Back to the Accelerator, On to Meowloween

🚀 Back in the UGA Idea Accelerator

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to share an update about Milo’s Cats & Coffee and our continued journey through the UGA Idea Accelerator.

UGA Idea Accelerator Demo Day finalists! Congrats to Fetch Fuel, Ablaze, and My Mix — and yes, that’s me on the left, awkward crouch and all. 😅

Earlier this month, on October 8, I participated in Demo Day at the UGA Entrepreneurship Studio, where all of the student ventures pitched to a panel of three local entrepreneurs for a $2,500 prize. Huge thanks to the UGA Entrepreneurship Department and Professor Jim Flannery for hosting such an inspiring event — and congratulations to Harrison McMahan and Campbell Moore from Fetch Fuel for taking home first place!

Because I got so much out of the Idea Accelerator the first time around, I decided to join this next cohort as well. The next Demo Day is coming up on November 20, and I can’t wait to keep building momentum.

The first round really helped Milo’s Cats & Coffee clarify what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and — most importantly — who we’re doing it for. Before, I felt like I was just walking up to shelters saying, “Hey, coffee and cats sound fun, right?” 😅 Now, thanks to the Accelerator, I have a clear plan for how we can genuinely help shelters with event planning, fundraising, and outreach.

This round is all about ramping things up — more social media activity, more partnerships, and more events — all aimed at helping local animal shelters connect with the community (and raise funds!) in creative, fun ways.

🎃 The Road to Meowloween

If you’ve been following along, you might remember our first Cats & Coffee event that had to be canceled. That one came down to a rookie mistake on my part — I tried to plan the event first and involve shelters second, when really it should’ve been the other way around.

Shelters run on busy, unpredictable schedules, and the organizations I contacted (AthensPets, Athens Area Humane Society, and Athens-Clarke County Animal Services) were already fully booked for October.

Official Meowloween event illustration, courtesy of the lovely Cathi Warren :)

This time, I’m starting with collaboration. For our next event — Meowloween: Cats & Coffee — I’m working with shelters from the beginning to design something that fits their timelines and needs.

Right now, the plan is for Friday, October 31, 6:30–9:45 PM at Superior Car Care off Atlanta Highway. I’m in contact with the Oconee County Animal Shelter, who’ve expressed interest in participating. Their shelter is currently low on adoptable cats — most are ferals or kittens still in recovery — so we’re exploring a kitten-focused fundraiser or even a dog-friendly event instead.

If that partnership doesn’t come together in time, don’t worry — I have a backup plan! I’ve been connecting with local Facebook rescue and rehoming groups to feature cats and kittens who need homes but aren’t part of a shelter. These animals will be adoptable but not available to take home the same day; they’ll be vetted, vaccinated, and spayed/neutered first, with adopters covering only those costs (and full receipts provided).

The details are still coming together — a few venue options are in the mix, and I’m waiting to hear back from Oconee — but one thing’s for sure: there will be a Meowloween event on October 31. Venue confirmations and ticket info are coming soon, so stay tuned — because I am determined to make Meowloween happen (even if it’s the last thing I do 😸).

🧡 Building Community, Creativity, and Connection

One of the best parts of growing Milo’s Cats & Coffee has been seeing how many creative and community-minded people are excited to be part of it.

Early on, I had the pleasure of working with local artist Cathi Warren, who designed our logo and helped define the warm, welcoming style that’s become such a core part of Milo’s identity. Now, Cathi is continuing to bring that same creativity to new projects — she’s developing custom illustrations for our website and recently finished a gorgeous piece for Meowloween that captures the cozy, playful energy we want every event to have.

In other exciting news, Milo’s Cats & Coffee is now on Facebook! 🐾

This will make it easier to share updates, event photos, and adoption stories, and to connect with local shelters, rescues, and community members. If you haven’t already, give us a follow at https://www.facebook.com/milo.cats.and.coffee — we’d love to have you join our growing community.

☕ Wrapping Up

Milo, our fearless VP of Project Management, hard at work even before Milo’s Cats & Coffee was born. A true industry trailblazer. 🫡🐾

These past few weeks have been full of learning, planning, and plenty of caffeine — but every step brings us closer to creating something that truly helps shelters and connects people (and pets!) in meaningful ways.

As always, thank you so much for your encouragement, support, and patience while Milo’s Cats & Coffee continues to grow. Whether you’re following along online, volunteering, or just cheering us on, it means the world.

Here’s to building a more compassionate community — one cup (and one cat cuddle) at a time. 💕

— Avery