This unconventional session will discuss multiple alternatives to "idea stage" funding. Attendees may even walk away with cash or resources to help them test their first (or next) "hypothesis".
My name is Adam and I will moderate/facilitate. I like challenging entrepreneurs to tie resources to binary, short-term outcomes. I am a co-founder of Salt Collaborative, a community of experts using modern management and human centered design to create new structures that will support impact entrepreneurship and enterprise investment.
Joining me will be
Cassie Coravos representing Detroit Soup, one of the inspirations of this event!
Mike Westcott representing student entrepreneurs and change makers around the world and right here in Michigan.
Rob is representing a new TV SHOW doing something totally disruptive in the space. This innovative TV show opens up investment opportunities to the adult TV and media viewing audience through its equity crowdfunding partner, the Independent Stock Market (ISM) for as little as $250 per investment.
Jeff Pituch representing optiMize, a social innovation incubator at UofM that grants $200K each year to students working on early stage impact projects.
We will spend the first part of the session exploring the macro problems related to getting funding to early stage folks who are trying to do good, trying to learn, or trying to hunt unicorns. The attendees will play a highly active role in this first part, we want to hear from you. We will spend the second part of the session exploring the macro solutions (crowdfunding, contests and hackathons, selling cereal boxes, etc). Finally we will talk about the specific solutions offered by each of our guests and we will encourage everyone in the audience to make a commitment to follow through with one or all of them!
