PHILADELPHIA--(April 7, 2015) – Ask any entrepreneur what keeps them up at night and access to capital will be among the first responses. Crowdfunding is helping some of them sleep easier. On Tuesday, April 12th a panel of crowdfunding experts will share their experiences with this new and disruptive approach to financing a startup during a Smart Talk session at the University City Science Center. The program will run from 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. at Quorum at the University City Science Center, 3711 Market Street, Suite 800, Philadelphia.
According to Forbes.com, in 2016 crowdfunding is expected to account for more capital than the traditional funding method of Venture Capital fundraising. In 2015 alone over $35 million was raised through crowdfunding in the United States. It’s hard to ignore this new approach to raising capital but it takes more than a good idea to be successful in the competitive crowdfunding arena.
Wayne Kimmel of SeventySix Capital, an earlier investor in crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, will moderate a panel of entrepreneurs who have launched successful campaigns and an attorney who focuses on the rules, regulations and protocols related to crowdfunding. Panelists include William Duckworth, CFO of FeverSmart, which raised $65,000 - 157% of the company’s goal, in a 2014 crowdfunding campaign; Yasmine Mustafa, CEO of ROAR for Good, a smart safety jewelry company whose wildly successfully crowdfunding campaign raised more than $300,000; and Matthew Kittay, Associate at Fox Rothschild, who specializes in the legalities of crowdfunding.
Smart Talk is a quarterly Science Center program that gives startup and growing companies a look at best practices and business strategies from industry leaders in the region.
Smart Talk: Adventures in Entrepreneurialism
8:30 a.m. – Registration, networking & continental breakfast
9:00 a.m. – Presentation followed by Q&A
10:00 a.m. – Adjourn
There is no charge for the event which will take place at Quorum at the Science Center, 3711 Market Street, Suite 800. Space is limited and advance registration is required. Online registration is available at: http://sciencecenter.cal.basecampbusiness.com/node/2385995.
About the Science Center
The University City Science Center is a dynamic hub for innovation, and entrepreneurship and technology development in the Greater Philadelphia region. It provides business incubation, programming, lab and office facilities, and support services for entrepreneurs, start-ups, and growing and established companies. Since it was founded in 1963, graduate organizations and current residents of the University City Science Center’s Port business incubators have created more than 15,000 jobs that remain in the Greater Philadelphia region today and contribute more than $9 billion to the regional economy annually. The Science Center is leveraging its history as the nation’s oldest and largest urban research park as it joins forces with Wexford Science + Technology, a BioMed Realty company, to expand its footprint and rebrand its physical campus as uCity Square — a true mixed-use community of ingenuity. For more information about the Science Center, go to www.sciencecenter.org.
