1 Million Cups Cedar Rapids is a weekly gathering where entrepreneurs, business leaders, and the community come together to learn, connect, and share ideas over coffee. Each free Wednesday morning event features a founder story, expert insight, or candid conversation, followed by a thoughtful Q&A that sparks collaboration and honest feedback. Open to everyone and always welcoming, 1MC is where we explore challenges, learn lessons, and move ideas forward together. Learn more about 1 Million Cups.
This Week’s Presenter: Gift Udoh (Founder & CEO of Norina Farms | MSc Student, UI Occupational & Environmental Health)
What brings a global changemaker to Iowa — and what inspires her to stay?
In celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week, join 1 Million Cups for an inspiring session with Gift Udoh, an agricultural safety professional, researcher, and social entrepreneur with nearly a decade of experience advancing farmer health and rural sustainability.
As the founder and CEO of Norina Farms, Gift has already empowered and trained over 6,000 rural agricultural workers in pesticide risk management and safety. First connected to the state as a 2019 Mandela Washington Fellow at the University of Iowa, she returned to pursue her master’s in Occupational and Environmental Health.
Gift will share her journey from tackling food scarcity in Africa to developing evidence-based safety interventions right here in Iowa. Discover how she is leveraging entrepreneurship and public health research to protect farmworkers, support agricultural communities, and drive lasting change globally and locally.
Standard Program Schedule:
- 8:30-9:00 a.m. Coffee and Conversation, Informal Networking
- 9:00- 9:40 a.m. Introductions and Presentations
- 9:40-10:00 a.m. Presenter Feedback, Q&A, Community Announcements