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.

At 3PM ET / noon PT tomorrow, I'll be presenting a session at SuperCrowd22 on "Doing Good and Doing Well - How to pick impact investment opportunities".

I'll be sharing my own 5-step process for investing in exciting and impactful companies online. We'll also be reviewing some key stats about the online impact investing startup ecosystem in 2022 (which has already raised $78.2 million from nearly 50,000 individuals). 

This is easily the most impressive collection of impact investing and online startup investing experts and professionals all converging in one place for this event. 

I'll also be on a panel while a number of impactful startups pitch in front of a live (virtual) audience on Friday. Don't miss it!

You can see the detailed SuperCrowd22 agenda here.

Still need a ticket? Use coupon code "cfpamembers" at checkout on the page here to save $124 off your ticket!

I'll be presenting on Thursday some really interesting stats on how millennials are the driving force for Impact Investing.

A new study from Fidelity Charitable shows how millennials are leading the way in participating in impact investing, as it’s an effective avenue to align their values with their financial choices. For them, impact investing is just as much pride of ownership as it is about influencing positive change. 

Some of their key findings:

• Millennials will continue driving the adoption of impact investing as they come to control more wealth. Already, 61% are utilizing values-based investing strategies
• In addition to the personal fulfillment that comes from aligning their investments with their values, 62% of Millennials believe that impact investing has greater potential than traditional forms of philanthropy to create long-term positive change.
• Values-based investing is beginning to catch on more broadly. While only 1/3 of all investors engage in impact investing cur

The illusion in the start-up world is that anyone can have a great idea and bring it to fruition with grit, determination, and a lot of hard work. A key part of bringing a founder’s vision to life is securing funding in order to build a product, app, or service. Without capital, the founder’s vision will forever remain only a vision.

So raising capital is tantamount to success. It’s never just been about grit and a good idea. Connections, networking, and getting in front of the right people are all key to getting your idea off the ground.

And after you’ve made these connections and gotten in front of the right people - then what? Does the funding go to the best idea or the strongest founder with the most solid plan?

Statistically speaking, the answer to that is a resounding "no."

In 2021, female founders got 2% of all venture capital (VC) dollars - which was the lowest percentage since 2016. And since 2011, the highest that statistic has ever been was 2.7%.

And not only are female foun...more

Tomorrow I will speak at SuperCrowd22  (see: https://www.supercrowd22.com ) - a two day event (September 15/16) - along with thought leaders and practitioners addressing issues at the cross section of impact investing + investment crowdfunding. 

I am honored to be participating in this event. 

I'll address the topic of "Will Local News be the Next Frontier for Investment Crowdfunding?" 

I believe it's a topic of vital importance to our country and for the preservation of US democracy. At SuperCrowd, I'll speak to: 1) the current state of Local News media (it's not good) 2) a historical perspective on how we've gotten here and 3) a view on what can be done to help save or reinvigorate Local News across the country.    
 
As a preview, here are some slides and facts from part one of my presentation - the current state of Local News.  

Slide 2: The US loses two local newspapers each week! Since 2004, there has been a net loss of 2,514 papers. 

...more

Big news from the SEC: inflation.

Crowdfunding rules are full of limits that are adjusted by the SEC under authority from the 2012 JOBS Act. 

Here's the latest: https://www.thecorporatecounsel.net/blog/2022/09/jobs-act-inflation-adjustments-finally-arrive.html

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