Big Announcement
Forgive me for being excited about this! I’m organizing an industry-wide virtual impact crowdfunding conference and you’re invited!
At SuperCrowd22 you will learn, connect and grow with people like you. And all for a song.
Let’s start with the song. If you are a paying subscriber to this newsletter, you can attend for free! Just check the rewards link in your email to get the details.
If you are a free subscriber, you can register for half price! That’s just $99.50 when you use the discount code superpowers4good.
Chances are, you’re good enough at math to appreciate that a $55 subscription is cheaper than the $99.50 discounted registration fee. What does that suggest? You can save another $44.50 by subscribing!
What is this conference all about?
SuperCrowd22 is the biggest event of the year at the intersection of investment crowdfunding and impact investing, what I call impact crowdfunding.
Investment crowdfunding is a freshly legal way to invest your money, even if you don’t have a lot. Rich people have always been allowed to put money in startups or to back the local bar or diner with a few other rich friends. Investment crowdfunding created a legal process for ordinary people to do the same thing. The unique risks and rewards of investing in these businesses are now available to everyone.
Impact investing is a completely different discipline. It is the practice of investing money with the goal of a financial return and a social impact objective. For instance, you might want to invest in a startup that makes EVs to both make money and fight climate change.
Impact investing began with that monicker with wealthy families. Institutions have joined the practice. Ordinary investors, however, have had a more difficult time playing in the space.
The laws that enable investment crowdfunding, of course, enable impact crowdfunding, the opportunity for you to invest in social enterprises that do good you care about and have the potential to return your money—and then some.
Impact crowdfunding is risky. Don’t let me convince you otherwise. Keep in mind, however, that when we give to charity, we have no chance of getting any money back. We give purely for impact. Investing for impact gives us a chance of getting the money back!
Luminary Leaders Will Speak at SuperCrowd22
The speakers at SuperCrowd22 will include Jenny Kassan, Sara Hanks, Samson Williams, Scott McIntyre, Brian Christie, Peter Rostovsky, Michelle Thimesch, Brian Belley and Chris Lustrino. Ultimately, we expect a roster of 50+ speakers, workshop facilitators and panelists.
Before I tell you more about them, please note that we will have multiple ways for you to connect and communicate with the speakers and other members of the audience.
Jenny Kassan is a Yale-trained lawyer who helps people, especially women and social entrepreneurs, raise money via crowdfunding. She does her consulting and legal work from JennyKassan.com. She is also a partner in Crowdfund Mainstreet.
Michelle Thimesch is Jenny Kassan’s partner in Crowdfund Mainstreet and serves as the FINRA-regulated platform’s CEO.
Chris Lustrino is the CEO and founder of KingsCrowd, an online forum aggregating offering data that provides analytics on the investment crowdfunding industry and the companies and entrepreneurs raising money.
Brian Belley recently sold his business to KingsCrowd and joined the company as vice president. He is also a board member and treasurer for the Crowdfunding Professional Association.
Brian Christie is the CEO of the SaaS company Brainsy, which provides the crowdfunding ecosystem hosted by the Crowdfunding Professional Association; he also serves on the Association’s board.
Samson Williams is an entrepreneur and also serves as the president of the Crowdfunding Professional Association.
Sara Hanks is a securities lawyer and founder and CEO of CrowdCheck, a SaaS company that helps crowdfunding platforms help their clients comply with SEC rules for crowdfunding. She also serves on the board of the Crowdfunding Professional Association.
Scott McIntyre is a serial social entrepreneur who led the founding of the Crowdfunding Professional Association and currently serves as its chair.
Peter Rostovsky is an entrepreneur who also serves on the board of the Crowdfunding Professional Association.
Yes, I’ll be speaking, too. You likely know me for my podcast and passion for solving big problems like climate change, poverty and global health challenges. Previously, I founded and ran an investment banking firm that focused on startups raising venture capital. My first client was an investment crowdfunding platform—before its time.
Nominate a speaker here. If you know someone who should be on the agenda, or if you would like to be on the program, please let us know. To be sure we don’t lose track of your suggestion, submit the name here.
What You’ll Learn and How You’ll Benefit From Attending
Whether you are looking to learn how to invest or how to raise money—or both—this is the event for you.
Not only will you hear from experts like those listed above, but you’ll also be able to connect with them and others like them. About half of the time we’re together, you’ll be in smaller groups of fewer than 50 people, allowing you to ask questions virtually face-to-face with experts. Using comments, you’ll be able to connect with other people in your sessions.
We’ll also hold three hours of “unconference” small group sessions. In these meetings, you’ll be able to find people who care about causes, problems and opportunities that align with your interests. After you register, you can even volunteer to lead one of these peer-led discussion sessions.
In addition, just for fun, we plan an evening bingo game with prizes on September 15. The goal is to provide a fun and lively opportunity for people to connect.
A highlight of the event will be a live investment pitch session. Ten entrepreneurs then raising money via regulation crowdfunding on one of the FINRA-registered platforms will pitch to the entire audience. A panel of experienced investors will ask questions before the full audience submits theirs.
Because the companies presenting will be fundraising live at that time, you will be able to watch the presentation and then decide whether to invest or not. This is a no-pressure situation for investors. Like choosing an ice cream flavor, you can get one little scoop, two scoops of a favorite flavor, three scoops of different flavors, or any other combination you choose—including none, thank you very much.
So, let’s recap. At the conference, you will learn how to invest in high-impact social enterprises and how to raise money as a social entrepreneur. You’ll meet like-minded people from around the globe. If you’re raising money, you’ll have a chance to present. Even if you are not chosen to present, you’ll have opportunities to meet and connect with investors. And we’ll have fun!
Co-Hosts
We’re excited to have some great organizations act as co-hosts for this event, including the Crowdfunding Professional Association, Crowdfund Mainstreet, Crowdsage, Brainsy and KingsCrowd.
These organizations are active in various ways in the crowdfunding community and include people who are passionate about doing good, solving the world’s big problems and creating a more just society.
Registration
Learn more about SuperCrowd22 at supercrowd22.com. Be sure to use the discount code superpowers4good to get 50 percent off the registration price. Better yet, subscribe to Superpowers for Good today and register for free!