sudo-crowd December 2013

sudo-crowd@sudoroom.org

1 participants
8 discussions

by Eddan Katz

Hello Sudo-Crowd. This mailing list has been around for a while and used infrequently. Now that the deadlines for creating an equity crowdfunding intermediary with FINRA is just around the corner, I was hoping that this list could have as its first objective to have sudo-crowd apply to be a crowdfunding intermediary. Otherwise, I thought that this list would facilitate better information sharing and collaborative work on crowdfunding generally and in Oakland in particular. So as for introductions - I'm Eddan of eddan.com. I was a co-founder and ex-Exchequer of Sudo Room and had been interested in collaborative business models that would be enabled by more horizontal capital flows since early on in discussion about Sudo Room's means of ownership and governance. My expertise is in Internet law - intellectual property, privacy, cybercrime - at both a domestic and international level. I live in Oakland with my wife and kindergarten age daughter, and generally work out of the 2141 Broadway space during the day. I believe strongly that a sense of ownership contributes to one's pride in what they do and investment beyond a salary. Interested to know who else is on here. I know that Caroline Lee is now on, who has been doing specific research on the Equity Crowdfunding provisions of the JOBS Act through the Sustainable Economies Law Center. I was hoping this could be a great forum in which to share knowledge and work through issues regarding crowdfunding with the unique expertise assembled. -Eddan +1-415-728-5800

10 years, 3 months

Vator Splash Apr. 1-2, 2014

by Eddan Katz

Hi Sudo Crowd. Not sure if everyone is familiar with Vator.tv (http://vator.tv/), a tech startup network/news/events portal. They will be holding their Vator Splash event here in Oakland Apr. 1-2, 2014 (http://vator.tv/events/splash-oak-april-2014) and the folks running the event are big fans of Oakland. It's a pretty big thing and the folks who run it have asked if folks interested in equity crowdfunding want to set up a parallel series of events that are more hack-a-thon like and of interest to co-operatives and advocacy organizations. Ideas and suggestions for topics, speakers, and activities would be much appreciated. -Eddan

10 years, 3 months

Fwd: Public Comment for Tech & Communications Standards Closes 1/2

by eddan.com

Of all the triple bottom line reporting standards floating around, I think the SASB initiative is foundational and most relevant to smaller organizations. I wanted to dig deep into one of their standards-setting process and think the Tech one may be very interesting to look at. I know Anthony was interested in working on this. Anyone else? -Eddan > From: SASB <comments(a)sasb.org> > Date: December 17, 2013 at 5:01:23 PM PST > To: Eddan <eddank(a)aya.yale.edu> > Subject: Public Comment for Tech & Communications Standards Closes 1/2 > Reply-To: SASB <comments@.org> > > > > > > > > If you are having trouble viewing this email please click here to view it in your browser > > Notice of Public Comment Period > Sustainability Accounting Standards > for the Technology & Communications Sector > > Closes January 2, 2014 > > > SASB welcomes comments from the public on standards for industries in the Technology & Communications sector. Those providing comments should keep in mind that the proposed disclosure standards are intended to be integrated in standard filings of publicly-traded companies, such as the Form 10-K. As such, they reflect auditable information that is likely to be material to investors and can be disclosed in a cost-effective manner. > > The standards have been developed based on extensive evidence-based research and significant, balanced input from more than 220 corporations, investors and other stakeholders (representing $2.3T assets under management and $1.9T market capitalization) in our Industry Working Groups. The public comment period is the next step in finalizing the standards. They will then be reviewed by SASB's independent Standards Council, finalized and issued for use by companies in the sector in March 2014. > > The Technology & Communications sector includes the following industries: > Electronic Manufacturing Services & Original Design Manufacturing > Software & IT Services > Hardware > Semiconductors > Telecommunications > Internet Media & Services > To access the exposure drafts, and for instructions on how to submit comments, please click here. > > All comments received, as well as SASB's response to each comment, will be posted publicly as part of our open and transparent process. > > > > About SASB: The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board™ (SASB™) is a 501(c)3 non-profit that develops accounting standards designed for the disclosure of material sustainability issues in annual filings to the SEC, such as the Form 10-K and 20-F. SASB is developing standards for more than 80 industries in 10 sectors through 2015. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has accredited SASB as a standards setting organization. > > > > > > > > > > LinkedIn twitter > > YouTube > > > > Sustainability Accounting Standards Board > 75 Broadway | Suite 202 | San Francisco, CA | 94111 > > > > > > > > > > This email was sent to eddank(a)aya.yale.edu > why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences > SASB · 75 Broadway, San Francisco, CA, United States · Suite 202 · San Francisco, CA 94111 · USA >

10 years, 4 months

FINRA crowd funding portal rules - public comments

by Eddan Katz

http://www.finra.org/Industry/Regulation/Notices/2013/P370744 FINRA Requests Comment on Proposed Funding Portal Rules and Related Forms Comment Period Expires: February 3, 2014, FINRA is soliciting public comment on a set of proposed rules—referred to as the Funding Portal Rules—and related forms for SEC-registered funding portals that become FINRA members pursuant to the crowdfunding provisions of the JOBS Act. ------ Still making it through this hefty document. Anyone interested in working on this with me, let me know.

10 years, 4 months

follow up by Crowdfunding Movement's Holiday Party

by Eddan Katz

> > Thank You so much for coming to the Crowdfunding Movement's Holiday Party! > > We had an incredible time at the party and hope you did too! Thank you everyone for your kind messages and we are grateful that our group has been really growing into a vibrant community of crowdfunders and start-up entrepreneurs helping each other out. > > Thank you to all the Crowdfunders for sharing a wealth of knowledge with us! We can't thank you enough and hope to support and connect Crowdfunders with each other. > > The December event was our biggest turnout yet and we are exploring ways of serving the community on a bigger scale and growing this movement. Please help us make this event better by taking a short survey. We'd like to know which days/times work best for the group, as well as having a larger venue or two events per month. Here is a link to our survey: > > https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=U4z9EioUggK_2b5gre57GZiw_3d_3d > > CROWDFUNDING MOVEMENT IS GROWING - WE ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS AND SPEAKERS! > We are thrilled about the growing community and importance of having on-going events by Crowdfunders for Crowdfunders. We have opportunities to volunteer at our monthly events, as well as work for our upcoming Crowdfunding Conference in 2014. Please inquire at info(a)flipslip.com or fill out this form and we will get back to you with more info and an invitation to our next planning meeting: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Xk5WGEj4v89P1pDaNhTHnVlopFsQ_ldaSGV7hr9R3z… > > CROWDFUNDING PRESENTERS - REGISTER TO SPEAK AT OUR NEXT EVENT! > If you are a Crowdfunder and would like to be a Presenter at our next event, please sign up on this form. As always, we handle everything and provide a complementary demo table for all of our speakers. More info here: > https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1h8rJ07IE5aIhAmzWvixLRF7uesgDZLoPTXgwsQBTJ0… > > CROWDFUNDING RESOURCES LISTING PAGE > We've had a lot of inquiries from people that need to get in touch with resources and from businesses that would like to connect with crowdfunders. We now have a list! Please fill out your information on this page which we will publish on our site (note this will be available publicly): > https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApwmrqgVt25JdDVGdmVQdUN4UlQwUk… > > Thank you everyone, we wish you success and a wonderful 2014!

10 years, 4 months

crowdsourcing.org newsletter - Givelocity & #GivingTuesday

by Eddan Katz

Begin forwarded message: > From: "Crowdsourcing.org" <newsletter(a)crowdsourcing.org> > Subject: New Crowdfunding Platform Wants to Make Charitable Giving a Monthly Occurrence > Date: December 4, 2013 1:08:37 PM PST > To: eddank(a)aya.yale.edu > Reply-To: newsletter(a)crowdsourcing.org > > Having trouble viewing this email? Click here > > Wednesday, December 4 > Top StoriesVisit Our Site Follow Like RSS > > Givelocity Launches on #GivingTuesday -- Launched just yesterday, the crowdfunding platform Givelocity wants to make donating a monthly occurrence. A crowdfunding platform with a unique twist, the site hopes to change the way people donate to charities and think about giving back in general. We profile the newcomer. > > OTHER HIGHLIGHTS > > After Crowd Votes, Obama Pardons Thanksgiving Turkey [Video] > In what’s become a yearly White House tradition, President Obama pardoned a Thanksgiving turkey on Wednesday afternoon. For the second year in a row, the crowd voted on which turkey would get the official pardon. Turkey lovers could vote on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. This year, the proud strutting, corn munching, Beyoncé listening Popcorn got the crowd’s vote over his competitor Caramel. > Local Motors Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for Motorized Cruiser > Managing a large community of users is no easy endeavor -- just ask a community manager at any crowd-powered company. Local Motors, a co-creation firm, is seeing whether it can apply the lessons learned in its crowdsourcing field to crowdfunding by launching a campaign to fund a motorized bike. > Citizen Science Project Seeks Cash to Identify New Antibiotics > Two University of Chicago researchers are looking to address the threat of deaths caused by antibiotic resistance. And they’re asking the crowd for help. > Using Crowdfunding and the Golden Circle Concept to Aid Veterans > Crowdfunding consultant Rose Spinelli discusses crowdfunding campaigns for veterans: a seemingly great way to give back before the holidays that (for the most part) hasn't taken off. Spinelli writes in to discuss the "Golden Circle," a concept developed by Simon Sinek that can help put the military-related campaigns on a path to victory. > Instagram Film Made with the Help of the Crowd [Video] > Thomas Jullien, a French art director, recently created a short video using over 850 photos taken from Instagram. The two minute film takes viewers from Paris, through New York and Berlin, and all the way to Sydney, Australia, with a few other stops in between. > SPONSORED CONTENT > > > Massolution NYC 2013: See what you missed! > CommunityLeader Back Office > Crowdfunding Industry Report: BUY NOW Advertise with us > MORE FROM OUR TEAM > Industry Research from Massolution Our Crowdsourcing Events Calendar Crowdfunding Accreditation for Platform Standards (CAPS) Our Comprehensive Directory of Crowdsourcing Sites > QUESTIONS FROM THE CROWD > > Crowdfunding for high-tech R&D project > Thomas Clarke > > Upcoming Events > > > > > > More Stories Incubate London Partners with Kauffman Foundation, Bringing FastTrac Classes to Crowd Fund Magic > Incubate London, the firm that powers white label platform Crowd Fund Magic (CFM), recently announced that it has partnered with the Kauffman Foundation. We spoke with co-founder Chandrima Singh to find out what the partnership means for CFM's clients, and additional services the crowdfunding solution offers. > > 2013CF Crowdfunding Market: Software and Solutions Report > Massolution recently published the 2013CF Crowdfunding Market: Software and Solutions Report. It is a definitive guide to available crowdfunding software and solutions providers. This report will guide you to the choices for building the platform you want, whether it is for donations, rewards, lending, equity, or royalty; whether it is a new site, an addition to an existing one, or a single campaign; whether you do it yourself or hire a provider. > > Massolution NYC 2013 Presentations: Crowd as an Engine for Enterprise Innovation > At Massolution NYC 2013: Crowd Powered Business, the crowdsourcing conference we hosted in midtown Manhattan last week, we heard from dozens of companies and thought leaders about how the crowd is transforming the business ecosystem for major enterprises. If you couldn't make it to the conference, check out these presentations to see what you missed! > > > > Read > Our Stories > Got news? > tips(a)crowdsourcing.org > Browse our > Directory of Sites > > > Follow Like RSS > 11400 West Olympic Boulevard, Suite 200 > Los Angeles CA 90064 > contact(a)crowdsourcing.org > You have received this newsletter because > you subscribed to crowdsourcing.org's mailing list. > Update Profile | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy >

10 years, 4 months

Slow Money "Gatheround"

by Eddan Katz

via New Economy Coalition > > > Join Slow Money's Next "Gatheround" To Support Restorative Soil Practices > > Join our friends at Slow Money for their next Gatheround online crowdfunding event at 9pm EST on Dec. 10th. Learn about nourishing the soil from organic pioneer Eliot Coleman and engage with three farmer entrepreneurs putting restorative soil practices into action. Your $25 entry fee goes toward funding the entrepreneur of your choice. > Learn more at Gatheround.org » >

10 years, 4 months

WSJ.com: Several states let resident entrepreneurs secure financing through 'equity crowdfunding.'

by Eddan Katz

> > > > > > WSJ.com - Several states let resident entrepreneurs secure financing through 'equity crowdfunding.' > Subscriber-only content will be available to non-subscribers for up to seven days after it is emailed. > > > > > This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below > into your web browser. > http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/SB10001424052702303722104579237862… > > 'Crowdfunding' Gets State-Level Test Run By Ruth Simon and Angus Loten Dec. 4, 2013 7:46 p.m. ET Shaun Lee, left, and Adam Lee, whose company, Bohemian Guitars, is one of a dozen small Georgia companies making use of new rules in the state that pave the way for 'equity crowdfunding.' Dustin Chambers for The Wall Street Journal Entrepreneur Adam Lee and his brother couldn't get a bank loan. Then they learned that Georgia state officials had taken steps that might make it easier for their startup, Bohemian Guitars LLC, of Marietta, Ga., to raise the funds it needs. The pair, who make and sell oilcan guitars priced at $250 and up, are among a small but growing number of entrepreneurs taking part in a sort of test run for new federal rules: Officials in nearly a dozen states, including Georgia, Alabama, Kansas and Wisconsin, have enacted or proposed new laws—or tweaked existing policies—to make it possible for resident entrepreneurs to secure financing from everyday local investors, also known as "equity crowdfunding," according to the North American Securities Administrators Association. Photos Bohemian Guitars sells oilcan guitars priced at $250 and up. Dustin Chambers for The Wall Street Journal Generally, these arrangements are structured as equity deals, with investors receiving a share of the profits, says William Carleton, a Seattle-based lawyer for startups. The push to make it easier for entrepreneurs and small businesses to raise money comes as the Securities and Exchange Commission continues to mull over the finer details of what, where and how small firms can use crowdfunding as mandated by the 2012 federal law known as the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act. The agency issued a 580-page notice in October, but hasn't said when final rules would be implemented. Bohemian Guitars is one of a dozen small Georgia companies that have notified the state they plan to use the Invest Georgia Exemption, adopted in December 2011. The startup has raised $126,000 using the new rules, according to Mr. Lee. That's about enough to make at least 1,000 guitars, with some leftover to put into marketing and operations. Mr. Lee, who started Bohemian Guitars with his brother Shaun, spent six weeks meeting with family, friends and Atlanta investors, laying the groundwork for the guitar offering. "It's not just throwing up a profile on a website and investors swarm at you. It's a lot of effort," he said. "I had to educate them on crowdfunding and the Invest Georgia Exemption, and had to explain why we were raising money on this unique format," he said. "After all those educating points, I had to then move into courting the investors by sharing my business plan and investor deck." For Daniel Popovic of Atlanta, efforts to take advantage of the Georgia provision proved less fruitful. He recently pulled the plug on his three-month effort to use the Georgia exemption to raise $400,000 for cMEcompete, a website that connects people with fitness activities in their communities. Lining up investors "is a full-time job," said Mr. Popovic. "My energy is best spent building up the platform and growing customers." Mr. Popovic also worried that follow-on investors would be reluctant to fund a company where "thirty or forty people" have small stakes. The mixed results highlight the challenges facing entrepreneurs trying to raise funds from the general public, rather than just wealthy or professional investors. In 2011, Kansas became the first state to allow intrastate crowdfunding, after fundraising by a local dairy and efforts to build a new, small town movie theater inadvertently ran afoul of state securities laws barring the "general solicitation" of ordinary investors. The measure was also designed "to encourage capital formation, especially in the smaller communities," said Steven Wassom, executive director in the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner. So far, eight companies have filed under the Invest Kansas Exemption, including two microbrewery restaurants, a cafe, a defense contractor and a dairy. But there were some kinks in Kansas' initial approach, according to Steve Piper, an entrepreneur in that state. The owner of a small grocery store, Mr. Piper said he tried to use the exemption to raise $500,000 to relocate the Valley Café, a restaurant that he owned, into a building he hoped to buy in Marquette, population roughly 640. Mr. Piper closed the establishment after securing pledges for just $200,000, less than the $300,000 minimum he needed to relocate and update the restaurant. "We tried it for about a year and came up a little short," in part because the maximum investment at the time was $1,000, said Mr. Piper, who would nevertheless recommend other local businesses try out the exemption. In June, Kansas increased the maximum an ordinary individual could invest to $5,000 from $1,000. At the local level, equity crowdfunding "is really an extended friends and family round" for small, local shops and restaurants that aren't likely to seek or receive professional angel or venture capital investments, said Zach Brandon, president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce in Wisconsin, and an investor in several local retailers. The Wisconsin measure, signed into law in November, allows any state resident to invest as much as $10,000 per venture and limits total fundraising to $1 million—or $2 million if the firm raising the capital agreed to a financial audit. Alabama State Senator Arthur Orr, a Republican, in November introduced legislation drafted by his state's securities commission to allow local companies to raise up to $1 million from ordinary in-state investors in amounts of up to $5,000. "I was waiting on the SEC to finish promulgating their regulations" pertaining to the JOBS Act, he said, "but they have not seen fit to get that completed." The SEC says it won't issue final rules until sometime after a public comment period ends in February. Justin Bays and his partner, Jeremy Johns, raised roughly $100,000 from about 20 local investors for Radius Brewing Company LLC, a brew pub slated to open in January in Emporia, Kan. When the cost of the project climbed beyond what they had originally budgeted for, the pair sent postcards to members of the local community inviting them to a private meeting where they made their pitch for financing. That was something they couldn't do before the exemption because it would have been considered "general solicitation." "It helped us fill some of our financing needs, while also allowing the community to get involved," Mr. Bays said. Write to Ruth Simon at ruth.simon(a)wsj.com and Angus Loten at angus.loten(a)wsj.com Copyright 2013 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

10 years, 4 months

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

sudo-crowd December 2013