Weekly Digest: Crowdfunding Community Solar, the Power of the Crowd, Female Farmer Launch Yogurt Company
Nonprofit Finances Community Solar With a Capital Stack That Includes Crowdfunding - s11 ep01
AI Episode Summary
Devin Thorpe is interviewing Lynn Heller, CEO of the Climate Access Fund.
The Climate Access Fund is a nonprofit green bank that focuses on providing low-income households with access to clean energy, particularly through community solar projects.
Community solar allows households to sign up for solar power from a project located elsewhere, such as a large tract of land or a rooftop, and receive a discount on their electricity bill.
The Henderson Hopkins School project in Baltimore is a community solar project that will provide a 25% discount on electricity bills for low-income households in the neighborhood.
The project is unique because it is entirely for low-income households, it has co-benefits such as job training programs and educational components, and the nonprofit owns a portion of the solar asset to share dividends with subscribers.
The Climate Access Fund has raised around $350,000 through a crowdfunding campaign on Raise Green.
The fund initially hoped to give low-income families the opportunity to invest directly in the project but faced challenges due to mistrust from previous bad experiences with third-party electricity providers.
Lynn Heller sees her superpower as having the guts to try things that others may not feel confident in attempting.
She is proud of where the Climate Access Fund has come and its ability to carve out a niche in the industry.
Lynn advises others to listen and learn from different perspectives, collaborate with well-meaning experts, and align themselves with a team to collectively foster innovation and confidence.
The Real Superhero Is the SuperCrowd
For years now, I’ve been writing and talking about superpowers in the context of social impact. The world’s most significant people are devoting themselves to solving the biggest problems. One key thing I’ve learned from the guests on my show is that teamwork is the ultimate superpower.
Who has had more influence on climate change? Greta Thunberg or Bill Gates?
These Entrepreneurs Upend Every Stereotype - s11 ep02
AI Episode Summary
Stephanie and Haley Painter are the founders and co-CEOs of Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt.
They come from a fourth-generation regenerative farm in northern Pennsylvania.
Their goal is to vertically integrate their family's farm and connect consumers directly to the source of their food.
They launched an organic Icelandic-style skyr yogurt and have achieved significant sales growth, with a projection of $3.5 million in sales for 2023.
Their yogurt is sustainably sourced from their family farm and other local farms and contains high protein and billions of probiotics.
They are raising money through a crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder to allow their community to invest in their mission and become equity owners.
Stephanie's superpower is imagination and creativity, while Haley's superpower is connecting with people and animals.
Stephanie coaches others to develop imagination by visualizing solutions and maintaining a positive mindset.
Haley encourages others to develop their ability to connect by getting involved in communities, volunteering, and networking.
People can learn more about Painterland Sisters and their crowdfunding campaign by visiting their website, social media platforms or searching for their campaign on Wefunder.
Join us for the SuperCrowdHour with Lea Bouhelier-Gatreau of KingsCrowd as she explains how you can start investing for impact with just $100 on August 16 at 1:00 Eastern/10 Pacific. Register at half-price here.
Léa is a Sr. Investment Analyst at KingsCrowd who writes the company's impact investing monthly article, providing investors with the best impact investing deals and market insights. She previously worked for Stanford's accelerator, StartX, and led the first award-winning study on the Malawian startup ecosystem. She holds a degree in Anthropology from France and studies at UC Davis, working toward an MBA.
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