How Would You Change the World?

We posted this originally at superpowers4good.com.

The sage advice to “be the change you want to see in the world” is often attributed to Ghandi. Whether he said that exact phrase is unclear, but it captures the essence of his philosophy.

Today, you can also invest in the change you want to see.

Suppose you want to see better drug development and healthcare for the Latinx community, you can invest in Somos.
Imagine you’d like to see clearer opportunities to find and patronize small businesses owned by women, you can invest in Inentionalist.
Perhaps you’d like to see cleaner extraction of rare earth minerals for all the high-tech toys we use today, you can invest in KMX Technologies.
If you’d like to invest in solar panels that simultaneously produce electricity with PV and heat water, you can invest in PowerPanel.

The opportunities to back founders aligned with your vision of the future, your priorities for solving social problems, your concern for people and the planet are all endless. There are a number of tools available for screening deals across platforms, including Kingscrowd, which I’ve enjoyed using.

Every month, the Impact Cherub Club meets to consider investment opportunities, focusing on those where you and I can invest as little as $100. We’re finding that doing this together yields better judgment (not a crystal ball) and provides tremendous fun. A wide range of people from several countries and at least two continents (most months) yields both insights and friendships.

You are invited to join us on July 19 at 3:00 PM. Register here.

June Meeting Report

At last month’s meeting, we heard diligence reports from club members on three companies: Trella Technologies, Xense, and Flux Hybrids. The club members discussed the pros and cons of each opportunity individually, ultimately voting to recommend an investment in just one of the companies.

For now, we’ve decided not to share the recommendation of the club outside of the club. If you’d like to know what we’re seeing, selecting and recommending, please join us on July 19 at 3:00 Eastern. There is no cost to participate; you don’t have to invest anything ever. When members choose to invest, I don’t touch the money and don’t earn any fees, commissions or favors.

Education Moment

Miah Olmstead, a member of the club, provided some training on due diligence.

She provided links to diligence training and tools that I’ll share here.

These are comprehensive resources that will help anyone quickly learn how to invest with experienced investors.

New Company Screening

In June, we took a first look at the following three companies. Club members volunteered to

Cabinet Health

Cabinet Health is scaling a business intending to reinvent the pharmaceutical industry to be radically more sustainable by replacing typical plastic containers with biodegradable ones. The plastics used not only harm the environment but also us, possibly offsetting some of the benefits of the drugs. The diverse management team is leading the raise on Republic.

Solar for Us 1

In partnership with the Climate Action Fund, this project financing opportunity intended to yield 5 to 8 percent annually brings solar power to a low-income community. The project will install solar panels on a Baltimore school roof, and the energy will be sold to homes in the neighborhood at 75 percent of what they currently pay, saving them money. The diverse team is raising money on Raise Green.

Note that this round has now closed and we will not be able to invest in this opportunity.

WeSolar

Founder Kristal Hansley is scaling her solar enterprise in Baltimore, Maryland. (I see no direct connection to the project above.) WeSolar provides homes and businesses with affordable clean energy. No upfront or installation fees. Anyone paying an electric bill can enroll in a community solar project. WeSolar is raising money on Raise Green.

Note that this round has now closed and we will not be able to invest in this opportunity.

Next Meeting—July 19, 2022, at 3:00 PM Eastern

At our next meeting on July 19, 2022, at 3:00 PM Eastern/Noon Pacific, consistent with our plans for future sessions, the agenda will have three items:

Diligence Reports
Education
Preliminary Consideration of New Candidates

Diligence Reports

We’ll begin with the due diligence reports from the Impact Cherub Club members who volunteered to do the research. After hearing the members’ reports, we’ll vote to determine whether or not to recommend investment in the companies. The decision will be made available to everyone who registers to attend, including those who don’t make it. Register here.

Education Moment

Jenny Kassan of the Kassan Group will provide training on how to access and understand Form C, the disclosure document required for all Regulation Crowdfunding offerings.

Preliminary Consideration of New Candidates

At our July meeting, we’ll be following the pattern of past months to conduct a preliminary review of three companies raising money via Regulation Crowdfunding on FINRA-registered portals. If you have identified a social enterprise or community-building company raising money via investment crowdfunding, feel free to recommend it to me for consideration next month.

Here is a bit of information about each of the three we’ll consider this month.

Sober Sidekick

Black co-founder and CEO Chris Thompson leads Sober Sidekick, an app that guarantees quick peer support for people working to overcome addiction. The app is a social media tool that allows someone to post their struggles and get nearly instant feedback from a community of people who have been there. Based in Los Angeles, the company is raising money on Wefunder.

Minwo

Founded by Melanie Akwule, an African American entrepreneur, Minwo operates a robust directory and networking tool for the Black business economy called Rialto. She has an MBA from UC Berkeley. The company is raising money via Wefunder.

Laminar Scientific

Founded by Narayan Iyer, a former aerospace engineer, Laminar Scientific is developing patented technology for capturing energy from waves. Located in low-cost Iowa, the company is working at the University of Iowa. The founders have agreed to work for free for up to five years until the company generates revenue. The company is raising money via Wefunder.

Please join us for the monthly Impact Cherub Club meeting on July 19 at 3:00 PM Eastern. There is no cost or obligation. We’re genuinely having fun! Register here for free.

Don’t forget that we’re hosting the biggest impact crowdfunding event of the year, SuperCrowd22, on September 15 and 16, 2022. Our free subscribers can register for the event for just $99.50, half off the $199 public price. Join us today!