Invest Local

Welcome back for the second half of our convo with Will McGuire, founder of INCOLO, a traction studio for North Carolina-based startups. In this episode, Will shares why he and his wife have invested in over 70 companies and explains how sees investment crowdfunding fundamentally changing the way we relate to our communities. We also dig into Will's insight on how crowdfunding has influenced modern education for his family. He sees investing as a unique opportunity to better understand your community. As the industry grows, Will believes a growing number of community members will learn new concepts in the pursuit of investing.

Will McGuire joins the podcast to share the story of how he fell in love with investment crowdfunding why he founded INCOLO. INCOLO is a traction studio designed to help founders build investible companies and develop revenue channels that power growth for the startup. Will shares how the program is laid out and their approach to helping entrepreneurs. He also shares some of the common mistakes that founders make when trying to grow and how investment crowdfunding has impacted his founders' long-term success.

Julie Kunkle hails from the South Carolina Department of Commerce, heading up the Office of Innovation's Relentless Challenge grant series. Julie shares how the program works, the impact it's having on the state and what organizations can expect when they apply. She also gives the inside scoop on what she and the review board are looking for, along with tips and insights on how to create a compelling application. Tune in for the grant guru and as a bonus, hear Julie's advice for startups that she learned from her early days at AOL.

With 2 decades of experience in media, public relations & marketing, Jennifer Moxley is a self-described "Storymaker" with a knack for connecting with people and drawing out the uniqueness of their stories. This episode is jam-packed with practical advice for small businesses looking to tell their story and reach customers. Jennifer also gives her perspective on the impact of investment crowdfunding, after seeing it used in her hometown of Albemarle, NC. Whether you're a small business owner, investor, or community builder, tune in for Jennifer's insights on finding & creating stories worth sharing.

For this special episode, Josh and John join Terrell Turner on the Business Talk Library podcast. They dig into the founding ideas behind Vicinity and share their vision for local investing. They reveal that, surprisingly, the original idea for Vicinity came before they even knew about Regulation Crowdfunding or any of the existing portals. Instead, Vicinity was born from the desire to bring together the trends of new localism and democratized finance. Tune in to hear about the formation of Vicinity along with the lessons Josh and John have learned along the way.

Joey Leccese, the mastermind behind a growing number of Italian eateries in Upstate South Carolina joins the podcast this week to talk about his creation: Belladina's. Joey shares how he's mixing his family's rich Italian legacy with bold new-school flair to build a pizza empire. At Belladina's you'll find both fresh ingredients and fresh artwork, in meticulously thought-out spaces Joey has designed from scratch with his father Pat. To Joey, his restaurants aren't just about food, they're gathering places where he can invite the community in like family to enjoy big, messy, and of course, authentic Italian meals.

Part two of our conversation with Michael Shuman doesn't disappoint! We discuss why he likes the place-based model for investment crowdfunding and what practical moves you can make to take charge of your community. Michael explains how the multiplier effect can maximize the impact of your investment outside the financial returns. And lastly, we cover details on Self-Directed IRAs, Solo 401Ks, and investing groups as tangible steps you can take to get involved. Tune in to learn more and gain insight on creating a vibrant local investing scene in your community.

Special guest Michael Shuman joins the podcast to share some of his findings on local economics, local investing, and economic development. As an attorney, entrepreneur, economist, and author, Micheal has been researching and writing about local economics for 3 decades. This episode covers myths about small businesses, and why classic economic development doesn't focus on them. Michael also shares why he believes the future is local, thanks to the internet, COVID, and updates to securities laws that are changing the future of how communities develop.

So you invested locally and you might be thinking, "Now what?" This week the Vicinity crew gives a how-to guide for life after investing (through Vicinity.) We talk tax implications, subscription agreements, and transfer of funds. But our favorite part is your ability to help and influence your investment AFTER you make it. Unlike our inspiration for this episode, The Bachelor, "after the final close" opens up a whole new world of communication and relationships with the company you invested in. Tune in to hear the must-knows for navigating this new world.

Saving for retirement doesn't exactly sound like the more exciting topic. But when you throw out old-school views on stashing cash and realize you can actually control your IRA and 401K money... Then things get a little more interesting. Join as the team discusses a new take a retirement investing tools; one that puts you in the driver's seat and puts unique investment options at your fingertips.