The Town of Chapel Hill and Launch are teaming up to host an event called GovCups, to initiate creative ideas and services to help government.
GovCups is modeled after an event called 1 Million Cups, which promotes innovative ideas in business. Chapel Hill organizational effectiveness coordinator Rae Buckley says GovCups is designed to encourage local government employees to explore different ways of thinking and creating ideas.
“When I go to a 1 Million Cups event,” she says, “what I see is an entrepreneur who has identified a problem or a gap and is presenting a solution to it. And I think that’s a side of the brain we want our employees – and all of us – to be using as we go about our day-to-day business.”
Two pitches have been selected to present at the event. The Town invites members of the community to participate in the event by using the hashtage #GovCups, live tweeting the event and asking questions during the Q&A session.
The event will be Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 9 a.m. at Chapel Hill Residence Inn. Founder and CFO of 3-Birds Marketing, Len Wohaldo, will speak on being innovative, transparent and open in a startup company.
To learn more and to RSVP, contact Rae Buckley at 919-969-5007 or at rbuckley@townofchapelhill.org.
Launch and RTP also host 1 Million Cups events every Wednesday at 9 a.m.
Related Stories
‹

Chapel Hill Startup Accelerator Receives $230,000 Gift to Aid GrowthLaunch Chapel Hill, the local innovation space to help accelerate startup companies, recently received a substantial gift to aid its growth. According to UNC, who is one of the founding partners of the resource center and co-working space, investment firm Lee-Moore Capital recently awarded Launch with a gift of $230,000. The donation will allow the […]

Local Fitness Start-Up Might Step into the Big LeaguesBilled as “the MoviePass of travel fitness,” a new local start-up looks to provide the convenience of your local gym while you traveling. The story of Chapel Hill-based start-up LocalFit begins with five former college — or professional — athletes with a shared experience: they all had found it difficult to find good gym and […]
![]()
Stories from the Town of Chapel Hill Economic Development ![]()
Interpreting the Legality of Federal Immigration Operations — Dec. 8, 2025The Hill's Andrew Stuckey speaks with Chapel Hill Immigration Attorney Chris Barnes and University of North Carolina Law Professor Rick Su on Monday, December 8. They discuss the specific implications of federal immigration enforcement actions in the Triangle region in November. They also discuss the larger legal ramifications of recent immigration enforcement, both in national politics and as it affects people locally. They share insights on the current legal question marks surrounding immigration in the United States, talk about who is affected most by these policies, what they expect to see in 2026, and more.

Rep. Allen Buansi Seeks Third Term in N.C. House to Represent Chapel Hill, CarrboroNorth Carolina District 56 Rep. Allen Buansi is seeking a third full term in the state house, announcing he will run for re-election in 2026.
![]()
The Morning News: Sheriff Roberson Not Running for Reelection, Basketball at KentuckyHill’s Andrew Stuckey fills in for Aaron Keck with the morning news. In this edition of the news, we learn the results of the first day of the filing period for 2026 elections. Highlights included Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson deciding to not run for reelection and instead pursue a seat on the Chatham County Board of Commissioners. We check the candidates in Orange County, hear from Jamezetta Bedford on her decision to run for reelection, and more. In Sports, the men's basketball team gears up for a high profile trip to Lexington to face Kentucky, several athletes earn individual accolades, and more.
![]()
The Morning News: Political Conversations, Downtown Pittsboro, Football Season EndsHill's Andrew Stuckey fills in for Aaron Keck with the morning news. In this edition of the news, we check the local government meeting schedule, learn about some feedback opportunities for Pittsboro residents, hear about an organization fostering difficult political conversations in person, and more. In sports, the UNC Football team's season comes to an end, and more.

Soccer Fields and Open Space: Orange County Explores Potential Uses for Millhouse Road SiteOrange County is starting to make headway on a piece of land it has owned for two decades along Millhouse Road.
![]()
The Morning News: Education, Health Care, ThanksgivingThe Hill's Andrew Stuckey fills in for Aaron Keck, presenting the morning news. In this edition of the news, we hear from U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee on Health Care. We hear from State Superintendent Mo Green on improving education. We hear from Carolina Connection on students celebrating Thanksgiving locally. In sports, the UNC Men's Basketball team got a win last night, and both they and the women's team play games on Thanksgiving. We also check the rest of the UNC sports schedule, and more.

Thanksgiving Holiday to Affect Local Government Services in Orange County (2025)Thanksgiving will fall on Thursday, November 27 this year, and the holiday will affect several local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s a rundown of what residents can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 are both town holidays. Residential trash collection will not be affected. However, there […]
›