Successfully Funded

Fresh off the sale of Mommybites, an online resource for expectant parents, Rebecca Dixon invested her background in media sales and community building in the*gameHERS, a long-overdue social-networking platform for female gamers. A lifelong fan of math, Rebecca breaks down the essential formula that inspires their crowdfund: in terms of the overall market value, gaming > 2(music + movies). We talk about how their community has grown to over 600,000 in under three years (hint: talk to them), setting an entrepreneurial example for her tween daughters, and the perplexing double standard of how moms and dads are judged as parents.

"When you're with Nixplay, you're not the product," says CEO Mark Palfreeman, whose subscribers retain secure ownership of every photo they share using smart digital picture frames and a mobile app intuitive enough for every family member to use. Nixplay is also a personal passion for Mark, who spends most of his time seven time zones away from his wife and children. Now that Nixplay has amassed $330 million in lifetime revenue and a community of over 3 million users, Mark (and COO Joel Durbridge) discuss their new Reg A crowdfund, setting aside time in his calendar every day to talk to his kids, and why boarding school didn't turn him into a looney.

Simple Labs CEO Mike Slone grew up in Louisville, where bourbon distillers accept losing the "angel's share" as the cost of doing business. When he saw California vintners facing the same problem, he created the Cogni — a wireless, barrel-aging monitor that finally gives centuries-old winemaking techniques a high-tech upgrade — which saves enough precious product to pay for itself within six months. We talk about the success of the Simple Labs crowdfund, finding the mentors he needed to build his business plan, and how developing the Cogni during COVID saved him from binge-watching Tiger King.

Pneumeric CEO and Chief Medical Officer Johnathon Aho grew up in the shadow of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, but it wasn't until he began studying engineering at Michigan Tech that he decided he wanted more in his life than writing code. So he pivoted to medicine, returned to Mayo, and in 2017 developed Capnospot, a visual detection device for treating collapsed lungs. We talk about why the usual therapy (listening for a gush of air from the chest cavity) fails as much as half the time, his 20 or so patents, Midwestern frugality, and why so much of a physician's life involves dealing with human goop. 

Kristian Hansen and Marshall Conley are building the slø jeans empire almost entirely on a massive TikTok platform, which provides constant crowdsourcing, propels their marketing, and accounts for over $10 million in estimated revenue potential. And their non-gendered, made-to-order denim is just the start. We talk about applying their "fash-tech" business plan into other clothing lines that need an upgrade, balancing their efforts with carbon offsets, and re-creating a time when quality merchandise was worth waiting for. 

Moments after Dan O'Toole hatched the idea of Dronedek — a versatile, secure receptacle for autonomous delivery systems that protects against the 1.7 million packages that are stolen every day — he called his patent attorney. And three years later, when the patent came through, he learned he had beaten Amazon by four days. Buoyed by the success of his second crowdfund (which has raised nearly $500,000), Dan has big plans for re-shaping consumer behavior, lowering the world's carbon footprint, and announcing a name change that's soon to Arrive.

Kettle is the result of the right pivot with the right idea at the right time. Originally hatched as a workspace broker, Kettle emerged from the pandemic as a hybrid workspace management software platform whose equity crowdfund has already raised over $1.72 million. We talk with CEO Nick Iovacchini about the massive new market opportunity of redefining work, why his baseball career influenced his entrepreneurial skills, why most employees value their time over their compensation, and the perils of "anticipointment."

After spending most of his life in and out of wheelchairs, GOGOTECH CEO John DeBenedette talks about why he developed ABBY in order to end 40 years of stagnant design and soaring prices. (Check out the ABBY crowdfund here.) And the accolades for ABBY's high-tech and lower-cost design keep coming, most recently from Melinda French Gates. We talk about how living in a wheelchair changes your perspective, his deep respect for assisted caregivers, and the sympathy he still has for the truck driver who nearly sheared his leg off.

The term "accredited investor" means nothing to Chris Lustrino, who knows firsthand that analyzing private companies is literally not rocket science. He created KingsCrowd as a data company designed to map an analyst's talents and instincts for investing in public companies onto the very different playing field of private equity. We talk about the blog that kick-started his career, how equity crowdfunding might function in a bear market, and life as "a capable quant with an empathetic, human side."

Bruce Berkoff is one of that rare breed of scientist marketers who enjoys the discovery almost as much as he enjoys telling people about it. And as CMO of Lightsense Technology, his job is to spread the word about the crowdfund for his company's miniature, handheld spectrometer platforms that are helping solve some major problems in public health, including detecting opioids, viral pathogens, and bacterial pathogens. We talk about his extensive expertise in physics, biophysics, and business development, raising his kids in Korea, and the mud puddle that sent him westward.

CEO Jake Whitman named his company Really Good Boxed Wine because that's what it is: top-quality wine in 100% recyclable packaging with half the environmental impact of glass bottles. And his branding experience at P&G must have paid off, because the RGBW crowdfund has raised nearly $1.3 million. In our first double-guest interview, he and COO Amy Troutmiller, a career hospitality/beverage executive and credentialed sommelier, discuss their complementary partnership, why wine has a longer life in their airtight packaging, and why Cincinnati and Charlotte should duke it out to determine who gets to call itself the Queen City.

If your podcast just languishes on a dead RSS feed, does it really exist? YouTube and TikTok use algorithms to help consumers discover new content, but podcasters can't build audiences the same way because the platforms are too busy promoting their expensive talent. CEO Amit Kukreja has created the solution with Audea, a search engine that uses proprietary data and IP to help the spoken word go viral. We talk about his content strategies, debating his older sister, and why the Audea crowdfund wouldn't exist without Michael Jackson.

After 14 years of investment banking, Sam Payrovi has launched ArkHAUS, a fleet of 40-foot electric boats that connect to form a network of next-generation floating social clubs. Part SoHo House and part WeWork, ArkHAUS will be scalable in waterways all over the world, and its "Party Up Top, Research Down Below" program generates free electricity for researchers studying the water's ecosystem. We talk about grinding it out at Bear Stearns. his new pals at the Coast Guard, and why he never had the temperament to be the doctor his parents wanted. 

On his wife's birthday last year, Vijay Chetty asked himself: Why can't all mail be digital? And why do businesses spend $1.6 trillion on direct-mail campaigns, most of which end up unread in landfills? His answer is Zipinmail: By assigning a cloud-based mailbox to every residential, commercial, and P.O. Box., it will cut marketers' mailing costs by 90% and save 400 million trees every year. We talk about the huge potential upside for crowdfund investors, his first impressions of America as a student in Alabama, and achieving what has eluded the Postal Service for decades.

Peter Clark developed his work ethic as the third of 11 children of a dad who, at 68, still climbs trees as part of his arborist business. Clark and his co-founder Jerusha Greenwald created the SoAct app to harness that energy into helping like-minded activists organize for social good. We talk about the revenue plans around subscriptions, merchandise, and fundraising, the challenges of expanding the app based on the feedback from their thousands of users, and why New Jersey is the best state in the union. 

As 5G technology becomes more prevalent, so too have studies linking cellphone radiation with cancer and other health problems. Lambs has emerged as a health-and-wellness and tech firm that specializes in fabrics that protect us from that radiation. We talk to CEO Arthur Menard de Calenge about Lambs's successful crowdfund, growing up in France, and marketing serious topics with humor. 

Inspired by his long career in IT services, Matt DeVico built Dteckt (including its core product, Persona Monitoring), with a specific eye toward serving the customers who need the most help understanding cybersecurity threats. His strategy for finding market share in such a crowded space is to market personal safety, rather than resort to the over-present fearmongering. We talk about the software ecosystems that are most secure (and most vulnerable), taking inspiration from his father's mentorship, and his frank assessment of his crowdfunding experience. 

Shawn Wehan spent 17 years as a lay minister in the Roman Catholic Church before starting Givsum, an all-in-one platform that nonprofits and service clubs can use for online donations, volunteer management, event ticketing, memberships, and more. The transition to a profit-based model was seamless, because the volume-based model has already signed over 700 Rotary Clubs throughout the country. We talk about the nuance and critical thinking of Jesuit teachings, how to compartmentalize startups and family, and building a business in paradise.

Soon after he started his first spirits company in 2011, Adam von Gootkin (whose name anagrams to "Gonna Omit Vodka") learned his family's interest in potent potables dates back to the 1800s and includes his great-grandfather's speakeasy during Prohibition. We talk about how Highclere Castle Gin began with a cold email to Highclere Castle, how marketing a super-premium brand requires building an emotional experience with the customer, and how his childhood informs his instincts for balancing entrepreneurship and family.

After careers as a journalist at CNN and an environmental lobbyist, Gary Skulnik started his career as a serial entrepreneur in sustainable energy. His latest company is Neighborhood Sun, which dramatically expands access to solar power by connecting providers with local customers without the need to install rooftop panels. He shares his strategies behind his equity raise (which currently sits at around $1.7 million), how J-school prepared him to communicate as a CEO, and why he's glad he didn't follow his dad's advice to become a lawyer.

Acquire Invest represents the sum total of the skill sets Brian Harstine has built creating companies, managing wealth, and studying Web 3 and blockchain. By tokenizing investments into smart shares, Acquire will train retail investors to use its upcoming app, due later this year, and its transparent, real-time data to get access to investments normally reserved for accredited investors. We talk about Nashville as a burgeoning financial hub, the many life metaphors of golf, and how he'll know he's succeeded when his mom is a daily active user.

As a college student, Chris Dooley learned that a mechanical engineer's job is to solve problems every day. And after running Marvel's Toy Biz division and leading the Roomba's marketing campaign, his fifth startup venture, Puraclenz, is a three-pound filter that can clean the indoor air and exposed surfaces of mold and viruses in a 3,000-square-foot room. We talk about his childhood in Hong Kong (where "everything's a startup") and how his five kids have inspired his 80 (eight-zero!) inventions.

As a child in Trinidad, Trevor Castor read everything -- often at night, by lantern light after the power grid failed. When he had to learn to swim, he taught himself with a book. After years of research into the healthful effects of cannabis, his third company, Aphios Pharma, has patented a nanotechnology drug-delivery platform that helps patients with cancer, infectious diseases, and central nervous system disorders absorb and maintain the pain maintenance of cannabis six to eight times more efficiently.

When he graduated high school at 16 and launched his performing career in his native Venezuela, Daniel established his ability to set a goal and work relentlessly to achieve it. We discuss how his experience and influences as an actor, writer, director, and producer in New York City led to his current role as an L.A.-based entrepreneur and founder of happiTV, the streaming service made by and for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

As Ecco Bella launches Boon Broth, the first vegan alternative to the $1 billion bone broth market, Sally discusses her early roots as an animal rights activist and debunks a few myths about bone broth (and describes how Boon Broth supersedes it in quality). We also outline her plans for expansion and salute her husband, on whom she tests every recipe.

Kickbooster’s Pledge Manager leverages the checkout built by parent company, Bold Commerce, to provide creators and backers with a reliable and secure transaction experience.

Pledge Manager also aims to address some of the common complaints creators have about similar products on the market. Kickbooster focuses on a performance-based pricing model, structuring its fees around the funds raised in Kickbooster instead of charging a fee based on the funds raised during the crowdfunding campaign— an approach that is notably different from competing products. The software company also excludes shipping from its fee calculation, something creators are dinged on during their campaign and after with most other pledge management solutions.

Pledge Manager has been in a closed beta for the past few months and is now open for public access. Creators can learn more and register to use the product by visiting kickbooster.me/pledgemanager.

On episode 231 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Sophie Saget from the Kickstarter campaign Ewilan’s Quest. Ewilan’s Quest will be an animated series. This means that each episode’s plot will connect with the following episode’s plot over one, two, or even three seasons.

Currently, they are in the first stage of the project, and that’s the development stage. Sophie talks about tackling the task of adapting Pierre Bottero’s work into episodes for the series, writing narrative arcs, and laying out the graphics.

On episode 229 of Successfully Funded - a rebroadcast of episode 202, complete with new intro and musical guest - I spoke with Hannah Forbes from the Indiegogo campaign, QuenchSea: Turn Seawater into Freshwater. QuenchSea is a groundbreaking, low-cost, portable, manually powered device that instantly turns seawater into drinkable freshwater. It is the world’s only low-cost portable seawater desalination device, and it is the ultimate survival tool! Check out their Indiegogo campaign today. Listen to the end for musical guest the Erers!

Episode 228 is a rebroadcast of an episode when we talked with Josh Ledgard, founder of KickoffLabs. KickoffLabs helps you grow your audience so you can reach new customers. They believe in simple tools that create smarter campaigns to amplify your audience by delivering higher conversion rates and social engagement. Their goal is to help established businesses grow and new businesses to launch. Any dumb tool can generate a landing page for you. But running a smarter campaign with KickoffLabs creates engagement and delivers more return on investment than traditional techniques. Their campaigns leverage the combined power of conversion-focused landing pages and widgets, social media referrals for increased virality, and regular follow-up through email. Check out their awesome product here! And listen all the way to the end for musical guests Volcano and the New Radio Standard!

On episode 225 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Teo Son about the Indiegogo campaign, Olive Pro: 2-in-1 Hearing Aids & Bluetooth Earbuds. These wireless earbuds combine brilliant speech understanding and automated background noise cancellation to bring true, ultra-crisp sound quality for better music listening, clearer conversations, and less noise. Olive Pro is tuned to capture 99.8% of sounds within the hearing range, without distortion, and offers sound modes that can be adjusted to your environment. Olive Pro also gives a personalized music experience for different levels of hearing loss. Check out the Indiegogo campaign today!

On episode 224 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Kyle Sellers about the Kickstarter Campaign, EPIC New ROCK SUGAR Album! Beyond MASHUPS, Beyond COVERS... Rock Sugar takes the best and biggest pop hits of the 80's (and with the new album, pop hits all the way up to today!) and mashes them up with hard rock and heavy metal classics! Throw in the fact that it's fronted by Jess Harnell, the voice of your childhood (Animaniacs, Transformers, Crash Bandicoot, Rick and Morty), and Rock Sugar truly is a one of a kind experience! Check out the Kickstarter Campaign Today!

Kyle's Domain: CrowdfundMBA.com/Jeff

On episode 223 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Mike Drez from Brightside Innovations about their Indiegogo Campaign, Zumy: Pro Studio Quality Light For Video Meetings. Zumy is the portable, clip-on light to help you look brilliant in Zoom meetings, videos, and pics. Zumy attaches directly to your laptop for more confident and clear video meetings. You're no longer tethered to your lamp or ring light. Zumy allows you to roam around the house and still have great lighting! Zoom better anywhere! Check out the Indiegogo Campaign Today!

On episode 222 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Martin Willers from Transparent about their Kickstarter Campaign, Light Speaker — A portable sound and light experience. The Light Speaker is a portable bluetooth speaker inspired by a traditional lantern. It has a simple and functional form. The light feels like a real flame, glowing together with your music. The Light Speaker features their signature ‘Transparent sound’ meaning it's tuned to channel the true intention of the artist. It has a big, open, omnidirectional sound delivering rich bass, stable mid tones and crisp high notes. Check out their Kickstarter Campaign Today!

On episode 221 of Successfully Funded, Shawn got to talk with Roshan Thomas from the Indiegogo Campaign, Biktrix Juggernaut HD Duo: Ultimate Range E-Bike. This is an extreme performance eBike with 1500W mid-drive motor & 2002Wh battery. Up to 35 mph & 200-mile range. With the Biktrix Juggernaut, you can go as far as you desire—and never worry about range. C-NET is quoted, “This is the e-bike that will get you to the mountain top.” Check out their Indiegogo Campaign Today!

On episode 220 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Cleve Oines from the Kickstarter Campaign MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon: The Pepper Mill for Pepper Lovers. With the Pepper Cannon, you can pepper your steak in 7 cranks instead of 70. At up to 10x the output of top-rated pepper mills, the Pepper cannon produces extravagant quantities of fresh ground pepper. The Pepper Cannon is precision engineered to produce the widest range of ground pepper at the fastest speed.  It's a quantum leap forward in pepper milling. Does the Pepper Cannon look like a million bucks? Of course it does. It performs even better.  Check out their Kickstarter Campaign today!

On episode 219 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Filip Mierzwa & Simon Köstler from the Kickstarter Campaign STUR Skillet: The German Cast-Iron Skillet - Made to Last. The STUR Skillet is your new everyday pan: replace your non-stick skillets with smoother & lighter cast iron that lasts forever. 100% made in Germany, it’s amazingly durable: The STUR Skillet is produced in Germany from one piece of cast iron. Cast with the highest precision and machined on the bottom as well as the inside, its robust material resists heat deformation and won’t leave you gripping a wobbly handle. It’s built for everyday cooking and made to last. Check out their Kickstarter Campaign Today!

On episode 218 of Successfully Funded, Shawn got to talk with Adam Leeb from the Indiegogo Campaign Traveler: Ultimate Distraction-Free Writing Tool. Say goodbye to writer's block! Traveler is the only device designed to help you focus on writing. Whether it's your novel, screenplay, or blog, write wherever you go. Traveler removes the ability to get distracted. There isn’t a web browser, email client, or even any notifications which means all that energy required to resist temptation is now freed for a more useful purpose, your writing. The effect is real, and it works. Check out their Indiegogo Campaign Today!

On episode 217 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Matt MacDonald from The Classic Crime about their Kickstarter Campaign, The Classic Crime's 7th Full-Length Studio Album. The campaign for LP7 is like LP6 (Patterns in the Static) in that it begins without any songs written. The goal is the same, to invite the audience into the songwriting process! The Classic Crime is looking into 2021 with their new record. New Year. New Songs. New Stuff. Check out their Kickstarter Campaign Today!

On episode 216 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Juan Garcia Mansilla from the company Unit 1 Gear about their Kickstarter campaign, FARO by UNIT 1: A Sleek, Visibility-First Smart Helmet. FARO is a smart helmet that delivers style, safety and comfort with a state-of-the-art light system, ventilation, MIPS and fall detection. Helmets aren’t exactly stylish. Unit 1 Gear set out to design an urban helmet that is safe, comfortable & ventilated but also sleek & stylish. FARO by UNIT 1 is a smart Helmet you'll actually want to wear. Check out their Kickstarter Today!

On episode 215 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Brad Ellis from Wyvern Gaming about their Kickstarter campaign, Stargate SG-1 Roleplaying Game. Stargate SG-1 Roleplaying Game is a sci-fi tabletop game where you assume the role of a member of Stargate Command on a Stargate Team. The world of Stargate SG-1 is perfect for a tabletop roleplaying game. Every time you play, you can step through the gate and wind up in nearly any type of environment. Do you want to save Earth? The Galaxy? You can! Check out their Kickstarter Today!

On episode 214 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Jason Miceli from the company Phase Shift Games about their Kickstarter campaign, Dungeon Drop: Dropped Too Deep and Tavern Tales. Dungeon Drop is a dungeon crawler for 1-4 players, playable in 15 to 20 minutes. Prepare to drop deeper with an epic expansion to the premier "drop-style" tabletop game. Then complete your story with Tavern Tales! Your Epic Journey Awaits!  Check out their Kickstarter Today!

On episode 213 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Keith Matejka from the company Thunderworks Games about their Kickstarter campaign, Cartographers Heroes + 3 Map Pack Expansions. This is the stand-alone follow up to the critically acclaimed map-drawing game - Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale. With 6 all-new scoring cards, 4 new ambush cards, 4 new hero cards in the explore deck, and 2 new map sheets to add variety to your Cartographers game: Cartographers Heroes offers new ways to play Cartographers! Check out their Kickstarter Today!

On episode 212 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Ariel Bloomer from the rock band Icon For Hire about their Kickstarter campaign, Icon For Hire: Amorphous. Amorphous describes that feeling of finding growth in the midst of incredible discomfort and embracing the process even when it stings. While the world has been in isolation, facing tragedy and growth, Icon For Hire has been watching and creating. Listen in as we talk about releasing an album, without a record label, and in the middle of a pandemic! And while you're at it, check out their Kickstarter here!

On episode 211 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Ted Meister from the company Think Tank Photo about their Kickstarter campaign, Think Tank Photo: MindShift ROTATION CAMERA BACKPACK. How many times have you passed up a photo opportunity because you didn’t want to stop and take off your backpack to get your camera out? With the Rotation backpack, you can access your camera gear in seconds ­— without taking off the backpack. Simply rotate the integrated belt pack to the front of your body and BOOM! Your camera is at your fingertips. Snap the shot, slide the belt pack back in and you’re on your way! Check out their Kickstarter Today!

On episode 210 of Successfully Funded, I got to talk with Etai Rahmil from the Kickstarter campaign, Pure Over: Welcome to an all glass coffee making experience. Pure Over uses a built-in glass filter which allows coffee’s rich flavor to fully develop. The process makes coffee using just glass, water and ground beans, delivering a bolder, more flavorful cup of pour over coffee. With art and design at its core, Pure Over is made to be a new staple in your at home coffee routine. Check out their Kickstarter Today!