Superpowers for Good: Empowering Changemakers for Social Impact via Regulated Investment Crowdfunding from the SuperCrowd.

Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.

Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, LG or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.

Devin: What is your superpower?

Shree: Determination

Climate change often feels like a distant, abstract concept, but Shree Gurung, Founder & CEO of worldvlogchallenge.com, is bringing it to life through an innovative reality TV show filmed on Mount Everest. By blending adventure, competition, and impactful storytelling, Gurung aims to draw global attention to the alarming speed at which Himalayan glaciers are melting.

The groundbreaking project, World Vlog Challenge, features YouTube creators from around the world competing in a grueling trek to Everest Base Camp while documenting the effects of climate change on the region. The competition offers a $100,000 prize and has already premiered on Amazon Prime in the US and UK, with a global release planned for August 7.

The show’s purpose goes beyond entertainment. Gurung explained, “The springs, rivers, and waterfalls that feed billions of lives downstream originate here. Through this challenge, we show YouTubers—and their audiences—the source of freshwater and the critical role glaciers play in our ecosystem.”

The melting of Himalayan glaciers, once a slow, natural process, has accelerated dramatically due to human influence. “Normally, it would take hundreds of years to form a meter of glacier,” he said. “Now, they’re melting in just ten years. That speed is dangerous.”

What sets the World Vlog Challenge apart is its focus on engaging younger generations. Recognizing that traditional scientific communication often struggles to reach this audience, Gurung chose YouTubers as his storytellers. “These creators are great storytellers and can bring the stories of the glaciers to life in a relatable, engaging way,” he said.

Funding such an ambitious project posed significant challenges. After exhausting traditional investment channels, Gurung turned to regulated investment crowdfunding via WeFunder. “We’re asking the community to support something that promotes Nepal, the Himalayas, and awareness about climate change,” he shared.

Through determination and creativity, Gurung has created a show that is both educational and entertaining. By focusing on the human drama of the trek and the urgent message of climate change, World Vlog Challenge stands as a testament to the power of storytelling and collaboration.

Those interested in supporting the project can visit the Wefunder campaign at [wefunder.com/challengerseverest] and watch the show when it becomes available globally on August 7.

tl;dr:

Shree Gurung’s World Vlog Challenge uses reality TV to highlight climate change and melting glaciers.

YouTube creators compete for $100,000 while trekking to Everest Base Camp, documenting the journey.

The show blends adventure and education to engage younger audiences on critical climate issues.

Shree’s determination enabled him to overcome funding and production challenges for this ambitious project.

The show is now on Amazon Prime, with a global release set for August 7.

How to Develop Determination As a Superpower

Shree Gurung describes his superpower as determination, the ability to persevere through challenges and setbacks. In today’s episode, he explained, “There were so many moments I wanted to give up, but I didn’t have a choice. I knew I was doing something good for the community, and that kept me going.” Shree’s determination has fueled his ability to produce a groundbreaking reality show about climate change, overcoming obstacles like lack of funding and global skepticism about a Nepal-based production.

Shree shared how his determination enabled him to produce the World Vlog Challenge. Despite rejections from sponsors and studios, he single-handedly managed production, marketing, and logistics for the show. “For around 45 days, I didn’t sleep properly,” he recalled. Coming from a rural Nepalese village and lacking traditional resources, Shree drew on his experiences of hardship to push forward, creating a globally recognized project that showcases both Nepal’s culture and the urgency of climate change.

Tips for Developing Determination:

Find Your Passion: Shree emphasized that clarity of purpose drives determination. Identify what inspires you.

Break Down Challenges: Focus on one step at a time, especially when the big picture feels overwhelming.

Seek Community Support: Surround yourself with people who validate your mission and provide encouragement.

Embrace Responsibility: Commit fully to your goals, even when quitting feels easier.

By following Shree’s example and advice, you can make determination a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!

Guest Profile

Shree Gurung (he/him):

Founder & CEO, worldvlogchallenge.com

About worldvlogchallenge.com: An Impact media startup from the Himalayas, uniting creators from across the world to raise awareness about climate change: Their journey is a reality show.

Website: worldvlogchallenge.com

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/WorldVlogChallenge

Other URL: shreegurung.com

Biographical Information: I am a film graduate, communication PhD scholar with over 2 decades in media, events & hospitality.

Personal Facebook Profile: facebook.com/theshreegurung

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/shreegurung

Instagram Handle: instagram.com/theshreegurung

Support Our Sponsors

Our generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today’s advertisers include FundingHope, DNA, DealMaker, Rancho Affordable Housing (Proactive). Learn more about advertising with us here.

Max-Impact Members

The following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support:

Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Hiten Sonpal, RISE Robotics | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear |  Matthew Mead, Hempitecture |  Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Dr. Nicole Paulk, Siren Biotechnology | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Sharon Samjitsingh, Health Care Originals | Add Your Name Here

Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar

If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.

Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on July 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.

SuperCrowdHour, July 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Devin Thorpe, CEO and Founder of The Super Crowd, Inc., will lead a session on "Balance Sheets & Beyond: The Impact Investor’s Guide to Financials." If terms like “income statement” and “cash flow” make your eyes glaze over, this session is for you. Devin will break down the fundamentals of financial statements in clear, simple language—perfect for beginners who want to better understand the numbers behind the businesses they support. Whether you're a new investor, a founder navigating financials, or simply curious about how money moves through mission-driven companies, you'll leave this session more confident and informed. Don’t miss it!

SuperCrowd25, August 21st and 22nd: This two-day virtual event is an annual tradition but with big upgrades for 2025! We’ll be streaming live across the web and on TV via e360tv. Apply for the Live Pitch here. VIPs get access to our better-than-in-person networking, including backstage passes, VIP networking and an exclusive VIP webinar! Get your VIP access for just $25. A select group of affordable sponsorship opportunities is still available. Learn more here.

Community Event Calendar

Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.

Devin Thorpe is featured in a free virtual masterclass series hosted by Irina Portnova titled Break Free, Elevate Your Money Mindset & Call In Overflow, focused on transforming your relationship with money through personal stories and practical insights. June 8-21, 2025.

Join Dorian Dickinson, founder & CEO of FundingHope, for Startup.com’s monthly crowdfunding workshop, where he'll dive into strategies for successfully raising capital through investment crowdfunding. June 24 at noon Eastern.

Future Forward Summit: San Francisco, Wednesday, June 25 · 3:30 - 8:30 pm PDT.

Regulated Investment Crowdfunding Summit 2025, Crowdfunding Professional Association, Washington DC, October 21-22, 2025.

Impact Accelerator Summit is a live in-person event taking place in Austin, Texas, from October 23–25, 2025. This exclusive gathering brings together 100 heart-centered, conscious entrepreneurs generating $1M+ in revenue with 20–30 family offices and venture funds actively seeking to invest in world-changing businesses. Referred by Michael Dash, participants can expect an inspiring, high-impact experience focused on capital connection, growth, and global impact.

Call for community action:

Please show your support for a tax credit for investments made via Regulation Crowdfunding, benefiting both the investors and the small businesses that receive the investments. Learn more here.

If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 9,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.

We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode.

Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.

Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.

Devin: What is your superpower?

Matt: Turning passion into purpose.

Emerald Prairie is on a mission to revolutionize home care with products that are not only safe for people and pets but also environmentally beneficial. At the heart of its innovation is hypochlorous acid (HOCL), a powerful yet natural disinfectant that Matt Condon, Founder of Emerald Prairie, describes as “nature’s disinfectant.” In today’s episode, Matt shared how his company is challenging the status quo with products that are effective, safe, and eco-friendly.

HOCL isn’t new. In fact, it has been around since World War I when it was used to treat soldiers. “It is an incredibly powerful antibacterial disinfectant,” Matt explained. “It would be ubiquitous throughout the country and the world if not for the way the chemical industrial complex evolved.” Emerald Prairie has found a way to scale the production of HOCL, offering a solution that’s “made by your body” and safe enough to spray on your hands or even in your mouth.

What makes Emerald Prairie stand out isn’t just HOCL’s effectiveness; it’s the company’s commitment to transparency and environmental impact. “All of our ingredients are on every label—nothing hidden,” Matt said. He added that the products not only avoid harming the environment but actually benefit it. “The best thing that can happen to hypochlorous acid is it gets to the water system because it kills the biofilm.”

Emerald Prairie’s business is thriving. The company has seen a surge in subscriptions, which Matt described as resembling the “proverbial hockey stick.” This growth, he believes, reflects customer trust and satisfaction. Emerald Prairie’s solutions are produced in Kansas, reflecting the company’s commitment to local manufacturing.

To scale its impact and reach, Emerald Prairie is raising capital via a regulated investment crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder. This approach aligns with Matt’s mission to connect directly with customers and investors who share his vision.

Emerald Prairie isn’t just selling safe cleaning products; it’s starting a movement. By replacing toxic chemicals with solutions that are safe for families and the environment, Matt and his team are proving that you don’t have to compromise safety for effectiveness. This is your chance to join a revolution in home care—by supporting Emerald Prairie, you can help make the world a cleaner, safer place.

tl;dr:

Matt Condon explained how Emerald Prairie’s products use hypochlorous acid to deliver safe, effective cleaning.

The company’s all-natural solutions are environmentally beneficial, improving ecosystems instead of harming them.

Emerald Prairie is scaling operations with local production and growing customer subscriptions rapidly.

Matt revealed his passion for building purpose-driven ventures that align with his values and mission.

The company is raising funds via regulated crowdfunding, inviting supporters to invest in its growth.

How to Develop Turning Passion Into Purpose As a Superpower

Matt Condon’s superpower is his ability to transform passion into purpose-driven business ventures. He explained, “I’ve been so fortunate in my career to go through…efforts where I wasn’t really focused on the sales revenue as much as doing something…that the world needed.” This approach, he shared, reflects a belief that “capitalism is the most powerful engine of good in the world.” For Matt, success comes from aligning his passions with businesses that create meaningful impact while maintaining financial viability.

Matt shared how his passion for solving real-world problems led him to create a network of clinics providing top-tier healthcare to workers like farmers, firefighters, and police officers. Drawing inspiration from his roots in a farming community, Matt realized that the quality of care available to professional athletes could and should be extended to laborers. He built clinics that offered advanced healthcare solutions, improving outcomes for countless individuals in physically demanding jobs. This venture not only succeeded financially but also changed lives, exemplifying how passion-driven businesses can create profound impact.

Tips for Developing This Superpower:

Identify Problems You’re Passionate About Solving: Focus on challenges that resonate with your values and experiences.

Take Calculated Risks: Embrace risk as part of the journey to create meaningful impact.

Build Around a Mission: Ensure your business aligns with a core purpose beyond profitability.

Engage Support Systems: Surround yourself with people who believe in your vision and can provide encouragement.

Stay Focused Amid Noise: Cut out distractions to concentrate on what truly matters.

By following Matt’s example and advice, you can make turning passion into purpose a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!

Guest Profile

Matthew (Matt) Condon (he/him):

Founder, Emerald Prairie Health

About Emerald Prairie Health: At Emerald Prairie Health, our mission began with a discovery—not of a new chemistry, but of how to finally unlock one that scientists have trusted for over a century. Despite its unmatched safety and proven performance, this powerful solution was kept on the sidelines—overlooked or suppressed by chemical giants who saw HOCl as a threat to their legacy products. We saw something different at EPH. Using our proprietary water purification process, we developed a way to produce this chemistry in its purest, most stable, and effective form—and bring it to market at scale. Today, we’re helping families protect their loved ones and lead the next generation of wellness—through cleaner, safer, and more sustainable alternatives for home and body.

Website: emeraldprairiehome.com

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/emeraldprairiehome

Biographical Information: Matthew J. Condon is a nationally recognized healthcare entrepreneur, thought leader, and advocate for transparency and innovation in the healthcare system. As the Founder and former CEO of Bardavon Health Innovations—a leading healthcare data analytics company transforming Workers’ Compensation—Matt combined his deep industry insight with a passion for disrupting outdated care models. Prior to Bardavon, he founded ARC Physical Therapy+ in 2003, growing it into one of the Midwest’s largest PT networks with over 100,000 annual patient visits. In June 2024, Matt stepped down as CEO of Bardavon and began his transition into founding Emerald Prairie Health, a consumer health company delivering safe, science-backed alternatives for home and body care. He was the youngest Chair in the 120+ year history of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and has been honored as a regional Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” finalist, named to Ingram’s “40 Under 40” and “Rainmakers” lists, and featured on the Kansas City Business Journal’s “Power 100” list of the region’s most influential business leaders.

X/Twitter Handle: @theMattCondon

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/matthew-condon-86905412

Instagram Handle: @mcondon0730

Support Our Sponsors

Our generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today’s advertisers include FundingHope, DealMaker, DNA, Proactive-Rancho. Learn more about advertising with us here.

Max-Impact Members

The following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support:

Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Hiten Sonpal, RISE Robotics | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear |  Matthew Mead, Hempitecture |  Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Dr. Nicole Paulk, Siren Biotechnology | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Sharon Samjitsingh, Health Care Originals | Add Your Name Here

Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar

If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.

Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on July 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.

SuperCrowdHour, July 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Devin Thorpe, CEO and Founder of The Super Crowd, Inc., will lead a session on "Balance Sheets & Beyond: The Impact Investor’s Guide to Financials." If terms like “income statement” and “cash flow” make your eyes glaze over, this session is for you. Devin will break down the fundamentals of financial statements in clear, simple language—perfect for beginners who want to better understand the numbers behind the businesses they support. Whether you're a new investor, a founder navigating financials, or simply curious about how money moves through mission-driven companies, you'll leave this session more confident and informed. Don’t miss it!

SuperCrowd25, August 21st and 22nd: This two-day virtual event is an annual tradition, but with big upgrades for 2025! We’ll be streaming live across the web and on TV via e360tv. VIP’s get access to our better-than-in-person networking! Get your VIP access for just $25. A select group of affordable sponsorship opportunities is still available. Learn more here.

Community Event Calendar

Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.

Devin Thorpe is featured in a free virtual masterclass series hosted by Irina Portnova titled Break Free, Elevate Your Money Mindset & Call In Overflow, focused on transforming your relationship with money through personal stories and practical insights. June 8-21, 2025.

Join Dorian Dickinson, founder & CEO of FundingHope, for Startup.com’s monthly crowdfunding workshop, where he'll dive into strategies for successfully raising capital through investment crowdfunding. June 24 at noon Eastern.

Future Forward Summit: San Francisco, Wednesday, June 25 · 3:30 - 8:30 pm PDT.

Regulated Investment Crowdfunding Summit 2025, Crowdfunding Professional Association, Washington DC, October 21-22, 2025.

Impact Accelerator Summit is a live in-person event taking place in Austin, Texas, from October 23–25, 2025. This exclusive gathering brings together 100 heart-centered, conscious entrepreneurs generating $1M+ in revenue with 20–30 family offices and venture funds actively seeking to invest in world-changing businesses. Referred by Michael Dash, participants can expect an inspiring, high-impact experience focused on capital connection, growth, and global impact.

Call for community action:

Please show your support for a tax credit for investments made via Regulation Crowdfunding, benefiting both the investors and the small businesses that receive the investments. Learn more here.

If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 9,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.

We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode.

Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.

Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.

Devin: What is your superpower?

Eric: Scientific method.

Unlocking the secret to clean, limitless energy could transform the world’s economy, environment, and future. Eric Lerner, President and Chief Scientist at LPPFusion, is leading a team that is taking a radically different approach to nuclear fusion—one that could make abundant, safe energy a reality for all.

Unlike massive, billion-dollar fusion projects, LPPFusion focuses on a compact and cost-effective technology. Instead of using traditional deuterium-tritium fuel, which creates dangerous neutrons and requires enormous, expensive machinery, LPPFusion uses hydrogen and boron—both non-radioactive and plentiful. The result? As Eric Lerner explained in this episode of Superpowers for Good, “when they combine, they produce pure helium and no neutrons. And that means we can make the machine very compact, very small, very cheap, and we can convert the energy directly to electricity without using steam turbines and generators, which are very expensive.”

This technological shift is also about access. LPPFusion is raising capital through regulated investment crowdfunding, allowing everyday people—not just wealthy, accredited investors—to participate in the future of energy. As Eric shared, “through crowdfunding, we can reach lots of people. And we are reaching lots of people… we are using crowdfunding simply to reach a mass audience that has to know about this technology.”

LPPFusion’s approach is also unique in its embrace of nature’s own plasma instabilities, rather than fighting them. “Most people in the field try to suppress those instabilities… but we imitate nature… the machine we’re working with, plasma focus, uses those instabilities to compress and heat the plasma. And that also makes our path a lot easier,” Eric said.

Despite raising only a fraction of the capital of their larger competitors, Eric and his team have achieved the best scientific results among private fusion efforts. Their work is openly published, and the opportunity to learn more or even invest is available to all.

As the world seeks solutions to the global energy crisis, innovators like Eric Lerner and the LPPFusion team show that transformative ideas often come from smaller, more agile labs. Their work could redefine energy—and now, anyone can help make it happen.

tl;dr:

Eric Lerner explains how LPPFusion is using hydrogen-boron fuel to pursue cleaner, safer fusion energy.

Their approach leverages plasma instabilities, making fusion devices smaller, cheaper, and more efficient.

LPPFusion raises funds through regulated investment crowdfunding, inviting broader public participation.

Eric shares how scientific method and persistent teamwork drive progress, even with limited resources.

The episode highlights the transformative potential of fusion energy and how anyone can get involved.

How to Develop Scientific Method As a Superpower

Eric’s superpower is the scientific method. He describes it as the power to “not only… predict the future, but to change the future.” It’s not merely a set of laboratory procedures, but a disciplined, collaborative way of learning “the truth about the universe, by the method of prediction and test against observations made subsequent to those predictions.” Eric credits mentors like Hannes Alfven for teaching him that the scientific method is about teamwork, persistent experimentation, and understanding the processes that create and sustain things—not just the things themselves.

Eric’s application of this superpower is best illustrated by his early work in astrophysics, which led him to fusion. As a young researcher, he noticed a regularity in cosmic structures and, guided by scientific curiosity and mentorship, he investigated the electromagnetic processes that might explain it. This search led him to the study of plasma filaments, a discovery that inspired the fusion device at the heart of LPPFusion. He and his team confirmed in the lab that these plasma filaments exist just as they do in the cosmos, validating his methodical, persistent approach and opening a new path for fusion energy.

Eric’s advice for cultivating this superpower includes:

Collaborate with others and learn from mentors

Embrace persistence—expect many failed experiments before success

Focus on understanding processes, not just end results

Rely on prediction and testing, not assumptions

Be transparent and open with your work

By following Eric’s example and advice, you can make the scientific method a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!

Guest Profile

Eric Lerner (he/him):

President and Chief Scientist, LPPFusion, Inc.

About LPPFusion, Inc.: LPPFusion is on a fast path to developing nuclear fusion generators that we predict will produce safe, clean, unlimited energy, far cheaper energy than any present-day energy source. We call our technology Focus Fusion. We predict it can solve our global environmental challenges and at the same time lift the standard of living for all.

Website: lppfusion.com

Biographical Information: A leading physicist in dense plasma focus research for 40 years. Eric developed an original model of the role of the quantum magnetic field effect and has pioneered in the application of astrophysical results to fusion energy research. He is also the author of the book "the Big Bang Never Happened" and has published many papers in peer-reviewed journals on both fusion energy and cosmology.

Support Our Sponsors

Our generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today’s advertisers include FundingHope, DNA, Proactive-Rancho, and Playper. Learn more about advertising with us here.

Max-Impact Members

The following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support:

Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Hiten Sonpal, RISE Robotics | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear |  Matthew Mead, Hempitecture |  Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Dr. Nicole Paulk, Siren Biotechnology | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Sharon Samjitsingh, Health Care Originals | Add Your Name Here

Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar

If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.

Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on July 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.

SuperCrowdHour, July 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Devin Thorpe, CEO and Founder of The Super Crowd, Inc., will lead a session on "Balance Sheets & Beyond: The Impact Investor’s Guide to Financials." If terms like “income statement” and “cash flow” make your eyes glaze over, this session is for you. Devin will break down the fundamentals of financial statements in clear, simple language—perfect for beginners who want to better understand the numbers behind the businesses they support. Whether you're a new investor, a founder navigating financials, or simply curious about how money moves through mission-driven companies, you'll leave this session more confident and informed. Don’t miss it!

SuperCrowd25, August 21st and 22nd: This two-day virtual event is an annual tradition, but with big upgrades for 2025! We’ll be streaming live across the web and on TV via e360tv. VIP’s get access to our better-than-in-person networking! Get your VIP access for just $25. A select group of affordable sponsorship opportunities is still available. Learn more here.

Community Event Calendar

Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.

Devin Thorpe is featured in a free virtual masterclass series hosted by Irina Portnova titled Break Free, Elevate Your Money Mindset & Call In Overflow, focused on transforming your relationship with money through personal stories and practical insights. June 8-21, 2025.

Join Dorian Dickinson, founder & CEO of FundingHope, for Startup.com’s monthly crowdfunding workshop, where he'll dive into strategies for successfully raising capital through investment crowdfunding. June 24 at noon Eastern.

Future Forward Summit: San Francisco, Wednesday, June 25 · 3:30 - 8:30 pm PDT.

Regulated Investment Crowdfunding Summit 2025, Crowdfunding Professional Association, Washington DC, October 21-22, 2025.

Impact Accelerator Summit is a live in-person event taking place in Austin, Texas, from October 23–25, 2025. This exclusive gathering brings together 100 heart-centered, conscious entrepreneurs generating $1M+ in revenue with 20–30 family offices and venture funds actively seeking to invest in world-changing businesses. Referred by Michael Dash, participants can expect an inspiring, high-impact experience focused on capital connection, growth, and global impact.

Call for community action:

Please show your support for a tax credit for investments made via Regulation Crowdfunding, benefiting both the investors and the small businesses that receive the investments. Learn more here.

If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 9,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.

We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode.

Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.

Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.

Devin: What is your superpower?

Marcus: Dealing with failure.

Some of the most powerful voices in our culture come from the world of sports. Marcus Daniell, a decorated tennis player and Olympic bronze medalist, understands this better than most. He founded High Impact Athletes to channel that influence toward causes that measurably improve lives.

When I spoke with Marcus, he shared how the transition from tennis to philanthropy wasn’t sudden. As soon as he began earning enough from his career, he started giving back—carefully. "I didn't really trust the charities that I'd grown up around, and I wanted to do my own research," he said. That research led him to the concept of effective giving: doing the most good per dollar.

What started with a personal 1% pledge grew into something much bigger. "There was a greater purpose to the grind of being a tennis player," Marcus said. "Every match that I won had something bigger off the back of it."

That sense of purpose eventually inspired High Impact Athletes. Marcus guessed he’d have to persuade fellow athletes one by one, but the response surpassed expectations. "Very quickly it became obvious that there was a real appetite amongst the athlete community for something they could trust."

Today, the organization has over 230 elite athletes across 50 sports and 35 countries. They're not just giving—they're amplifying impact by inspiring fans to do the same. "Athletes have a place in society where they have a really powerful voice," Marcus explained. "They can cut through different levels of society."

The group recently partnered with High Rocks, a global fitness event series, to expand peer-to-peer fundraising. Participants can support causes like global health, climate change, mental health and women’s empowerment.

While High Impact Athletes isn’t currently running a regulated investment crowdfunding campaign, the model it showcases is one worth noting. It proves that purpose and influence can merge to make philanthropy more effective and more human.

The emotional impact is tangible. One athlete shared with Marcus that his High Impact Athletes key rings, earned for hitting donation milestones, were as meaningful as any sports medal. "That really touched me," Marcus said.

This isn’t just about giving. It’s about creating lasting meaning from influence—and Marcus is helping athletes do just that.

tl;dr:

Marcus Daniell shares how Olympic-level tennis success led him to a life of purpose-driven philanthropy.

High Impact Athletes empowers elite athletes to give effectively and mobilize fans for global good.

Marcus explains that charity effectiveness varies greatly, making donation impact a key focus for change.

Through partnerships like High Rocks, High Impact Athletes expands reach via peer-to-peer fundraising events.

Marcus reveals his superpower—dealing with failure—and how resilience fueled both his athletic and nonprofit journeys.

How to Develop Dealing with Failure As a Superpower

Marcus Daniell describes his superpower as the ability to productively deal with failure. He explains that this skill is essential for professional athletes, who face constant challenges and losses. “In order to be a successful tennis player, you must be able to deal with failure productively,” Marcus said during today’s episode. He emphasizes the importance of processing setbacks, learning from mistakes, and moving forward with renewed focus.

Marcus shared a moving example from the 2016 Rio Olympics. After losing a first-round tennis match with match points against Canada, he and his partner, Michael Venus, were devastated. Though it took hours to process the emotions, they eventually had a heartfelt conversation, owning their mistakes and vowing to return stronger. This commitment paid off, as the duo later earned a bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, a triumph Marcus cherishes deeply.

Tips for Developing Resilience:

Process Emotions: Allow yourself time to feel and understand your disappointment before moving on.

Own Your Mistakes: Acknowledge your role in setbacks without dwelling on them.

Commit to Growth: Use failure as a motivator to improve and set new goals.

Find Perspective: Compare challenges to broader contexts to reduce their emotional weight.

Focus on the Future: Create a tangible plan to move forward, shifting energy toward progress.

By following Marcus’ example and advice, you can make resilience a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!

Guest Profile

Marcus Daniell (he/him):

Founder and Executive Director, High Impact Athletes

About High Impact Athletes: At HIA we are transforming how sport serves the world.

We connect world-class athletes with world-class charities—organizations that bring a high-performance mindset to making positive change.

Our athlete community is a star-studded lineup of world champions, Olympic champions, world record holders and league professionals taking action and making a difference.

Despite sport's immense potential to drive change, there's a critical gap between possibility and reality.

Not all charities are created equal. Every year, billions flow into feel-good causes and foundations with limited outcomes, chasing nice stories over tangible progress. Less than 1% of global philanthropy follows the data to identify and support the highest-performing charities.

Athletes have seized their place, not just in sport, but in society, leading conversations and commanding global attention on and off the field. Given the right platform, they can inspire the world to solve two critical problems in philanthropy: how much we choose to give, and where our giving goes.

Website: highimpactathletes.org

X/Twitter Handle: @HIAorg

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/HIAorg

Other URL: raceforimpact.com/en

Biographical Information: Marcus Daniell is a celebrated New Zealand tennis player and Olympic medalist whose career exemplifies excellence on and off the court. Rising to a career-high ATP doubles ranking of World No. 34, Daniell captured five ATP titles and earned a coveted bronze medal in men’s doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Known for his sportsmanship and powerful presence on court, he competed at the highest levels of the sport, reaching Grand Slam quarterfinals and representing New Zealand in numerous Davis Cup ties.

Beyond his athletic achievements, Daniell has distinguished himself as a leading advocate for effective altruism in sport. He founded High Impact Athletes, a nonprofit connecting elite athletes with the world’s most effective charities, and pledged to donate at least 10% of his lifetime earnings to high-impact causes. His leadership has garnered respect across the tennis world and beyond, including election to the ATP Player Council.

Residing in New York and recently retired after a 17-year professional career, Daniell remains a powerful voice for using sport as a platform for good. His legacy continues to inspire both on the court and through his visionary work in philanthropy.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Daniell

X/Twitter Handle: @marcusdaniell

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/marcus-daniell-oly%F0%9F%94%B8-313b6893/

Instagram Handle: @marcusdaniellnz

Support Our Sponsors

Our generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today’s advertisers include FundingHope, My Panda, Just Her Rideshare, and Rancho Affordable Housing (Proactive). Learn more about advertising with us here.

Max-Impact Members

The following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support:

Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Hiten Sonpal, RISE Robotics | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear |  Matthew Mead, Hempitecture |  Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Dr. Nicole Paulk, Siren Biotechnology | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Sharon Samjitsingh, Health Care Originals | Add Your Name Here

Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar

If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.

Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on July 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.

SuperCrowdHour, July 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Devin Thorpe, CEO and Founder of The Super Crowd, Inc., will lead a session on "Balance Sheets & Beyond: The Impact Investor’s Guide to Financials." If terms like “income statement” and “cash flow” make your eyes glaze over, this session is for you. Devin will break down the fundamentals of financial statements in clear, simple language—perfect for beginners who want to better understand the numbers behind the businesses they support. Whether you're a new investor, a founder navigating financials, or simply curious about how money moves through mission-driven companies, you'll leave this session more confident and informed. Don’t miss it!

SuperCrowd25, August 21st and 22nd: This two-day virtual event is an annual tradition, but with big upgrades for 2025! We’ll be streaming live across the web and on TV via e360tv. VIP’s get access to our better-than-in-person networking! Get your VIP access for just $25. A select group of affordable sponsorship opportunities is still available. Learn more here.

Community Event Calendar

Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.

Devin Thorpe is featured in a free virtual masterclass series hosted by Irina Portnova titled Break Free, Elevate Your Money Mindset & Call In Overflow, focused on transforming your relationship with money through personal stories and practical insights. June 8-21, 2025.

Join Dorian Dickinson, founder & CEO of FundingHope, for Startup.com’s monthly crowdfunding workshop, where he'll dive into strategies for successfully raising capital through investment crowdfunding. June 24 at noon Eastern.

Future Forward Summit: San Francisco, Wednesday, June 25 · 3:30 - 8:30 pm PDT.

Regulated Investment Crowdfunding Summit 2025, Crowdfunding Professional Association, Washington DC, October 21-22, 2025.

Call for community action:

Please show your support for a tax credit for investments made via Regulation Crowdfunding, benefiting both the investors and the small businesses that receive the investments. Learn more here.

If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 9,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.

We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode.

Main Street Meets the SuperCrowd: Why This Conversation Matters

Jen Risley, the powerhouse editor behind the Main Street Journal, joined me once again for our monthly livestream—an ongoing collaboration we’ve come to call Main Street Meets the SuperCrowd. These conversations are quickly becoming a cornerstone of community-building for our shared audience—readers who are hungry for smart, actionable ideas to strengthen local economies, invest with impact, and think more holistically about systems change.

If you missed the livestream, let me offer a few highlights that made this session both thought-provoking and energizing.

A Meeting of Minds, Not Echoes

Jen and I began by acknowledging how similar our respective platforms are in terms of mission and audience. But this isn’t an echo chamber. Superpowers for Good and Main Street Journal approach the same problems from different angles, drawing on unique voices, frameworks, and solutions. That makes our collaboration not just refreshing, but necessary. As Jen put it, we’re both “scurrying and collecting” a deep basket of ideas and stories from the grassroots—ensuring that the best thinking doesn’t go unnoticed.

Trade Policy Meets Local Impact

One of the focal points of our conversation was an essay by Michael Shuman, the Publisher of the Main Street Journal, advocating for governors to consider using “negative tariffs” as a response to federal trade policy. Michael, a lawyer and economist, doesn’t just write for impact—he writes with it. His provocative suggestion: states could effectively subsidize imports that benefit local economies, pushing back against protectionist tariffs that often do more harm than good.

It’s a bold concept, and while it drew criticism from at least one reader, we found the idea worth exploring. The critique—that tariffs protect American jobs—misses the macroeconomic reality Michael articulates so well: we simply don’t manufacture like we used to. We’re not bringing back a 1950s economy, no matter how much we may long for it. What we can bring back is strong worker representation, living wages, and economic dynamism—and those don’t have to come from factories alone.

In fact, we discussed how strong unions, not just strong industries, were the real drivers of middle-class prosperity in the postwar era. What if we had a powerful union of fast-food workers today? Imagine how that might reshape not just wages, but career pathways in the service economy.

Rethinking Nonprofits: A Heated but Needed Conversation

We pivoted to another popular topic in Jen’s world—a recent post arguing that nonprofits are, in many cases, the least effective vehicle for systemic social change. That headline alone sparked strong reactions, particularly among those with nonprofit roots (Jen included). But the conversation went beyond provocation.

We examined the idea that nonprofits, for all their mission-driven focus, are structurally hampered by the need to chase grants and donors. This often means they spend more time fundraising than delivering on their mission. As Jen rightly pointed out, that dynamic saps not just time and energy but also local economic value.

Michael’s past reporting, including a 2005 Nation cover story co-authored with Marian Fuller, argues that even progressive nonprofits could do more by rethinking their business models. And we’re seeing that today—especially with entities like OpenAI, which began as a nonprofit but now operates as a public benefit corporation (PBC), a structure that allows it to serve a mission while generating revenue and attracting capital.

I pushed back just slightly—out of respect for the enormous good nonprofits have done. Since the time Michael and I were born, global poverty has dropped from over 50% to roughly 10%. That’s not magic. That’s decades of nonprofit work on health, education, and development. But when it comes to economic development—whether in Nairobi or Nebraska—it’s hard to deny that mission-driven businesses may have more horsepower than nonprofits constrained by annual fundraising cycles.

Return on Integrity: Why We Invest Local

We wrapped up by talking about a post I wrote recently: “25 Reasons to Invest Through Regulated Crowdfunding for Social Change.” Jen highlighted two that especially resonated with her. First, the power of recirculating dollars within a local economy. When a dollar is spent at a locally owned business, it circulates far more than a dollar sent to a national chain or an online platform. That’s not just economics—it’s a theory of change.

Second, Jen was struck by how regulated crowdfunding creates fertile ground for first-time investors. She herself started with a small investment—just $96—in The Super Crowd, Inc. That entry point matters. It lowers the barriers for ordinary people to participate in building the future they want to see. When investing is local, transparent, and accessible, it ceases to be the domain of Wall Street insiders and becomes a tool for anyone with $100 and a dream.

She also reminded us of a phrase I like to use: return on integrity. Impact investing isn’t just about profit—it’s about aligning your values with your money. It’s about sleeping better at night because you’re helping your neighbor launch a food truck or keep a childcare center open.

A Better Future with Better Tools

One other update I shared: we’ve launched a new due diligence tool for paid subscribers. Jen tested it out and found it easier and faster than our earlier prompt-based tool. While it doesn’t replace the full depth of a long-form analysis, it provides a meaningful synthesis of a company’s Form C—highlighting deal terms, risks, and key facts that too often go overlooked. This is especially important for newcomers who may be investing in a local business for the first time.

As I said during the livestream, we’re continuing to refine this tool. The goal is to build something that delivers the insight of a 20-hour research process in just 5 to 10 minutes—and makes it either free or radically affordable. That’s how we grow the movement.

Join the Movement

That word—movement—kept surfacing throughout our conversation. This isn’t just a monthly chat. It’s not just two newsletters. It’s part of a broader, rising effort to put capital in the hands of people building our communities—people often excluded from traditional finance.

So if you haven’t yet subscribed to both publications, I’ll make this pitch one more time: do it. Superpowers for Good is just $5.95/month or less with an annual plan. Main Street Journal offers insights you won’t find anywhere else. For the price of one streaming service, you can subscribe to both and get a stream of ideas that actually build the future.

Until next month, keep investing with your values, keep amplifying local voices, and keep believing in the power of the crowd.

Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.

Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.

Devin: What is your superpower?

Karl: Simplifying complex ideas

Capitalism is due for a makeover. Karl Sjogren, author of The Fairshare Model, believes the key lies in a revolutionary approach to startup funding—one that reimagines IPOs with a performance-based structure to better align the interests of investors and entrepreneurs.

As Karl explained in today’s episode, the conventional approach to valuing startups is fraught with uncertainty. “No one knows how to value a startup reliably,” he said. This uncertainty creates two major risks for investors: failure risk, which includes market readiness and product viability, and valuation risk, which Karl describes as “the risk of overpaying for a position.” While venture capitalists often mitigate valuation risk with deal terms, Karl’s Fairshare Model brings a similar approach to the IPO market, offering a fairer, more transparent system for everyone involved.

The Fairshare Model introduces a dual-class stock structure. Investors receive tradable shares, while founders and employees receive performance-based shares that only convert to tradable stock upon achieving defined milestones. These milestones could vary widely, from reaching sales targets to demonstrating social impact, such as measurable environmental benefits. Karl explained, “The Fairshare Model doesn’t reduce failure risk, but it dramatically can reduce valuation risk.”

This model not only empowers investors but also incentivizes founders and employees to deliver results. Karl likened the conventional IPO structure to a balloon filled with uncertainty. In his analogy, traditional models place certainty on ownership, leaving performance uncertain. The Fairshare Model flips this dynamic, putting the weight of certainty on performance instead.

The implications of this approach are profound. By creating a framework that ties rewards to outcomes, the Fairshare Model offers a path to reduce speculation and foster trust between entrepreneurs and investors. It’s a bold vision that could reshape how startups raise capital—and how capitalism itself operates.

Karl’s book, The Fairshare Model, is available on Amazon, and he’s actively sharing insights on LinkedIn. He’s also working with a Bay Area company that plans to implement the Fairshare Model in an upcoming modular housing IPO.

If you’re as intrigued as I am, I encourage you to explore Karl’s ideas and see how they might apply to your own ventures.

tl;dr:

Today’s episode introduces Karl Sjogren’s Fairshare Model, a performance-based structure for venture-stage IPOs.

Karl highlights two major risks for investors: failure risk and valuation risk, and how to address them.

The Fairshare Model uses dual-class stock, aligning rewards with performance milestones.

Karl’s superpower is simplifying complex concepts, making them accessible with analogies like a balloon metaphor.

The episode underscores the potential of the Fairshare Model to reshape capitalism and startup funding.

How to Develop Simplifying Complex Ideas As a Superpower

Karl Sjogren’s superpower is his ability to make complex, technical concepts accessible and engaging. As Karl explained, “My superpower is the ability to take something that’s complex, somewhat differently than other people would, and to break it down in a way that is accessible to others.” This skill allows him to connect with audiences unfamiliar with the intricacies of capital markets, effectively translating his insights into actionable ideas.

Karl shared a vivid analogy from his book to illustrate the Fairshare Model’s novel capital structure. He described a balloon filled with uncertainty, where traditional IPOs place certainty on ownership, leaving performance ambiguous. The Fairshare Model reverses this, focusing certainty on performance outcomes. This analogy, he said, helped readers grasp the model’s core idea. His ability to use relatable metaphors like this showcases his knack for making complex ideas intuitive and memorable.

Tips for Developing This Superpower:

Be specific about your goals and audience when explaining complex topics.

Use analogies or metaphors to simplify abstract ideas.

Write concisely—ensure every word serves a purpose.

Address potential objections or concerns to anticipate your audience’s questions.

Break down problems into manageable parts, focusing on clarity and relevance.

By following Karl’s example and advice, you can make simplifying complex ideas a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!

Guest Profile

Karl Sjogren (he/him):

Author, Fairshare Model

About Fairshare Model: "The Fairshare Model" is Karl Sjogren's 2019 book. It describes a performance-based capital structure for raising venture capital via an initial public offering. Later this year, a startup in the modular housing space expects to be the first company to use it. Karl is eager to engage with accredited investors who may have interest in bridging the startup to its IPO. He also wants to connect with entrepreneurs that may want to consider having their own Fairshare Model IPO.

Website: fairsharemodel.com

Biographical Information: Karl Sjogren has been a consulting CFO in the SF Bay Area for over 30 years. From 1996 to 2001, he was CEO of Fairshare, Inc., an online community of average investors that sought to make it less expensive for companies to market investor-friendly IPOs. If a company had a legal offering, passed a diligence review, used the Fairshare Model deal structure, and allowed Fairshare members to invest as little as $100, Fairshare would let the company pitch its deal for free.

A forerunner to the concept of "equity crowdfunding," Fairshare attracted 16,000 members and substantially more visitors to its education -oriented website before shutting down after the dotcom and telecom busts.

Passage of the JOBS Act in 2011 led Karl to feel the time had come for something like Fairshare to do well, but did not have the energy to do so. Besides, he expected some of the new JOBS Act platforms to adopt some of Fairshare's ideas. But the innovation he saw focused on new ways to sell stock. He was more interested in new ways to structure a venture round.

And so, he decided to write a book, The Fairshare Model.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karlsjogren

Support Our Sponsors

Our generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today’s advertisers include FundingHope, Kingscrowd, Just Her Rideshare, and My Panda. Learn more about advertising with us here.

Max-Impact Members

The following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support:

Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Matthew Mead, Hempitecture | Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Sharon Samjitsingh, Health Care Originals | Add Your Name Here

Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar

If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.

Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on July 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.

SuperCrowdHour, July 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Devin Thorpe, CEO and Founder of The Super Crowd, Inc., will lead a session on "Balance Sheets & Beyond: The Impact Investor’s Guide to Financials." If terms like “income statement” and “cash flow” make your eyes glaze over, this session is for you. Devin will break down the fundamentals of financial statements in clear, simple language—perfect for beginners who want to better understand the numbers behind the businesses they support. Whether you're a new investor, a founder navigating financials, or simply curious about how money moves through mission-driven companies, you'll leave this session more confident and informed. Don’t miss it!

SuperCrowd25, August 21st and 22nd: This two-day virtual event is an annual tradition but with big upgrades for 2025! We’ll be streaming live across the web and on TV via e360tv. Soon, we’ll open a process for nominating speakers. Check back!

Community Event Calendar

Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.

Devin Thorpe is featured in a free virtual masterclass series hosted by Irina Portnova titled Break Free, Elevate Your Money Mindset & Call In Overflow, focused on transforming your relationship with money through personal stories and practical insights. June 8-21, 2025.

Join Dorian Dickinson, founder & CEO of FundingHope, for Startup.com’s monthly crowdfunding workshop, where he'll dive into strategies for successfully raising capital through investment crowdfunding. June 24 at noon Eastern.

Future Forward Summit: San Francisco, Wednesday, June 25 · 3:30 - 8:30 pm PDT.

Regulated Investment Crowdfunding Summit 2025, Crowdfunding Professional Association, Washington DC, October 21-22, 2025.

Call for community action:

Please show your support for a tax credit for investments made via Regulation Crowdfunding, benefiting both the investors and the small businesses that receive the investments. Learn more here.

If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 9,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.

We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode.

Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.

Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.

Devin: What is your superpower?

Paul: Insatiable curiosity

Citizen Portal is transforming how we stay informed about local government. The platform, led by CEO Paul Allen, uses AI to create a personalized, nonpartisan newsfeed that makes it easier than ever to monitor public officials and engage in civic issues.

Paul explained, “We redesigned the site to literally use AI to detect every important topic discussed in every government meeting.” By analyzing over 1.3 million hours of public meetings, Citizen Portal generates bite-sized articles on key issues, giving users a consumable, easy-to-navigate interface resembling a news site.

This shift has been a game-changer. Paul shared that the platform has attracted nearly a million users this year alone. The tool addresses a growing demand for transparency and accountability in government while filling a void created by the decline of local newspapers.

Unlike platforms driven by ad revenue or partisan agendas, Citizen Portal operates on a subscription model designed to empower its users. “There’s no spin, no partisan bias, and no kind of echo chamber,” Paul said. Instead, the platform’s algorithm, called BRAIN, tailors content to users’ locations and interests, ensuring relevance.

Citizen Portal’s mission is ambitious yet essential. Paul envisions a world where “it’ll be a thousand times easier to become an informed and engaged citizen.” The platform not only provides insights into local schools, city councils, and state legislatures, but also offers actionable steps for users to make their voices heard.

For those interested in supporting this social impact initiative, Citizen Portal is raising capital through a regulated investment crowdfunding campaign. This funding will allow the company to expand its reach and enhance its technology.

Paul’s vision is clear: to strengthen democracy by making civic engagement easier and more effective. With Citizen Portal, we can all stay informed, get involved, and make a difference in our communities.

tl;dr:

Citizen Portal uses AI to transform 1.3 million hours of government meetings into actionable news.

The platform fills the gap left by declining local newspapers with nonpartisan, customizable newsfeeds.

Paul’s vision is to empower citizens and policymakers with tools for informed engagement.

Citizen Portal is raising capital through regulated crowdfunding to expand its impact and technology.

Paul’s superpower, insatiable curiosity, drives his passion for creating tools that make information accessible.

How to Develop Insatiable Curiosity As a Superpower

Paul described his superpower as a deep passion for learning and gathering information. “I just have an insatiable curiosity for finding content in libraries, researching archives, [and] finding hidden gems,” he explained. This natural drive to consume and organize information has fueled his success, from co-founding Ancestry.com to leading Citizen Portal. He combines his love of learning with a knack for turning chaotic data into meaningful tools that empower others.

Paul shared how his superpower helped him build Citizen Portal. He and his team analyzed millions of hours of government meeting records, transforming vast, fragmented data into actionable, AI-generated newsfeeds. His love for gathering information and creating order enabled him to design a platform that empowers citizens to monitor local governance and engage more effectively.

Tips for Developing Curiosity

Identify and lean into your natural strengths using tools like the Clifton Strengths Assessment.

Focus on areas that energize and excite you rather than trying to emulate others’ strengths.

Gather and organize information in ways that help others, amplifying the impact of your efforts.

Pursue learning as a lifelong habit by reading, researching, and staying curious about the world.

By following Paul’s example and advice, you can make insatiable curiosity a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!

Guest Profile

Paul Allen (he/him):

CEO & Board Member, Citizen Portal

About Citizen Portal: Citizen Portal is a non-partisan, AI-powered platform, with $426,200 in pre-seed funding and a seasoned leadership team, aiming to revolutionize civic engagement, revive government transparency, and transform American democracy. Citizen Portal is on a mission to transform democracy with an AI-powered approach. We are reshaping civic engagement and education by providing Americans with up-to-date, accurate, newsworthy information straight from the source. Citizen Portal utilizes AI to index, transcribe, and summarize meetings and hearings at all levels of government. By providing access to video recordings of school boards, local, state, and federal meetings, Citizen Portal helps to empower citizens, journalists, and advocates to know what is being said by their elected officials and done in their government.

Website: citizenportal.ai

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093227401453

Other URL: startengine.com/citizenportal

Biographical Information: Paul Allen is a visionary tech entrepreneur and evangelist driven by a desire to help individuals live their best lives.

Paul has founded eight companies. He calls himself a “platform entrepreneur” since his products are usually built on top of the latest tech platform or wave, such as CD ROM, the World Wide Web, mp3 audio, or Facebook. For the past several years, Paul’s focus has been using machine learning and artificial intelligence to help individuals and organizations reach their full potential.

In 1990, Paul founded Infobases, whose mission was to digitize and publish the world’s most important books on CD ROM with a full-text search engine. This endeavor led directly to Ancestry.com—Paul’s best known company—which sought to gather and publish the world’s genealogy records, family trees, and memories on the internet to enable everyone to discover their heritage. Over 100 million people have learned about their family history at Ancestry.com.

Paul’s teams have a history of building viral products. MyFamily.com (1998) attracted millions of users, and for a time, was the fastest growing online community on the web as well as the top photo sharing site in 2000 and 2001. Paul’s We’re Related app on Facebook (2007-2010) gained more than 120 million users in two and a half years.

From 2012 to 2017, Paul worked with Gallup to promote the StrengthsFinder assessment (now called CliftonStrengths) from the Washington, DC headquarters. As the “Global Strengths Evangelist,” Paul helped increase online purchases of the assessment and supported a global community of strengths coaches. Today, more than 30 million people have taken the CliftonStrengths assessment.

Paul’s most recent creation is Soar.com, a company whose mission—once again—is to uplift humanity. Paul is a strong advocate for using AI in positive ways, specifically to enable individuals to become the best version of themselves. When excellent training is paired with AI generated feedback on actual performance, leaders, managers, founders, and individual contributors can achieve excellence faster than ever before.

Soar is an AI Studio that will form more than fifteen separate corporations to bring PURE AI (Personalized Uplifting Responsible Ethical AI) to many fields, including education, faith, government, health, finance, medicine, law, family history, and the workplace. Eventually, Soar will enable people to build and customize their own AI assistant (think of Jarvis from Iron Man or Janet from The Good Place) to help them learn, grow, make better decisions, and maximize their time on Earth.

Paul’s influence extends beyond entrepreneurship. He’s a sought-after keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, teaching the importance of family stories and personal strengths in shaping one’s identity. A lifelong learner, Paul has amassed a vast library of thousands of books. In fact, Paul’s dedication to learning extends to his teaching roles in Internet Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University. He’s received numerous accolades, including Ernst & Young Utah Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000 and MarketingSherpa National Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008.

Paul is a fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association and was named a Cyber Pioneer in 2010 by the Cyber Law Section of the Utah State Bar. In 2016, he was the honored alumnus of the BYU Humanities College, having graduated in 1990 with a BA in Russian. Most recently, Paul has been featured on The Pulse of AI, The Briefing with Steve Scully, The Business of Learning, and The Adventures in Machine Learning podcasts.

Paul and his wife, Christy, reside in Missouri. They have 8 adult children and 5 grandchildren.

X/Twitter Handle: @paulballen

Personal Facebook Profile: facebook.com/paulallen

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/paulballen

Instagram Handle: @paulallendc

Support Our Sponsors

Our generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today’s advertisers include FundingHope, Kingscrowd, Just Her Rideshare, and My Panda. Learn more about advertising with us here.

Max-Impact Members

The following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support:

Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Matthew Mead, Hempitecture | Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Sharon Samjitsingh, Health Care Originals | Add Your Name Here

Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar

If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.

Join us on June 25, 2025, at 8:00 PM Eastern for the Superpowers for Good Live Pitch—streaming on e360tv, where purpose-driven founders take the virtual stage to present their active Regulation Crowdfunding campaigns to a national audience of investors and changemakers. Selected startups are chosen for their commitment to community, alignment with NC3’s Community Capital Principles, and their drive to create real-world impact. Thanks to sponsors DNA and DealMaker, this event is free to watch and amplifies the voices of underrepresented and mission-aligned entrepreneurs. Don’t miss this inspiring evening where capital meets purpose—tune in to discover and support the next wave of impact-driven innovation.

Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on July 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.

SuperCrowdHour, July 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Devin Thorpe, CEO and Founder of The Super Crowd, Inc., will lead a session on "Balance Sheets & Beyond: The Impact Investor’s Guide to Financials." If terms like “income statement” and “cash flow” make your eyes glaze over, this session is for you. Devin will break down the fundamentals of financial statements in clear, simple language—perfect for beginners who want to better understand the numbers behind the businesses they support. Whether you're a new investor, a founder navigating financials, or simply curious about how money moves through mission-driven companies, you'll leave this session more confident and informed. Don’t miss it!

SuperCrowd25, August 21st and 22nd: This two-day virtual event is an annual tradition but with big upgrades for 2025! We’ll be streaming live across the web and on TV via e360tv. Soon, we’ll open a process for nominating speakers. Check back!

Community Event Calendar

Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.

Devin Thorpe is featured in a free virtual masterclass series hosted by Irina Portnova titled Break Free, Elevate Your Money Mindset & Call In Overflow, focused on transforming your relationship with money through personal stories and practical insights. June 8-21, 2025.

Join Dorian Dickinson, founder & CEO of FundingHope, for Startup.com’s monthly crowdfunding workshop, where he'll dive into strategies for successfully raising capital through investment crowdfunding. June 24 at noon Eastern.

Future Forward Summit: San Francisco, Wednesday, June 25 · 3:30 - 8:30 pm PDT.

Regulated Investment Crowdfunding Summit 2025, Crowdfunding Professional Association, Washington DC, October 21-22, 2025.

Call for community action:

Please show your support for a tax credit for investments made via Regulation Crowdfunding, benefiting both the investors and the small businesses that receive the investments. Learn more here.

If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 9,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.

We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode.

Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.

Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.

Devin: What is your superpower?

Dr. Canaan: Faith and empathy

Affordable housing is more than a real estate challenge; it’s a mission to create stability and hope. In today’s episode, I had the pleasure of exploring this mission with Dr. Canaan Van Williams, the Fund Manager of ProActive Real Estate Group. His work focuses on Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAA), helping underserved communities secure quality, affordable homes while delivering returns for investors.

Dr. Canaan shared his passion for affordable housing through his latest project, Rancho Affordable Living, in Las Vegas. This 23-unit development provides low-income housing at 20–30% below market rates. It prioritizes second-chance housing for people previously evicted, unhoused, or escaping domestic violence. He explained, “Second chance housing is such a huge part of the low-income affordable housing sector. We tend to serve people who are anywhere from 50 to 30 percent AMI or below.”

What makes this effort even more compelling is its focus on impact and speed. By revitalizing existing properties, ProActive Real Estate Group avoids the delays associated with subsidies, enabling quicker housing solutions. According to Canaan, “We’re able to achieve above market-rate returns because we pass on the cost savings benefits of revitalizing what’s existing.”

For those who want to get involved, there’s exciting news: ProActive Real Estate Group has a live Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) campaign now. This democratizes investment opportunities, allowing non-accredited investors to support affordable housing while earning current income.

Canaan brings a unique perspective to this work, drawing from his upbringing in Oakland, California, where his family benefited from affordable housing programs. This personal connection fuels his commitment to creating sustainable communities. “We do everything we can to help our residents,” he shared.

Affordable housing projects like Rancho Affordable Living exemplify how mission-driven investments can combine social impact with financial returns. By investing in efforts like this, we can celebrate milestones like Juneteenth not just in words, but in action.

tl;dr:

Dr. Canaan Van Williams pioneers affordable housing projects like Rancho Affordable Living, offering below-market rents.

His work prioritizes second-chance housing, helping underserved people rebuild their lives with dignity.

ProActive Real Estate Group’s Reg CF campaign allows everyone to invest in impactful housing solutions.

Dr. Canaan’s faith in God and humanity drives his compassionate approach to building sustainable communities.

His advocacy for housing stability showcases the power of love, empathy, and mission-driven leadership.

How to Develop Faith and Empathy As a Superpower

Dr. Canaan’s superpower is rooted in his faith in God and humanity, coupled with a deep empathy for others. He said, “Our superpower is love. We really practice and demonstrate empathy as much as we possibly can.” This perspective drives his work, enabling him to create housing solutions that prioritize dignity and community for underserved populations. Dr. Canaan’s faith inspires him to focus on impact first, trusting that everything else will follow.

A compelling example of Dr. Canaan’s superpower in action comes from a story about two single mothers in Las Vegas. Both women, homeless and struggling with expired Section 8 vouchers, reached out to him for help. Despite bureaucratic resistance, Canaan advocated on their behalf, convincing the housing office to reinstate their vouchers. His determination and empathy changed their lives, providing them with stable homes for their families.

Tips for Developing Faith and Empathy as Strengths:

Practice Compassion Daily: Look for opportunities to help others, even in small ways.

Advocate Relentlessly: Stand firm for those in need, even when facing resistance.

Stay Mission-Focused: Let your values guide your actions, especially in challenging situations.

Draw Strength from Faith: Lean into your beliefs to sustain your commitment to doing good.

By following Dr. Canaan’s example and advice, you can make faith and empathy a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!

Guest Profile

Dr. Canaan Van Williams (he/him):

Fund Manager, ProActive Real Estate Group

About ProActive Real Estate Group: ProActive Real Estate Group is a mission-driven investment firm specializing in affordable housing that delivers both market-rate returns and measurable social impact. Through the ProActive Impact Fund and “Flight to Safety” strategy, the firm acquires, revitalizes, and manages Class C multifamily, NOAH, and manufactured housing in underserved communities. ProActive’s work aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and emphasizes community uplift without displacement. By combining financial expertise with transparent ESG reporting, ProActive offers investors—ranging from individuals to institutions—ethical, de-risked real estate opportunities that strengthen neighborhoods and generate long-term value.

Website: proactiveimpactfund.com

Other URL: proactivefunds.sppx.io/otp/RA-CF-2025

Biographical Information: Dr. Canaan Van Williams is a seasoned impact investor, fund manager, and social innovator dedicated to transforming underserved communities through sustainable housing solutions. As Fund Manager at ProActive Real Estate Group, he leads investment strategies that generate consistent market-rate returns while delivering measurable social impact. His work focuses on revitalizing Class C and distressed Class B multifamily properties, Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH), and manufactured housing to create vibrant, affordable communities—without displacement or gentrification.

Guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Dr. Williams tackles poverty, inequality, and urban sustainability through strategic real estate investments. His projects are backed by transparent reporting, including Morningstar Sustainalytics’ ESG ratings, giving investors confidence in both performance and purpose.

With a Ph.D. in Psychology and certifications in property and private equity management, Dr. Williams combines human insight with financial acumen. He partners with high-net-worth individuals, family offices, funds, and institutions seeking ethical, de-risked, and socially responsible investment opportunities.

Dr. Williams is a trusted leader at the intersection of finance and social change—proving that real estate can be a force for good. Learn more at www.Flight2Safety.com or connect with him at LinkedIn.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-canaan-williams-aa3924b

Support Our Sponsors

Our generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today’s advertisers include FundingHope, Kingscrowd, Just Her Rideshare, and Crowdfunding Made Simple. Learn more about advertising with us here.

Max-Impact Members

The following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support:

Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Matthew Mead, Hempitecture | Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Sharon Samjitsingh, Health Care Originals | Add Your Name Here

Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar

If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.

Join us on June 25, 2025, at 8:00 PM Eastern for the Superpowers for Good Live Pitch—streaming on e360tv, where purpose-driven founders take the virtual stage to present their active Regulation Crowdfunding campaigns to a national audience of investors and changemakers. Selected startups are chosen for their commitment to community, alignment with NC3’s Community Capital Principles, and their drive to create real-world impact. Thanks to sponsors DNA and DealMaker, this event is free to watch and amplifies the voices of underrepresented and mission-aligned entrepreneurs. Don’t miss this inspiring evening where capital meets purpose—tune in to discover and support the next wave of impact-driven innovation.

Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on July 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.

SuperCrowd25, August 21st and 22nd: This two-day virtual event is an annual tradition but with big upgrades for 2025! We’ll be streaming live across the web and on TV via e360tv. Soon, we’ll open a process for nominating speakers. Check back!

Community Event Calendar

Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.

Devin Thorpe is featured in a free virtual masterclass series hosted by Irina Portnova titled Break Free, Elevate Your Money Mindset & Call In Overflow, focused on transforming your relationship with money through personal stories and practical insights. June 8-21, 2025.

Join Dorian Dickinson, founder & CEO of FundingHope, for Startup.com’s monthly crowdfunding workshop, where he'll dive into strategies for successfully raising capital through investment crowdfunding. June 24 at noon Eastern.

Regulated Investment Crowdfunding Summit 2025, Crowdfunding Professional Association, Washington DC, October 21-22, 2025.

Call for community action:

Please show your support for a tax credit for investments made via Regulation Crowdfunding, benefiting both the investors and the small businesses that receive the investments. Learn more here.

If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 9,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.

We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode.

Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.

Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.

Devin: What is your superpower?

Webb: Resilience

Plastic has become an omnipresent part of childhood, with most toys made from this enduring material. But what if there were a better way—something sustainable, durable, and just as fun? Webb Knudsen, CEO and founder of Playper, has created a solution. Playper produces planet-friendly, buildable toy sets made from an innovative material called “Playper board.” These toys not only spark children’s imagination but are also designed to reduce plastic waste.

Webb explained, “Playper is award-winning, planet-friendly, buildable playsets and storytelling card sets designed for imagination-inspiring pretend play.” He continued, “We make our toys out of a material called Playper board. It’s durable, thick, and flexible… you can spill water, ketchup, whatever on it and wipe it right off.”

Playper’s toys are designed to endure even the roughest play while inspiring creativity. They feature a unique tongue-and-groove slotting system, creating a satisfying “click” when assembled. This system ensures that kids can build and rebuild their toys, offering hours of hands-on engagement.

The company has already gained traction, with products available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Walmart.com, and in dozens of independent toy stores. Webb’s mission to create sustainable toys has resonated with parents seeking alternatives to plastic. “There’s a lot of demand for more sustainable toy options,” Webb said. “The majority… of all toys are made out of plastic. I really felt like there had to be a better way.”

In addition to its environmental focus, Playper emphasizes education. Webb described how the toys’ storytelling elements and social-emotional learning features set them apart. “They teach kids about their emotions,” he said. “That’s a real big segment within toys.”

Playper is also raising capital through WeFunder, allowing everyday people to invest in the company. “I wanted the average person to be able to invest in our business,” Webb explained. “It really is the type of business that resonates with normal everyday people.”

By creating toys that prioritize sustainability and imagination, Webb and Playper are building a better future for kids and the planet.

tl;dr:

Playper creates durable, eco-friendly toys from paper to reduce plastic waste and inspire kids’ creativity.

The toys are available nationwide, including at Barnes & Noble, and emphasize storytelling and education.

Webb Knudsen credits his success to resilience, adapting through challenges to refine Playper’s products.

Playper is raising capital via WeFunder, inviting everyday people to invest in its sustainable mission.

Webb’s leadership, team-building skills, and passion for innovation drive Playper’s growth and impact.

How to Develop Resilience As a Superpower

Webb Knudsen identifies his resilience as a key superpower, enabling him to persevere through challenges. “When things don't go well, I get back up, brush myself off, and keep going,” he shared. Webb keeps two motivational reminders at his desk: an image of a frog refusing to be swallowed with the caption “never give up,” and a quote from tennis player Vitus Gerolitis, “Nobody beats Vitus Gerolitis 17 times in a row.” These keep him grounded, reminding him to stay persistent despite setbacks.

Webb shared that Playper’s journey has not been an overnight success. The company has faced numerous challenges, from refining its materials to pivoting product lines. Through trial and error, Webb and his team found the right formula for sustainable, buildable toys. Their persistence paid off, with Playper now sold nationwide at Barnes & Noble and in independent toy stores. Webb’s ability to adapt and keep moving forward, even after setbacks, exemplifies his resilience.

Tips for Developing Resilience:

Focus on the Bigger Picture: Remind yourself of your mission and the purpose behind your work.

Stay Motivated with Visual Cues: Use quotes or images that inspire perseverance to keep you grounded during tough times.

Adapt and Pivot: Learn from failures and try new approaches until you find what works.

Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge milestones, even small ones, to maintain momentum.

Draw Inspiration from Loved Ones: Spend time with those who remind you of your “why,” like Webb does with his kids.

By following Webb Knudsen’s example and advice, you can make resilience a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!

Guest Profile

Webb Knudsen (he/him):

CEO & Founder, Playper

About Playper: Playper is a forward-thinking toy brand that makes build-it-yourself storytelling playsets designed to spark imagination and parent-child bonding - with zero plastic waste. Our products use PlayperBoard®, a unique ultra-durable material that’s kid-safe, toxin-free, and recyclable. Our “Buildable Storytelling” format is STEAM-accredited and built for brand expansion. We're backed by the former CEOs of Fisher Price, J. Crew, and Dell, and Chief Brand Officer of Mattel. We're led by former execs from Mattel, LEGO, Spin Master, and more.

Website: playper.com

X/Twitter Handle: @PlayperKids

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/PlayperToys

Other URL: wefunder.com/playper

Biographical Information: Webb Knudsen is a seasoned investor and entrepreneur with a deep track record in consumer brands.

As Vice President at the private equity firm Partnership Capital Growth (PCG), Webb leads deal sourcing and investment strategy. PCG, an 18-year-old firm focused on health and wellness brands—from food & beverage to supplements and fitness—has made 35 investments and deployed over $500M across three funds and SPVs, achieving a 2x+ MOIC through 18 exits and six thriving portfolio companies.

Webb is also Founder and Managing Partner of Knudsen Capital (KC), a bicoastal family office investing in early-stage, high-growth companies aiming to improve lives. Under his leadership, KC has backed about 40 consumer brands, with four acquisitions and standout returns including one company valued at 10x and another at 30x. The KC portfolio has realized a 3.3x MOIC across its investments.

Before investing, Webb built a dynamic operating career across entertainment, tech, and media—holding leadership roles in sales, BD, and marketing at companies like Lucasfilm, Crisp, Aarki, and Millennial Reach. He began in film and media at Walden Media and CAA, and co-founded two startups before stepping in as CEO of Playper, a sustainable toy company for kids.

Webb holds a dual degree in Sociology and Speech Communication from Pepperdine. He’s a dad of four, Cub Scout Den Leader, dog lover, snowboarder, and music lover, and has lived in 4 countries and 20 cities.

X/Twitter Handle: @WebbKnudsen

Personal Facebook Profile: facebook.com/webb.knudsen

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/webbknudsen

Instagram Handle: @WebbKnudsen

Support Our Sponsors

Our generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today’s advertisers include FundingHope, Kingscrowd, and Crowdfunding Made Simple. Learn more about advertising with us here.

Max-Impact Members

The following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support:

Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Matthew Mead, Hempitecture | Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Sharon Samjitsingh, Health Care Originals | Add Your Name Here

Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar

If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.

Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on June 17, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.

SuperCrowdHour, June 18, 2025, at 12:00 PM Eastern. Jason Fishman, Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Niche Agency (DNA), will lead a session on "How to Spin $1 of Advertising into $10!" He’ll reveal proven strategies and marketing insights drawn from years of experience helping successful crowdfunding campaigns. Whether you're a founder planning a raise or a supporter of innovative startups, you’ll gain actionable tips to boost visibility, drive engagement, and hit your funding goals. Don’t miss it!

Join us on June 25, 2025, at 8:00 PM Eastern for the Superpowers for Good Live Pitch—streaming on e360tv, where purpose-driven founders take the virtual stage to present their active Regulation Crowdfunding campaigns to a national audience of investors and changemakers. Selected startups are chosen for their commitment to community, alignment with NC3’s Community Capital Principles, and their drive to create real-world impact. Thanks to sponsors DNA and DealMaker, this event is free to watch and amplifies the voices of underrepresented and mission-aligned entrepreneurs. Don’t miss this inspiring evening where capital meets purpose—tune in to discover and support the next wave of impact-driven innovation.

SuperCrowd25, August 21st and 22nd: This two-day virtual event is an annual tradition but with big upgrades for 2025! We’ll be streaming live across the web and on TV via e360tv. Soon, we’ll open a process for nominating speakers. Check back!

Community Event Calendar

Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.

Devin Thorpe is featured in a free virtual masterclass series hosted by Irina Portnova titled Break Free, Elevate Your Money Mindset & Call In Overflow, focused on transforming your relationship with money through personal stories and practical insights. June 8-21, 2025.

Join Dorian Dickinson, founder & CEO of FundingHope, for Startup.com’s monthly crowdfunding workshop, where he'll dive into strategies for successfully raising capital through investment crowdfunding. June 24 at noon Eastern.

Regulated Investment Crowdfunding Summit 2025, Crowdfunding Professional Association, Washington DC, October 21-22, 2025.

Call for community action:

Please show your support for a tax credit for investments made via Regulation Crowdfunding, benefiting both the investors and the small businesses that receive the investments. Learn more here.

If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 9,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.

We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode.

Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.

Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.

Devin: What is your superpower?

Nicole: Willingness to take bold leaps and embrace the unknown.

Imagine a world where cancer is as treatable as the flu. That’s the vision Nicole Paulk, the founder and CEO of Siren Biotechnology, is working tirelessly to bring to life. Driven by groundbreaking science, Nicole’s company is on the brink of launching clinical trials for a revolutionary cancer treatment.

Nicole’s work leverages engineered viruses—those that don’t make you sick—to deliver genetic medicines directly to cancer cells. These “good viruses” act as a delivery system for anti-tumor drugs, targeting difficult-to-treat cancers like recurrent high-grade gliomas, a fatal brain cancer. “We started to see data that looked really promising in this space,” Nicole explained, adding, “We felt a moral obligation to go after this cancer where there’s just this huge unmet need.”

Siren Biotechnology’s approach is designed to have broad applications. Unlike treatments that target specific genetic mutations, their method has the potential to work on various tumor types. Nicole describes it as using viruses like a “little FedEx delivery truck” that can be engineered to deliver medicine precisely where it’s needed in the body.

This innovation didn’t happen overnight. Nicole, a former professor of virology at UCSF, took the bold step of leaving academia to launch Siren Biotechnology. “I decided to resign from my faculty position and go be the founder and CEO just because I was so excited about the data and what we had so far,” she shared.

In addition to traditional venture capital funding, Siren Biotechnology is inviting the public to invest through a regulated investment crowdfunding campaign. This unique opportunity allows patients, families, and supporters touched by cancer to be part of their journey. “We wanted to bring patients and their families onto our cap table,” Nicole said. “It’s a way to involve them in the conversation much earlier.”

Siren Biotechnology’s work could redefine cancer care and inspire a new model for patient-centered innovation. With clinical trials just months away, the future looks brighter for those battling cancer—and for all of us who dream of a world where cancer is no longer a death sentence.

tl;dr:

Nicole Paulk’s Siren Biotechnology transforms viruses into targeted cancer therapies with universal potential.

The company focuses on recurrent high-grade gliomas, a fatal brain cancer with no standard treatment.

Nicole left academia to lead Siren, leveraging her groundbreaking virology research to launch the company.

Siren’s unique crowdfunding campaign lets patients and families invest in the fight against cancer.

Nicole’s superpower, fearless innovation, drives her bold mission to revolutionize cancer care.

How to Develop Fearless Innovation As a Superpower

Nicole’s superpower is her willingness to take bold leaps and embrace the unknown. After spending nearly two decades building her academic career, Nicole left her position as a virology professor at UCSF to start Siren Biotechnology. She explained, “I feel like my superpower is just kind of being willing to jump off the cliff without a parachute and be like, we’re going to figure it out. We’re going to make it work.”

Nicole exemplified fearless innovation when her research led to a groundbreaking discovery about the biology of a virus, one that required rewriting existing textbooks. Initially met with skepticism, her work was later validated and became a foundation for Siren Biotechnology’s cancer treatment. This pivotal moment highlights Nicole’s courage to challenge conventional knowledge and pursue transformative ideas.

Tips for Developing This Superpower:

Be willing to question conventional wisdom and explore new paths.

Take calculated risks, even if it means stepping away from a well-defined career path.

Embrace discomfort and uncertainty as a necessary part of innovation.

Engage others by communicating your vision in relatable and accessible ways.

By following Nicole’s example and advice, you can make fearless innovation a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!

Guest Profile

Nicole Paulk (she/her):

CEO, Founder, President, Siren Biotechnology

About Siren Biotechnology: We are combining two transformative therapeutic technologies – AAV gene therapy and cytokine immunotherapy – into a single, reimagined modality that overcomes key challenges and redefines how we destroy tumor cells and elicit anti-tumor immunity.This is the first AAV gene therapy drug product that can be made once and used in numerous indications – a huge leap forward for the field.

This drastically reduces clinical development times, manufacturing timelines, and capital needs for each clinical trial. Most importantly, ‘universal’ means countless solid tumor cancer patients – regardless of tumor type or mutations – may benefit from this breakthrough approach.

Website: sirenbiotechnology.com

X/Twitter Handle: @SirenBio

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/SirenBiotechnology

Other URL: wefunder.com/siren.biotechnology

Biographical Information: Dr. Nicole Paulk is the CEO, Founder, and President of Siren Biotechnology and has dedicated her career to advancing the field of gene therapy. With nearly two decades of expertise, Nicole has been at the forefront of developing cutting-edge advances to propel the field of gene therapy forward for a wide range of diseases.

Before founding Siren, Nicole held various leadership positions in academia and industry and most notably was an Assistant Adj Professor of AAV Gene Therapy in the UCSF Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics before leaving to found Siren. Nicole has a B.S. in Medical Microbiology, a Ph.D. in Viral Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine from OHSU, and completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship and Instructorship in Human Gene Therapy at Stanford University prior to starting her lab at UCSF. Nicole is a pioneer in the development of next-generation AAV platforms for gene repair, gene transfer and gene editing, directed evolution for novel engineered capsid evolution, and comparative multi-omic approaches to interrogate translational AAV biology.

Nicole is a renowned expert in gene therapy and has consulted extensively for big pharma, written draft CMC guidance for the FDA, and sits on the Scientific Advisory Boards for Sarepta, Astellas, Metagenomi, Dyno Therapeutics, CEVEC, GRO Biosciences, Excision BioTherapeutics, WhiteLab Genomics, Johns Hopkins Gene Therapy Initiative, the Gene Therapy for Rare Disorders Searchlight Program, and several stealth startups. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Boston Globe, Endpoints, STAT, Phacilitate, GEN, BioPharma Dive, Evaluate Vantage, SF Business Times, WIRED, Drug Discovery World, MIT Tech Review, C&EN, and more. She sits on the Scientific Editorial Boards of the journals Gene Therapy, Human Gene Therapy, and Biopharma International Gene Therapy. She is the Chair of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) Translational Science Committee, and a member of the ASGCT Cancer Cell and Gene Therapy Committee and the Biocom California Cell and Gene Therapy Committee. She has invented numerous AAV gene therapy technologies that have been shared or licensed to dozens of gene therapy companies and nonprofit groups working in rare diseases.

Outside of work, you can find Nicole adventure traveling (think whitewater rafting meets backcountry trekking), snowboarding, planning elaborate Halloween parties complete with animatronics and ghoulish menus, tending her vegetable garden, and obsessing over the latest wearable gadgets. If you’re trying to track her down at a conference and can’t find her, it’s because she snuck off to an oyster bar.

X/Twitter Handle: @Nicole_Paulk

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/nicolepaulk

Instagram Handle: @sirenbio

Support Our Sponsors

Our generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today’s advertisers include FundingHope, Kingscrowd and Crowdfunding Made Simple. Learn more about advertising with us here.

Max-Impact Members

The following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support:

Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Matthew Mead, Hempitecture | Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Sharon Samjitsingh, Health Care Originals | Add Your Name Here

Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar

If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.

Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on June 17, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.

SuperCrowdHour, June 18, 2025, at 12:00 PM Eastern. Jason Fishman, Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Niche Agency (DNA), will lead a session on "How to Spin $1 of Advertising into $10!" He’ll reveal proven strategies and marketing insights drawn from years of experience helping successful crowdfunding campaigns. Whether you're a founder planning a raise or a supporter of innovative startups, you’ll gain actionable tips to boost visibility, drive engagement, and hit your funding goals. Don’t miss it!

Join us on June 25, 2025, at 8:00 PM Eastern for the Superpowers for Good Live Pitch—streaming on e360tv, where purpose-driven founders take the virtual stage to present their active Regulation Crowdfunding campaigns to a national audience of investors and changemakers. Selected startups are chosen for their commitment to community, alignment with NC3’s Community Capital Principles, and their drive to create real-world impact. Thanks to sponsors DNA and DealMaker, this event is free to watch and amplifies the voices of underrepresented and mission-aligned entrepreneurs. Don’t miss this inspiring evening where capital meets purpose—tune in to discover and support the next wave of impact-driven innovation.

SuperCrowd25, August 21st and 22nd: This two-day virtual event is an annual tradition but with big upgrades for 2025! We’ll be streaming live across the web and on TV via e360tv. Soon, we’ll open a process for nominating speakers. Check back!

Community Event Calendar

Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.

Devin Thorpe is featured in a free virtual masterclass series hosted by Irina Portnova titled Break Free, Elevate Your Money Mindset & Call In Overflow, focused on transforming your relationship with money through personal stories and practical insights. June 8-21, 2025.

Join Dorian Dickinson, founder & CEO of FundingHope, for Startup.com’s monthly crowdfunding workshop, where he'll dive into strategies for successfully raising capital through investment crowdfunding. June 24 at noon Eastern.

Regulated Investment Crowdfunding Summit 2025, Crowdfunding Professional Association, Washington DC, October 21-22, 2025.

Call for community action:

Please show your support for a tax credit for investments made via Regulation Crowdfunding, benefiting both the investors and the small businesses that receive the investments. Learn more here.

If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 9,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.

We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode.