College sucks.

You sign up for some major and go through a ton of prerequisite garbage for a couple years before you even get started on what you went there for in the first place. We always wanted to get straight to the meat while we wasted away in some crap “Intro to The Human Experience” supposed-to-give-you-a-cultured-upbringing filler class. So we’re doing our own thing. Introducing two spectacular classes: In January, we have “Don’t Fear The Dial” with Alan Languirand teaching you how to start taking photos or take better ones if you already do. To kick off February, we’ve got Tom Nardone’s “Start Up: Plan Your Own Business So You Can Make The Rules” business plan class which will arm you with the simple tips, hard-earned knowledge and the boatload of moxie you’ll need to get your own venture off the ground and making money. Head over here to get the skinny.

All in all, it’s a great atmosphere that’ll leave you motivated to go out and conquer your own dreams – or think up a hearty pitch to lob at the congregation next month. We’ll be holding theses dinners every 3rd Sunday; starting with January. Head here to get more details or apply to be a presenting project.

Here’s the breakdown:

What date is Ferndale SOUP?
Mark the 3rd Sunday of the month as SOUP night!

Where is Ferndale SOUP located?
At Paper Street Ferndale – 1511 Jarvis, Ferndale, MI 48220. It looks like an old warehouse, because it is! But we promise you it’s full of wonderful and creative things.
You can park on Jarvis St. or park in our parking lot around back.

How much does the dinner cost?
$5 get you soup, salad, bread, pie, and a vote.

Do I need to RSVP for the event?
SOUP does not take reservations for the dinner. It is first come first seated.

Do I need to buy a ticket?
Nope! You pay at the door!

What is the dinner seating arrangement like?
Our dinners happen on old tables, benches and other suitable surfaces in an old but friendly warehouse. We also have some tables with chairs, but they are limited. Feel free to bring a pillow to sit on or something more comfortable for your booty, most likely you will be on the floor.

What is the schedule for the evening?
We open the doors about 6:30 and start hearing proposals at 7:30 (give or take a minute or two but it really does begin at 7:30) The proposals last anywhere between 25-40 minutes. We eat when the proposals are finished and the diners are able to vote on what project would best benefit from the collected money. Around 9:00 voting closes, ballots are counted, and the winner is announced.

What will I expect to hear from the proposers/grant seekers?
You will hear a presentation no longer than 3-4 minutes from each grantee. The floor is then opened for 3-4 questions from diners.

I have an amazing idea that I think could really benefit from the Ferndale community, how can I submit my idea?
Answer the questions below. We ask that each applicant keep their answers short and concise. No longer than one page. Applicants must be present to pitch their project proposals during the meal. Proposals are due January 10th using the form above.

My idea works really well on power point, do you have the capabilities to be able to use this presentation device?
While technology is helpful in many of our daily lives those involved in SOUP believe you can share your proposal without it. We do make exceptions every once in a while (like showing a movie trailer) but we highly encourage you to leave the laptop at home. You are more than welcome to bring in visuals to enhance your idea.

My idea is a work in progress, should I submit?
Think through what kind of project you are submitting. About 125-150 people show up each month to share ideas and resources with one another. The last few months we have had about 8-10 proposals from the community. If you don’t think you can pull together the idea, be able to implement this with the community, or be able to share (whether it succeeds or not) how the progress of the idea is coming along, than please wait a few months. We don’t like telling some groups yes and then having them drop out at the last minute. It’s a fairness thing. Cool? Cool.

How many proposals do you accept for the dinner each month?
We only have time for four proposals per dinner. Much more than that it is hard to have a constructive dialogue about each proposal as we are eating, as well as having short attention spans!

What if there are more than four proposals submitted for the dinner?
We have the deadline a week before the dinner to ensure that the executive SOUP committee votes on the project. This is a small group of active participants who help put on the dinner. There are about 13 people who get to read the proposals and vote through the online survey collection program Survey Monkey. Whatever proposals have the most votes get the stage to share at the SOUP dinner.

Where do I send my proposal?
Use the form above, please.

When are the proposals due?
January 10th.

I want to make a soup or a salad, what do I need to do?
Awesome! Thank you so much for thinking about this. Please email hello@welovepaperstreet.com and let us know what you want to do. We ask that the soup be vegan or vegetarian so that all can enjoy. Each soup/salad needs to serve about 75 people and so we ask for four volunteers each month. We hope that your soup or salad making abilities would be donated. Individuals, restaurants or businesses are welcome to share.

I am a local artist and I would love to share my work, can I?
Please inform hello@welovepaperstreet.com that you are interested in sharing. We are often looking for local artisans to share their work. Painters, sculptors, designers (interior and graphic), writers, poets, etc. are encouraged to share. We do not have a budget at this time for materials but we could talk about what that means after inquiry.

I want to volunteer with setting up before the dinner, can I?
Booyah! Awesome! YES YES YES!!! Please email hello@welovepaperstreet.com and let us know you have some time beforehand to lift some tables onto crates and help with set up!

Maybe its because we live in the Motor City, but we’ve started with an auto centric incubator. (We’re also developing labs for metal workers, wood workers, photographers, graphic designers, jewelers, ….) Food startups are cool too though.

Check it out here: thunderdrome.com.

We’ve had a vending machine for a while, in addition to the Coffee Robot and the microwave. Now, welcome in a big way our brand new Pop Machine! Kind’ve…
We’re beta testing an honor-based pop machine for the moment. So far, so good!
Special props to Al (homegrowncycle.com) for paying by check.

Not to worry! We’ll be out at every Ferndale-ish event; rain or no rain.