Andrew D. Stephenson, Partner with CrowdCheck Law and Chief Product Officer with the affiliated due diligence company, CrowdCheck, is an entrepreneurial attorney focused on assisting small and early-stage businesses with exempt offerings under the Securities Act, especially related to online securities offerings for Regulation A and Regulation Crowdfunding. With his experience with these exemptions, Andrew has helped structure innovative funding strategies for operating companies, real estate projects, and asset fractionalization. Prior to joining CrowdCheck, Andrew was involved with evaluating internal company communications and reports as part of complex civil litigation matters. Andrew has also worked for the United States Congress, handling a wide range of policy areas. Andrew received his B.A. from Claremont McKenna College and graduated, cum laude, from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. Andrew is a member of the California, District of Columbia, and Tennessee bars.
Details of Mr. Stephenson’s full profile is viewable on his LinkedIn profile.
Jason has been showcased in panel and individual presentations in a number of Tech and Marketing conferences, along with over 180 Episodes of his “Test. Optimize. Scale.” Podcast. He is also committed to a number of thought leadership content projects for 2025, including the Forbes Agency Council and Crowdfunding Professional Association Board. Jason manages a Los Angeles team with experience in all aspects of the user journey
Details of Mr. Fishman’s achievements and recommendations can be viewed on his LinkedIn profile.
Brian is the Founder of Crowdwise, LLC, and is an angel investor in 80+ private startups through equity crowdfunding.
He obtained a dual B.S. in Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2009 with a minor in Economics and French, and a dual M.S. in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California in 2012.
After working as an engineering lead and manager at a Fortune 500 company for 10 years, Brian left the defense and aerospace industry to embark as an entrepreneur and founded Crowdwise in 2019.
Crowdwise is an online startup investing community focused on helping both investors and entrepreneurs navigate equity crowdfunding by providing courses, tools and educational content.
Jenny Kassan has almost three decades of experience as an attorney and advisor for mission-driven enterprises. She has helped her clients raise millions of dollars from values-aligned investors and raised over $3 million for her own businesses.
She is the author of Raise Capital on Your Own Terms: How to Fund Your Business without Selling Your Soul (Berrett-Koehler, October 2017).
Jenny earned her J.D. from Yale Law School and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley.
She served on the Securities and Exchange Commission Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies. She submitted the petition to the SEC that led to the passage of the 2012 JOBS Act and was present at the White House signing ceremony.
Over 35 years of experience in Information Technology with the majority of time being spent in the Financial Services industry. Possesses detailed knowledge of all aspects of the online capital formation/crowdfunding, international brokerage, hedge fund and asset management businesses. Able to recruit and motivate strong teams capable of solving mission critical business problems.
Has been involved in the alternative asset space since prior to the passing of the Jobs Act as the founder of CrowdClear a company formed to provide back office clearing and settlement services to firms raising capital using Regulation D. Currently works as the Director of Business Development for Koreconx, the premier supplier of technology and services helping firms manage all aspects of the investment lifecycle.
Samson is a classically trained anthropologist, finance and public health expert who advises Fortune 100 companies, executives and startups in Dubai, Washington, DC and Dublin, Ireland.
Samson learned his craft as Emergency Manager at Fannie Mae 2008 – 2016 and has since gone on to be a leading advisor to banks and financial institutions in the Dubai / Middle East North Africa region.
Samson’s focus is helping firms understand the latest human trends in fintech, digital transformation, the Space Economy and Low Earth Orbit entrepreneurship so that they can make profitable decisions for their bottom lines.
Follow Samson on Twitter/Instagram @MilkyWayEconomy or reach out to him on LinkedIn to follow the latest insights in his academic and market research.
Devin is a journalist, author and educator. He calls himself a champion of social good. As a new-media journalist and founder of the Your Mark on the World Center, Devin has established himself as a champion of social good. As a Forbes contributor, with over 400 bylines and over
one million unique readers, he has become a recognized name in the social impact arena. His Your Mark on the World show, featuring over 900 celebrities, CEOs, billionaires, entrepreneurs and others who are out to change the world, gives him a recognizable face as well.
Previously, Devin served as the CFO of the third largest company on the 2009 Inc. 500 list. He also founded and led an NASD-registered investment bank. After completing a degree in finance at the University of Utah, he earned an MBA from Cornell University.
Having lived on three continents and visited over 30 countries on six continents and with guests from around the world on his show, Devin brings a global perspective to international audiences–from the UN to Nepal–empowering them to do more good and make their mark on the world. These lessons also enable them to change their personal lives and to drive positive change within their organizations. His books provide roadmaps to audiences on how to use money for good. His books have been read over 1 million times!
Today, Devin channels the idealism of his youth, volunteering whenever and wherever he can, with the loving support of his wife, Gail. Their son, Dayton, works in San Francisco.
Vincent Molinari is the CEO of Templum Markets, (FINRA Registered Broker Dealer and ATS) and Co-Founder of it’s parent company, Templum, Inc. He is also a Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Blockchain Commission for Sustainable Development and is a Co-Founder and Co-Chair of Blockchain for Impact.
Vincent Molinari has nearly 3 decades of experience as a licensed person in the securities industry where he began his career at Lehman Brothers and later at Janney Montgomery Scott. He is a recognized thought leader on the modernization of securities law and the intersection of breakthrough innovation and technology solutions.
Vincent is an active Global Speaker on Market Infrastructure, Capital Formation, Blockchain, Digital Assets, Impact Investing, and the JOBS Act. He is the host of the Digital Assets Report filmed at the NYSE and has been invited to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Capital Markets, and Government Sponsored Enterprises. Mr. Molinari has also testified before The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies regarding secondary market liquidity.
He has participated in authoring 16 Comment Letters and Petitions for Rule Change to the SEC and FINRA. In addition, he consults with members of Congress and Senate on these issues.
Blaine McLaughlin is the Chief Product Officer of VIA Folio, an innovative IPO, private and alternative investment platform that makes it easy for online platforms, issuers, investors, brokers and advisors to engage with IPOs, private and alternative debt and equity offerings. Part of Folio Investments, Inc., VIA Folio supports issuance, custody, servicing and secondary transactions in public and private equity and debt investments, and other listed and unlisted securities. McLaughlin joined the company in 2007, and has led retail customer acquisition and management, partnerships, portfolio acquisition, introducing broker services, and other business development activities.
McLaughlin previously served as a Director of Marketing and Analysis at Capital One for credit card and direct banking divisions, and as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He has more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, holds a degree in economics from the University of California at San Diego, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Sara Hanks, Founder and CEO of CrowdCheck, is an attorney with over 30 years of experience in the corporate and securities field. CrowdCheck provides due diligence, disclosure and compliance services for online capital formation. Its services help entrepreneurs and project sponsors through the disclosure and due diligence process, give investors the information they need to make an informed investment decision and avoid fraud and help intermediaries avoid liability.
Sara’s prior position was General Counsel of the bipartisan Congressional Oversight Panel, the overseer of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Prior to that, Sara spent many years as a partner of Clifford Chance, one of the world’s largest law firms. While at Clifford Chance, she advised on capital markets transactions and corporate matters for companies throughout the world. Sara began her career with the London law firm Norton Rose. She later joined the Securities and Exchange Commission and as Chief of the Office of International Corporate Finance led the team drafting regulations that put into place a new generation of rules governing the capital-raising process.
Sara received her law degree from Oxford University and is a member of the New York and DC bars and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. She serves as co-Chair of the SEC’s Advisory Council on Small and Emerging Companies. She holds a Series 65 securities license as a registered investment advisor. Sara is an aunt, Army wife, skier, cyclist, gardener and animal lover.
David N. Feldman concentrates his practice on corporate and securities law and mergers and acquisitions, as well as general representation of public and private companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and private equity and venture capital firms. Mr. Feldman also advises emerging growth companies with regard to alternatives to traditional financing through initial public offerings. He is also considered an authority on public offerings through the recently implemented SEC Regulation A+. Mr. Feldman also represents investors, social media sites, public and private issuers and applicants for grow and dispensary licenses in the emerging cannabis industry.
Mr. Feldman has authored four books on finance and entrepreneurship, and contributed to three other books. His latest book, Regulation A+ and Other Alternatives to a Traditional IPO (John Wiley & Sons), was published in March 2018.
Jason Paltrowitz is Executive Vice President and Global Head of Business Development at OTC Markets Group, where he is responsible for all international and domestic corporate services new business and relationship management. Prior to joining OTC Markets in October 2013, Mr. Paltrowitz was Managing Director and Segment Head at JP Morgan Chase and was responsible for the custody, clearing and collateral management business in the Corporate and Investment Bank division. Mr. Paltrowitz started his career at BNY Mellon serving in multiple senior management positions, most notably as Head of M&A for the Financial Markets and Treasury Services Sector and 11 years in the Depositary Receipt Division as the Head of the Global Capital Markets Group. Mr. Paltrowitz also served as a member of the Board of Directors at OTC Markets Group from 2008 – 2011.
Mr. Paltrowitz holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Boston University and received his MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.
Patrick Tracey is Director of Business Development for Morrow Sodali. In this role, Pat brings expertise in a number of areas including Proxy Solicitation – Activism – Corporate Governance Advisory – IPO Prep – Demutualization (Insurance Companies, Community Banks and Credit Union) – Stock Surveillance for Public, Private and Mutual companies.
Pat has an impressive history in the securities industry. He has worked with community banks and insurance companies who have raised capital via mutual-to-stock conversions, mutual holding company formations and sponsored demutualizations, including the historic MetLife demutualization and the 1995 stock offering by the Boston Beer Company to retail customers.
Pat is on the advisory board of Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business program in investor relations and has guest lectured at Fordham, New York University, Baruch College and DePaul University on investor relations topics. Pat is a graduate of New York University.
Xiaocheh Zhang currently serves on the CfPA Board of Directors. He is also a co-founder of the Crowdfunding China Society (CFCS). As a crowdfunding thought leader, he has advised many organizations in applying alternative finance and result-based approach in transforming their business models. He has provided services to World Bank, United Nations, TUEV SUED, Virginia Tech, Peking University and some other organizations in the past 15 years. Xiaochen has rich experience in both public and private sector in America, Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe to incubate and scale up innovative programs and projects at all levels. He is also a recognized speaker in climate finance, green innovation and crowdfunding. Here are a few examples:
Rodney Sampson is an innovator, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, published author, and consecrated bishop. As an innovator and serial entrepreneur, Sampson co-founded Multicast Media Networks (Streamingfaith.com) in 2000 (acquired in 2010), a live and on-demand streaming platform that laid the foundation for companies like YouTube and Ustream. Not stopping there, Sampson co-founded Intellectual Currency (an integrated marketing, intellectual property, diversity & inclusion and business development advisory firm) in 2002, Intellect Inspire (a digital publishing imprint of Audible) in 2006, and Legacy Opportunity Fund in 2007 with investments in technology, consumer products, energy, cyber-security, publishing and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He also serves on the advisory boards of Digit, a disruptive financial technology company, Mark Burnett Productions, Springboard Fund and multiple startup and early stage companies throughout the world.
Sampson is passionate about reducing our nation’s poverty and wealth gap by advancing the cause of S.T.E.M, innovation, entrepreneurship and capital formation as a way of life for all communities. To advance this definitive cause, Sampson created Opportunity Ecosystem (OE). Opportunity Ecosystem includes Opportunity Hub, a multi-campus coworking space, coding college, entrepreneurship school, pre-accelerator and incubator. Opportunity Hub is also home to Opportunity Ventures, a new seed and early stage investment fund. In January 2013, Sampson launched Kingonomics, the nation’s leading platform for minorities and under-served communities to learn, navigate and master the investment ecosystem. Kingonomics conferences, events and trainings attract over 1,500 entrepreneurs, 500 teenagers and 100 accredited investors and mentors annually.
As a member of the Board of Directors of the Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA), Sampson is an active advocate and respected authority on Federal equity crowdfunding via the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS) Act and intrastate equity crowdfunding via Georgia’s “Invest Georgia Exemption”. Always meditating, thinking, networking and connecting to disrupt economic culture, Sampson is innovating what he has branded as an “ecosystem based capital formation platform” – designed to interconnect the capital markets of minority owned financial institutions, business associations, churches, neighborhood & community organizations, historical black colleges and universities (HBCU’s) and the constituents they mutually and respectively serve. The platform will allow underserved and under-represented communities to learn, engage and invest in the private capital markets by providing access to relevant investment opportunities traditionally reserved for accredited and institutional investors. The long-term outcome will result in sustainable new job creation, wealth creation and a better society for all.
Throughout this journey, Sampson has maintained the creativity of his youth and early entrepreneurial career as an experienced advisor, integrated marketer, business developer and connector. Having worked very closely on Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ, Disney’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe & The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till, Sampson was tapped in 2013 by Mark Burnett to create the diversity and inclusion initiatives at One Three Media, a joint venture between Mark Burnett Productions and Hearst. Mark Burnett is the Executive Producer of The Voice, Survivor, Celebrity Apprentice, ABC’s Shark Tank, The Bible Series, Son of God Movie & A.D. In Seasons 5 & 6 of the hit ABC show Sharktank, more than 15 minority-owned startups were afforded the opportunity to pitch their companies for angel investment on the show. Even in his advisory practice, Sampson is still working tirelessly to close the wealth gap while simultaneously shifting culture’s perceptions of minority entrepreneurs and investors.
Thell Woods, a former interim president of the CfPA, founded and currently serves as chairman of Crowdfunding Services LLC. The company helps establish “Community Centric Crowdfunding” programs offering both non-profit and securities offerings. Thell serves specifically defined communities throughout Michigan developing the www.C3funding.com website as the base for these programs.
A Realtor since 1958, Woods has been President and Realtor of the year of the Gratiot/Isabella Association of Realtors and a Director of the Greater Kalamazoo Association of Realtors. He served as a Vice President of the Michigan Association of Realtors and served 8 years as a National Director of the National Association of Realtors. In 2000, he was honored by the Michigan Association of Realtors as the recipient of the Realtor Active in Politics Award.
In addition to his real estate activities, he has served as the Securities Broker for his Syndications Corporation Broker Dealer which then had over 100 Realtors as licensed direct participation program securities representatives. During this time he also developed and sold over 60 Reg. D type private Real Estate offerings.
Among his other businesses, he developed Internet Connection Services an early Kalamazoo Area internet service provider and established Qualified Intermediary Services to facilitate section 1031 tax deferred exchanges and has earned the CES Certified exchange Specialist designation from the Federation of Exchange Accommodators.
Brian Korn was elected to the Board of Directors (Legal P.O.V.) of the Crowdfunding Professional Association in January 2014. Brian is a corporate and securities attorney at the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, and has had multiple appearances on Fox Business Television, Bloomberg, CCTV America and National Public Radio as an expert on the JOBS Act, including its impact on crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending, IPOs and market trading dynamics. He has been published or quoted in Forbes, CNBC, MSNBC, New York Law Journal, Law360, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Financier Worldwide and The Review of Securities & Commodities Regulation.
Brian is the author of several articles on capital raising and investor liquidity, and has several clients in the peer-to-peer lending space. Brian is the author of “The Trouble with Crowdfunding” published in Forbes, as well as the Forbes article announcing the SEC’s crowdfunding rules proposal. Prior to joining Pepper, Brian was Head of Equity Capital Markets and Syndicate Compliance at Barclays and was Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Brian is an honors graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the Northwestern University School of Law.
Brian Christie is CEO of Brainsy, Inc. – an innovative SaaS company offering a white label social media engagement platform that can reward participants for their engagement and that can be owned by the community. Brian’s vision for Brainsy is that it will spawn thousands of social media micro-networks – each using their own incentive system and currency (optional) to reward their community of contributors.
Brian is also an Advisor at Crowdfund Holdings Innovators (CHI), a company that incubates innovative crowdfunding concepts and advises issuers on raising money through regulated investment crowdfunding. Brian has advised or invested in various start-ups and served in a board or executive role at companies such as LTVtrade, Promontory Interfinancial Network, and quantumStream. Specialties include: fintech, digital marketing, strategic alliance formation, impact investing, international business development and cross border transactions. He’s a fan of any movement, innovation, technology, law, or regulation that creates opportunities, serves the public interest, and levels the economic playing field.
Brian received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Miami University and an MBA from Georgetown University
Darren Marble is the CEO of CrowdfundX, a pioneering crowdfunding agency serving corporations and entrepreneurs across a wide mix of industries and geographies. The company helps clients to effectively architect and execute strategic equity and rewards-based crowdfunding campaigns that build brand equity and drive growth.
Notably, under Darren’s leadership, CrowdfundX designed, produced and marketed the Reg A+ equity crowdfunding campaign for Elio Motors, which raised just under $17 million from 6,200+ investors. Elio subsequently listed on the OTC Markets OTCQX under the symbol “ELIO,” making it the first company in the United States to have completed a Reg A+ equity crowdfunding offer and list shares on a public exchange. At present, CrowdfundX is currently managing more than a dozen Reg A+ equity crowdfunding campaigns.
Darren is a featured LinkedIn contributor and an active public speaker, having recently spoken as a guest lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, USC Marshall School of Business, UC Irvine, the CSUN Entertainment Alumni Network and the ESGCI Business School in Paris, France. His insights have been featured in Forbes, the Los Angeles Business Journal, Bankless Times and others.
Thomas Lawson is vice president of private issuer services for VIA Folio, Folio’s private capital network. In his role at VIA Folio, he provides legal and regulatory guidance to business development and operations. As part of this work, he supports VIA Folio’s online transactions in unlisted securities. He joined Folio in 2015.
Prior to joining Folio, Tom was a chief counsel for the enforcement department of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and assistant director of enforcement at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In total, he brings more than 25 years of experience in securities law and financial industry regulation.
Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in Classics from Union College and a law degree from Hofstra University’s School of Law.
AdaPia D’Errico is the Chief Marketing Officer at Patch of Land, where she heads up marketing, which includes strategy, brand, communications, partnerships and client services. Prior to joining Patch of Land, AdaPia ran a consulting company that developed growth strategies for major brands at Disney and Mattel, as well as technology and new media startups. AdaPia began her career at CIBC and subsequently spent 8 years in banking and investment management with a focus on customer relationship management, investor relations, and corporate communications. AdaPia is a published writer, blogger for The Huffington Post, and is a public presenter on topics including growth strategies, entrepreneurship, crowdfunding and brand development. AdaPia holds a B.B.A from the University of British Columbia and a B.A in International Business Economics from Hogeschool Zeeland, The Netherlands.
Dara Albright is a recognized authority, thought provoker and frequent speaker on topics relating to market structure, private secondary transactions, next-gen IPOs, P2P, FinTech and crowdfinance. Albright has held a distinguished 23 year career in IPO execution, investment banking, corporate communications, financial marketing as well as institutional and retail sales.
She is a visionary who continues to introduce rising asset classes and crowd-structured financial products to the Wall Street community. Albright was one of the earliest voices covering the JOBS Act and advocating for greater democracy in the equity and credit markets. She produced the very first crowdfunding conference in January 2012 which was headlined by key JOBS Act architects: Congressman Patrick McHenry and Dave Weild. That event helped birth the crowdfinance movement and led to the establishment of the industry’s trade and leadership organizations – which she co-founded. In 2013, she co-founded LendIt, the largest and most recognized global p2p & online lending conference organization. In 2015, she co-founded FinFair, the first conference platform to feature the leadership, products and technologies driving the crowd-centric retail alternatives market. Some of the most prominent figures in the financial industry as well as the legislature continue to participate in Albright’s events. Her leading-edge articles that have helped shape the direction of the crowdfinance industry can be found on Equities.com, Crowdfund Insider, Seeking Alpha, Investing.com, FINalternatives and Business Insider. She has been featured in the NY Times, Forbes, ABA Banking Journal, Thestreet.com, Private Wealth Magazine as well as in a number of leading industry trade publications. Albright continues to help issuers, investors as well as financial service providers across the globe capitalize during this unprecedented period of financial industry disruption and regulatory reform. Prior firms she worked for include: Unterberg Towbin, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Divine Capital and Citigate Dewe Rogerson. She is a graduate of the George Washington University and holds securities industry Series 7, 24, 31 and 63 licenses.
Jordan Fishfeld is the former CEO and co-founder of PeerRealty (sold), and current Chairman of the Board and co-founder of CFX Markets and OpenFinance Network, secondary market platforms for traditionally crowdfunded and digital assets, respectively. In this role, he focuses his time on strategic planning and general oversight in the new and growing digital marketplace. With over 8 years of compliance, legal, investing, and sales experience in regulated markets, Jordan understands the need for a single coherent voice in the crowdfunding and blockchain industries.
Prior to founding PeerRealty, Jordan worked as a finance attorney for Katten Muchin Rosenman, LLP, where he assisted on more than $1 billion worth of syndicated loan transactions.
Additionally, Jordan sits on the board of Upstart, a national non-profit tasked with bringing bold, new and innovative Jewish ideas to light through its accelerator and mentorship program.
Jordan received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida and his Masters of Business Administration and his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Dr. Richard Swart is recognized as the global thought leader in the crowdfunding industry. Richard is a founding board member of the Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA), the Crowdfunding Intermediary Regulatory Advocates (CIFRA), and an early leader in the field. Richard co-organized the first major national conference on crowdfunding and coordinated several educational events on the JOBS Act throughout the United States for the White House.
As a research scholar in the Institute for Business & Social Innovation in the Haas School of Business, he is the University’s resident expert on crowdfunding and evolving models of alternative finance. He also organized the Annual Academic Symposium on Crowdfunding Research. He currently advises the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and works with several other prominent foundations, think tanks, funds and corporations. He is co-author of the forthcoming book Crowdfunding: The Corporate Era, being published in June 2015.
Richard has emerged as the global expert in developments in crowdfunding. He was the lead author on a research project for the World Bank exploring crowdfunding and funding models for innovative technology. He has lectured in Europe, the UK, Africa, the Middle East and throughout the United States. In recognition of his research in the United Kingdom, he was recently made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Dr. Swart was the lead author or researcher on the World Bank’s report on Crowdfunding and it’s Potential Impact for the Developing World. He partnered with the University of Cambridge to complete the first Country level-study of alternative finance: The Rise of Future Finance: The UK Alternative Finance Benchmarking Report. With Crowdfund Capital Advisors he authored the report: How Does Crowdfunding Impact Job Creation, Revenue and Professional Investor Interest? – the first report that empirically demonstrated crowdfunding’s effects on job creation and future investments.
After leaving Utah State University’s Huntsman School of Business where he taught Information Systems, he has worked with a number of startups and has become a key organizer in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He is a former COO of an Internet startup that had a successful exit in 2010. Richard is a board member and strategic advisor to firms in the crowdfunding and alternative investing space.
Scott McIntyre. 2024 marked Scott’s 9th term as Chairman of the CfPA’s Board of Directors, having served in leadership since formation in 2012, including four terms as President & Chair.
Complementing his work at CfPA, Scott founded 501(c)3 non-profit WEconomy-US, Inc. to implement the breakthrough economic development platform he co-authored, the Sustainable Communities Framework (SCF). Scott serves as a director and advisor to both the Sustainable Communities Foundation, a 503(c)3 fiscal policy NGO responsible for the SCF, and at Community Vision Associates, helping preserve legacy neighborhoods sustainably and equitably with novel real estate strategies.
Scott is a proponent of regenerative agriculture, actively supporting the development of an industrial hemp ecosystem domestically. He is a partner at Renaissance Park Corporation, a JV-driven R&D firm based in Sausalito, California, and founded Ohio-based co-op Hemp Made Products (HMP) to help farmers and their communities prosper from the re-shoring of this important industry as shareholders, not just stakeholders. Scott served an interim role as CEO at Root Origins and at a unit of Groupo Venture Capital, a Chilean investment bank.
Scott is a lifelong entrepreneur and venture catalyst. His first startup, TheBigHouse, recently amalgamated several of Scott’s ventures under one roof, including strategy/media/capital firm Phabriq Development, and COventures, providing key technology and practical guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs and innovation communities.
Scott is a recognized pioneer in Education Technology since his role as a founding executive of REAL Education in 1994, the startup that built the first online education platform, launching worldwide as eCollege at IPO in 1999. eCollege is now a cornerstone of Education market leader Pearson, having acquired eCollege for $477 million in 2007. As a Director at The University of Toledo, Scott was responsible for designing and building the school’s first Office of Student Entrepreneurship and Engagement. Scott previously managed the State of Ohio’s Edison Technology Business Incubator and continues to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs.
Scott is active in impact investor communities both local and abroad, notably as an advisor to the 360 One Firm. Scott was invited by President Obama to The White House as a Champion of Change related to CfPA’s landmark work in Crowdfinance. He was also selected by the U.S. State Department to address the Finance Ministers of the European Union on the subject of Alternative Finance at a 2018 meeting in Vienna. Scott has consulted governments and addressed crowds in excess of 20,000 in China, Russia, India and Australia, and he maintains an active network of leading foreign alternative finance bodies with colleagues in over 20 countries.
Details of Mr. McIntyre’s work history, achievements and recommendations can be viewed on his LinkedIn profile.
Alon is the Managing Partner of Stacked Capital, an early-stage industry agnostic venture capital fund. Previously Alon was the co-founder, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Technical Officer of crowdfunding platform RocketHub, acquired in 2015. Alon is a founding member of the Forbes Technology Council, and a Strategic Advisor to Zombie Soup (Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, and games); he has twice testified in front of U.S. Congress on equity crowdfunding, co-authored three acclaimed whitepapers on the JOBS Act, and was selected to lead FINRA’s Capital Markets Series on crowdfunding. Alon oversaw RocketHub’s partnerships with the White House, U.S. Department of State, Fulbright Foundation, Cisco, Microsoft, Chrysler, and others. Alon has led large speaking engagements for organizations including American Express, TEDx, Campaign Summit, Re.Comm, and Make Innovation. Alon earned his M.Sc from Columbia University and was a fellow at the Earth Institute’s Advanced Consortium of Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity; he specialized in genocide prevention and social network theory.
GOP Leaders Push SEC to Implement JOBS Act Rules
Sen. John Thune
Washington, D.C. – May 13, 2013 – Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), and Representatives Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) today sent a letter to the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mary Jo White, urging the SEC to move forward with the proposed rule to implement Section 201 of the bipartisan Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. President Obama signed the JOBS Act into law on April 5, 2012. The JOBS Act originally called for rules by July 4, 2012.
Section 201 of the JOBS Act removes a SEC provision that currently prevents small businesses from attracting capital from accredited investors nationwide by allowing the use of general advertisements to solicit capital to accredited investors. The letter reads as follows:
May 13, 2013
The Honorable Mary Jo White, Chairman
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, Northeast
Washington, D.C. 20549
Dear Chairman White:
As you settle into your new role as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), we write to urge the Commission to take prompt action in issuing a final rule to implement Section 201 of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. As you know, it has been more than a year since Congress passed – with broad bipartisan support – and the president signed into law the JOBS Act. We were encouraged by the commitment that you demonstrated during your confirmation process to see that the Commission completes these important rulemakings and hope that you will take steps to do so expeditiously.
The overall purpose of the JOBS Act was to facilitate capital formation to help small businesses and entrepreneurs invest, expand and create jobs. As proponents of the JOBS Act, we believe that the rule proposed by the Commission last August accomplishes this goal. The proposed rule properly implements Congress’ intent to remove the general solicitation ban in a consistent manner for all types of issuers conducting private offerings under Rule 506.
Paragraph (b) of Section 201 clearly effectuates this by providing that all issuers subject to other federal securities laws will be able to conduct private offerings pursuant to amended Rule 506. The proposed rule ensures that all purchasers of securities under Rule 506 are accredited investors, and follows Congress’ policy objectives to require that issuers take reasonable steps to verify that the purchasers are accredited investors. Adding additional or more prescriptive requirements would overturn Congress’ intent and we strongly urge the Commission not to do so.
Again, we were encouraged by your demonstrated commitment to completing the JOBS Act rulemakings and respectfully urge the commission to move forward with the proposed rule and implement a final rule in the near future.
Sincerely,
Senator John Thune
Senator Pat Toomey
Representative Kevin McCarthy
Representative Patrick McHenry
Why Tech’s Finance Wizards Are Tearing Out Their Hair
Four hundred days ago Friday, ordinary people won the right to invest in startups through the so-called “crowdfunding” provisions of the JOBS Act. But 125 days ago, federal securities regulators missed the deadline to explain how they will bring those rights into existence, and now it looks unlikely any crowdfunding will actually happen until the middle of next year.
Read more…
Tampa-based ClickStartMe seeks piece of growing crowdfunding market
TAMPA — Worried about harmful chemicals in most deodorants, Amy Cazin created all-natural Primal Pit Paste. She made batches in her South Tampa kitchen, turned her dining room into a shipping center and, as business grew, expanded into her garage.
Read more…
Study Says Crowdfunders Apply Similar Factors as VCs To Assess Entrepreneurs
A new study by Wharton Management Professor Ethan Mollick finds that crowdfunders apply similar factors as venture capitalists to decide whether to fund a start-up venture. The study dispels some concerns that crowdfund investors lack any sophistication.
According to Professor Mollick’s recent paper, “Swept Away by the Crowd? Crowdfunding, Venture Capital and the Selection of Entrepreneurs,” a draft of which was published in March, entrepreneurial quality is being examined in similar ways by donors on Kickstarter and also by venture capital firms. “Despite the radical differences in selection environments, I find that entrepreneurial quality is assessed in similar ways by both VCs and crowdfunders, but that crowdfunding alleviates some of geographic and gender biases associated with the way that VCs look for signals of quality,” Prof. Mollick reported. ”They are looking for similar signs of quality.”
Prof. Mollick examined 2,101 crowdfunded projects on Kickstarter that match characteristics of more traditional VC-backed seed ventures, such as technology related projects. Prof. Mallick’s research team reviewed factors such as the history of success of a project, the influence of endorsements on a crowdfund project, the level of preparation demonstrated by an entrepreneur, quality, social networks, geographic outcomes and gender. Prof. Mollick discovered that crowdfunders act like venture capitalists or other tranditional sources of capital. He found that crowdfund funders and venture capitalists focus on the following, similar factors:
Since some projects are better than others, they receive funding, according to Prof. Mollick, and lower-quality projects receive little to no backers. “{T]he finding suggest that the signals of quality that are used by VCs to assess the viability of new ventures are also used by crowdfunders,” he observed. “This bolsters the validity of these signals as indicators of start-up potential, but also suggests that crowdfunding has the ability to distinguish quality potential projects from less promising ones.”
President Obama signs JOBS Act into law on April 5, 2012.
Prof. Mollick also found that crowdfunding seems to avoid some of the biases that are, in his words, pervasive in VC selections. “Crowdfunding is more democratically distributed than VC funding,” he wrote. “The proportion of crowdfunded start-ups with female founders was larger by an order of magnitude than that of VC- backed firms.”
“In his 2012 remarks upon signing the JOBS Act to legalize equity crowdfunding, President Obama stated that ‘for start-ups and small businesses, this bill is a potential game changer,’” Prof. Mollick wrote in his conclusion. “Crowdfunding does represent a major shift — a ‘game changer’ — in the way that start-ups receive vital resources.”
Donald Trump Puts Money into Crowdfunding
New York, NY – May 8, 2013 – Donald Trump says he’s willing to put his money where his mouth is by investing in crowdfunding. Today, Mr. Trump and his partner William Zanker announced the launch of Fundanything.com, a crowdfunding portal intended to give people “a way to raise capital to pay for a medical emergency, save or rebuild their home, launch a business, create the next Farmville, write a book, or any other worthy project.” Over the past week, Google Ventures and other venture capitalists invested in crowdfunding portals such as CircleUp and Lending Club.
Mr. Trump said he plans to help crowdfund worthy projects on the Fundanything.com site. “I’m taking a stand, and am putting my money where my mouth is to help get people back on their feet,” said Mr. Trump during the event. “That’s where FundAnything comes in. It’s the first website that actually lets anyone, anywhere raise money for ANYTHING. And that’s why I support it.”
Screen shot courtesy FundAnything.com
“I believe the private sector is the real engine for growth and success,” added Mr. Trump. “So, I’ve decided to give away money at the grass roots level….my money is and will be going directly into the hands of real people.” Mr. Trump is Chairman and President of Trump Organization.
Mr. Trump’s partner, Bill Zanker, is the founder of The Learning Annex, the iconic company that changed adult education in America. “I’m so excited about FundAnything,” said Mr. Zanker in a prepared statement. “Money is a huge worry for people. You only need a minute on the site to see this is a real game changer! Mr. Trump and I are going to help millions of people.”
This website reported earlier this week that major investors also have funded two other platforms, CircleUp and Lending Club, showing an emerging interest in crowdfunding as a viable funding platform for startups.
Big Investors Put their Faith — and Wallet — into Crowdfunding
Crowd photo by James Cridland
New York – May 7, 2013 – Google Ventures as well as other high profile venture capitalists are showing their faith in crowdfunding’s future by fundingplatforms such as CircleUp and Lending Club. Today, CircleUp, an equity-based crowdfunding platform, announced today it has closed a $7.5 million Series A financing, the largest raise for an equity-based crowdfunding site. With the new funding, CircleUp plans to hire engineers and designers to build out the technology to serve more independent investors and small businesses. Last week, Google Ventures invested $125 Million into crowdfunding site Lending Club.
Union Square Ventures led the investment round in CircleUp. Google Ventures and existing seed round investors Rose Park Advisors, a firm led by disruptive technology innovator Clayton Christensen, Maveron, and financial services veteran David Topper, also participated in the Series A round. Andy Weissman, Managing Partner at Union Square Ventures will join CircleUp’s Board of Directors. In a statement posted on Union Venture Squares’ site, Mr. Weissman believes that the technology-enabled marketplace for funding has created an entirely new system of allocating capital and expertise. “This kind of peer-funding network has the potential to expand the types of investors and entrepreneurs that can participate in private investing,” said Mr. Weissman.
Mr. Weisman sees crowdfunding as a viable fundraising strategy for consumer products. “One of the most vibrant verticals is consumer products, with over 50,000 new consumer and retail companies started every year. These businesses are drivers of economic growth,” Mr. Weissman said. “CircleUp has created an equity crowdfunding marketplace, enabling investors to own pieces of small but fast-growing consumer and retail businesses.”
On May 2, 2013, Lending Club announced that Google ventures invested $125 Million into the crowdfunding personal loan site. ”Lending Club is using the Internet to reshape the financial system and profoundly transform the way people think of credit and investment,” said Google’s David Lawee. “We are excited to be a part of it.” According to press reports, investors are valuing Lending club at $1.55 Billion.
Article by A. Brian Dengler. Photograph by James Cridland under Creative Commons license.
SEC Chair: JOBS Act a Priority, but SEC Needs More Money
Washington, D.C. – May 7, 2013 – Mary Jo White made her first appearance on Capitol Hill today as the new chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission and urged members of a House panel to approve a new budget that would enable the SEC to move swiftly on making rules under the JOBS Act and other laws. Ms. White testified today before the Financial Services subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations seeking approval of a $1.674 Million budget.
SEC Chair Mary Jo White. Courtesy Securities and Exchange Commission
In her testimony, Ms. White said rules under the JOBS Act and the Dodd-Frank Act are a priority. “First, the SEC must complete, swiftly and thoughtfully, the rulemaking mandates contained in the Dodd-Frank Act and JOBS Act, ” said Ms. White. “The JOBS Act requires significant Commission rulemaking which has not yet been completed. To fulfill these legislative mandates expeditiously must be an immediate imperative for the commission. In connection with those rules, I will continue the Commission’s efforts to ensure that the SEC performs robust economic analysis, as rigorous economic analysis is important and should inform and help guide our decisions.”
“As you know, the SEC has a broad, three-part mission: to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation,” Ms. White testified before the committee. A copy of her testimony can be reviewed here.
Ms. White said the budget request would enable the SEC to bring in more economists to perform economic and risk analyses to assist in all of our rulemaking decisions, as well as support new technology for a municipal advisor registration system. ”The FY 2014 budget request – all of which would be fully offset by matching collections of fees on securities transactions and thus will not increase the Federal budget deficit – seeks to address these challenges directly, to better position the agency to provide the kind of market oversight that the public expects and deserves.”
Article by A. Brian Dengler. Mr. Dengler is an information technology and digital media attorney and instructor at Kent State University.
CROWD CONTROL? Social nature of crowdfunding should control fraud, advocates say
Crowdfunding has the potential to revolutionize how small businesses raise capital, but it generates an old worry: the possibility for fraud.
But crowdfunding advocates say not to worry. The public nature of the investing model should help investors quickly identify and put a stop to bad behavior.
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SEC Commissioner Says Concern over Fraud Delays JOB Act Rules
Washington – April 17, 2013. Securities and Exchange Commissioner Elisse Walter told the House Committee on Financial Services today that concern about fraud has delayed rules for general solicitations for securities under Title II of the JOBS Act. The committee called the hearing to investigate what it perceives as an unreasonable delay by the SEC in formulating rules under Title II of the Act, which were due last July 4, 2012.
SEC Commissioner Elisse Walter. Library of Congress.
On April 5, 2012, President Obama signed into law the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) on April 5, 2012, which would open the door for general solicitation for certain securities offerings and crowdfund investing. The Act required the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue rules by the end of 2012, which SEC has yet to do. In a statement, Committee majority members scheduled a hearing today The Finance Committee held a hearing today to examine “the failure of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to meet the statutorily [sec] required deadline for implementing Title II of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act).”
“Title II of the JOBS Act is a top priority of the Commission,” Commissioner Walter assured the committee. “I am committed to finalizing the rules with my colleagues as expeditiously as possible.” Ms. Walter did not commit to a specific date when the SEC may disclose rules.
Under the proposed rules, companies issuing securities in an offering conducted under Rule 506 of Regulation D would be permitted to use general solicitation or general advertising to offer securities, provided that the issuer takes reasonable steps to verify that the purchasers of the securities are accredited investors. Commissioner Walter said public commentary raised concerns about fraudulent securities offerings that could be made through general advertising, which prompted the commission to take a closer look at rules for Title II. “If we don’t take care of investors, they won’t invest,” Ms. Walter testified.
“Commenters on the proposal were sharply divided in their views,” testified Ms. Walter, noting that the SEC is reviewing more than 220 comments. “Some of these commenters stated that the proposed rules, if adopted, would result in an increase in fraudulent securities offerings, with a number recommending that the Commission consider additional safeguards, such as those recommended in certain pre-proposing release comment letter.”
“In addition, several supporters recommended that the proposed framework for verifying accredited investor status be supplemented in the final rule by including a non-exclusive list of specific verification methods that could be relied upon by issuers seeking greater certainty that they are satisfying the verification requirement,” Commissioner Walter said.
“Currently, staff in the Divisions of Corporation Finance and Risk, Strategy, and Financial Innovation are developing recommendations for the Commission’s consideration as to how best to move forward with implementation of Title II,” Ms. Walter assured the committee. In response to questioning by the Committee members, Ms. Walter said the SEC would need additional resources to enforce the new rules under Title II.
“I hope the SEC finalizes the rule about Title II,” said Committee Member Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC). ”The jobs act can have a major impact in getting the eonomy moving again.”
CrowdFund Association Open Letter to House Committee
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