IndieGoGo Crowdfunding Campaign Seeks Starting Goal of $50,000 to Spread Early Literacy Skills to One Million Preschoolers Through Storybooks, eBooks, Smartphone Apps, and Ed-Tech Website

Teaching Preschoolers Pre-Reading Skills Improves Academic Development, Promotes Lifelong Learning, Increases Family Engagement, and Instills Confidence and Perseverance When Faced With Challenges

By Robert Hoskins

Toronto, Ontario – Ruth Rumack’s Learning Space (RRLS) launched a $50,000 IndieGoGo Crowdfunding campaign that will pre-sell a set of five Alpha-Mania early childhood learning storybooks and other perks that will make teaching pre-reading skills fun for children, parents, teachers and caregivers. The Alpha-Mania storybooks are the result of teaching early literacy programs to thousands of young children over the past 16 years. Click here to watch the video.

Ruth Rumack’s Alpha-Mania Crowdfunding Campaign to Promote Early Childhood Literacy

All five of the Alpha-Mania books are written and ready to publish. The goal of the crowdfunding campaign will be to pay for large publishing production runs of the Alpha-Mania storybooks, and then digitize the materials and turn them into eBooks and Smartphone apps, and eventually expand the program to an online educational web series and website where caregivers, parents and teachers will be given access to a full library of ed-tech early literacy games and reading resources. The plan is to make ed-tech materials easy to download and use on a wide variety of Smartphones, iPads, tablets and other types of eLearning devices.

Over the years, the Alpha-Mania pre-reading program has given thousands of young children a head start in developing their early literacy skills at RRLS as well as numerous established daycares, preschools, and nurseries throughout Canada. The plan is now to expand the RRLS learning experience and share it with a global audience.

“Using the power of crowdfunding, we would like to not only pre-sell these lifelong learning materials to people and schools that can afford them, but also use a significant portion of the fundraising campaign’s proceeds to ship storybooks to educational centers where they will have the greatest impact,” says Ruth Rumack, RRLS’ Founder and Director of Education. “Regardless of a child’s living environment, many parents are simply not aware of the tremendous benefits that all children receive from learning phonological awareness at an early age.”

“Printing and shipping storybooks to customers is very expensive and time consuming,” adds Evan Brooker, RRLS’s CEO. “But once we raise enough money to digitize our materials and turn our pre-reading games and interactive activities into Smartphone, tablet and laptop apps, we can sell and distribute them worldwide for a fraction of our current costs. Instead of educating thousands, our goal is to raise awareness and teach millions of people the benefits of engaging their children with early literacy skills in order to build a strong foundation for reading and problem solving before they enter kindergarten.”

Crowdfunders who donate to the Alpha-Mania crowdfunding campaign will receive many valuable perks/rewards that will be sold in singles, multi-book packaged deals for small schools and will provide large school districts discounts when materials/training classes are purchased using licensing agreements.

Students, parents, teachers and schools who contribute money to the crowdfunding campaign can choose between unique perks such as attending the launch party, chatting with the author, or naming a character in one of the upcoming stories. Check out the crowdfunding campaign for more details.

Please buy one of the following Alpha-Mania perks to raise awareness for the benefits of teaching preschoolers early childhood learning skills:

• Alpha-Mania eBooks for Smartphones and Tablets
• Alpha-Mania Printed Storybooks for Parents
• Alpha-Mania Book, Tote Bag & T-Shirt
• Alpha-Mania 5-Book Story Book Series
• Alpha-Mania Skype Chat with Author
• Alpha-Mania Name a Character
• Alpha-Mania Family Portrait and Summer Camp in Toronto
• Alpha-Mania Training Classes for Teachers
• Alpha-Mania License for Daycares, Preschools & Kindergartens
• Alpha-Mania Mass Volume Book Deals for Large Schools

Early childhood learning years are critical for preschoolers because research shows that children gain a tremendous advantage in their ability to learn when they are taught to develop, not only academic skills, but also non-cognitive social and emotional skills and behaviors that lead to their long-term success.

There are many non-cognitive skills that are critical for an individual to strive for and succeed in when reaching long-term goals. Researchers have found that habits such as tenacity and perseverance can have just as strong an influence on achievement as intellectual ability.

What attitudes do children have about learning? Do they feel like their abilities in a subject are fixed — “I’m just not good at reading!” or do they recognize they can grow — “I can learn to read, but I need to learn some Alpha-Mania strategies to figure out tricky sounds and words in order to master the fun puzzle of reading.”

“Growth mindset,” for example, is more likely when students believe they can achieve and when they believe that intelligence is malleable rather than fixed. This also helps develop non-cognitive skills such as perseverance, self-regulation, and effective strategies for enhancing student motivation and engagement.

A large portion of the crowdfunding donations will be used to provide Alpha-Mania to underfunded schools and libraries. Donors will receive the satisfaction of knowing that they helped a small child develop pre-reading skills regardless of their current position in society and give them a head start in developing academic skills that will lead to a lifetime of learning as well as arm them with the confidence, tenacity and perseverance they will need when faced with tough lifetime challenges.

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Crowdfunding PR Raising Money via Wells Fargo Project Work to Build the Very 1st Equity Crowdfunding Co-Working Space, Incubator, Accelerator and Training Facility Center in Austin, Texas

Click on this image to vote YES for our Crowdfunding Co-working Incubator, Accelerator and Crowdfunding Training Facility on Wells Fargo’s Work Project Contest for Small Businesses

Show our crowdfunding campaign some love by clicking here and simply voting “Yes,” and then share this story with your friends on social media. Your one vote will help us WIN!

  By Robert Hoskins

Austin, Texas – Front Page PR’s 2015 Mission is to teach local communities how to buy distressed properties such as vacant warehouses and strip malls and invest a little bit of money to turn these properties into crowdfunding co-working spaces where entrepreneurs and startups can congregate and dream up new product/service ideas.

The Wells Fargo Works Project for Small Business. Please Click to Vote YES!

Utilizing co-working spaces, Front Page PR can teach startups via crowdfunding training classes how to use a new finance tool called “Equity Crowdfunding” to raise the sufficient seed capital needed to setup a business, transform their creative ideas into prototypes, pay for the very first manufacturing production run, and then convert these companies from fledgling startups into successful revenue generating machines.

Equity Crowdfunding was legalized in 2012 by the JOBS Act. By October 2015, the SEC should release the final Title III equity crowdfunding rules. Startups will then be able to use General Solicitation market their investment opportunities to over 180 million non-accredited investors throughout the United States. The result? Leading finance experts and venture capitalists agree that the crowdfunding industry will grow quickly into a $300 billion per year industry.

The biggest marketplace challenge is that 99% of the population is unaware of crowdfunding and will need to be trained on how to invest in new startups and how to raise money using equity crowdfunding campaigns. Our crowdfunding classes are complete, but the biggest problem we face is how to pay for an actual crowdfunding training facility, converting it into a co-working space, staffing it with experts, and then marketing the facility to the general public.

We would like to spend the $25,000 Wells Fargo prize to start the process of setting up a Crowdfunding Incubator/Accelerator facility for small businesses and utilizing it over the next two to five years to teach people how to use crowdfunding sites to raise seed investment capital. The business model should fund itself in less than 12 months based on monthly co-working memberships alone, but we need enough money to get things started.

Our Incubator will provide a directory of crowdfunding experts that mentor entrepreneurs/startups on how to use donation-based or rewards-based crowdfunding to raise enough money on sites like GoFundMe.com, Kickstarter.com, or IndieGoGo.com to get a business up and running. Our crowdfunding training classes will show startups the step-by-step process of how to conduct successful crowdfunding campaigns.

Our Accelerator will provide a directory of legal, finance and securities experts that will help businesses take their companies to next level by selling equity shares or debt in their company to investors to raise even more money. The investor training classes will show new, non-accredited investors how to vet deals and ride the coattails of super angels by utilizing investment syndicates.

Once the Incubator/Accelerator is established and producing successful startups, we plan to license the business model so that others can replicate this crowdfunding training business template anywhere in the United States, providing a tremendous boost to the US economy.

Why launch a Crowdfunding Training Center? After serving as the Director of Corporate Communications for several Fortune 50 companies, I was bitten by the entrepreneurship bug and jumped off the corporate ship in 2001.

Since then I have thrived on the joy of building industries one small company at a time and the love for sharing my accrued knowledge gained from a vast array of B2B industries, international sales & distribution channels and working with media organizations to maximize publicity.

My track record includes building a broadband wireless industry in 2001 with the Broadband Wireless Exchange Magazine, an Arizona solar industry in 2009 with the Arizona Solar Power Society and I have been working for the past three years on building a crowdfunding industry with Crowdfunding PR to score a hat trick in 2015 when the SEC approves the title III equity crowdfunding rules.

Please support our fundraising campaign to build the 1st Crowdfunding Co-Working Space, Incubator, Accelerator and Training Center in Austin, Texas. Click here and vote yes!

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Wells Fargo Announces Four-Point Plan to Expand Credit Coaching Programs and Offer $75 Million in Investments, Grants and Micro-Lending for Small Businesses in the U.S.

To help business owners learn how to obtain credit, as well as better understand the reasons for a decline and learn how to prepare to reapply, Wells Fargo has launched a new Credit Coaching program

  By Robert Hoskins

San Francisco, California – To gain more insight into the experiences of diverse business owners in the areas of lending and operating their businesses, Wells Fargo commissioned Gallup to conduct a national study of small business owners. Today, as Gallup releases the findings (on Gallup.com), Wells Fargo is announcing a four-point plan to address needs identified in the study. The plan will help more diverse small businesses become credit-ready and gain access to credit. The Gallup survey included findings of business owners in six segments – African American, Asian American, Hispanic, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender), military veteran, and women.

Please click on this banner to vote yes for Crowdfunding PR’s business plan to open up Crowdfunding Training Facilities nationwide in tandem with co-working spaces, incubators and accelerators

“Serving diverse communities has long been a focus area and priority for Wells Fargo, yet we know there’s more work to be done, and it starts with gaining a deeper understanding of the experiences of diverse small business owners working with financial institutions,” said Lisa Stevens, head of Small Business for Wells Fargo. “For this reason, we commissioned the Gallup study, which gave us new insight into the perceptions and experiences of diverse business owners working with banks, and how we can improve as a company and as an industry.”

Overall, the national study revealed there are more similarities than differences between small business owners in all diverse segments and those in the general population. It also shows specific areas in which the financial services industry can provide more support for diverse business owners.

Credit Coaching Program

In the Gallup survey, diverse-owned small businesses were more likely to respond that they have been declined for business credit – about one in five African American, Asian and Hispanic business owners said they faced a credit decline in the past (14 percent of general market respondents said they faced a decline). After being declined, a higher percentage of African American business owners (64 percent) said they did not apply for credit again than their peers in the general small business population (47 percent). African American (14 percent) and LGBT (15 percent) business owners also reported greater personal credit challenges than the general market (5 percent).

To help business owners learn how to obtain credit, as well as better understand the reasons for a decline and learn how to prepare to reapply, Wells Fargo has launched an enhanced Credit Coaching program. It offers expanded support to business owners who have been declined business credit. The phone-based program has been rolled out to small business owners who apply for Wells Fargo Business Direct credit products (primarily credit products under $100,000 sold through its retail banking stores). Business owners who use the program will be connected with a credit specialist who will review the business’ credit profile, explain why the business was declined credit, and share resources that can help the business strengthen its credit profile and improve the likelihood of being approved for business credit in the future.

In addition, while the majority of business owners surveyed across all segments said they did not feel a perception of discrimination from a financial institution impacted their chances of obtaining business credit, 22 percent of African American and 11 percent of LGBT business owners reported that perceived discrimination impacted their chances of obtaining credit for their business, compared to 5 percent of the general small business owner population. The Credit Coaching initiative will be one way Wells Fargo will further increase transparency of credit decisions and facilitate conversations that build trust with all customers.

“We take pride in the fact that diversity and inclusion has long been one of our core values in every aspect of our business, and at every level of our organization,” said Stevens. “We want to make sure all customers feel welcome, respected, understood, valued and appreciated. The actions we’re introducing today are the next steps for Wells Fargo to better serve and connect with diverse-segment business owners.”

Community Development Financial Institutions Investments, Grants

Another key finding in the Gallup study is that African American, Asian and Hispanic small business owners are more likely to be in the start-up and growing stages of their business, compared to the small business population in general, and as a result may not qualify for many conventional bank loan products. In addition, 49 percent of African American-, 47 percent of women- and 45 percent of LGBT-owned businesses in the survey reported annual business revenue of less than $50,000, compared to 36 percent of small business owners in general.

To help newer, smaller and start-up businesses access the appropriate business financing and support they need, Wells Fargo will extend $50 million in investments and $25 million in grants to organizations called Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) that serve small businesses and entrepreneurs. The investments and grants will be directed to CDFIs that help small businesses get started and established by providing flexible capital and technical assistance. Wells Fargo will work with existing and new CDFI customers in diverse communities across the country to deploy this capital and measure its impact.

“We know that in order to address the range of financial needs within all of our communities, we need to support and work with the ecosystem of organizations that serve small businesses,” said Jon Campbell, executive vice president, government and community relations for Wells Fargo. “Through this increased investment and connections with community lending organizations, we are making meaningful strides toward increasing access to capital for small businesses, as well as helping more business owners get the coaching and educational resources they need to succeed financially long-term.”

Nationwide Referral Network

In the Gallup study, more African American, Asian and Hispanic business owners reported they were unable to obtain all the credit they needed in the past year than the general business owner population, yet the majority of small business owners in all diverse segments said they did not need credit in the last year. At the same time, nearly one in four African American, Hispanic and Asian business owners plans to apply for credit in the next 12 months, higher than the general small business owner population planning to pursue credit (15 percent). Businesses in the startup and growing phases in general expressed more intentions to apply for new credit.

To ensure business owners are aware of and accessing the full range of financing options available to them, Wells Fargo recently established referral relationships with more than 20 nonprofits and other lenders in cities across the country that are participating in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Community Advantage program. Participants in the SBA’s program specialize in providing hands-on guidance to small businesses and offering credit to qualifying businesses in underserved markets. Wells Fargo, the nation’s No. 1 SBA lender 7(a) in dollar volume for six consecutive years (U.S. SBA data, federal fiscal years 2009-2014), established these relationships with the intent of providing small business owners with an additional financing solution that may better meet their lending needs.

Chamber Training Institute

On the topic of business education, the Gallup study showed that African American, Asian and Hispanic business owners were more likely than business owners in the general population to be extremely or very interested in learning how to build a strong business credit application, choose a credit product, and develop a business plan. To meet this demand, Wells Fargo is supporting a Chamber Training Institute that trains leaders of diverse-segment chambers of commerce on key business and leadership topics for their members, such as how to access business credit and craft strong business plans. This cross-chamber initiative builds on Wells Fargo’s strong working relationships with chambers nationwide that specifically serve and represent African American, Hispanic, Asian American and LGBT business owner interests.

“There’s no single answer to the challenges reflected in the study, just as the challenges facing all diverse-owned businesses are broader than any one financial institution can address,” Stevens said. “As America’s leading small business lender, we have a responsibility to do more. We believe the steps we’re taking will make a difference, help us foster more lifelong relationships, and move us closer to our goal of helping every business we serve succeed financially. We want to contribute to a national conversation, involving the public and private sector, industry stakeholders and small business owners, about how to better support small businesses in every community.”

Additional Gallup study findings

Other key findings in Gallup’s industry study included:

• Only about half of small business owners say they have ever borrowed money for their business, including the general population of small business owners (50 percent), Asian (53 percent) and Hispanic (51 percent) segments, while the percentage of African American business owners who have used credit (42 percent) is somewhat lower.
• African American (21 percent) and Hispanic (18 percent) business owners were more likely than their counterparts in the general population (10 percent) to be in the startup phase.
• Nearly half of Asian-owned business owners (49 percent) said they were in the growing phase of their business, a higher percentage than the general population of small business owners (37 percent). Also, 38 percent of Asian-owned businesses reported annual revenue of $250,000 or more, compared to 22 percent of businesses overall.
• A higher proportion of veteran-owned businesses (24 percent) reported being in the winding down phase – preparing to retire, sell or transition their businesses – than small business owners in general (15 percent).
• Just 9 percent of women business owners reported plans to apply for new credit in the next 12 months, compared with 20 percent of men surveyed.

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Carlson Wireless Launches $5 Million Crowdfunder.com Equity Crowdfunding Campaign to Raise Money to Deploy TV White Space 802.22 Broadband Wireless Networks

The New FCC-Approved “Super Wi-Fi” TV White Space Radios will make it possible to serve 4 billion people living in 3rd world developing countries, 90% of which do not have access to the Internet

 By Robert Hoskins

Sunnyvale, California – Carlson Wireless Technologies announced a $5 million Crowdfunder.com equity crowdfunding campaign to develop and deploy its a global leader in TV White Space (TVWS) unlicensed broadband wireless technology. At speeds of up 25-Mbps, which is three times faster than current technology, and half the cost, Carlson’s RuralConnect Generation 3 TVWS radios (470 to 698 MHz) will offer a superior broadband wireless solution than is currently available in the marketplace. These white space wireless radios will make it possible to build wireless networks in underserved rural areas where there is a huge pent up demand from millions of customers that currently do not have any form of broadband internet access.

Carlson Wireless Technologies Launches Equity Crowdfunding Campaign on Crowdfunder for RuralConnect TV White Space Radio Gen3

In order to transform its FCC-approved prototype into a mass produced reality for worldwide distribution, Carlson Wireless is offering the private placement memorandum and is currently selling equity shares to raise investment venture capital. 

The equity fundraising will enable completion of both the software and hardware for the new product, as well as provide working capital for the first Generation 3 production run, with an expected release to market before the end of 2015. Carlson Wireless currently has a presence on the equity crowdfunding platforms AngelList and Crowdfunder.

This funding will allow Carlson Wireless to help fuel world-wide Internet connectivity through next generation dynamic spectrum wireless communication systems. By helping the company fund the final stages of this project, investors can be a part of this fundamental economic and social change.  

Globally, there are 4 billion people without access to the Internet, 90% of which are from the developing world. Domestically, millions of Americans in rural areas lack access to broadband connectivity due to current market and technological constraints.

Carlson Wireless developed the FCC Certified RuralConnect as a solution that provides affordable broadband Internet access by transmitting signals over vacant TV frequencies. Using this spectrum, the RuralConnect signal penetrates foliage and travels around hills to provide broadband in rural and remote locations throughout the world that cannot be served by traditional line-of-sight radio technology.

RuralConnect can cover an area up to 20 km in diameter, with the ability to deploy a hotspot using minimal infrastructure. TVWS technology also expands the capability of businesses and governments to extend communications and private networks such as: small cell sites, smart cities, the Internet of Things (M2M), utilities, oil & gas operations, public safety, wireless backhaul, security, video surveillance and more.  Moreover, acceptance of the technology is accelerating worldwide, with regulatory approvals earlier this year in Canada and the U.K.

In the United States, the abandoned television frequencies are primarily in the upper UHF 700-Megahertz band, covering  TV channels 52 to 69 (698 to 806 MHz).  This new spectrum became available as TV broadcasters migrated from analog to digital broadcasting technology.

Digital transmission uses much smaller slices of spectrum and can be packed into adjacent channels, while analog ones cannot. This means that the band can be “compressed” into fewer channels, while still allowing for more transmissions. In addition to white space assigned for technical reasons, there is also unused radio spectrum which has either never been used, or is becoming free as a result of technical changes. 

For more than a decade, Carlson Wireless has designed and developed products to deliver high-speed Internet and wireline-quality voice connectivity to rural communities and businesses with remote operations. Specializing in hard-to-reach regions, Carlson Wireless provides fixed-wireless systems using TV White Space and microwave technology to deliver voice and data connections.

Working with customers, trial participants, and other industry leaders, Carlson Wireless has created a third-generation product that will exhibit the enhanced throughput and superior propagation characteristics required by the market at an attractive price point. The RuralConnect Generation 3 will utilize channel bonding in order to triple Internet connection speeds up to 25 Mbps, reduce latency, and support four times as many users per sector; all under the new IEEE 802.22 standard.

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Fundrageous.com Launches a $50 Million Capital Raise for Its Equity Crowdfunding Site, Empowering Accredited Investors to Take Real Estate Investing into Their Own Hands

Fundrageous offers an international platform in Miami that connects accredited investors Latin America, Europe and the United States and lets them invest in one of the hottest the real estate industries in the United States

 By Robert Hoskins

Miami, Florida – Benworth Capital Partners announced a new real estate crowdfunding site in South Florida called Fundrageous.com.  The company launched a $50 million capital raise for its initial growth phase, empowering accredited investors to take real estate investing into their own hands, while giving borrowers a new avenue from which to fund for local projects in which they believe.  Fundrageous opens its doors officially on at the second annual eMerge Americas, a movement to make Miami the technology hub of theAmericas.

Fundrageous.com Equity Crowdfunding Site for Real Estate in South Florida

 

“Real estate investing has long been relegated to a private club for the select few, where less people have opportunity and less exciting deals get funded due to suffocating regulations with traditional banks.  We say no more!” commented Bernie Navarro, Fundrageous Founder & CEO.  “Our intent is to democratize real estate investing, benefitting both the borrower as well as accredited investor.  With that spirit in mind, we felt there was no better place to innovate an industry than at eMerge, where in its first year we were inspired to create something truly disruptive.”

“Fundrageous embodies what eMerge is all about – innovation developed in Miami that creates an international platform connecting Latin America, Europe and the United States, and disrupts an industry,” added Manuel D. Medina, Founder of eMerge Americas and a technology entrepreneur.

Real estate crowdfunding is a new industry with no long-term legacy companies.  For that reason, many of the top players have been clouded in secrecy, treating their investors and borrowers with little respect or disclosure.

To address this white space, the company launches with its proprietary Fundrageous Peace of Mind Guarantees:

1. Our guiding principle is TRANSPARENCY at all levels.
2. We are a licensed mortgage lender with decades of expertise
3. We only invest in debt on deals backed by real estate.
4. All documentation on investments can be found online
5. Vetted borrowers and real estate assets
6. Only offer first position mortgages
7. Never offer you borrower dependent notes.
8. Fractionalized fund investing based on percentage you own, which you can always check.
9. Funds go directly to an attorney closing agent
10. We facilitate outrageous investment deals, not lend on them to own later.
11. We escrow for taxes and insurance on every loan.
12. Investment portfolios can be found online 24/7

Mr. Navarro is a member of the Board of Advisors of the groundbreaking Idea Center at Miami Dade College (MDC) and of its Board of Trustees, joining the College as a presenter at eMerge Americas.

“We wish Trustee Navarro the best of luck. He brings so much energy and innovation to all he does,” said MDC President Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón.

Added, Navarro, “I couldn’t be prouder of my association with MDC or our mutual interest in further advancing Miami’s presence on the global stage.”

The company launches with a select a few deals and recently completed projects on the site, and is immediately focused on the dual efforts of raising capital from the U.S. and Latin America, and attracting borrowers with attractive deals ready to be funded.

“Investors are often presented with two equally bad options; either over-crowded, small-yield opportunities; or investments with large potential but little transparency. We believe this is a false choice,” added Navarro.  “Fundrageous is where real estate opportunity meets crowdfunding transparency.”

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Fantem Unveils IndieGoGo Crowdfunding Campaign Offering New Oomi, the World’s First Z-Wave Smart Home Built for Everyone

Oomi’ s Z-Wave MultiSensors gives customers more insight into what is going on inside of their domicile by detecting motion, temperature, light, UV rays, vibrations and humidity

By Robert Hoskins

Chicago, IL – Fantem announces Indiegogo campaign featuring it new Oomi Smart Home System, which includes a new, redesigned controller and a unique multisensor. The new controller, Oomi Touch, is encased in edge-to-edge glass and includes both tactile buttons and capacitive touch controls, offering control of smart home devices as well as television and music. Oomi Multisensor not only detects motion, but also temperature, light and humidity, and more, adding versatility to the home automation system already set apart by intuitive control and ease of use.

Oomi’s patent pending Tap-and-Touch™ technology sets Oomi apart from other systems by allowing for effortless setup and configuration. Oomi Cube, a hub with unrivaled functionality built on the Z-Wave Wireless Mesh Network Technology, instantly recognizes all system accessories and sensors without programming. Self-learning algorithms and adaptive automation allow the system to learn the user’s habits, schedules and preferences to deliver a new level of whole home control.

Oomis Z-Wave MultiSensors gives customers more insight into what is going on inside of their domicile

The latest Oomi smart home technology is available now for preorder on Indiegogo. The campaign offers three bundles, each based on Oomi Cube and Oomi Touch. Bundles also come with a choice of Oomi accessories, allowing contributors to create their ideal smart home.

Oomi bundles include:

• Oomi Cube plus the choice of one of three Oomi Z-Wave accessories ($279) – limited time pricing
• Oomi Cube and three Oomi Z-Wave accessories, plus the choice of Oomi Streamer or Oomi Air ($439) – limited time pricing
• Oomi Cube, both Oomi premium accessories, and a choice of nine Oomi Z-Wave accessories ($699)

Oomi Z-Wave technology-enabled accessories include:

• Oomi Multisensor. Comprised of a motion, temperature, humidity and ambient light senor, Oomi Multisensor can be mounted, recessed, or placed on a shelf and is 70 percent smaller than leading sensors.
• Oomi Plug. Wirelessly control home accessories and monitor energy consumption, all with a tiny 56mm x 56mm x 42mm wall outlet. The light band on Oomi Plug changes color to display energy use, offering real-time energy monitoring.
• Oomi Bulb. Control light output, including shade, just by screwing in this RGB bulb. With the ability to render millions of colors, the Oomi Bulb offers brilliant color or white for perfect ambiance any time of the day or night.

Oomi premium accessories include:

• Oomi Streamer. Plug the Oomi Streamer into your TV’s HDMI port and instantly access the Internet and HD video.
• Oomi Air. Monitor airborne pollutants that cause risks to you and your family and record environmental quality.

Lead by Fantem chief executive officer, Winston Cheng, the creators of Oomi boast experience in the smart home space spanning over a decade. Before founding Fantem, Cheng was a vice president at Aeon Labs, the creators of Z-Wave products, and also served as a software engineer for companies such as Zensys and Quantum3D. With its first product Oomi, Fantem seeks to facilitate consumer adoption of smart home technology by removing the complexity and frustration associated with existing systems.

Fantem is a developer of innovative products and solutions for the home. It is dedicated to the worldwide consumer adoption of smart home technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) through the development of home automation solutions that remove the complexity and frustration associated with existing systems.

Together with its global team of experts and partners, Fantem set out to create the first smart home management system that is not only the easiest to install, set-up, and use, but also the first smart home system that is actually smart.

The result of this effort, Oomi, is set to revolutionize the future of home automation, not only by positively impacting upon multiple areas (home safety and security, home environment and home entertainment) of users’ home lives, but by also making it accessible to the everyone – “a system designed for the rest of us!” Fantem is based in Chicago with offices and strategic partners spanning four continents.

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GenYrator Launches Equity Crowdfunding Site for USC Startups Combined with an Entrepreneur Business Accelerator and Mentorship Program

GenYrator is the One of the First Mission-Driven Equity Crowdfunding Platform that Combines Real Returns with Real Impact by Investing in the Next Generation of USC Entrepreneurs

 By Robert Hoskins

Los Angeles, California – GenYrator launched its private beta for an equity crowdfunding site concentrating initially on startups from USC, the alma mater of co-founder Sean Nasiri. The GenYrator platform looks for emerging generation-y founded businesses with revenue that are not quite ready for institutional investors, and encourages regular people to get involved to fill that gap.

GenYrator.com Equity Crowdfunding Site and Business Accelerator for USC Startups

The company is currently being advised by notable figures from both the startup and USC communities. Current advisors include famous venture capitalist and USC Trustee Mark Stevens, former Managing Partner at Sequoia Capital, as well as Alex Cappello, former President of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors who also served as the only two-time international chairman of YPO. Other notable advisors include Rob Ukropina, former CEO of Overnite Express, who also served on USC Board of Governors, and Ryan Meyers, Managing Director of General Assembly LA and former CEO of AlumniFunder.

“The problem GenYrator is solving,” explains Nasiri, “is that too many good millennial founded startups end prematurely or stagnate because they lack the support they need to grow, and the only way to fix this is by getting everyone involved.” Millennials now have the largest presence in the workforce, but according to the Huffington Post, they are facing the worst job market in more than twenty years. “We are starting businesses out of necessity. There are just not enough opportunities out there for people our age, and we need the support of all generations to create more jobs and grow the economy,” Nasiri continues.

GenYrator has recently achieved proof of concept by helping two companies close their recent rounds. First is wearable technology startup, Loopd, with noteworthy lead investors Tim Draper and Marc Benioff, which closed out its $1M seed round. Second is triple bottom line Hawaiian water bottle company, Waiakea, which closed out its $1.6M dollar Series-A. GenYrator has since opened up its platform to all, but still requires a private beta access code to view deals. It is currently featuring a selection of promising USC-founded companies in “preview mode,” with more being added over the next couple of months.

While investing through equity crowdfunding is only accessible to accredited investors, GenYrator’s unique platform is also open to those who are interested in other ways of helping out, such as being a mentor, advisor, or service provider. The platform also plans to expand beyond just a university platform. “The long-term vision of GenYrator is to establish itself as the premier destination for the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders,” says Nasiri, “and to show people from all different backgrounds that they can add value and impact the success of a young startup.”

Founded with the mission to generate a more prosperous future through supporting entrepreneurship, GenYrator is the online platform that brings the benefits of the Silicon Valley ecosystem to the mainstream. GenYrator’s online community enables all interested parties, provided they are accredited in accordance with current regulatory guidelines, to directly participate in promising millennial founded businesses. Beyond simply crowdfunding, members and other supporters can lend guidance and mentorship.

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YouGov Omnibus Research Reports Donors 45% More Likely to Give Crowdfunding Donations to Individuals in Need, Not Charities or Causes

GoFundMe now dominates the crowdfunding space, with 41% of Americans aware of the site; IndieGoGo comes in at number two at 13%

 By Robert Hoskins

New York, NY – According to the latest YouGov Omnibus research crowdfunding’s charitable sweet spot focuses squarely on donations to individuals in need.  For those who have donated via crowdfunding sites, 45% have given to an individual person in need, compared to only 22% who have given to a charity like the Red Cross, or 20% who have given to social causes like homelessness.  16% have given to disaster relief or individual animals in need.  Global environmental causes garnered only 12% amongst crowdfunding donors.

YouGov OmniBus Research Report on Crowdfunding Donations

By contrast Americans who donate via any channel say the single channel they are most likely to donate to is a charitable organization (25%) compared to 17% who prefer to give to individuals.

Charities Still Most Effective Use of Funds: Politicians Least Effective

In terms of effectiveness, more than half of Americans who donate via any channel (52%) think that the most effective home for a donation is a charitable organization. Nearly a third (32%) think gifts to individuals are the most effective.

Practically nobody (2%) thinks that politicians are the most effective recipients of donations intended to promote a cause.

Most Popular Crowdfunding Sites

GoFundMe now dominates the crowdfunding space, with 41% of Americans aware of the site; IndieGoGo comes in at number two at 13%.  Millennials are more aware of their crowdfunding options with 47 % awareness for GoFundMe and more than one in five (21%) aware of IndieGoGo.

For all those who have heard of a crowdfunding site 20% have given money via GoFundMe. Higher earners (32%) and women (25%) are most likely to have contributed to a GoFundMe campaign.

A quarter (24%) of all American adults have been invited to contribute to a crowdfunded charity via social media. A further 16% has received solicitations via email.

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Crowdfundraiser.com Readies Equity Crowdfunding Platform to Host Tier 2, Title IV, Regulation A+, Mini-IPOs

Crowdfundraiser and its partners, including attorneys and accountants, will be prepared to provide Form 1-A filing and audit solutions for businesses looking to perform Tier 2 Regulation A+ crowdfunding

 By Robert Hoskins

Seattle, Washington – Crowdfundraiser.com announced the addition of services geared toward companies looking to file Reg A+ offerings. Starting sometime in June, when the ability to file Regulation A+ becomes completely effective, Crowdfundraiser and its partners, including attorneys and accountants, will be prepared to provide Form 1-A filing and audit solutions for businesses looking to perform Tier 2 Regulation A+ crowdfunding.

Crowdfundraiser Readies Equity Crowdfunding Platform to Host Tier 2, Title IV, Reg A+ Mini-IPOs

Even though the full release of Regulation A+ will not occur until June, the team at Crowdfundraiser is ramping up to prepare several companies who’ve already expressed interest. Each offerer is intent on raising the maximum amount from the offering at $50 million. “We’re already seeing a great deal of interest in Regulation A+ offerings, but we’re being very selective on the types of companies and operators with whom we’re engaging,” says Jake Durrant, Managing Director.

Because the law itself confines the type, size and structure of each deal and company, there is already a narrow definition of the businesses Crowdfundraiser can work with. Furthermore, the Crowdfundraiser team has also opted to ensure the opportunities with which they assist have a high probability of being fully subscribed. “While we have the ability to scale our processes, we would prefer to work with the highest quality deals we can,” says Durrant. “Doing so increases the probability of success and creates the best situation for both investors and entrepreneurs alike.”

Crowdfundraiser is intent on only providing services for companies looking to do Tier 2 offerings with Regulation A+. “We feel Tier 1 Reg A offerings are not only too small, but are almost a non-starter due to the fact that Tier 1 offers don’t preempt the state Blue Sky Laws,” Durrant says. “This may pigeonhole us somewhat, but it helps define where we’ll play and where we won’t.”

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CFX: the Crowd Finance Exchange, a Secondary Stock Exchange for Real Estate Crowdfunding Securities Expected to Be Online within 60-90 Days Pending Approvals

Shares of crowdfunding offerings purchased on the PeerRealty portal can be resold on the secondary market, subject only to SEC resale restrictions

 By Robert Hoskins

Chicago, IL – PeerRealty.com announced the introduction of a secondary market crowdfunding stock exchange called the CFX: Crowd Finance Exchange for crowdfunded assets and other private investment offerings. The mechanics of the secondary market stock exchange are simple. Shares of crowdfunding offerings purchased on the PeerRealty portal can be resold on the secondary market, subject only to SEC resale restrictions.

PeerRealty Real Estate Equity Crowdfunding Platform in Chicago, Illinois

The secondary market acts as a stock exchange for private investments, allowing investors to buy and sell shares from other participants in the market. The secondary market, branded as “CFX: the Crowd Finance Exchange,” is expected to be online within 60-90 days pending the completion of SEC regulatory procedures.

“PeerRealty is all about providing access, transparency and flexibility, and our secondary market will provide investors with sorely needed liquidity for private placements and crowdfunding offerings,” says PeerRealty COO Juan Hernandez. “Creating a secondary market has been one of our primary goals since we founded PeerRealty last year, and we’re thrilled to announce the arrival of this private exchange to the marketplace.”

PeerRealty has finalized the back-end technology supporting the exchange, and has a patent pending on the technology and process. CFX acts as a centralized asset exchange system, managing the registration of listed assets and the ownership of participating investors.

The internal transaction engine manages incoming orders to buy and sell, and processes these orders using a matching algorithm with price-time priority. The CFX system handles the complete lifecycle of an investment purchase or transfer, including the clearing of investor funds and settlement process of the private assets.

The establishment of a secondary market promises to be a huge development for a quickly growing industry. According to a recent report by research organization Massolution, the equity crowdfunding industry grew by 182% in 2014, with over $1.1 billion raised on equity crowdfunding platforms.

PeerRealty.com is a streamlined, online portal that allows any accredited investor to participate in high-quality real estate deals. A strong team and advisers with institutional backgrounds review and select deals. The leadership team has over 30 years of real estate investing experience, and includes M.B.A.’s from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the University of Miami (FL), along with J.D.’s from the University of Chicago Law School and the University of Miami (FL).

Current investment opportunities available on the PeerRealty platform include a senior housing development project and a retail shopping center in the Chicagoland area.

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