Your Mark On The World

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2A6dIMY. Bhavya Rehani, 37, and her husband, Ankur Bharija, also 37, are physicians at the top of their professions but that isn’t what inspires them. Harvard-trained Rehani practices at University of California San Francisco while Bharija is on the faculty at Stanford to the south. She is also the CEO of a nonprofit they founded, Health4TheWorld. The 100% volunteer-led organization is working to share health information with doctors and patients around the world to improve health outcomes. Everything they offer is entirely free to the doctors, other healthcare professionals and the patients. The pair is off to a good start. By localizing the tools for a variety of circumstances, the organization has in its first year of operation begun reaching people in 22 countries, touching 3,500 lives. Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Zach Adamson and David Monhait, co-founders of DIVERTbrands, have found a way to do what they love, have fun, do good and make money. They are living the dream! Interview with Zach Adamson, the Founder and CEO, and David Monhait, the Co-Founder & President of DIVERTbrands. The following is the pre-interview with Zach Adamson and David Monhait. Be sure to watch the recorded interview above. What is the problem you solve and how do you solve it? While interest has never been higher, action sports as they currently exist are out of reach to many due to geographic and financial barriers to participation. Concurrently, traditional education continues to exclude education in desired creative fields like music, art, media, and more. These barriers and exclusions make at-risk youth more susceptible to negative influences and life choices. DIVERT removes these barriers, making both the athletics and creative lifestyles more accessible to a

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2LBBdis. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that impact measurement is something of a holy grail for impact investors with an impact first approach. Shaun Conway is building a new blockchain and tokens to be used in measuring and monetizing impact. There are at least $228 billion of impact investments now under management. Virtually all the investors are looking to measure impact with the same clarity they currently measure financial returns. A variety of helpful tools are already being implemented. Tokenizing impact measurement is a logical and exciting step forward. Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2LBBdis. Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. A Kickstarter campaign for a commercial version of the nonprofit Because International’s “the shoe that grows” donated by the thousands to kids in the developing world called “Expandels” is growing quickly well past the goal of $10,000. Kenton Lee, co-founder of GroFive and inventor of the shoe that grows explains that when you buy a pair of Expandels via Kickstarter you can choose to donate a pair to a kid in the developing world who can’t afford to buy one. The donated shoes are manufactured in Ethiopia to ensure that donated shoes aren’t displacing net jobs in the places that most need them. Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2upxsGo. When Mari Kuraishi and Dennis Whittle, 57, launched what became GlobalGiving back in the late 1990s, the term “crowdfunding” was not in use—and wouldn’t come into vogue for nearly a decade. These two are clearly on the short list of candidates for those who can credibly make the claim to have invented internet-based crowdfunding. Today, the term crowdfunding means many things to many people. All those things have in common the idea of gathering funds from many people and most of those meanings include the use of the internet as a central feature. GlobalGiving gathers donations for international nonprofits. According to Kuraishi, who married Whittle while both were working at the World Bank, before leaving together to launch the site, “GlobalGiving has delivered $332 million to nearly 20,000 projects in 170 countries supporting community-led projects sinc

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Rachel Blank and her wife saw a need for the LGBTQ community to have its own crowdfunding platform so they created PridePocket. If you aren’t a member of the community, you may not understand why this is necessary. With many trans-related medical treatments and procedures treated by health insurance companies as elective, they are frequently not covered. The LGBTQ+ community can come together to help shoulder these costs. Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2L5eMSn Last December, I reported here that NPX, Inc., had developed a new concept for financing nonprofits called an “impact security.” In May, the nonprofit The Last Mile closed on $800,000 of financing using the new instrument. How it works: According to Princeton educated Catarina Schwab, 43, NPX’s co-founder, “The Impact Security allows a nonprofit to issue performance-based debt to investors and make required payments on the debt over time with donations from the established donor fund.” The funds came from a group of investors who hope to get their money back with interest. Having an impact priority in mind, they don’t have an interest in financial outcomes. Instead, they want their return to be entirely dependent on achieving a measurable outcome. Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2L5eMSn. Check out my free webina

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Dr. John Patterson was the first president of his Liverpool-based Rotary Club. He is also the principal at St. Vincent’s, a school for visually impaired and blind children. Working with the children, they developed SightBox, a collection of games and educational tools for kids like themselves in the developing world. Working with his Rotary Club, they share the SightBox kits with students who would otherwise have no access to such things. Interview with Dr. John Adam Patterson, the Dr John Patterson Principal and Charter President Rotary St.Vincents of St. Vincent’s School for the Blind. What is the problem you solve and how do you solve it? In the UK, Visually Impaired unemployment is at 85% with 5-6 less friends than sighted peers; this is much higher in developing countries. We design access to sports equipment and send this equipment with a surround curriculum to VI schools weaving in technology teaching and learning innovation g

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. One of the groups facing the highest unemployment rate in the United States is those who are formerly incarcerated. Richard Bronson, who served two years in prison for securities violations in the 90s, has launched a venture he calls 70 Million Jobs. You see, there are about 70 million formerly incarcerated Americans. That represents about one in every three adults. Richard sees this not only as a problem but as an opportunity. He launched his for-profit enterprise to act as a placement agent for this marginalized population. Now, Richard is raising money for the venture on equity crowdfunding site Wefunder using Title III of the 2012 JOBS Act. Virtually anyone can invest. Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Jaclyn “Jacque” Zoccoli started her career in the Peace Corps. That experience has shaped her life and career ever since, giving her a desire to always have an impact for good in the world. She works today to connect people to all those who can help them. Interview with Jaclyn "Jacque" Zoccoli, the Global Collaborator of Network Builders Arizona. What is the problem you solve and how do you solve it? The problem solved is the lack of resources, (thus impact of groups), because they do not partner with others going the same direction. Through the building of alliances, and teams of them, there is an increase in commerce and growth. This eventually builds more love, prosperity and peace worldwide, the total solution. Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Newday Investing has created a new investment firm where you can begin investing with just $5. Not only can you start today with such a tiny balance, you can investing in up to six different mission-driven portfolios that align with the view of the future you’d like to help build. Interview with Doug Heske, CEO, and Alex Meek, president of Newday Investing. The following is the pre-interview with Doug Heske. Be sure to watch the recorded interview above. What is the problem you solve and how do you solve it? Interest in socially responsible or “impact investing” continues to grow: between 2014 and 2016, US assets under professional management using sustainable, socially responsible, and impact strategies grew 33% to reach $8.7 trillion. This type of investing is especially popular among millennials who are focused on making values-based and socially responsible financial decisions. More than $60 trillion of wealth will be transferre

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Felix W. Ortiz III, 34, is a U.S. Army veteran who is working to reinvent the process of employment for salaried positions, especially in the tech sector, by focusing on skills rather than degrees. Working with companies, colleges and candidates, the social enterprise he leads as CEO and founder, Viridis Learning, Inc., has built a platform for all three to use to better match people with opportunities. Mark Thain, director of social innovation at Barclays, explains the challenges that inspired the bank to back Acumen’s Workforce Development portfolio, which includes an investment in Viridis. “We recognize that to have a meaningful impact on employability we need to look towards entrepreneurial models in the workforce development sector and support those innovators who are coming at this problem with scalable, self-sustaining solutions.” Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2lRfdEU. Read the full Fo

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Humanity and Hope United, a nonprofit working in rural Honduras, raised $37,000 in 36 hours on crowdfunding site CaringCrowd. The site, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, offers genuinely free crowdfunding services for global, public health related projects, charging only credit card processing. Unlike some crowdfunding sites, CaringCrowd does not ask your donors to fund the operation. Johnson & Johnson funds that so it is truly free. Humanity and Hope United is using the money it raised to drill a well in a remote Honduran village that lacks a source of clean water. Most people there are sick most of the time because of it. Dr. Rodrigo Diaz, a volunteer, explains that clean water to significantly reduce the incidence of diarrhea and other gastrointestinal diseases that hamper learning in school and productivity at work. Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsoci

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. The mission of the Your Mark on the World Center is to end extreme poverty, improve health and mitigate climate change. I asked U.S. Senate candidate Jenny Wilson--who faces a daunting challenge in popular Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney--for her take on each of these issues. Poverty: Wilson acknowledged that even here in Utah, many children live in poverty, aren’t sure where their next meal will come from and that chronic homelessness continues in Utah. She asserts that she is in touch with these issues by virtue of her work on the Salt Lake County Council where she dealt directly with issues facing the homeless and other low-income Utahns. Health: After leaving the County Council, Wilson took a job with the University of Utah Health Care system. She has been a vocal advocate for medicaid expansion in Utah, helping to organize a campaign to get a ballot initiative approved for this November. Climate: Wilson acknowledges that there

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. More than a decade in development, Lice Clinics of America has opened 200 clinics in just five years. The company uses a patented technology that uses no chemicals to treat the itchy and highly contagious condition. The secret: hot air. Tune in to the full interview with CEO Claire Roberts to learn more. Interview with Claire Roberts, the CEO of Lice Clinics of America. The following is the pre-interview with Claire Roberts. Be sure to watch the recorded interview above. What is the problem you solve and how do you solve it? While it may seem like a benign issue, head lice is the second-most transmittable condition among school aged children (behind the common cold), meaning that most families will have to spend money they might not have on head lice treatment. As OTC treatment becomes less and less effective, Lice Clinics of America offers affordable, one and done treatment so families can get on with their lives. During our Annual

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Women and minorities have traditionally been underfunded in the venture community. Two years since the implementation of the Security and Exchange Commission’s Regulation Crowdfunding, data is beginning to show a shift. Republic CEO and co-founder, Kendrick Nguyen, observes, “If you look at the number of women founders who represent almost 50/50 of entrepreneurs in the U.S. and the venture capital that goes to women founders is in the single digits in certain years and hovering around 10 11 to 14 percent in some other years which reflects a great inequality. And on our platform today as you know some 45 percent of capital invested on Republic has gone to teams with a women founder.” With respect to minorities, he says that 30 percent of the capital raised on the Republic crowdfunding platform goes to founding teams that include an African American or Latino founder. Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Max and Jake Klein, now 14, remember being told they were too young to volunteer when they were just seven or eight years old. That frustration ultimately inspired them to launch a matching service to help kids--and adults--find service opportunities. Recently, Verizon recognized their work with its Service Through STEM Award, which encourages young people to use science, technology, engineering and math to do service. So far, 30,000 people have used the site to find a service opportunity. What is the problem you solve and how do you solve it? We are a non-profit website that helps connect kids and adults to volunteering opportunities in over 80 markets across the country. We also offer ideas for charitable events you can do on your own. This way kids can make a difference in their communities no matter what their age is. It’s never too early to think about helping others. Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of succe

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. JP Morgan Chase Foundation recently announced that it would be increasing it grantmaking to $1.75 billion over the next five years. Much of their philanthropic giving is paired with supportive lending as well, potentially increasing the impact. (Disclosure: I have a small investment in JPM stock.) Foundation president Janis Bowdler said in our interview (watch the full interview in the player at the top of the article) that the increase in funding is part of a broad corporate strategy to increase equality. Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. CaringCrowd, proudly sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, is a sponsor of GoodCrowd.info. Lindsey Hagen is an executive producer at Stept Studios, where she produces commercials and other short films. Recently, she turned her lens on amputees in Ecuador, where many do not receive the care they need. She successfully raised $10,000 on CaringCrowd for the film. Now, she’s raising money again using CaringCrowd, for the Range of Motion Project or ROMP, for a pilot program in Guatemala. Be sure to watch the full interview with Lindsey at in the player at the top of this article. Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Travis Holoway and Rodney Williams hit upon a brilliant strategy to disrupt the payday lending business with a tool that would be much more borrower-friendly. That tool is the SoLo Funds app, available from both the App Store and Google Play. The app lets borrowers set the terms. Remarkably, lenders are generous. That may have something to do with the fact that in the company’s short operating history they’ve seen the same people become both borrowers and lenders. The community they are building can completely change the short-term lending business. One key to their success is a new credit scoring model the company developed to measure a borrower’s ability to repay a short-term loan according to the terms they propose. Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.