By Maureen Murat. Esq. and Samson Williams 

ABSTRACT. In 2016, President Obama introduced the Jumpstart Our Businesses & Startups (JOBS) Act. Now, via the JOBS Act Regulated Crowdfunding (Reg CF) exemption, existing companies, startups and founders can raise up to $5M from retail investors in a 12-month period. In the year 2022 alone, over $494M in investment dollars was raised from 394,000 people or entities, most of which are retail investors, over 1407 offerings on Reg CF investment crowdfunding platforms, with an average investment check of $1,256.00 dollars.  An additional $431M was raised from 107,000 investors using the Reg A+ exemption rules. Under the Reg A+ exemption, startups, founders and existing businesses can raise up to $75M per offering from retail investors in a 12-month period. Into this mix of startup capital we add the nuances of Name, Image & Likeness (NIL). How will Reg CF and Reg A+ investment crowdfunding impact the ecosystem of “studen...more