Business Edge Series: Breakfast Briefings

WHAT IS CROWDFUNDING, AND WHAT CAN IT DO FOR YOU?

Crowd Funding is a financing method that involves funding non-profit projects and for profit ventures with a range modest to significant contributions/investments from a group of individuals, rather than seeking more substantial sums from a smaller number of investors. The funding campaign and transactions are typically conducted online through dedicated Crowd Funding sites, often in conjunction with social networking sites. Depending on the project, those providing funds may be 1) making donations, 2) investing for a potential future return, or 3) prepaying for a product or service.
Crowd Funding's success relies upon the ability to canvass a sufficiently large group of potential contributors. The idea is the same as that behind many fundraising campaigns: convincing enough people to contribute to reach a target figure.  Crowd Funding sites are sometimes referred to as platforms because they provide a venue for founders and operators to publish the projects for which they are seeking funding to an audience of potential contributors/investors.

Panel presentation and interactive discussion with the audience

Creekside Room, Dominican campus
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
7:15 am – 7:45 am: Registration, Breakfast
7:45 am – 9:00 am: Panel and Discussion with Audience
9:00 am – 9:30 am: Networking

Tickets are $25 each and include continental breakfast

Panel Presentation:

Michael Lipson, Moderator – Executive Coach & Strategic Consultant

Michael Lipson is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations identify and achieve their core aspirations.  His coaching and consulting integrates the two worlds he’s firmly established in; business and personal optimization.  Mr. Lipson’s work emphasizes authenticity, strategy and balance.  His clients are largely CEO’s, founders and other accomplished executives and teams seeking to have more impact, achieve greater success and/or experience greater satisfaction at work and beyond. 

Mr. Lipson has been on the front edge of technology based innovation for 25 years, having helped build the first multiplayer online gaming network, interim CEO the first company to put music online, and work at Paul Allen's Interval Research thinktank.  His professional experience includes working as an Investment Banker for GE Capital, turned start-up and tech entrepreneur in 1990, which then evolved to include CEO/team coaching.  Mr. Lipson has assisted over 200 mostly tech based start-ups, coached over 100 executives/teams, facilitated 100s of groups and sessions, helped raise $50 million of venture capital, closed over 100 key deals, and has written dozens of business and strategic plans.Stuart Rudick, Founding Partner of Mindful Investors

Stuart Rudick, Founding Partner of Mindful Investors

Stuart Rudick has been a leading investor in the sustainability and social impact community for over 30 years. He passionately invests before the crowd in disruptive technology platforms which positively impact our world. He is the Founding Partner at Mindful Investors, LLC, a U.S. Private Equity fund focused on investments in healthy and sustainable consumer products companies including Seventh Generation and Organic Girl.
 
Stuart has been a top performing investment manager for two decades making money by "making a difference." Mr. Rudick’s prior investment experience includes founding in 2005 a private family office focused on investments in health and wellness. In 1993, Stuart founded, Mindful Partners, a top performing public and private market hedge fund. In the 1980’s, he served as a Partner with Shearson, Lehman and an Associate Director at Bear Stearns Inc, facilitating funding of private environmental companies through the Global Environment Fund.
 
Mr. Rudick’s sustainable industry Board involvement includes current Board Member at Blue Planet Network and founding Board member and past Chairman of Baykeeper of Northern California. He is actively involved with B Corporation, Environmental Entrepreneurs, Cradle to Cradle Institute, Global Impact Investing Network, NRDC, Greenpeace and Rainforest Action Network .
 
Mr. Rudick earned a BS in Business Administration from the University of Colorado and attended the University of Lancaster, UK and MBA program at Golden Gate University.  Stuart’s daily practice includes yoga, biking, Qi Gong and mindful living.

Tom Serres, CEO and Co-Founder of Rally.org
Tom Serres is the CEO and co-Founder of Rally.org. He is one of the country’s leading thinkers on social giving, the cause economy, and digital fundraising. Tom has helped millions of supporters connect with nonprofits, charities, advocacy groups, political campaigns, school groups, and independent causes to raise awareness and money online. Forbes Magazine recently named Tom one of America's most powerful CEOs under 40 and Rally.org one of the most promising companies of 2013.  Rally.org, which is based in San Francisco, is backed by some of the first investors in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and PayPal.

Hosted by:  

• Institute for Leadership Studies
• School of Business & Leadership

 The Business Edge is a briefing series for business owners and organizational leaders that highlights cutting edge business strategies and techniques for businesses to be resilient and competitive in the domestic and global business environments. The briefings’ goals are to ignite innovation, inspire creativity, and increase profits and productivity.

For more information or to sign up for advanced notice of the next The Business Edge Briefings at ILS@dominican.edu or call 415-485-3202.