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Since the 1 Million Cups program opened doors in Denver six months ago, they’ve had entrepreneurs pouring in to share stories and catapult each other into successful futures. They will raise their coffee cups to 1MC alum on December 18, and they look to the community to join them.

1MC is a national movement for companies to meet weekly over coffee to present stories for six minutes then exchange 20 minutes of feedback with entrepreneurs in a noncompetitive space. The goal is to serve one million cups of coffee to entrepreneurs with the idea that this is the way communities are built.

“It’s definitely growing and the word's getting out; it's snowballing,” said Gary Gaessler, Denver 1MC cofounder. “We're full for presenters cleared till the end of February.”

One million cups was founded in Kansas City in early 2012, and is sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation. It has since then expanded to 25 cities, and as of Thursday morning, the foundation reports that they’re nearing 16,000 cups of coffee served.

Denver’s 1MC events currently have 40-50 people attending. But by 1MC Denver’s first anniversary, Gaessler said they’ll easily reach 100-person capacity and will have to move into a bigger space. “Our vision is to have it like in Kansas City where they have it in a theater,” with 400-500 people attending each week. Denver 1MC recently received a $6,000 grant from Startup Colorado to spark this growth into 2014.

“It’s one of the few groups that's really run by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, supporting entrepreneurs of all different types,” Gaessler said. The only requirement is that the venture has to be less than three years old and be a revenue generating business, but it’s not limited to technology companies.

“Unlike when you're trying to raise money with judges like in Shark Tank, this is a very warm, friendly environment where everyone's encouraging and supportive of you being successful,” Gaessler said.

Denver 1MC alumni, such as InteliVideo, Tagster, WayIn and Wimbo Music have seen tremendous success just in the past six months because of the network that spans various industries: WayIn, a social hub for brand engagement, was preceded by a banking company during its 1MC presentation last year. “We were two different companies and individuals, but there's so much in common with the hardships that we see as entrepreneurs,” WayIn’s marketing manager Kelsey Cullen said.

The company launched just over two years ago and began building four products, and has since then reigned in their scope after feedback and market research. They launched their primary product less than a year ago which drove WayIn’s expansion, now working with companies like the San Jose Sharks, Denver Broncos and Bank of America. It has fueled their growth into Japan and Brazil. The company has sent small groups of employees in abroad offices.

And Wimbo Music also reports rapid growth after recently launching its commercial app: “Being an entrepreneur I am supportive of all people who are trying to make a difference in the world through their ideas and efforts,” said Denis Ouellette, CEO of Wimbo Music.

“I would like to see 1MC be successful and spread the word of support and camaraderie throughout the community.”

At their holiday party, 1MC looks to celebrate year-end successes, update on progress and share success stories that have come out of 1MC. It’s to “pat people on the back,” Gaessler said.  “It’'s really hard work building a startup… one of the most difficult things you can do next to climbing Everest.”