RE-volv and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Offering Hurricane Zones $120,000 of Matching Funds to Install Solar Panels on Schools, Community Centers, Homeless Shelters, Churches and Other Types of Non-Profit Organizations

Good Samaritan’s that Donate $25 to $1,000 to Help Non-Profits Install Solar Power Arrays Will Receive a Tax Credit in Return for Their Donation to Help Generate Clean, Green Solar Electricity

By Robert Hoskins

Puerto Rico – The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation will provide a $120,000 award of matching funds to RE-volv, a solar crowdfunding platform, to install affordable roof top or community solar power for any non-profit organization located in Florida, Puerto Rico, Texas, and impacted cities throughout the United States. This makes it easy for any charity fundraising organization, school, community center, homeless shelter, pet welfare shelter, church or any other type of 503(c) non-profit organization that would like to install a solar power system to go to revolv.org and build a free crowdfunding profile that will allow them to raise enough money from friends, family and the general public to build solar power arrays that will generate free solar electricity for the next 25 years.

RE-volv and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Offering Hurricane Zones $120,000 of Matching Funds to Install Solar on Schools, Community Centers, Homeless Shelters, and Churches

Good Samaritans that would like join academy-award winner, Leonardo DiCapri, and RE-volv in supporting solar crowdfunding campaigns to provide free solar power can donate money online with a credit card.  Anyone that makes a donation will receive a tax credit that can be filed with their personal or corporate tax return at the end of the year.

The partnership will provide matching funding for RE-volv’s 503 (c) crowdfunding platform, allowing donors the opportunity to double their contributions with support from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

RE-volv supports solar energy projects for nonprofits that lack access to financing options. An estimated 1.5 million nonprofits in the U.S. face financial barriers to obtaining solar power, as they do not qualify for solar tax credits or are too small to attract traditional investors. RE-volv bridges this funding gap for organizations that provide valuable public services to vulnerable communities, including homeless shelters, schools, community centers, and houses of worship. This is the largest grant to date for RE-volv, a two-time awardee of the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative.

“RE-volv is working to make sure that the benefits of solar can reach everyone, including nonprofit organizations and the people they serve,” said Andreas Karelas, Executive Director of RE-volv. “Thanks to this generous grant from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, RE-volv will be able to scale its impact and bring solar to even more nonprofits around the country.”

RE-volv’s unique solar crowdfunding platform is the first to employ a revolving fund. Donors select a specific nonprofit to support and, as the project pays back dividends through a solar lease agreement, the user can then reinvest their earnings into new solar projects through the RE-volv platform. This pay-it-forward model helps to accelerate solar energy deployment in local communities while keeping donors engaged in solar projects.

“The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is excited to support RE-volv,” said Gregory Lopez, Climate Program Director of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. “Not only is their work important in deploying solar energy and reducing greenhouse gasses, their unique solar crowdfunding business model provides an introduction of accessible, renewable energy to new communities.”

To date, RE-volv has raised over $300,000 from over 1,000 people in 22 countries. It has crowdfunded ten solar projects (150 kW of capacity) in four states, include Harbor House in Oakland, which serves refugee, immigrant, and low-income families with after-school programs and ESL classes, and Morris Chapel Baptist Church, the oldest African American Church in Philadelphia.

Thanks to the solar crowdfunding campaigns, grantees are expected to save between 15 and 40 percent on their electric bills. In total, these ten nonprofits will save more than $1.5 million over the life of their solar energy systems. RE-volv’s solar revolving fund, the Solar Seed Fund, is now worth $650,000 in future lease payments from these ten projects – payments which will be used to finance at least 20 more solar energy projects.

In addition to financing projects, RE-volv invites college students, community volunteers and solar advocates to become RE-volv Solar Ambassadors, who in turn lead ground efforts to deploy solar. RE-volv has educated 10,000 people about solar energy through training, outreach, and more than 100 events.

RE-volv empowers people to take direct action on climate change by crowdfunding solar energy projects for nonprofit organizations. Donations made to RE-volv’s crowdfunding campaigns grow a revolving fund that provides solar financing for nonprofits across the nation. RE-volv is an inaugural member of the White House National Community Solar Partnership.

Founded in 1998, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) works to protect the Earth’s last wild places by implementing solutions that restore balance to threatened ecosystems, and ensuring the long-term health and wellbeing of all its inhabitants.

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Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.

On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.

Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

 

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Sony Global Education Launches a KOOV Indiegogo Campaign to Fund a Software Coding and Robotics Kit for the Next Generation of Innovators

KOOV is already available in Japan and China, and Sony is now looking to expand the program to the United States

By Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR

San Diego, California – Sony Electronics in conjunction with Sony Global Education announced that the KOOV Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to fund a new coding and robotics kit for the next generation of young innovators has raised more than half of it crowdfunding goal.

The Sony Global Education team developed KOOV as a fresh approach to learning robotics and programming. KOOV is already available in Japan and China, and Sony is now looking to expand the program to the US in order to gain feedback and insight into the American market.

KOOV: The all-in-one coding, robotics and design kit for the next generation of innovators from Sony

KOOV is a robotics and coding educational kit made up of blocks, sensors, motors, actuators, and a companion app that teaches children core concepts about design, coding and robotics. The app also features a secure social space, where children can share their designs and code with other young inventors from around the world.

The blocks can be assembled into any shape, with the final figure capable of being controlled as a robot. The kit encourages learners to “Play” by building with 7 kinds of translucent blocks, “Code” by controlling the assembled figure through the KOOV app, and “Create” by embracing their creativity and imagination.

Sony Global Education believes that the teaching materials for robotics and programming will play a major role in cultivating STEM literacy and nurturing the next generation of problem solvers.

KOOV was built on the belief that STEM learning tools should be accessible to all children.  Through the use of inclusive colors, shareable design and the goal of building a foundation for future STEM learning, Sony hopes to attract parents of children 8 to 14 years old, with equal emphasis on boys and girls.

Pre-orders are available for a limited time beginning June 20th via Indiegogo, with product scheduled to ship to backers in early December. The suggested retail price is $359 for the Starter Kit and $499 for the Advanced Kit with limited quantities available at discounts of up to 40% for early backers.  Interested consumers can learn more about KOOV, and place preorders at https://igg.me/at/KOOV.

 

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Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

---

Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.

On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.

Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding PR” to see why Mr. Hoskins runs one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding PR, social media and marketing agencies that has amassed a huge social media following and is dedicated to supporting a wide variety of donation, rewards and equity crowdfunding campaigns.

Facebook Rolls Out Crowdfunding Platform for Education, Medical, Pets, Crisis Relief, Personal Loss, Sports and Community Needs

However, with a crowdfunding platform commission fee of  6.9% + 30 cents per credit card transaction fee Facebook’s Fundraiser Service will be considerably more expensive than competitors such as GoFundMe, Indiegogo and Kickstarter

By Robert Hoskins

Menlo Park, California – Facebook is a place where people come together to connect with their communities and support one another in meaningful ways. Today, we are giving people another way to mobilize around causes they care about by expanding personal fundraisers to everyone over 18 in the US and by adding two new categories – community and sports.

Facebook Rolls Out Crowdfunding Platform and Fundraiser Service for Education, Medical, Pets, Crisis Relief, Personal Loss, Sports and Community Needs

Facebook began testing personal fundraisers, a new product that allows people to raise money for a friend, themselves or a sick pet directly on Facebook, in March. Since then, they’ve been inspired by the response to create them and the support felt by those they benefit.

People can create a fundraiser to quickly raise money on Facebook and easily reach their friends in a few taps, without leaving Facebook, and can share fundraisers to help build momentum. People can learn about the person who created the fundraiser and the person benefiting from the fundraiser, as well as see which friends have donated. Now people can raise money for any of the following categories:

• Education: such as tuition, books or classroom supplies
• Medical: such as medical procedures, treatments or injuries
• Pet Medical: such as veterinary procedures, treatments or injuries
• Crisis Relief: such as public crises or natural disasters
• Personal Emergency: such as a house fire, theft or car accident
• Funeral and Loss: such as burial expenses or living costs after losing a loved one
• Sports: such as equipment, competitions or team fees
• Community: such as neighborhood services, community improvements or environmental improvements

Nonprofit fundraisers continue to be available for people on Facebook to raise funds and awareness for 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

It’s easy to get started:

1. On mobile, tap the menu icon and select Fundraisers, or on desktop, go to facebook.com/fundraisers
2. Choose to raise money for a Friend, Yourself or Someone or Something Not on Facebook
3. Give your fundraiser a title and compelling story, and start raising money

All fundraisers are reviewed within 24 hours. Personal fundraisers are available on all devices, and have a 6.9% Facebook commission fee + $0.30 fee that goes to payment processing, fundraiser vetting, and security and fraud protection. Facebook’s goal is to create a platform for good that’s sustainable over the long-term, and not to make a profit from our charitable giving tools.

We’re constantly inspired by the good people on Facebook do, and we’re excited to learn more about how people use this new product so we can continue improving the experience.

Find out more about Facebook fundraisers at facebook.com/fundraisers.

# # #

Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

---

Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.

On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.

Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins runs one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding PR, social media and marketing agencies that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation, rewards and equity crowdfunding campaigns.

YouCaring.com Acquires GiveForward.com to Create World’s Largest Portal for Crowdfunding Critical Personal, Medical Expenses and Charitable Causes

Combined the two leading donation-based crowdfunding sites have raised over $750 million and have created the world’s largest free donation crowdfunding site

By Robert Hoskins

San Francisco, California  – YouCaring announced that it has acquired GiveForward. GiveForward has been a pioneer in crowdfunding medical expenses for individuals and has helped people raise nearly $200 million. Combined with YouCaring, which has helped people around the world raise over $550 million for critical personal, medical, and charitable causes, this acquisition will expand YouCaring’s fundraising and donor reach.

Combined the two leading donation-based Crowdfunding Sites have raised over $750 Million and have created the world’s largest free donation crowdfunding site

For the GiveForward community, YouCaring offers an optimized on-site experience, robust marketing tools for fundraisers, real-time customer support, and the ability to reach a donor pool of six million. GiveForward users can expect increased campaign performance and an expanded customer support system to meet their fundraising goals.

Unlike other crowdfunding sites, YouCaring does not charge fundraisers a fee to raise money on the platform and relies on voluntary donations from donors to fund their operations. As a Certified B Corporation®, YouCaring is committed to advancing social good and adheres to strict standards for consumer advocacy.

“We’re excited to welcome GiveForward users to the YouCaring community. GiveForward has been a leader in medical crowdfunding for nearly a decade,” said Dan Saper, YouCaring’s CEO. “With health care costs continuing to rise for consumers, building a platform that can help relieve that stress is critically important to us. The GiveForward brand and what it stands for couldn’t be more aligned with who we are and what we do here at YouCaring.”

Desiree Vargas Wrigley, a co-founder of GiveForward, added, “We started GiveForward to help change the way people care about each other. We’re happy to see that vision expanded to the tremendous global community of supporters YouCaring has built.”

YouCaring focuses on Compassionate Crowdfunding™ and believes that no one should have to face hardship alone. Their community of worldwide donors is more than six million strong, and to date, have raised over $550 million. The company does not charge platform fees to fundraise, and like its fundraisers, relies on donations from generous supporters to finance its operation.

GiveForward has been a leader in medical crowdfunding. Since inception in 2008, GiveForward has raised nearly $200 million for people in need, and has empowered 270,000 people to raise money for their causes.

# # #

Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

---

Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.

On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.

Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation, rewards and equity crowdfunding campaigns.

Titan Note Earns more than $500k with Four Days to Go via Perks-Based Indiegogo Crowdfunding Campaign

Titan Note’s innovative technology promises to make pen and paper a thing of the past for taking notes in school and office environments

 By Robert Hoskins

Malmo, Sweden – Titan Note, the pocket-sized transcription device, has passed their most recent stretch goal of $500,000. Titan Note is a groundbreaking device that will forever change the way someone take notes. Since the beginning of time, people have taken notes by hand. Titan Note paves the way for the future and it is giant leap forward in a field that has not seen much progress. Titan Note uses cutting edge speech recognition that records audio by multiple microphones. It is equipped with advanced voice biometrics to identify who is speaking. It’s sleek and simple design is portable, water resistant, and now comes in a variety of colors.

Titan Note allows students around the world can now spend their time focusing in class, rather than taking notes that cause distraction

“Titan Note is a device that millions of people will benefit from. Students around the world can now spend their time focusing in class, rather than taking notes that cause distraction,” Titan Note CEO Erik Jansson said. “We’re very proud to announce new features for Titan Note and continue to perfect the device.”

Titan Note transcribes in real-time, so there is minimal delay between recording and transcription. Titan Note’s application allows users to edit and add information as the transcription is rolling in. The word error rate for Titan Note is roughly the same as human transcription, so there is little need to go into the Titan Note application and edit. Titan Note can decipher between multiple speakers in a large lecture hall or office and is effective up to 70 feet. Titan Note is equipped with noise-canceling microphones combined with noise-canceling algorithms to filter out background noise and improve the accuracy.

On Indiegogo, Titan Note began with a goal of $35,000, which was quickly surpassed over only a couple of days. After fully funding, Titan Note announced a new goal of $150,000 then they were onto another goal of $250,000, which was rapidly reached. After that exciting jump, Titan Note was onto their next goal of $500,000. By reaching this stretch goal, the campaign has unlocked two new colors, genius green and success yellow.

Titan Note’s technology has incorporated extra features to make note-taking more fun. Titan Note is also endowed with a Bluetooth speaker that is able to play music through the Titan Note Application. The application will be available for free on Android and iOS. In addition, the device doubles as a power bank for any USB compatible charger. To ensure Titan Note is never left behind, it is equipped with an anti-lost system that will alert the user via the Titan Note app.

Titan Note created their first hardware prototype almost a year ago and are working hard to add more languages into the device’s translation capabilities. The team at Titan Note is thrilled to announce their new stretch goal of $1,000,000. They will be updating the device with new features and colors and will be introducing Savvy Silver and Focus Blue as two new color options. Two new features will include being able to upload old recordings to the app for transcription and getting timestamps to see how long each person has been talking.

Titan Note is currently being sold for $80 on Indiegogo. To learn more about Titan Note or to pre-order, visit bit.ly/TitanNoteIGG.

When Titan Note CEO, Erik Jansson, was in college and university, many complained that it was hard to listen and take notes at the same time. It was then he realized that there had to be a better way. It was then he got to work developing a more advanced and accurate method of taking notes. Jansson has a goal to save people time, headache and missed information with the introduction of Titan Note.

# # #

Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

---

Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.

On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.

Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation, rewards and equity crowdfunding campaigns.

New Kickstarter Crowdfunding Campaign Transforms Square Lunch Box into a Cool New Compartmentalized Thermos

The new ICONIQ Qore lunch  box combines vacuum insulation with a modular design without the need for refrigeration or reheating

By Robert Hoskins

Irvine, California – ICONIQ Bottle has announced the release of their latest project, an all-in-one food container that aims to replace the traditional lunchbox. Full details of the food container, titled the ICONIQ Qore, were revealed on the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform, where it is currently available for pre-order.

The new ICONIQ Qore lunch box combines vacuum insulation with a modular design without the need for refrigeration or reheating

The product of two years of ideation and development, its features include:

• Double wall stainless steel vacuum insulation to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.
• Unique stacking food container segments, allowing you to pack multiple dishes together.
• A stainless steel fold-out spork stored in the base of the container eliminating the need for loose or disposable eating utensils.
• High-grade stainless steel materials that are re-usable, 100% BPA free, and easy-to-clean.

Also in the works is a stackable insulated water bottle segment that combines with the food container into one portable unit.

“The combination of vacuum insulation with a modular design is the real game changer,” says co-founder Shane Jones. “It opens up tons of new food options, all without the need for refrigeration or reheating. Pack a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup served with a side salad. Or a Greek yogurt served with a chopped fruit medley. The possibilities are endless.”

In building a more sensible, easy-to-use lunchbox ICONIQ hopes to steer consumers away from more traditional takeout or packaged food options, which they claim are often highly processed and unhealthy.

“Most schoolchildren don’t have access to a refrigerator or microwave. The same goes for many professionals working outdoors or on the road,” says lead designer Richard Chritz. “The ICONIQ Qore will allow everyone to enjoy fresh home cooked meals instead of the typical processed or packaged foods found in most packed lunches.”

The ICONIQ Qore Food Container is currently in is the final stages of development and is scheduled for release in June 2017. It will come in multiple colors and variations with prices ranging from $18-$29.

# # #

Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

---

Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.

On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.

Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

Shellback Targets Commercial Fleet Managers with Intelligent Cell Phone Cases and Monitoring Business Services that Allow Any Company to Enforce Cell Phone Policies and Increase Driver Safety

For a fleet of any size, an enforceable smartphone distracted driving prevention and safety compliance program can cut losses related to vehicle accidents by up to 25% and save money on insurance

New York, NY – Shellback Business Services announced a new Smartphone Safe and Live Undistracted Monitoring App (http://liveundistracted.com) for commercial fleet managers of cars, vans, buses and trucks that will remove the temptation for drivers to take their eyes off the road due to distracted driving by storing their phones out-of-sight inside a special type of cell phone case called a Shellback Smartphone Safe.

The Summit Landscape Management team with its truck fleet

Shellback Smartphone Safe ROI

“A low monthly fee costs just pennies a day, but provides a massive ROI as a stand-alone solution or in conjunction with your existing telematics solution,” said Michael Maguire, Shellback’s CEO and Founder. “And, if it prevents just one accident or provides indisputable evidence in defense of a negligent entrustment claim, the Shellback solution will yield a huge return-on-investment for our clients and any organization that allows individuals to drive while performing company business.”

Shellback Smartphone Safes

The Shellback Smartphone Safe provides intelligent cell phone storage and includes a cloud-based cell phone app, called the Live Undistracted Monitoring App for both Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy Smartphones (all Androids), which provides guaranteed confirmation that the phone is not a driving distraction or a company liability.

Shellback Smartphone Safes are lightweight, easy-to-carry and unlock, yet are very effective at improving driver behavior by requiring them to keep their eyes on the road while driving and to reinforce the policy that the only safe time to look at their phone is when drivers are parked in a safe location. The MSRP for the Shellback Smart Phone Safe starts at $20, which includes the Live Undistracted Monitoring App, and can be negotiated down for large purchase orders.

Shellback Live Undistracted Monitoring App

The Shellback Live Undistracted Monitoring App uses a centralized database so that administrators can manage multiple fleets at multiple locations. Fleet administrators can add or delete cell phones and users from the system, create regional teams of drivers and view daily, weekly, monthly and annual cell phone safety compliance reports and statistics.

The Live Undistracted Monitoring App is easy-to-install, simple-to-administer and provides commercial fleet operators with real time reports to ensure that their cell phone safety policies are being followed and that all state and federal laws are being obeyed.

Shellback Business Services Call Center

Another option is to outsource the Smartphone Safe Alerts and Compliance Reporting to Shellback Business Services, which is a large fleet monitoring call center, so that fleet dispatchers can focus on their core operations. The Shellback Live Undistracted Monitoring Service ranges from $15 to $5 per cell phone case per month based on monthly alert and reporting volume.

Potential Shellback Smartphone Safe Accident Prevention

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), on-the-job crashes cost employers more than:

• $24,500 per crash
• $150,000 per injury
• $3.6 million per fatality

Shellback Business Services

To learn more about Shellback’s Business Services for Commercial Fleet Managers, please contact us through Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter; call Michael Maguire at (215) 628-3353 or visit the company’s website at http://liveundistracted.com.

# # #

Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

---

Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.

On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.

Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

Campers, Hikers, Skiers, Kayakers, Spring Breakers and Emergency First Responders Get Cool New Wireless @Beartooth Gadgets that Allow Tactical Communications Where There is No Wi-Fi or Android/iPhone Cell Towers

The New Off Grid  Beartooth Communication  System is Now Offering Crowdfunding Supporters a Special 30-Day Pre-Order 40% Discount via the Beartooth.com Website

By Robert Hoskins

Bozeman, Montana – The new wireless communication system is perfect fit for large groups of people traveling through the wilderness, ski resorts, spring break parties, concerts, etc. that want a way to stay in touch where there is no Wi-Fi or cell phone coverage due to congested networks or natural disasters. The small Beartooth communicator connects via Bluetooth to Android and Apple iPhones for text, voice messaging and GPS location services.

The small Beartooth communicator connects via Bluetooth to Android and Apple iPhones for text, voice messaging and location services

The unit has its own sub-1 GHz antennas that can connect group members with each other or anyone that is a mutual friend in the Beartooth social network.  With Beartooth, users can talk, text, and find friends on a map, all without cell service or Wi-Fi. Beartooth, which is slightly larger than a deck of cards, pulls double-duty as a backup battery for your smartphone.

Beartooth is now accepting 40% discounted pre-orders for their off-grid communication device, ensuring that you will always stay connected to group members and mutual friends around them. For example, anyone from a college or high school campus could use the Beartooth communicator to locate, call or text mutual friends at a ski resort or on a spring break trip.  The same would be true for police, fireman and emergency first responder teams descending on a natural disaster scene. Communication and location would be instantaneous.

Unlike traditional handheld radios that are cumbersome and difficult to use, Beartooth pairs with your smartphone to quickly and simply connect with other Beartooth users in range. No need to worry about confusing channel settings, radio protocols, and button sequences. All of Beartooth’s powerful functionality is available at the touch of a finger in a format easily recognizable to the user. Download the app, pair the device, and go explore.

“Beartooth was born in Bozeman at Bridger Bowl Ski Area. Company cofounder, Kevin Ames, and I were separated with no service,” said Michael Monaghan, Beartooth CEO and cofounder. “After several hours we finally re-connected and promptly started working on a solution. Kevin is a former smokejumper and radio communications operator who spent his career working in environments with no cellular or Wi-Fi service. It was natural to enable the smartphone carried daily to communicate off grid.”

Whether you are skiing fresh powder in the backcountry or dancing at Coachella, you can now reliably stay in contact with your group in ways that were previously unavailable. During the limited 30-day pre-order campaign, Beartooth is available for $249 per pair, 40% off the MSRP of $399.

Beartooth communicator specifications:

• 2.44in x 4.0in x 0.49in
• 4.5oz
• 3,000 mAh Li-ion battery
• USB Type-C charge port
• Sub-1GHz license free bands
• Works with iOS and Android Phones
• Average range of two miles

Beartooth communicator features:

• Individual and group push-to-talk voice
• Individual and group text messaging
• Automatic or on-demand GPS location sharing
• Offline maps: High quality 24k topographic and street maps
• Battery backup: Recharge your smartphone

Beartooth will start shipping to US customers late 2016. Pre-orders can be placed at www.beartooth.com.

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Did you eat, drink, shower and sleep in a bed last night? Millions of Syrian parents/kids did not. Will you help them?

Please help Kickstarter raise money to support the Syrian War Refugees who didn’t do anything to deserve to lose their beds, homes, schools or their life

By Robert Hoskins

Click here to make a tax deductible Kickstarter donation to Syrian Refugee Camps – Millions of refugees didn’t eat at all last night, don’t have any fresh water to drink, haven’t showered in weeks, and slept with their families on the hard ground or sidewalk with no covers/no pillows and are waiting for somebody, somewhere to help them escape their desperate situation.

Regardless of who they are or where they come from, no human being deserves to live like this. Are you willing to help them?

If 1 out of every 500 people in the top 20 countries worldwide donated $100, it would generate more than $1 billion dollars worth of aid to people who literally have no hope that tomorrow might have even the smallest glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

In the last 24 hours, if you have enjoyed a warm meal, drank a cup of fresh water from your kitchen sink, took a hot shower, or slept a comfortable bed last night, please take a minute to think what it would be like for someone to take all this away from you overnight and force you to flee your home and country with nothing more than you could carry on your back.

You may not want to donate any money to the UN Refugee Agency Kickstarter Crowdfunding Campaign, but there is no excuse for not doing your part to help raise the awareness for these unfortunate people with very little hope for a better tomorrow and at least try to make a difference.

What if it was was your sons, daughters or grandchildren or YOU in these pictures? Would you think it was kind if someone walked up and handed you $20 bucks and said, please enjoy a hot meal on me, its the least that I can do to make a difference.

They might not be able to pay you back, but I bet their smile would be a worth a million bucks and a gold star in heaven.

Please take 5 minutes of your time to download a free copy of Buffer.com, hook up your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts and then share at least 10 of the pictures below with your friends, family and business contacts on your social media networks.

Highlight the text and then right click on the image to share these images via Buffer:

The world must act to save a generation of traumatized, isolated and suffering Syrian children

Turkish gendarmerie stand near by the washed up body of a refugee child who drowned

A Syrian woman sits next to her children on a street sidewalk

A million children are now refugees from Syria crisis

More than 200,000 Syrian child refugees are suffering in a bitter winter of freezing temperatures

Moments of resilience, courage and even joy visible on the faces of Syrian refugee children

A Syrian feeds his family in a refugee camp

About one million Syrians in this small Lebanon in addition to one million Palestinians.

Syrian refugee children learn to survive at a camp in north Lebanon.

Parents and aid workers fear that Syria’s war threatens to create a lost generation of children.

The world must act to save a generation of traumatized, isolated and suffering Syrian children

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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Mr. Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.

Hoskins is one of the crowdfunding industry’s foremost crowdfunding advocates and has amassed a huge social media following that is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns. Due to the overwhelming demand from the general public for crowdfunding information, he empowers entrepreneurs with some of the internet’s most affordable ($20) online crowdfunding training classes, which provide insight to startups around the world on a 24 x 7 basis.

Hoskins adamantly believes that the crowdfunding industry will empower everyone in the United States to rediscover the possibility of living the American dream with a little hard work, a great business idea and the dedication to researching, planning and launching a well-thought-out crowdfunding campaign. He consults on a regular basis with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.

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Miami’s ClassWallet Raises $1.9 Million to Fund Ed-Tech Digital Wallet Technology

Investment Signals Introduction of Digital Wallet Technology in Education; Another Success Story Emeres from Miami’s Startup Scene

By Robert Hoskins

Miami, Florida – ClassWallet, fast-becoming the leading platform for school funds disbursement and tracking, has closed a $1.9 million round of seed financing. Total funding raised to date is $2.53M. ClassWallet is a leading end-to-end digital solution to manage funding within school systems.  The platform combines funds disbursement, e-commerce, a reloadable debit card and tracking in a fully integrated manner designed for maximum simplicity and accountability.

ClassWallet brings accountability to a $23 billion system that relies heavily on cash, checks, and purchase orders that add up to 40 percent transaction costs and a fund-spend-track lifecycle that takes weeks. ClassWallet reduces these transaction costs to less than 5 percent, and the transaction lifecycle to same day.

ClassWallet platform for school funds disbursement and tracking

Investors include NewSchools Venture Seed Fund, Kaplan Ventures, William Guttman, as well as several edtech and fintech angel investors. Accelerated Growth Partners and other leading Miami-based angel investors, including MaverixLab, founded by former Noodle CEO Joe Morgan, continued their support by contributing to the round. ClassWallet is a graduate of the Kaplan EdTech Accelerator, powered by Techstars.

ClassWallet is a platform for school systems to disburse and track funds. The company will use the funding to fuel sales and accelerate its product roadmap. The team plans to release the next version of its platform this summer, which will include a reloadable ClassWallet debit card and a Pay by ClassWallet API for vendors to integrate.

“As school budgets shrink, an increasingly larger portion of procurement is being funded by corporations, foundations, parents and teachers to meet student needs,” said Jamie Rosenberg, ClassWallet’s founder and CEO. “The size of this market, up to $23 billion annually, and the amount of inefficiency and lack of transparency is staggering.”

Organizations and school districts using ClassWallet include Harrington Park School District, Albuquerque Public Schools Education Foundation, Reading is Fundamental, Broward Education Foundation, as well as many others.

Companies including Amazon, Office Depot, Best Buy, School Specialty, Scholastic and 40 more accept ClassWallet as a form of payment. Each provides ClassWallet with SKU level purchasing data, which makes tracking and reconciling of purchases seamless. Most recently, Marqeta, the program manager behind Facebook and eBay’s card platforms, joined forces with ClassWallet to power the ClassWallet debit card for offline purchases such as professional development, field trips and more.

“Getting accurate accounting from all of the cash and receipts that come through the business office is time as a school leader I would like to use moving the agenda forward,” said Adam Fried, superintendent, Harrington Park School District, Harrington Park, N.J. “ClassWallet has created a solution to a problem that we thought could never be resolved. It is giving me the ability to lead my district rather than manage a problem.”

Founder Jamie Rosenberg is no stranger to tackling school funding issues. His first venture, AdoptAClassroom.org, which he launched in 1998, is considered to be the first crowd funding site on the Internet and the first national education philanthropy online platform. ClassWallet President Neil Steinhardt has 20 years payments experience, most recently as managing director of the U.S. division of Skrill, the second largest digital wallet platform in the world, behind PayPal.

“What excites us the most,” stated Mr. Rosenberg, “is being able to leverage digital wallet technology to more closely align education procurement decisions with the actual users and beneficiaries….the teachers and students.”

“When ClassWallet approached us, we were able to look at the current process with a fresh perspective and realized how inefficient it was. Literally, ClassWallet took an entire box of paperwork from my desk and made it go away,” said Coco Burns, program coordinator, Broward Education Foundation, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

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