Drop The Mic Night is back this October with a brand new theme:
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and all proceeds will benefit Make-A-Wish Connecticut.
October 22, 2026
5:30 PM - 9:00 PM
CoCreate Stamford
47 John Street
Stamford, CT 06902
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Ten aspiring speakers will take the stage and share their take on this October's theme: WISH. Five minutes each. Raw, real and unforgettable. These are people from your community, maybe your neighbor, your colleague, your friend, who have worked hard to craft and deliver a talk that will move you. Come ready to laugh, feel something and leave inspired.
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And here's the thing about Drop The Mic Night — you're not just an audience member. You're a cheerleader. Literally. We hand out pom poms at the door because that energy in the room? That's what carries our speakers through. The more people we pack into that room, the louder the cheers, and the more powerful the experience becomes for everyone on that stage.
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Your ticket also includes food, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and the kind of genuine, warm community-building that keeps people coming back event after event. This isn't a stuffy fundraiser. It's a party with a purpose.
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And that purpose is real. Every dollar raised goes directly to Make-A-Wish Connecticut to help them create life changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
By showing up, you're doing two things at once: giving an aspiring speaker the moment they've been working toward, and helping Make-A-Wish Connecticut deliver hope, strength, and inspiration at a time when a child and their family need it most.
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That's a pretty great reason to buy two (or more) tickets and bring someone with you.
Every Speaker Starts Somewhere
There's no shortage of stages for experienced speakers. But for someone who's newer to this, finding a real stage with a real audience is harder than it sounds. Drop The Mic Night exists to close that gap.
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Our stage welcomes everyone — men, women and non-binary individuals — no matter your background or where you're from in life. High schoolers stepping up for the first time. Professionals who have always had something to say but never had the right place to say it. If you have a voice and something to share, there's a place for you on the Drop The Mic Night stage.
Every speaker selected to participate receives complimentary coaching and feedback to help them prepare, so when they step up to that mic, they're ready to own it. This is a space built on encouragement, not judgment, and every single person in that room is rooting for them. Whether you're dreaming of a TEDx stage someday or you just want to finally find out what you're made of in front of a crowd, this is where that journey starts.
Experience Mic-Dropping Moments
Five events in and the magic hasn't worn off. Speakers from across the country have stepped onto our stage nervous and walked off transformed. Audiences have laughed, gotten chills and left talking about what they heard for months and even years.
Visit our DTMN Library to watch past performances and see for yourself what a night like this looks like.
A Cause Worth Championing
This October, we have the pleasure of supporting:
Since their chapter was founded in 1986, Make-A-Wish Connecticut has granted over 4,600 wishes to local children. Whether it's meeting a favorite athlete, traveling to a dream destination, becoming a firefighter for a day, or experiencing something completely unique, each wish is carefully designed around the child's interests and imagination.
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But the impact doesn't end when the wish comes true.
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Research shows that wishes can help improve a child's emotional well-being, strengthen families, and create positive memories that last long after medical treatments are over. For many wish children, the anticipation of a wish provides something powerful to look forward to during some of their most difficult days.​
I wish to be a park ranger.
Sammy, 8
Congenital Heart Failure
There's a word we don't use lightly: CHAMPION
At Drop The Mic Night, we don't call our sponsors "sponsors." We call them Champions. Because that's exactly what they are: people and businesses who show up for something bigger than a logo placement. People who believe that when a voice gets amplified, lives change.
This October, Drop The Mic Night is proud to support Make-A-Wish Connecticut. Every dollar raised will help bring hope, joy, and renewed strength to children facing critical illnesses right here in our community.
Here's what inspires us about their mission:
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Every 20 minutes, a child is diagnosed with a critical illness that may qualify them for a wish.
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95% of health care professionals surveyed say they believe that the wish experience can influence wish kids' physical health.
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Wishes are entirely funded through the generosity of donors, sponsors, and community supporters.
Behind every wish is a child waiting for hope.
A wish to visit the beach. A wish to meet a hero. A wish to be a princess, a pilot, or a zookeeper. What may seem simple to us can be transformational for a child and family navigating medical uncertainty.
When you support Make-A-Wish Connecticut, you're not just helping fund an event. You're helping create moments of hope, strength, and joy that can make a lasting difference in a child's life.
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That's the mission your brand would be standing behind. And that's why we call our supporters champions. Because together, we're helping make more wishes come true.
Can't make it to the event, but want to support Make-A-Wish Connecticut?
Thank you Champions!
Drop The Mic Night wouldn't happen without the people and businesses who believe in what we're building. Help us thank them by showing them some love!
Venue Champion
If you're interested in championing this event, we'd love to have you in our corner!
At Drop The Mic Night, we put real people on a real stage with real coaching, a live audience, and a room full of cheerleaders (literal pom poms included) who are there for one reason: to lift people up. When you become a Champion of this event, your name is attached to every moment of that.
Every speaker who finds their voice.
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Every child Make-A-Wish Connecticut helps with the money we raise together.
We chose the word Champion on purpose. Because writing a check is easy. Choosing to stand behind something that matters is different. That's you saying: I believe girls deserve a seat at the table. I believe voices deserve a stage. I believe in what happens when we invest in people before the world tells them to play small.
If that sounds like your brand, we want you in the room with us.
Drop The Mic Night runs on community, and that includes the people and businesses who help make it possible. There are two ways to get involved:
In-Kind Champion
Got something to bring to the table? Literally. We welcome in-kind contributions of food, beverages and speaker prizes. Every donation offsets event costs, which means more of what we raise goes directly to Next Girl Up. If you have something to offer, we want to hear from you.
Donor Champion
Make a direct, tax-deductible donation to Next Girl Up, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Donor Champion packages start at $175 and go up to $5,000, each with its own recognition and visibility benefits. Download our Champion Deck to explore the full range of opportunities.
We welcome support from organizations and individuals alike. Not ready for a full package? Every dollar still makes a difference. Make a smaller donation to Next Girl Up directly here.
In Good Company
Meet some of our previous Champions
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