Intellectual Property: Crowdfunding and Confidentiality for Tech Start‐Ups By: Gregory Perleberg

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Intellectual Property: Crowdfunding and Confidentiality for Tech Start‐Ups By: Gregory Perleberg March/April 2015 Intellectual Property: Crowdfunding and Confidentiality for Tech Start‐Ups By: Gregory Perleberg I recently attended Launch Festival 2015 requirements of state and federal laws, and certain (www.launchfestival.com) in San Francisco and Angel written disclosures and information must be made, or Launch’s LaunchFEST Mixer: Doing Deals with Silicon made available, to investors so they can have the Valley—Attracting Funding, Angels, and Tech Trends appropriate information to make an investment decision. (www.angellaunch.com) in downtown Los Angeles. The events were very different in terms of size and scope, but Whenever possible, focus on “accredited investors,” each showcased new technologies with an eye toward which are essentially those persons who have one million connecting business owners with investors looking to dollar net worth excluding their house. The disclosure fund start‐ups. As expected, there was a lot of chatter requirements are the least for these sophisticated about the importance of intellectual property, such as investors. Even if you have an exemption from whether or not software apps are patentable, the registration, liability for any fraud by the issuer still importance of branding, etc. (at each of the events, remains. While new technology and social networks may investors definitely tended to gravitate towards make raising capital easier, securities laws still prohibit companies with strong, and protectable IP portfolios). certain activities in order to protect unsophisticated But, the big topic of conversation with start‐up owners investors. So, if you are trying to raise funds via postings was how to lure‐in and legally raise money as a start‐up on social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter or business. LinkedIn, only approach friends and connections with whom you have “substantive, pre‐existing relationship.” Crowdfunding: Fact or Fiction The consequences for not complying with federal and Finding suitable financing for a start‐up tech venture can state securities laws are severe and can include be difficult, and that is perhaps why many companies administrative, civil and criminal penalties. turn to private funding sources for their new venture. When private funds are sought, federal and state In 2012, President Obama signed the Jumpstart Our securities laws must be complied with (the Securities and Business Start‐ups Act, otherwise known as the JOBS Act. Exchange Commission (SEC), directly and through its The law purported to open up the capital markets and oversight of the NASD and the various Exchanges, is the create jobs by loosening regulations on initial public main enforcer of the nation's securities laws, and each offerings and allowing for “crowdfunding.” Approximately individual state has its own securities laws and rules – three years later, the SEC still has not published the final these state rules are known as "Blue Sky Laws"). The rules, and it may be well into 2016 or beyond before we definition of a “security” is very broad and is not limited have crowdfunding under the JOBS Act. In the interim, a to shares of stock. It includes partnership and limited number of services (often times referred to as liability company (LLC) interests, promissory notes and “collaborative funding via the web”) exist to help raise many other financing instruments. Securities must either money, each subject to their own separate terms and be “registered” or “exempt” from the registration conditions. A number of the more popular services This bulletin is published as a service to our clients and friends. The material contained here is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute advertising, solicitation or legal advice. The views expressed herein are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Buchalter Nemer or its clients. For more information, visit www.buchalter.com. March/April 2015 include: CROWDFUNDER, CROWDRISE, GOFUNDME, techniques, designs, marketing analyses and plans, INDIEGOGO, INVESTEDIN, KICKSTARTER, PATREON, computer software, marketing plans, business plans. ROCKETHUB, SOMOLEND, and TEESPRING. • Information not readily available by proper means – others must not be able to obtain otherwise secret Top Secrets for Protecting Trade Secrets information simply by examining a product or Both recent tech events featured great presentations, information available to the public. product demonstrations, fun giveaways, and plenty of • Information must be protected – a plaintiff must take meet and greet opportunities. The conversations were reasonable steps to protect the secrecy of the rich with entrepreneurial spirit and innovation, but there information. Secrecy efforts do not have to be perfect. were also questions and answers about product They do not require extreme measures (e.g., recipes for development, market opportunity, investor strategies, Coca‐Cola, Big Mac secret sauce, KFC Original Recipe, and the like—often within the earshot of others, Angostura Bitters). including potential competitors. • Information must derive economic value from secrecy. Trade secrets have moved from the background into the Here are a few tips related to confidentiality: foreground of business legal issues (considered the fourth • Confidential information should never be disclosed prong of IP—but, unlike other IP which requires public without an appropriate written agreement (including disclosure to protect/enforce, trade secret law requires non‐circumvention obligations), which can provide for precisely the opposite – no public disclosure). For many either one‐way or mutual disclosures. clients, trade secrets are their greatest asset. Unlike • Patent applications, assuming publication was not patents, copyrights, etc., which are governed exclusively requested, should remain secret unless and until the by federal statutes, regulations and case law, trade applicable patent issues. secrets are regulated by state law. Unlike other IP, there • Review presentations, publications, etc., for is also no formal requirement related to “novelty” or inadvertent disclosures. “tangibility.” No federal legislation directly addresses • Unsolicited ideas—companies receive these all the trade secret protection. time—consider a responsive letter to turn unsolicited ideas into solicited ones to protect from the Although the definition varies from state to state, trade uncertainties associated with this area of law. secrets include “information” that is generally not known • Restrict access to confidential information, and apply and is “not readily ascertainable” through proper means labeling (e.g., Confidential & Proprietary”), and physical (and generally must be protected and have economic security and technical safeguards. value): • Employee education programs—emphasizing the importance of trade secrets. • formulas, methods of treating chemicals of foods, • Document and data handling policies, and memorialize methods of doing business, customer lists, special trade secret protection plan. customer needs, credit ratings, blueprints, architectural plans, tables of data, information on manufacturing This bulletin is published as a service to our clients and friends. The material contained here is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute advertising, solicitation or legal advice. The views expressed herein are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Buchalter Nemer or its clients. For more information, visit www.buchalter.com. March/April 2015 • Termination procedures and wind‐down processes the area of trade secrets. Using confidentially agreements (send follow‐up reminder related to non‐disclosure may not put the cat bag in the bag, but they do provide a agreements and specific duty to not disclose. roadmap for disputes and damages in the event of misappropriation. Trade secret status may be lost forever by any disclosure of the secret. Many companies refuse signing Conclusion confidentiality agreements—or significantly modify them Before seeking financing for your new venture, be sure to (e.g., disclaimer or caps related to liability, to avoid the consult with an attorney who is qualified to handle risks associated with disclosure (including inadvertent securities matters. This includes loans from friends and and negligent disclosures) by employees or contractors). family, and offering ownership interests in your newly Many clients consider utilizing patent rights where formed business venture. Choose your business partners feasible. It is important to note the following: carefully, and understand the ramifications of soliciting, taking‐in and spending investor monies. When disclosing • There is no affirmative protection against the use of the information about your company and its products, be same IP that is independently derived or reverse mindful of situations where confidentiality may be lost, engineered by a competitor. potentially devaluing, and consider protections available • If a trade secret is published in such a way that it may to you under copyright, patent and trademark laws. In be “translated into practical application,” then it will many cases, to recover damages, registration may be not be protected as a trade secret. required, but must also be balanced against the • If the information can be obtained by starting with a potentially long term protection available under trade publicly available product and working backwards, the secret laws. The ever‐changing legal
Recommended publications
  • START up FUNDING New Product Idea? How to Raise Finance
    START UP FUNDING new product idea? How to raise finance * crowdfunding vs traditional funding methods London San Francisco Salisbury Introduction CONTENTS 1. Crowdfunding * * * * 526 k+ 95% 50% £2.5 bn Overview Raising finance new businesses of uk companies are of uk gdp generated by uk gdp in 2013 2. Other Funding Methods registered in 2013 small businesses small businesses Overview * Data from ... Detailed Breakdown * UK National Statistics 3. Pitch your idea to industry There are a number of avenues to raise funds for a new idea. We have presented a few in the next chapter but it is not an exhaustive list. The aim of this guide is to give you vital 4. IS IT A Business ? information on how to increase your chances of success to raise finance, whether you are using on-line methods such as Crowdfunding or a more traditional approach like pitching 5. Intellectual Property your product to industry. (Protecting your project) How Innovate can help, see here. 6. How Innovate can help Want help with your Crowdfunding campaign? 7. Appendix Additional Online Content List of Crowdfunding websites (organised by industry) To make the most of this brochure, please use the hyper links throughout to browse additional content on the web. About Innovate Product Design For more information about the sponsor and writer of this brochure please visit the ‘How Innovate Can Help’ section. Innovate Product Design Ltd 2014 winners 2 London San Francisco Salisbury 3 Sources: Mass Solution, Kickstarter.com 1 CROWDFUNDING 1 m raised by crowdfunding campaigns successfuly raised by pebble on plastforms in 2013 funded in 2012 kickstarter the big four Also known as crowd financing and equity crowfunding, Kickstarter describes it as “the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet.” kickstarter indiegogo THERE ARE 3 MAIN Startup FUNDING MODELS: 1 Reward based: crowdfunder crowdcube Raise finance in exchange of a reward and/or voting rights.
    [Show full text]
  • Resources for Startups and Entrepreneurs Microwork
    Resources for Startups and Entrepreneurs 1. Microwork 2. Sharing Economy 3. The Investment Cycle 4. EU SME and Startup Funds 5. Microlending, Microfinancing, and Microcredit 6. Crowdfunding (P2P Financing) 7. Alternative Lending 8. Vendor/PO Financing and Online Factoring 9. Other Sources of Financing 10 Resources Microwork (get paid for fulfilling tasks online) Amazon Mechanical Turk LiveOps InnoCentive Samasource Paid online survey sites Kindle Direct Publishing (self-publishing) Craiglist (classified ads) Monster (find a job) Newsy or CNN iReport (citizen journalism) YouTube Partner (share ad revenues) CCNow (accept credit cards and PayPal payments) Amazon Associates (get a commission on referred sales) EBay or Etsy or Alibaba (sell things, including handicrafts) Shareconomy (Sharing Economy) View introductory video AirBnB or Couchsurfing (share your home for a fee) Eatwith or Kitchensurfing (host a meal and get paid) Vayable (become a tour guide) Uber or Lyft or Sidecar (give rides in your car) BorrowedBling or Girl Meets Dress or Rent the Runway (lend your jewelry and haute couture for a fee) Yerdle or Snap Goods (Simplist) or Open Shed (swap, rent, or borrow things) Relay Rides or Getaround (rent out your car) Favor Delivery (get deliveries – or deliver) Task Rabbit (handyman services) Waze (community rides) The Investment Cycle Register firm in target market Doing Business Equity structure Common stock Stock options Convertible debt Series A Preferred Stock (convertible to common stock on IPO/sale) Investment Cycle - Overview Seed
    [Show full text]
  • Show Me the Money: a Guide to Funding and Financing
    MP539 me the MONEY A Guide to Funding and Financing Community and Economic Development in Your Community or Region ~DMSION OF AGRICULTURE U~'Jj R ESEA R C H & EXTEN SION University of Arkansas System Community & Economic Development S?6e;y/£er,~-4~t!r/SM {3,rhrht.r/ik In Appreciation Thanks to the following individuals who assisted in developing this publication: Drew Pack, Little Rock Branch of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Ed Levy, Cromwell Architects Engineers Heather Larkin, Arkansas Community Foundation Heather Robinette, UALR Small Business Technology and Development Center Greg Phillips, Arkansas, Main Street Program Bobby Hall and Wayne Miller, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Chris Meux and Laura Goforth in Extension for their work in designing and laying out this publication Dr. Mark Peterson, Professor ­ Community and Economic Development, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE R E S E A R C H & E X T E N S I O N University of Arkansas System 3 Table of Contents Page Executive Summary . .5 Introduction . 6 Eight Secrets for Success . .6 Twelve Steps to Funding Your Community Development Project . .13 Complete the Fundability Checklist . .18 Funding and Financing Strategies . .19 I. Develop Powerful Local Funding Strategies . .21 II. Be Creative in Reaching Out to Individuals . .23 III. Create Partnerships to Pool Resources . .27 IV. Create New Organizations and New Funding Streams . .27 V. Utilize New Internet­Based Funding Mechanisms . .30 VI. Develop Capital Campaigns for Big Projects . .32 VII. Obtain Business Financing . .33 VIII. Seek Funding From Foundations and Corporations . .34 IX.
    [Show full text]
  • In Appreciation
    In Appreciation Thanks to the following individuals who assisted in developing this publication: Drew Pack, Little Rock Branch of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Ed Levy, Cromwell Architects Engineers Heather Larkin, Arkansas Community Foundation Heather Robinette, UALR Small Business Technology and Development Center Greg Phillips, Arkansas, Main Street Program Bobby Hall and Wayne Miller, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Chris Meux and Laura Goforth in Extension for their work in designing and laying out this publication Dr. Mark Peterson, Professor - Community and Economic Development, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE RESEARCH & EXTENSION University of Arkansas System 3 Table of Contents Page Executive Summary . .5 Introduction . 6 Eight Secrets for Success . .6 Twelve Steps to Funding Your Community Development Project . .13 Complete the Fundability Checklist . .18 Funding and Financing Strategies . .19 I. Develop Powerful Local Funding Strategies . .21 II. Be Creative in Reaching Out to Individuals . .23 III. Create Partnerships to Pool Resources . .27 IV. Create New Organizations and New Funding Streams . .27 V. Utilize New Internet-Based Funding Mechanisms . .30 VI. Develop Capital Campaigns for Big Projects . .32 VII. Obtain Business Financing . .33 VIII. Seek Funding From Foundations and Corporations . .34 IX. Utilize Local Government Funding Options . .36 X. Obtain Funding From State and Federal Governments . .37 XI. Garner Political Appropriations . .38 XII. Lay the Foundation for the Next Generation . .38 References . .41 APPENDIX A: List of Stakeholders . .42 APPENDIX B: Successful Storytelling: Five Foolproof Ways to Raise Money . 43 APPENDIX C: Funding Sources by Category . .45 APPENDIX D: Project Funding Matrix Example . .51 APPENDIX E: Project Funding Matrix Worksheet .
    [Show full text]
  • START up FUNDING New Product Idea? How to Raise Finance
    START UP FUNDING new product idea? How to raise finance * crowdfunding vs traditional funding methods London San Francisco Salisbury Introduction CONTENTS 1. Crowdfunding * * * * $2.5 M 3.7 k 7% $20 bn Overview Raising Finance Avg. investment VC investment deal companiescompanies investedinvested in in investmentof money invested funding at totalinvested invested by VC’s by 2. Other Funding Methods dealsize size at atseed seed stage stage by vcsper peryear year by VCsearly used stage for seed VCseach each year year funding Overview * Data from ... Detailed Breakdown * Venture Capitalist Funding in the US Infographic There are a number of avenues to raise funds for a new idea. 3. Pitch your idea to industry We have presented a few in the next chapter, but it is not an exhaustive list. The aim of this guide is to give you Vital 4. IS IT A Business ? Information on how to increase your chance of success to raise finance, whether you are using on-line method such as Crowdfunding or a more conservative approach like pitching 5. Intellectual Property your product to industry. (Protecting your project) How Innovate can help, see here. 6. How Innovate can help Want help with your Crowdfunding campaign? 7. Appendix Useful Links from the Small Business Administration (SBA) List of crowd funding websites (organized by industry) Startup funding - what’s available in the US? Innovate Product Design Ltd 2014 winners 2 3 Sources: Mass Solution, Kickstarter.com 1 CROWDFUNDING 1 m raised by crowdfunding campaigns successfuly raised by pebble on plastforms in 2013 funded in 2012 kickstarter the big four Also known as crowd financing and equity crowfunding, Kickstarter describes it as “the practice of funding a project or monthly web traffic estimates (US): venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large kickstarter number of people, typically via the Internet.” indiegogo THERE ARE 3 MAIN Startup FUNDING MODELS: 1 Reward based: gofundme Raise finance in exchange of a reward and/or voting rights.
    [Show full text]
  • The Organizational Field of Crowdfunding
    The Organizational Field of Crowdfunding - Emergence and Special Characteristics Master’s Thesis 30 credits Department of Business Studies Uppsala University Spring Semester of 2015 Date of Submission: 2015-05-29 Corrie Hammar Supervisor: Josef Pallas ABSTRACT Crowdfunding is an online fundraising technique, where individuals or groups ask for contributions from a large number of people, i.e. “the crowd”. Crowdfunding first appeared in 2003 and has doubled its financial scope every year since 2011. Yet, very little is known about it, especially from a societal perspective. In this thesis I have attempted to understand how the organizations surrounding crowdfunding have structured themselves into an organizational filed, and also how “the crowd” might have granted this field special characteristics. This since “the crowd” is an element not earlier taken into consideration when studying field emergence. I have conducted a content analysis with data from 170 crowdfunding platforms and 190 media articles. I found that several events coincided in 2009 and opened up for the emergence of the crowdfunding field, and also that the understanding of crowdfunding’s purpose has shifted since 2003, from culture projects to start-ups. Regarding the special characteristic of the field it seems like the online nature enabled a fierce structuration pace, and also that “the crowd” constitutes an entity that cannot be captured by our traditional understanding of fields. The results suggest that when “the crowd” takes on functions in a field, the functions become invisible, and this has implications for future research regarding organizational fields. Keywords: Crowdfunding, crowd, organizational field, field emergence, crowdsourcing, institutional theory i Acknowledgements When I decided not to team up with another student, but to write my thesis on my own, I became labeled an “ensamskrivare”, which means “a student writing her thesis alone”.
    [Show full text]
  • Technology Bulletin
    Tech Industry Bulletin March/April 2015 From the Editor: Welcome to our bi-monthly bulletin, which covers a variety of topics of interest to technology companies. Please feel free to pass the bulletin along to anyone who may be interested in the subject matter. This past February, Buchalter Nemer was pleased to be a sponsor of Start-up Grind 2015 in Redwood City. The link is: http://startupgrind.com/event/startup-grind-silicon- valley-presents-startup-grind-2015/. The firm's sponsorship funded scholarships for ten technology companies to attend this excellent event. We are delighted to be a resource for tech companies, and hope that this information is helpful. Enjoy! - Michael Westheimer Corporate: Negotiating Strategies for the Sale of Bank and Finance: The Equity Cure Provision—Saving Debt Technology Companies with Equity By: Vicki Dallas By: Bukola Mabadeje Page 2 Page 12 Intellectual Property: Crowdfunding and Confidentiality for Labor/Employment: Complying with the New Paid Sick Tech Start-Ups Leave Laws By: Gregory Perleberg By: Michael Westheimer Page 4 Page 14 Real Estate: An Introduction to Leasing For Start-Ups By: Manuel Fishman Page 7 Insolvency: What Every Technology Company Needs to Know When Its Customer or Business Partner Files Bankruptcy By: Shawn Christianson, Valerie Bantner Peo and Ivo Keller Page 9 Tax: Tax Considerations for Technology Licenses By: Raj Tanden Page 11 1 March/April 2015 Corporate: Negotiating Strategies for the Sale of Technology Companies By: Vicki Dallas The number of mergers and acquisitions of private technology determine “fit” between Target and Acquirer, and to validate companies continue to increase.
    [Show full text]
  • Tools and Technology in Translation
    TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY IN TRANSLATION The Profile of Beginning Language Professionals in the Digital Age 1st Edition RAFA LOMBARDINO Published by Word Awareness 1 Copyright © 2014 by Word Awareness All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below. Word Awareness P.O. Box 710099 Santee, CA 92072 www.WordAwareness.com Printed in the United States of America LOMBARDINO, Rafa. Tools and Technology in Translation: The Profile of Beginning Language Professionals in the Digital Age / Rafa Lombardino ISBN 978-1-5029974-4-9 1. Translation — Interpreting — Technology — Computer Tools. I. Lombardino, Rafa. II. Tools and Technology in Translation: The Profile of Beginning Language Professionals in the Digital Age. October 2014 1st Edition For more information about the book, visit http://www.RafaLombardino.com/tools 2 EXTRAS Useful Links o Books “Is That a Fish in Your Ear” By David Bellos http://bit.ly/T3-FishEar “Found in Translation” By Nataly Kelly and Jost Zetzsche http://bit.ly/T3-FoundTranslation “The Entrepreneurial Linguist” By Judy & Dagmar Jenner http://bit.ly/T3-Entrepreneurs “How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator” By Corinne McKay http://bit.ly/T3-SucceedFreelancer “Thoughts on Translation” By Corinne McKay http://bit.ly/T3-ThoughtsTranslation “The Prosperous Translator” By Chris Durban http://bit.ly/T3-ProsperousTranslator “The Three Percent Problem” By Chad W.
    [Show full text]
  • Herramientas Estratégicas Específicas Para Startups Tecnológicos - Caso De Estudio: Cameo Llc
    UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DE CÓRDOBA INSTITUTO EN CIENCIAS DE LA ADMINISTRACIÓN MAESTRÍA EN DIRECCIÓN DE EMPRESAS HERRAMIENTAS ESTRATÉGICAS ESPECÍFICAS PARA STARTUPS TECNOLÓGICOS - CASO DE ESTUDIO: CAMEO LLC Autor: Ing. Migliazzo, Oscar Andrés Directora: Mgter. Lic. Veritier, Gisela Córdoba, 2017 Índice general I. Introducción general 6 I.1. Justificación . .6 I.2. Planteo del problema . .6 I.2.1. Pregunta metodológica . .6 I.3. Objetivos general y específicos . .6 I.3.1. Objetivo general . .6 I.3.2. Objetivos específico . .7 I.4. Hipótesis de trabajo . .7 I.5. Marco analítico y conceptual . .7 I.6. Método de investigación . .7 I.7. Prefacio . .8 II. Estudio de carácter descriptivo del contexto del emprendedor tec- nológico 10 II.1. Introducción al capítulo . 10 II.2. Definición de emprendedor . 10 II.3. Perfil de personalidad de los emprendedores . 11 II.4. Definición de startup ........................... 12 II.4.1. Características de un startup tecnológico . 14 II.5. La era de los startups ........................... 14 II.6. La importancia del emprendedurismo en la generación de empleo . 17 II.6.1. Creación y destrucción de empleo . 18 II.6.2. Las tecnológicas como generadoras de empleo . 18 II.7. Mercado global . 20 II.8. Conclusión del capítulo . 20 III.1Estudio de carácter descriptivo de herramientas estratégicas para startups 22 III.1.Introducción al capítulo . 22 III.2.Creación de valor . 22 III.3.Metodología Lean Startup ........................ 23 III.3.1. Genchi gembutsu ......................... 27 III.3.2. La calidad y el diseño de un producto mínimo viable . 28 III.3.3. La contabilidad de innovación se sustenta en métricas correctas 29 III.3.4.
    [Show full text]
  • Workshop Routes to Placemaking Workshop a Better City 15
    SUMMARY MAY 2017 ROUTES TO PLACEMAKING WORKSHOP FEBRUARY 23, 2017 9:00 - 11:30 AM @ABETTERCITY #ROUTESTOPLACEMAKING @MASMARTGROWTH 4 A BETTER CITY ROUTES TO PLACEMAKING WORKSHOP ACKNOWLEDGMENTS CONTENTS This workshop would not have been possible without the finan- 5 Introduction cial support of Enterprise Community Partners and its Collabo- rative Action Grant. A Better City would like to give a special 8 Learning from the Experts thank you to the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance for 15 I Know That... partnering with us and leading this event’s outreach efforts. We are grateful to all of those who joined the Routes to Placemak- 20 This Resource Helped Me ing Workshop and we are especially indebted to the facilitation team members, who were key to the success of this workshop. 22 I Don’t Know... 26 Collaborators 27 Photo Credits PUBLICATION TEAM A Better City • Irene Figueroa Ortiz Michelle Moon FACILITATION TEAM A Better City • Thomas Nally Barr Foundation • Lisa Jacobson City of Chelsea & Relish Management • Mimi Graney Enterprise Community Partners • Kate Deans • Nella Young • Christopher Scott A Better City is a diverse group • Katie Swenson of business leaders united around a common goal—to enhance Boston and the region’s economic health, competi- Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance tiveness, vibrancy, sustainability, and • Anabelle Rondon quality of life. By amplifying the voice of the business community through Mystic River Watershed Association collaboration and consensus across • Amber Christoffersen a broad range of stakeholders, A Better City develops solutions and influences Urban Edge/JPNDC policy in three critical areas central • Kristen Chin to the Boston region’s economic com- petitiveness and growth: transporta- To view a hyperlinked version of this report online, tion and infrastructure, land use go to http://www.abettercity.org/docs-new/Routes_to_ and development, and energy Placemaking.pdf.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to Crowdfunding for Wealthworks Value Chains Understanding Options, Getting Started
    ACCELERATING IMPACT PROJECT January 2014 Guide to Crowdfunding for WealthWorks Value Chains Understanding Options, Getting Started TELLUS INSTITUTE, BOSTON WEALTHWORKS INITIATIVE WWW.WEALTHWORKS.ORG THE WEALTHWORKS INITIATIVE This initiative (formerly Wealth Creation in Rural Communities) , funded by the Ford Foundation, is a seven-year multi-stakeholder initiative to articulate and test a new systems Author approach to rural development. WealthWorks is an approach that brings together and Christi Electris is an Associate with Tellus Institute, a 35-year-old connects a community’s assets to meet nonprofit research and consulting organization in Boston. She also holds market demand in ways that build livelihoods that last. The initiative has produced various a dual appointment as a Senior Associate at Croatan Institute, a newly other reports, which can be found at launched institute for advanced research and engagement, tackling http://www.yellowwood.org/wealthcreation.a spx. Also see www.WealthWorks.org. some of the world's most persistent environmental and social challenges, based in North Carolina. She is computer scientist and ACCELERATING IMPACT PROJECT quantitative policy analyst by training, and is co-author of "The Century As part of WealthWorks, the Accelerating Impact project is aimed at articulating the role Ahead: Searching for Sustainability" (2010), a quantitative analysis of the of finance in supporting WealthWorks value Institute's global sustainability scenarios; and Worker Equity in Food and chains in rural areas. Over two years, this Agriculture: Practices at the 100 Largest and Most Influential U.S. project of the Tellus Institute has worked with ten projects on the ground in Central Companies (2012), a report which reviews the landscape of company Appalachia and the Deep South, doing practices and policies in worker equity at large public and private food assessments of financing needs and assisting projects in advancing toward their financing and agriculture companies.
    [Show full text]
  • An Underestimated Opportunity in Bulgaria
    INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL "SCIENCE. BUSINESS. SOCIETY" WEB ISSN 2534-8485; PRINT ISSN 2367-8380 THE CROWDFUNDING PROCESS – AN UNDERESTIMATED OPPORTUNITY IN BULGARIA Chief assist. Prof. Mina Angelova PhD. University of Plovdiv Paisii Hilendarski, Bulgaria [email protected] Abstract: This article represents a review of good practices in crowdfunding. The subject is the opportunities which create conditions for using the crowdfunding process by entrepreneurs and perspectives for implementation of this good practice in Bulgaria. The concept of crowdfunding in Bulgaria is mentioned a lot but barely in the last few years can be observed the standing out of pronounces examples and good practices. The appearance of financial instruments for starting technological companies promises to become an accelerator for the entrepreneur ecosystem in Bulgaria. This paper examines how different platforms in crowdfunding campaigns influence the entrepreneur’s choice of targeted crowdfunding goal. Keywords: CROWDFUNDING, BUSINESS PROCESS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, SMALL BUSINESS 1. Introduction well - functioning entrepreneur ecosystems every day must have a vision about what must be done for the next 20 years” (Feld, 2012). The development of markets and market relations leads to The predominant opinion is that in the middle of 2017 the enhanced competition and increased consumer demands, making business climate in the country becomes better and the activation of quality a factor in the success and survival of organizations. The economy gives hope that Bulgaria starts to go out of crisis. In the significance of the topic is central to discussions, research and press and official sources more often appear hopeful statistic data organizational activities in the field of manufacturing and services, and macroeconomic analysis.
    [Show full text]