This post was originally published here.

What does it take to be driven by purpose while tackling some of society’s most complex challenges? In this episode, Devin Thorpe, impact investor, author, and host of Superpowers for Good, shares how persistence, optimism, and a strong belief in collective action have shaped his career and mindset. Devin’s reflections will inspire you to embrace hard challenges and see your own potential to create meaningful change.

Episode Summary:

In this engaging conversation, host Kt McBratney sits down with Devin Thorpe, a champion of social impact, crowdfunding expert and creator of Superpowers for Good. They explore the powerful role persistence and optimism play in making an impact, even when the road seems tough. Devin reflects on key moments in his life, from his early career lessons to his personal experiences raising a son who embodies the belief that we can do hard things. He also discusses the barriers to making social change, lessons learned from mistakes, and the critical importance of play and balance in a purpose-driven life.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, an advocate, or someone looking to make a difference in the world, Devin’s insights will leave you inspired to face challenges with confidence, knowing that together we can accomplish the impossible.

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The Superpowers for Good Live Pitch is happening today, featuring some of the most innovative and impactful companies across various industries. Hosted by Devin Thorpe and judged by industry experts Tawana Rivers from The 10K Project, Lea Bouhelier-Gautreau from KingsCrowd, and Florence Hardy from The Flow Firm, this event brings together cutting-edge startups aiming to change the world— and they’re inviting you to invest!

Streaming live on e360tv, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube, this is an opportunity for investors and curious viewers to discover groundbreaking solutions across clean energy, healthcare, personal security, and agriculture. Let’s take a look at the four companies pitching at the event.

EarthGrid PBC

CEO: Troy Helming

EarthGrid is revolutionizing how we think about infrastructure and clean energy. Their plasma tunnel boring robots—yes, think Star Wars lightsabers—are set to disrupt the utility and transportation industries. These robots bore tunnels and trenches 100x faster and at 10x lower cost than traditional methods. EarthGrid’s goal is to create an underground SuperGrid, designed to accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy and provide improved infrastructure for broadband, water, and freight. Communities suffering from outdated infrastructure, like those with poor water quality or insufficient internet access, stand to benefit immensely.

32 BioSciences

CEO: Peter Farmakis

32 BioSciences is transforming the healthcare industry by focusing on the gut microbiome, the critical "organ" in our bodies that governs everything from digestion to immunity. Their innovative diagnostic tools measure the functional health of the gut microbiome and develop microbiome-based interventions (MBIs) aimed at preventing and treating a range of diseases. With more research linking gut health to overall well-being, 32 BioSciences is poised to address significant gaps in how we approach modern medicine.

Bond

Head of Product: Rob Quimby

In today’s world, personal security is a top concern, but many traditional solutions are out of reach for the average person. Enter Bond, a company dedicated to providing preventative personal security solutions that are both affordable and accessible. Bond's services focus on ensuring that everyone can feel and be safer, offering a revolutionary approach to personal security without the high costs associated with traditional methods.

Heartstone Farm Inc

CEO: Dan Kaplan

With a mission to deliver healthier, natural food options directly to consumers, Heartstone Farm partners with small family farms to provide all-natural meat. This farm-to-table approach is gaining traction as more people seek sustainable, transparent food sources. By supporting Heartstone Farm, consumers are backing small-scale farmers who prioritize animal welfare and sustainability, all while enjoying high-quality meat products.

A Platform for Change

The Superpowers for Good Live Pitch isn’t just about showcasing businesses; it’s about uplifting companies that are driving meaningful change. Whether it’s developing clean energy solutions with EarthGrid, revolutionizing healthcare with 32 BioSciences, offering safer lives through Bond, or promoting sustainable agriculture with Heartstone Farm—each company is tackling major global challenges.

These entrepreneurs are aligned with the Community Capital Principles of NC3, which means they are dedicated to using crowdfunding to drive community impact. Every pitch during this event is from a company engaged in fundraising via a FINRA-registered Regulation Crowdfunding portal or working with a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Don’t Miss Out

The Superpowers for Good Live Pitch event is an opportunity to invest in companies that are solving real-world problems. The live stream kicks off on September 25 at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET, and anyone can tune in to watch on e360tv, LinkedIn, Facebook, or YouTube.

For more details about the event and to learn how you can invest in these incredible companies, visit: https://www.superpowers4good.com/p/q3-superpowers-for-good-live-pitch

✨ Sponsored by Funding Hope, DNA, CrowdFund Mainstreet, and Crowdfund Holding Innovator

This post was originally shared here by Devin Thorpe

Recently, the Crowdfunding Professional Association issued a list of policy positions taken by its Board of Directors. I’m proud to serve on the Board. We started work on this official set of recommendations last year while I served as President. Crowdfunding lawyer Jenny Kassan has led the effort from its beginning. CfPA President Brian Christie now champions the policies.

Under Brian’s leadership, the CfPA will be hosting a Summit in Washington, DC, on October 22nd and 23rd. The first day of the event will be devoted to meetings with policymakers in their respective offices. We’re targeting meetings in four different Congressional offices, along with meetings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Conference registrants will be invited to participate in the meetings they choose.

Drawing on my personal experience working on Capitol Hill, I’ll lead the team meetings there.

The policy positions are intended to make small offerings easier and more affordable, enhance disclosure requirements to benefit both issuers and investors and create tax incentives for investors, benefitting small businesses.

What follows is my take on several of the policy recommendations that I find especially important and personally champion.

Reform of Requirements for Financial Reporting

The reporting requirements for Regulation Crowdfunding offerings are remarkably complex. Offerings up to $124,000 require certified GAAP financial statements. Offerings up to $1,235,000 require a financial review (much more formal and expensive than that word implies), and those above $1,235,000 require a formal audit. There is no exemption for newly formed businesses with no operating history.

The CfPA is recommending three key changes, all of which I support strongly:

1. Raise the $124,000 to $250,000. The CfPA has informally expressed support for the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee’s proposal to raise that threshold to $350,000. I’ve previously expressed my support.

2. Allow Tax Return Disclosure. Rather than require small businesses to prepare a new set of financial statements based on GAAP, CfPA recommends allowing them to disclose the tax returns they are already required to prepare. This eliminates the need to pay to have a second set of financial statements prepared. This is consistent with the SBA’s requirements for small business loans.

3. Exempt Newcos from Financial Statement Requirements. A rather obvious step for simplifying offering requirements and reducing expenses will be to eliminate the need for newly formed businesses to provide financial statements, regardless of the scale of the offering. The CfPA and I support this change.

These changes would have a rather dramatic impact on the cost of and time required for a Reg CF capital raise. This will benefit both entrepreneurs and investors. When issuers save time and money on a raise, it is easier to raise more money and increase the chances of success, benefiting investors, too.

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This post was originally shared here by Devin Thorpe

Today, I’m going to dig into a fairly nuanced area of crowdfund investing. If you’d like to make more money with your money by investing directly in private companies—and who doesn’t—please invest the time to learn more about SAFEs.

What Is a SAFE?

A SAFE is a Simple Agreement for Future Equity. The idea gained traction after the prestigious Y-Combinator accelerator began using a standard form of the instrument for its early-stage Silicon Valley startups.

The Securities and Exchange Commission published this definition with an embedded caution:

A SAFE is an agreement between you, the investor, and the company in which the company generally promises to give you a future equity stake in the company if certain trigger events occur.  Not all SAFEs are the same and the very important terms governing when you may get the future equity may vary across the SAFEs being offered in different crowdfunding offerings.  Despite its name, a SAFE may not be “simple” or “safe.”

Note that the emphasis is in the original document.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FkBk9KlRJM

Explore transforming your community connections into capital to start or grow a small business through regulated investment crowdfunding. Learn more about how this type of crowdfunding works and the benefits and challenges of raising capital from the crowd.

About Presenter: Author and journalist Devin Thorpe has over 25 years in finance and a rich background as a former CFO and investment banking firm founder. He’s also a champion for social good, publishing his Superpowers for Good newsletter and show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FkBk9KlRJM