Crowdfunding: With the passing of the JOBS Act, there has been a multitude of strategies and platforms that have developed to assist companies with crowdfunding. This discussion will lend insight to the future of crowdfunding, talk about executing a strong campaign, highlight different strategies, and more!
About Nicole He: Art & Fashion Project Specialist, Kickstarter.
Nicole He is the Art and Fashion Project Specialist at Kickstarter, a funding platform for creative projects that range from games to films, technology to comics and more. Since Kickstarter's launch on April 28, 2009, over $978 million has been pledged by more than 5.6 million people, funding more than 56,000 creative projects. Nicole works directly with artists, fashion designers and other creators to bring their projects to life.
Follow Nicole on Twitter.
About Roger Lee: Head of Business Development, Mimoona NYC.
Roger Lee is the Head of Business Development at Mimoona NYC. Mimoona operates the largest crowdfunding platform in Israel and recently graduated from Dreamit Ventures accelerator. It was only then did the company pivot towards the fashion sector by allowing fashion brands to test product demand before going into production. Roger has worked with previous startups including a beverage company in both business development and marketing sides. Having recently redirected his interests in the technology sector, his passion for entrepreneurship stems from the allurement of building new and lasting relationships. In his free time, he loves serving the community in New York especially in the Rockaways.
You can follow Mimoona on Twitter.
About Benish Shah: CEO, Before The Label.
Benish Shah is the CEO of Before the Label, a fashion crowdfunding platform. Benish has worked with over 60 startups as a growth strategy consultant and lawyer (she was a partner at NYC based Sardar Law Firm), stepping into the fashion world with a nascent womenswear brand called Eva Khurshid NY. Her work with Eva Khurshid gave rise to Before the Label, which combines her strategic background with her knowledge of the business of fashion. She has been published in Forbes, VentureBeat, Huffington Post, UpStart, NextWeb, Geekwire, and more. Benish is also an adjunct prof these days, just for fun and a mentor with the Fordham Foundry.
You can follow Benish’s on Twitter.
MODERATOR: ROB SANCHEZ - Chief Strategy Officer, Manufacture NY.
A serial entrepreneur, Rob has started four different companies and worked for two additional startups. In his last company, Fashioning Our Industry, Rob began a fashion focused pitch event, resulting in the successful funding of two companies. Rob is a J.D. candidate at Fordham Law School and is focused on Business Law, Fashion Law, and Entrepreneurial Law. While at Fordham, he worked for the New York Angels, evaluating over 25 companies, performing due diligence on five private deals, and participating in over $5,000,000 in raised funds. His undergraduate degree was from Yale University.