration
between the City of St.
Sisters; and Kim Vogel, Greenhouse coordinator.
Petersburg and the St. Petersburg
Area Chamber of Commerce. 1 Million
Cups is one of the many resources the
Greenhouse offers; it’s St. Pete’s “front
door” to the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“It’s all about growing the local
workforce and encouraging economic
development at the grassroots level,”
says Vogel.
Presenters get six minutes to discuss
their business, followed by a
20-minute Q&A. Kahwa Coffee, a local
success story and former 1 Million Cups
presenter, supplies the coffee that
kick-starts the event. The
program is free to attend
and free for presenters.
It’s not a sales pitch, or
an investor pitch, but an
the direction of a local
When Steve Tishman moved to St.
Petersburg after living in Orlando for
he took was to present at 1 Million
Cups. “I knew it would be important
from a connectivity standpoint. I sought
it out as a great way to get involved and
be active with the entrepreneurial community,”
says Tishman. A self-described
serial entrepreneur, Tishman says that
over the last 35 years, he’s owned four
businesses, including his most recent,
Team Builders, Inc., a corporate team
INNOVATION IN BUSINESS
The Next
Best
Burg
Business
GIVING STARTUPS SOME TLC.
“THE ENTREPRENEURIAL VIBE IS STRONG
HERE. ST. PETE HAS THIS ABILITY TO SAY
YES TO NEW ENDEAVORS.”
— KIM VOGEL, GREENHOUSE COORDINATOR
8 'BURGLIFE | Living, Working and Playing in St. Petersburg, FL