Amy Cortese | October 2, 2017
Laramie, Wyoming may not be the first place you would look for an innovative experiment in digital age economic revitalization. And at first glance, Diane Wolverton and Kim Vincent might not fit the image of change agents. But the pair has been quietly building a crowdfunding ecosystem across rural America that is helping communities lift […]
Amy Cortese | February 27, 2017
Food and crowdfunding: a winning combo, right? Actually, many food-related campaigns fail. On Kickstarter, for example, just 25% of crowdfunding campaigns for food-related projects are successful. Food ventures can get lost on big platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, where tech gadgets, video games and art projects rule. And many food entrepreneurs are not prepared for [...]
Anne Field | November 22, 2016
During many years spent shivering in the stands while watching her kids play on one sports team or another, Maria Valente wished there were a way to get a cup of coffee or hot chocolate without leaving the game. Talking to another young mom, she realized she was not alone in that simple desire. That’s […]
Amy Cortese | November 17, 2016
Indiegogo threw its hat into the investment crowdfunding ring on Tuesday, ending months of suspense. The company, which pioneered the rewards-based crowdfunding market in 2008, immediately became the 800-pound gorilla in the fledgling market. To date, more than $1 billion has been raised from 9 million backers for rewards-based campaigns on the site. Now, in […]
Kathleen Minogue | October 20, 2016
On a busy stretch of Southwest Los Angeles known as the El Salvador Community Corridor, the cheery green and orange facade of With Love Market & Cafe stands out like a beacon. Since it opened last spring in a neighborhood dotted with schools and auto body shops, With Love has become more than a grocery […]
Locavesting Staff | June 13, 2016
Can crowdfunding help you raise outside capital from conventional sources? There are certainly examples. After being turned down by venture capitalists, the inventors of the Pebble Watch went on to smash records on Kickstarter, raising $10 million in a 2013 campaign. Then the VCs came calling, investing $15 million in the smart watch venture. And […]
Sabiha Zainulbhai | April 17, 2015
Downtown Ypsilanti is vacant and gray on wintry Michigan mornings, save for one beacon of mid-morning activity: Beezy’s café. Since it opened in 2008, Beezy’s has become a daytime mainstay for locals, from artists and college students to young families, who come for the “simple, honest” food and communal atmosphere. On a street lined with […]