'Crowdfunding Is Only for Crappy Companies That Can't Raise Venture Capital.' Poppycock!
Naysayers Suggest Crowdfunding Is Only for the Unwashed and Unworthy. Here's the Truth.
Disclaimer: I’m not a financial advisor; nothing I write in Superpowers for Good should be considered investment advice. You should seek appropriate counsel before making investment decisions.
I’m sick and tired of hearing this crap. That’s what it is. I’m sorry, but smart people who otherwise spend their days doing intelligent and kind things are still thinking that crowdfunding is for losers. It’s not.
Let me explain this in terms anyone can understand. And please, do me a favor. Share this message with someone you love. Heck, share it with everyone you love.
Regulated investment crowdfunding is not for losers, the unwashed or the unworthy. It’s for every good company out there. It is for every investor.
Does that mean that sometimes a crappy company will raise money via crowdfunding? Yes. But don’t stop reading! Remember, those genius venture capitalists who sometimes lead the chants ...more
WEconomy and the (re)building of the American Dream
WEconomy is a social, financial movement powered by a revolutionary set of tools that help establish thriving regional economies, available to all residents, fueled by their own local currency.
In addition to Crowdfunding, the WEconomy sets the stage for residents of communities in crisis to enjoy purpose, resilience and prosperity again...all without the need to get in line at a bank or hope for benevolent investors.
Join me on Friday for my closing address and learn what we've been cooking.
...more
2021 CfPA Chairman's year-end address
Friday, December 31, 2021
Dear friends,
Thank you for another year far surpassing my hopes both personally and professionally.
The CfPA continues to be highly-regarded here and abroad as a generous and vital organization expanding access to capital and opportunity for entrepreneurs, small businesses and investors. Our work in 2021 helped Crowdfunding reach new highs, extended our global voice, and expanded our capacity domestically. We saw over $500M raised using RegCF offerings where even non-accredited investors finally got a piece of the pie. We saw RegA+ offerings land over $2B. For these, and so many other reasons, it continues to be an honor to be a part of a leadership team on the cutting edge of Alternative Finance. CfPA’s reputation continues to be enhanced by the many professionals who freely contribute their time and expertise to advancing the association and the industry. There have been so many noteworthy moments and I look forward to seeing even more debut in ’22.
In 2021...more
2019 CfPA Chairman's public address
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Dear friends,
A vast majority of you reading this letter are part of the Crowdfunding community—whether you know this yet or not, your knowledge, initiative, collaboration...and pocketbook have made our industry touch more lives than you might imagine. We at the Crowdfunding Professional Association thank you for all your imagination, hard work and follow-through, and celebrate with you the continued growth enjoyed by communities everywhere. I want to preface this letter by making certain my fellow volunteers at the CfPA are aware just how fortunate we are to have their gift of time, knowledge and leadership—thank you, again.
At its simplest, Crowdfunding lives at the intersection of crowdsourcing and alternative finance, and even until recently was seen more as a funding method for ventures too risky for conventional capital or for entrepreneurs lacking loan-worthy collateral or relevant experience. But in just six+ years since passage of the JOBS Act, Crowdfu...more
2018 CfPA Chairman's year-end address
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Dear members, friends and colleagues,
Unlike students “getting back to school” each fall, the best work of our association’s many volunteers tends to commence at the start of each new calendar following a frenetic year-end rush both professionally and personally. So, welcome back—I hope your 2018 was prosperous, and your holiday break inspirational and renewing.
Before outlining our goals for 2019, I need to first thank and congratulate all for a pivotal year that commenced with the necessary and successful recruitment of what many have confessed to me is an enviable assembly of alternative finance pioneers and thought leaders—over 34 remarkably generous board members, advisors and committee members, tripling all previous leadership. I am humbled to have gained your mindshare and commitment toward pursuing the CfPA’s noble mission. However, I emphasize “toward” because, as an organization, our ultimate fulfillment remains just over the horizon—we have much to...more
3 Ways to Get Cheap Tickets, 10 Good Reasons to Attend and 5 Bad Reasons Not to Join SuperCrowd22
Devin Thorpe
3 Ways to Get Cheap Tickets to SuperCrowd22
Let’s get this out of the way quickly. There are three ways to get cheap tickets to SuperCrowd22.
- Save $100 here. Everyone is eligible.
- Pay what you can here. If you can’t afford the full price or even half price, pay what you can. No questions asked. We don’t want the cost to keep you from attending.
- Become a CfPA Member. You can join for just $10 per month and cancel at any time. We hope you’ll stay for a long time. Benefits include free or discounted admission to future events. Members can purchase tickets to SuperCrowd22 for just $75%
Register for SuperCrowd22!
10 Good Reasons to Attend SuperCrowd22
There are countless good reasons to join us for SuperCrowd22; here are just ten:
- Meet people like you. Every day you get up determined to make the world a little better. Wouldn’t it be great to increase your circle of friends who do the same thing!
- Learn from experts. The roster of speakers is nearly 100 people long, including the smar
Calling All Social Entrepreneurs: Urgent Reminder
COVID Relief Easing Certain Crowdfunding Rules Ends on August 28!
This week, I’m traveling to Puerto Rico to cover the Bluetide Caribbean Investment Summit for Impact Entrepreneur Magazine. (See a related story here.) As a result, I didn’t have time to produce a podcast for today’s newsletter. I’ll also be sharing the podcast I would typically share on Thursday on Friday—it’s a special one.
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Big News! I’ve confirmed with the smartest people I know that an important bit of COVID relief expires on August 28, 2022. If you are a social entrepreneur looking to change the world for good, read on!
One of the biggest barriers to investment crowdfunding is the requirement for financial disclosure. Under the rules that return to full effect on August 28, you must provide financial statements reviewed by an auditor if you hope to raise more than $107,000. An auditor must complete a review before the offering can begin. And it is pricy. A review can easily cost $10,000.
If you raise mor...more
Expert: Crowdfunding and Venture Capital Markets Will Merge
Frankly, I don’t remember when a guest and I covered so much important ground in so little time. Don’t miss my conversation with Christopher Lustrino, the founder and CEO of KingsCrowd.
SuperCrowd22
Chris will be speaking at SuperCrowd22, our two-day virtual conference on impact crowdfunding and community capital. This event is for you!
“One of the cool things about building our business is that we get to watch how the entire world of equity crowdfunding is forming, what investor sentiment is like, what their behavior is like, what startup founder behavior is like,” Chris says.
“This is an incredible place to be in the world at this moment in time,” Chris continues. “So, it’ll be fun to dive in and tell folks more about what it is that’s happening all around us as this industry develops.”
KingsCrowd is tracking every deal in the sector, so he has a great perspective on the industry. Don’t miss it!
Readers can register now for half price!
Convergence of Crowdfunding and Venture Ca
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