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

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Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Celeste: I have to say that it's probably gratitude.

Celeste Mergens founded Days for Girls, the global nonprofit serving millions of women in over 140 countries, 15 years ago. The founding story–which I’ve heard before–moved me to tears–again.

You know those moments when your whole life is about to change? Only you don't know it yet. This was most definitely one of those moments. I had been in Kenya, where I was learning to work with a family foundation and helping the community there in Kenya in a remote area to have more self-sustaining, suitable solutions.

We were invited to visit the slums of Kibera. While we were there, we were invited to see an orphanage nearby. At first, I was hesitant, but of course, I believe in saying yes. The children captured my heart. What I didn't know was that although I brought sustainable solutions there as well, post-election violence would create a terrible upheaval where half a million people were displaced. 

So, this orphanage went from 420 to a reported 1,400 kids, and we were doing everything we could to assist, but it was not enough. Then I got the call that they were completely out of food and had been for days. I happened to be someone who has experienced childhood hunger that included going without food for days. I knew what that felt like. I wanted to address that, but we had done everything we could, and we were returning in just three and a half weeks. 

So, fast forward–waking up at 2:30 in the morning after pleading for some kind of solution to come to mind to raise the money they needed.

I woke up with it going through my mind. “Have you asked what the girls are doing for feminine hygiene?” I literally gasped because I hadn't thought to ask that. I ran to the computer and got an immediate, unexpected answer–they didn't have smartphones everywhere back then–and the answer was only this, “Nothing.” 

They wait in their rooms, it turned out, Devin. They were sitting on pieces of cardboard for days. No access to education, no access to even taking care of themselves. I wanted to change that. What I didn't know was that they were going to teach me.

Just a few weeks later, thanks to amazing volunteers, we were able to bring washable pads that we devised because I knew that if a family chooses between food and hygiene, food wins and should. So, how do we give them something they could count on month after month? 

We brought these washable pads, which needed innovation. They weren't ideal then, and I could say that–I designed them. When we brought the education that went with it, which was a stretch for me at the time, they came up afterward and, with big smiles and hugs holding their kits, said, “Thank you so much because before you came, we had to let them use us if we wanted to leave the room and go to class.”

I was hoping that didn't mean what I feared it meant, but it turned out they were being exploited in exchange for a single disposable pad. That was the moment Days for Girls was born.

Shunning credit, Celeste sees the success of Days for Girls as “evidence of the power of we. It's like the New York, New York of movements. If you can do this with periods, you can do it with anything.”

Her new book, The Power of Days, recounts the story of the nonprofit's incredible journey to global impact. 

Just 15 years ago, the discussion of menstruation was so taboo that after being invited to speak at events, organizers sometimes learned of Celeste’s topic and canceled the invitations. A woman’s organization that provided financial support backed out of the relationship to avoid being associated with periods.

“It was remarkable,” she says. “It just seems absurd now.” Today, it is commonplace to talk about feminine hygiene, even in what we have discretely called “mixed company.”

Celeste describes her superpower as gratitude. She notes that it is vital to building a successful team. The success of her team is undeniable.

AI Episode Summary

* Celeste Mergens founded the nonprofit organization Days for Girls 15 years ago to address the lack of access to feminine hygiene products and education in impoverished regions.

* The organization has reached over 3 million women and girls in 145 countries through the efforts of volunteers and local leaders.

* Celeste's new book, The Power of Days, tells the story of how Days for Girls started and highlights the power of gratitude and listening in creating positive change.

* Gratitude is Celeste's superpower, enabling her to see the good in the world and overcome challenges.

* She believes that focusing on what unites us rather than our differences can foster collaboration and create positive impact.

* Celeste shares an example of how she used inclusive dialogue to engage with female genital cutters in Kenya and successfully reduce the prevalence of the practice.

* She emphasizes the importance of recognizing that circumstances do not define us and that we have the power to make new choices.

* Celebrating achievements and expressing gratitude as a team can energize and motivate people to tackle new challenges.

* Celeste believes that gratitude and a focus on what's possible can help address current issues and bring about positive change in the world.

* She encourages readers to embrace gratitude and inclusive conversations to make the impossible possible and create a more united and compassionate society.

How to Develop Gratitude As a Superpower

Celeste makes the case for gratitude being a superpower, noting, “By having gratitude, you can overcome trauma easily. You can see new viewpoints. It really is a superpower.”

Her experience as a child helped her develop gratitude as an adult. “Honestly, it derives in part from having been raised in poverty. I'm grateful for things most people wouldn't be grateful for because of what I went through.”

Vitally, Celeste explains the impact of gratitude on teams:

It also helps teams work better. So if you are working with A-type, like go-achieve team members, we tend to focus on next, next, next. When we finish something, put a beautiful checkmark. 

If you stop just long enough to go, “We just took that mountain. We were after it. Let's stop for a minute. We did that. That goal was accomplished, everybody. Yes, we did it. Thank you.” If you do that, then you have the energy to charge over to the next mountain.

Her gratitude helps her to see beyond the present. “I recognize that we are not our circumstances. Not at all. We are not what we own or don't own. We are not what people label us. We are the choices we make. And even those don't define us because we can make new choices. I know that with my entire being.”

She offers additional advice for changemakers. “As we work together in our world, it shouldn't, in my opinion, be about what's different, what differences we have, or even how awful it is right now, whatever that fill-in-the-blank is, but rather what's possible. What would we love? Who in the world would also love that? Look for where we come together.”

Using this principle, she worked with the cutters in Kenya who were performing female genital mutilation (she avoids that phrase so as not to insult her new friends in that community) to reduce the practice.

She recognized the cultural significance of the practice. She helped the practitioners see all the related traditions regarding rights of passage to womanhood that they also led and encouraged them to keep those that didn’t harm the girls.

After the meeting, several immediately agreed to stop, acknowledging that cutting negatively impacted intimate relationships within marriage, such that men were more likely to cheat and bring home HIV. They were seeing…

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U.S. Army General Gregg Martin was forced to retire from the military when he experienced a mental health crisis. He shared that story in detail when I spoke with him last December.

His book, Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness, is now available.

In my latest conversation, we focused more on his success since his diagnosis.

A vital part of thriving for Gregg has been finding a sense of purpose. He explains:

Once I began my road to recovery seven years ago and moved to Florida, my big question was, “What is my mission? What is my purpose?”

I played around with that for a couple of years and talked to different mentors, read a lot of literature on this subject and looked to spiritual materials as well. Then, finally, after a couple of years, it came to me that my mission was staring me right in the face.

It was contained inside my brain, which was sharing my bipolar story to help stop the stigma, promote healing, and save lives. I mean, that is a mission that is important. It's larger than myself. It serves others.

Having a deep sense of purpose contributes to good mental health, whether or not you have a mental health diagnosis.

Gregg shared some advice to help you find your purpose. Reflecting on his experience, he suggested that deep reflection is a crucial first step, taking time to write down your thoughts.

He proposes a thought question: "How can I use my experiences, the good, the bad and the ugly, to contribute to society, to help other people, to help them better deal with problems and challenges they may be having?”

By pondering that question, you can find a sense of mission and purpose that is unique to you. The feeling of ownership and personal connection could empower and energize you.

Throughout his successful career, including the period following retirement, Gregg has deployed his superpower, an ability to accomplish hard things.

AI Episode Summary

* Retired U.S. Army General Gregg Martin joins host Devin Thorpe on the Superpowers for Good Show to discuss his book and advocacy for mental health awareness.

* Gregg was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which led to his retirement from the military, and he has since become an advocate for mental health.

* His book, Bipolar General, tells the story of his military career, mental health crisis, and recovery, providing lessons and insights.

* Gregg believes that purpose is important in overcoming mental health challenges, as it provides motivation and a sense of meaning.

* He suggests reflecting on experiences and passions to determine how they can be used to contribute to society and help others.

* Gregg also emphasizes the importance of positive self-talk, exercise, and finding spiritual inspiration in building self-confidence and motivation.

* While the priority of mind, body, and spirit may change depending on the situation, all three aspects play a role in managing mental health.

* Martin's book, published by the Naval Institute Press, is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other platforms.

* He can be hired as a speaker through his website, generalgreggmartin.com, or via email at [email protected].

* Martin expresses gratitude for the work being done by Thorpe and the Superpowers for Good Show in helping people and saving lives.

How to Develop the Ability to Accomplish Hard Things As a Superpower

Gregg admits that his bipolar brain gave him an advantage in developing his ability to accomplish hard things. He explains:

Throughout my life, I've had the opportunity to accomplish many big things–graduate of West Point, graduate of Army Ranger School, have run seven sub-three-hour marathons, including a 2:36. I got into MIT, where I earned two master's degrees and a Ph.D. in a relatively short period of time. I had a successful army career, which was very challenging; I rose all the way to two-star general. 

I've been married for 40 years, have three terrific sons and a grandson. 

So I've been able to do a lot of things. I do have innate God-given talents. But a big part of this superpower is having a bipolar brain, which has pumped, injected and flooded my brain over the years with excess biochemicals, principally dopamine. What that has done is take whatever talents I have and amplify them. So, it's given me extra energy, drive, enthusiasm, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and an extra charged-up personality that enables me to lead others and get along well with people. So, that has been my primary superpower, and I've had a biochemical advantage with my bipolar brain.

Careful not to lecture, preferring to lead by example, Gregg shared insights about how he manages to work through periods of depression as a guide to help others develop the capacity to do hard things:

When I was in a period of depression, which I had many with my bipolar life, here are the things that I would do to help lift me up. 

Number one, I would tell myself, Hey, this is just a temporary condition. I'm really strong, confident, smart. I can do great things, and I would do positive self-talk for myself. 

I would try to exercise vigorously, do lots of push-ups and pull-ups and lift weights–something to rev myself up. Or I'd go out on a hard run and do some wind sprints or run up hills and again try to get the chemicals in the blood going in my brain.

Then I'd go to spiritual things. This is kind of an aggressive spiritual thing, but I, over the years, had memorized lots of Bible verses. I focused on the powerful ones–hundreds of them in the Bible that tell you you can do this. Trust in God; you can rely on God, and you can accomplish anything. Don't be fearful, be strong, be courageous. 

So, I had about a dozen of those verses memorized, and I would repeat them over and over and over in my head to lift my spirit and make me feel more confident, more powerful, better so I could do the things that I had to do.

To recap, he suggests three simple things:

* Positive self-talk

* Vigorous exercise

* Reciting inspirational messages aligned with your faith

By following Gregg’s example and advice, you can thrive with–or without–a mental health diagnosis and increase your ability to accomplish hard things. With practice, it could become a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Guest Profile

Gregg Martin (he/him):

About Mental Wellness Warriors: A loose collaboration of like-minded people with a passion for mental health who speak, confer and write

Website: bipolargeneral.com

Biographical Information: Gregg F. Martin, Ph.D., is a 36-year Army combat veteran, retired major general, and bipolar survivor, thriver, and warrior. He commanded an engineer company, battalion and a brigade in combat. A former president of the National Defense University, commandant of the Army War College, and commander of Ft. Leonard Wood, he is a  qualified Airborne-Ranger-Engineer soldier and Army Strategist. He holds advanced degrees from MIT, the Naval War College, and the Army War College, and a BS degree from West Point. The author of BIPOLAR GENERAL: My Forever War with Mental Illness lives with his wife in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Twitter Handle: @GenGreggMartin

Linkedin: Gregg F. Martin

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I’m not a financial advisor; nothing I write in Superpowers for Good should be considered investment advice. You should seek appropriate counsel before making investment decisions.

Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Emil: My superpower, I guess, would be. I don't quit. I don't. I don't give up. Losing is not an option. It's not in my vocabulary. I go and get it done.

Emil Nnani, founder and CEO of Boaz Bikes, a direct but small competitor to scooter giants Bird and Lime, focuses on driving social impact with safer vehicles and by serving underserved communities. He also works cooperatively with the municipalities where the company operates in Michigan, Arizona and Texas.

“I started it when I saw somebody fall off a Bird or Lime scooter in mid-2018,” Emil explains of the company’s genesis. He started by adding seats and widening the scooter deck to lower the center of gravity. Bigger wheels to overcome larger obstacles helped.

“We put turn signals and side mirrors [on the scooters],” Emil says. “And we're still the only scooter company out there that has the turn signals and side mirrors on their vehicles.”

“You'll see people are riding with one hand; they're holding their laptop bag or backpack or purse or something with their other hand,” he says of another safety risk. “It's not safe at all. So, putting that basket on every single vehicle so you can put your stuff in it so you can ride hands-free is a life changer.”

Another goal for the company is to address social equity. Boaz Bikes addresses this in two ways. First, the company offers 50 percent discounts to anyone on any type of government assistance. Second, the company services neighborhoods and communities that the big companies ignore.

Today, Boaz Bikes is raising money with a crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder. The company has previously raised about $1.5 million via crowdfunding, plus additional investment from other investors.

In this work, five years after its founding, Emil sees his superpower as perseverance and demonstrates how that has made a fundamental difference in the company’s success. 

AI Episode Summary

* Devin Thorpe interviews Emil Nnani, the CEO and founder of Boaz Bikes.

* Boaz Bikes is a new alternative to the traditional scooters found in cities.

* Boaz Bikes was created to solve the safety problem associated with scooters.

* The design of Boaz Bikes makes them safer than traditional scooters, with a lower center of gravity, an open deck, larger tires, turn signals, side mirrors, and a basket for personal items.

* Boaz Bikes also focuses on equity, offering discounted rides for people on government assistance and ensuring access to transportation for underserved communities.

* The company works closely with communities, obtaining permits and stationing hubs in areas with transportation needs.

* Boaz Bikes is currently raising money on Wefunder.

* Emil’s superpower is his persistence and refusal to quit.

* He shares his own experiences and uses them as examples to motivate and coach his team.

* Emil's family and the investment already made in Boaz Bikes were his driving forces during a challenging time in his effort to raise venture capital in Silicon Valley.

How to Develop Perseverance As a Superpower

Launching a successful startup is evidence of a real superpower. Emil shares the story of its challenging beginning:

When I started Boaz back in 2018, I bootstrapped it, so I self-funded it with the little cash that I had. I built the app, built the first prototype, and went out to Silicon Valley trying to raise capital. I mean, I sent my pitch deck probably to like a thousand people. I messaged everybody I possibly could on LinkedIn. 

I would go to these offices. I'll find the offices in San Francisco, and I'll go to these offices and try to get in and set meetings. It was the end of 2018, and nobody would meet with me. I spent maybe four days there, spent all of my money already on the prototype and building the app and the platform–so little, little money left. 

I drove there with the prototype in my back seat, and they wouldn't meet with me. Nobody. Nobody would meet with me. It was horrible. I tried everything. I tried sneaking up in the elevator but couldn't get through. I mean, it was devastating. 

I had to drive all the way from California back to Texas with no investment whatsoever. And at that point, I just knew I was done. It was like, I tried. You hear these stories about people going to different areas, and then they're giving it their all. And then you hear these success stories, and it didn't happen for me. 

But on that ride back, I didn't give up. I got back to Texas and opened up the first family and friends round, and I raised $350,000. So yeah, I could have given up after that huge failure in San Francisco, but I didn't.

Emil highlights the need for a powerful “why” to strengthen your perseverance. Omitted from the story above, he admits, is that his wife and daughter were in the car for the trip. They served as a decisive motivating factor for his refusal to quit.

By following Emil’s example, you can strengthen your own resilience so you can persevere through the challenges you face. With practice, you can make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Emil Nnani (he/him):

CEO, Boaz Bikes Inc

About Boaz Bikes Inc: Boaz Bikes is a trailblazing micro-mobility company dedicated to revolutionizing urban transportation. Our mission is to provide safe, affordable, and sustainable mobility solutions to communities, with a particular focus on underserved areas. Through a fleet of electric scooters, we're transforming the way people move in urban environments. Our commitment to accessibility, innovation, and community engagement drives us as we expand our presence across multiple states, connecting people and places while fostering eco-friendly transportation alternatives.

Website: www.boazbikes.com

Twitter Handle: @boazbikes

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/boazbikes

Other URL: wefunder.com/boazbike/

Instagram Handle: @boazbikes

Biographical Information: Emil is a dynamic individual who has made his mark in the world as an accomplished artist, inspiring speaker, prolific author, innovative inventor, devoted husband, proud father, savvy serial entrepreneur, and a devout believer. With an entrepreneurial spirit that was evident from a young age, Emil took the business world by storm when he launched his first venture at just 17 years old. His tenacity and vision led him to achieve his first million in sales by the impressive age of 22.As a true visionary, Emil has continued to blaze new trails in the world of business, most recently as the founder of Boaz Bikes. His groundbreaking electric scooter and E-Bike MaaS platform have transformed the landscape of urban transportation by solving first and last-mile transportation problems for cities all across the globe. Emil's unwavering commitment to innovation and his tireless work ethic make him a force to be reckoned with in the business world and a true inspiration to all who aspire to make their dreams a reality.

Twitter Handle: @Iam_fet

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/emil-nnani-82aa2065/

Instagram Handle: @iam_fet

Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Mohan: I'd call my superpower troublemaking.

Mohan Sivaloganathan, known by some as the Batman of social impact, is the CEO of the national nonprofit Our Turn by day and a hip-hop artist and speaker by night.

Our Turn organizes student activists, helping them to find their voices and stories, empowering them to change the systems that constrain or limit their potential.

Mohan shared an example of the work and its impact:

One of our partner organizations brought together dozens of school board members from across the country. It was a community-building space. It was a training space. They were grappling with some of the issues that I already alluded to: the culture wars that are breaking out, the fiscal cliff that is coming soon with the expiration of ESSER funding, the fact that many districts are already dealing with deficits, attendance crises, and the continued mental health epidemic that young people have been dealing with, that increasingly educators and more are dealing with.

So as they were thinking about all these different issues, what I appreciate is that many folks recognize, “Hey, we need to make sure we are directly hearing from students as as a part of this.”

And so they reached out to us and said, “Hey, can you have some student leaders from Our Turn come and present at this convening?” We said, “All right, great.” We had to get together travel plans, a presentation and a curriculum quickly and try to figure out how it could work within the context of what school board members were thinking about.

So the lens that was applied was how do you do authentic student engagement, equity-centered student engagement within the context of budgeting? And how can you think about participatory budgeting in a unique way? 

Our students doing what they do; they absolutely knocked it out of the park. They pulled back the curtain. They delivered this wake-up call and a call to action to the folks who were in this breakout session. So it was a breakout session featuring student leaders.

They talked about how young people want to be engaged and involved. Here are some of the pros and cons in that process. Here's how it can work within the context of participatory budgeting. So it was something that was very actionable. It wasn't just hypothetical and values-based, but it was something that was very actionable. 

Fast forward to the end of the conference, where the organizers were bringing everybody back together into the main hall. People had engaged in all sorts of learning, including our session and others. The organizers stood on the main stage and announced, “Hey, we had student leaders from Our Turn who were in a breakout session, and it was amazing. Next year, they're going to be right here on the main stage.”

That was recognition that everybody had who happened to be in that small room with students, that young people deserve the microphone, that in this time where there is such deep polarization and division, animosity, cynicism, you name it, within our culture in the US and within schools, they are the group of folks who are the best positioned to lead a more hopeful and aspirational vision.

Mohan attributes his success in building the organization to his ability to stir up what the late civil rights giant John Lewis called “good trouble.”

AI Episode Summary

* Devin Thorpe interviews Mohan Sivaloganathan, CEO of Our Turn, on the Superpowers for Good show.

* Mohan is a social justice advocate working towards changing education and empowering students.

* Our Turn aims to help students discover their agency to shape their future and create a just and thriving education system.

* The organization trains young people to be effective storytellers, advocates, and changemakers.

* They tell the stories of young people to understand their experiences and aspirations for the future.

* Our Turn turns the tables on decision-making by helping young people shape their own efforts and campaigns to bring about tangible changes in the education system.

* Mohan provides an example of student leaders presenting at a school board conference to discuss authentic student engagement and participatory budgeting.

* The organization focuses on individualizing education and breaking away from the one-size-fits-all approach.

* Mohan identifies his superpower as "troublemaking" and emphasizes the need to shake the status quo through voices, action, and culture.

* He shares an example of using his troublemaking superpower to inspire and motivate leaders after the 2016 presidential election.

How to Develop Making Good Trouble As a Superpower

Mohan’s goal to make good trouble extends beyond his work at Our Turn and includes his speaking and performing. He shared an example of how he used his superpower immediately following the 2016 presidential election, leaving many in his community feeling disappointed–or worse.

In November 2016, I was invited to an event that had 100 plus young next-gen emerging leaders who were working across the corporate sector and nonprofits. I was invited to come to this convening in DC and to speak and perform. This was about one week after the election—the US presidential election in 2016. Literally, as soon as I walked into this room, it was it was just it was dark. You could feel it. It was somber. There was this really tense, thick emotion that was that was in the air. I was in that room; I was feeling that, too.

I was feeling disappointed. A few days before, I had people in my office at work. At the time, I was working in Human Services in New York. Folks were crying. Folks were literally crying in my office. This was a tough place for people to be able to navigate out of. 

So, I revised the remarks that I was planning, literally right there as I was in the room. I go onto stage, and I start with a performance of a song called “Our Time.” I performed the song and then, from there, delivered some remarks to the audience.

The theme that I tried to share with people is that it's moments like this are why we're here. It's why we decided to take on a purpose-oriented field of work. It's why we've shaped our leadership in a certain way. It's why we've built this type of community. Yes, we're holding disappointment and sadness, and we need to try and find the fuel, the energy, the motivation to be able to still charge forward and to recognize this is indeed our time. This is our place, our moment. This is where we're supposed to be. This is a time to agitate more than you ever thought—not to fall back and to feel like, hey, it's not my moment anymore.

But no, actually, this is your space. This is your lane; this is my space and lane. Let's go out and be louder and bolder than ever. I went off the stage afterwards and talked with a few folks. Multiple people came up and said, “Hey, look, I was thinking about literally leaving this field of work. I was thinking about leaving the nonprofit space, leaving this purpose orientation. I think it was going to be for me anymore. But I found the fire again. thank you.

By heeding Mohan’s message and following his advice, you can make good trouble a skill you add to your quiver. With practice, it could become your superpower, enabling you to do more good in the world.

Superpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Guest-Provided Profile

Mohan Sivaloganathan (he/him):

CEO, Our Turn

About Our Turn: Our Turn is a revolutionary, youth-led movement dismantling oppressive structures that limit access to quality education. We activate young people of color and allies to ignite change and catalyze a national movement to heal and liberate current and future generations of students.

Website: itsourturn.org

Biographical Information: Mohan Sivaloganathan is the Batman of Social Impact, as a nonprofit leader by day and hip-hop artist by night. In his Bruce Wayne world, Mohan serves as the CEO of Our Turn, the nation's leading movement of students f…

I’m not a financial advisor; nothing I write in Superpowers for Good should be considered investment advice. You should seek appropriate counsel before making investment decisions.

Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Brian: I think my long-term thinking mindset is perhaps my superpower.

Brian Belley, today’s guest, has made over 200 angel investments in companies via crowdfunding sites, including an investment in The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, the company I started. He agreed to join me to talk about his insights as an investor. He is also the VP of Product at KingsCrowd.

He highlights the value of starting small in crowdfunding. “One of the great things and opportunities of this industry is that you don't have to start big and write a big check. You can start really small and learn along the way.” You can refine and improve your investment process with practice.

One of the tools Brian uses is KingsCrowd’s ratings for offerings. Those are available to paying subscribers only, but much of the information you need to make your own evaluation is available to you right on the offering page on the portal. Typically, you can find the available deal terms, financial statements, management team information and much more right there.

Many investors, Brian notes, develop an investment strategy that includes social or environmental impact. For his own investing, Brian prioritizes financial returns but loves to find companies that also provide social impact.

He hit on a key topic, which is the deal terms, including valuation. A great company can offer bad terms–a valuation that is too high for instance. It literally pays to pay attention to the details. He is also careful to build a diverse portfolio, including publicly traded stocks and ETFs, in addition to his crowdfunding investments.

Brian sees a key part of his investment strategy as his superpower: long-term thinking.

AI Episode Summary

* Devin Thorpe introduces Brian Belley, Vice President at KingsCrowd, an angel investor who has made over 200 investments via crowdfunding portals.

* Brian shares the story of CrowdWise, his startup that provided educational tools and services for new investors in the crowdfunding industry and was later acquired by KingsCrowd.

* Brian discusses his investment process, which involves screening and evaluating deals based on factors such as price, potential market, team evaluation, and deal terms.

* He emphasizes the importance of building a diversified portfolio and considering both financial and impact factors when selecting investments.

* Brian explains that he occasionally includes debt deals in his portfolio to diversify his assets and offers insights into the current dynamics of the debt deal market.

* Devin highlights Brian's superpower of thinking long-term and making trade-offs that may seem like sacrifices in the short term but benefit him in the long run.

* Brian suggests that slowing down, reflecting, and aligning one's compass with long-term goals can lead to greater impact and success.

* He advises setting annual goals, maintaining balance in various areas of life, and periodically reflecting and making course corrections if necessary.

* Brian mentions that people can connect with him on LinkedIn and learn more about KingsCrowd at kingscrowd.com and about the Crowdfunding Professional Association at cfpa.org.

* The episode concludes with Devin Thorpe expressing gratitude and wishing Brian success in his investing and work at KingsCrowd.

How to Develop Long-Term Thinking As a Superpower

Brian shared an anecdote to demonstrate how fundamental his long-term thinking is to his nature:

When I was seven years old, and this honestly went on for a few years, most kids around that age, right, you're asking for toys or skateboards, stuff to be outside, play with your friends, that type of thing. I actually asked for several Christmas and birthdays in a row to receive savings bonds. That's all I wanted from my family, from my friends, was to give me savings bonds for every holiday, every birthday.

Now, he’s investing with a long-term vision in startups–like mine.

He offered some tips for developing your own long-term thinking.

He notes that direction is key. On a cross-country flight from San Francisco, the difference of a few degrees can be the difference between landing in Atlanta or New York City. This requires careful upfront attention to the direction you set. Invest in yourself as you begin your investment journey. “Really small course adjustments can have an outsized impact over time.”

With that as context, he notes that it is okay to slow down. “That stereotypical person in their office with the feet up on the desk might look like they're slacking off. But sometimes that's where the creativity is, it's where the good ideas are, it's where you can find your meaning.”

By following Brian’s advice and example, you can become a better investor, perhaps even developing a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Brian Belley (he/him):

Vice President of Product, KingsCrowd

About KingsCrowd: KingsCrowd is a data-driven ratings and analytics platform powering all decisions made in the online private markets. Their mission is to assist investors in finding, researching, and tracking promising startup and small business investment opportunities online.

Website: kingscrowd.com

Twitter Handle: @kingscrowdinc

Company Facebook Page: fb.com/KINGSCROWDTECH/

Biographical Information: An Aerospace engineer by training, Brian is an active angel investor, having invested in over 200 startups.  Brian is the Founder of Crowdwise and VentureWallet, acquired by KingsCrowd in 2021. He is now the Vice President of Product at KingsCrowd, helping startup investors make more informed investment decisions. Brian also serves on the Board of Directors for the Crowdfunding Professional Association and is an advisor to numerous startups, including a funding portal that focuses exclusively on space startups, Spaced Ventures. 

Twitter Handle: @brianbelley

Personal Facebook Profile: fb.com/brianjbelley/

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/brianbelley/

For the September SuperCrowdHour, I’m going to share some of the lessons I’ve learned from making dozens of crowdfunding investments and talking to hundreds of entrepreneurs and investors. You’ll learn not just how to make investments via crowdfunding but how to make money doing it.

Many impact crowdfunding investors focus on impact first. I admire the approach but note that a goal for maximizing impact is best accomplished by making money. It works two ways. A company that goes out of business has no impact after it dies. One that grows profitably can do unlimited amounts of good. Furthermore, if the investment delivers financial results to you, you can reinvest and do more good as an investor!

If you’re focused primarily on making money, you’ll find this session helpful, too. We’ll discuss maximizing financial returns. Don’t miss it!

Register now for half-price!

Devin: What is your superpower?

Sharon: I would say all these successes that you just talked about, I think they come from a core superpower, which is deep empathy.

Author Sharon Melnick, a PhD psychologist, joined me for a conversation about her book, In Your Power: React Less, Regain Control, Raise Others. 

She explains the book and its purpose:

You might find yourself blaming or resentful or spinning and stuck–whether to stay or to go–and it just doesn't feel like the world, in your personal world around you, is going in the direction that you think it should. You're in a mental swirl. You get emotionally hijacked. You might be starting to show up even as a diminished version of yourself.

The way when you're out of your power like this, the way that you try to make situations better usually makes them worse. It perpetuates them. So this book is about how to be in your power because the moment you step into your power, you shift the power dynamic. In any situation, you are able to get the outcomes that you want. But not only that but to make it better for everyone around you.

Sharon shared a helpful analogy. “Many of us go throughout our day as a thermometer, “ she says. “Other people act, and we just react.” As a thermometer, we have no power to change our circumstances.

“Instead, you want to shift to be the thermostat,” she says. “When you're the thermostat, you set the temperature, you set the tone, you bring forth your message and help people to see it the way that you see it, or you think would be more helpful for them to see it. When you're the thermostat, you have sovereignty.”

AI Episode Summary

* Dr. Sharon Melnick is an executive coach and author of the book In Your Power.

* Her book is for anyone who feels that they are not seen, heard, or able to make an impact in their personal or professional life.

* The book focuses on helping individuals be in their power, which means being able to stay grounded and in control in any situation.

* Being in your power helps shift the dynamic of a situation and allows for better outcomes for everyone involved.

* Sharon acknowledges that women face extra pressure in society but notes that men are also affected by the patriarchal system.

* One of the ways women can lean into their power is by understanding what aspects of a situation they can control and focusing on those.

* Other ways to be in your power include changing your perspective, responding instead of reacting, clearing emotions, knowing your triggers, setting boundaries, and engaging in joint problem-solving.

* Sharon shares a real-life example of working with an executive who had received a complaint. By approaching the situation with empathy, rapport was built, and behavior change was achieved.

* Sharon's superpower is deep empathy, making others feel seen and understood.

* Tips for developing empathy include recognizing triggers, understanding that emotions can cloud objective thinking, and finding strategies to get back to a place of calm and clarity.

How to Develop Deep Empathy As a Superpower

As a psychologist, Sharon has insights into empathy that many of us lack. She shared an example of a recent client interaction that demonstrates how empathy can impact our work.

In the last few weeks, I was called in to work with a woman executive; somebody filed a complaint against her for behavior that was inappropriate–kind of yelling and really saying some things that were inappropriate in the situation. 

In our very first meeting, she made it all about her and how the other people had wronged her. I just came in with deep empathy, and I really understood it from her point of view. We've been working together a few weeks, and already she's established a lot of trust with me. She's already listening, being much more aware, much more intentional, really, like already having examples of where she didn't say something that she, you know, immediately, like impulsively thought of saying. And she's already started to change the culture on her team to be more respectful. 

If I had come in there and I'd just been like, “The complaint says this, and this is how you need to change your behavior, and this is what the company needs to see from you, and if you don't, here are the consequences,” we never would have been able to have the rapport that we had. That's enabled me to kind of get in there and create rapid behavior change, which is really in the service of the greater good for all.

Sharon offers some tips for raising your consciousness to allow for developing deep empathy. 

She explains that an “emotional reaction” is really a “re-activation.” Something longstanding inside us is triggering a response to a casual insult, like an interruption. By being more aware of what is going on inside our own heads, we can develop the power to see others more fully and allow space for more healthy interaction.

Second, she notes that our evolutionary programming processes input in terms of the self, “How does this impact me?” By recognizing this feature in our brains, we can move away from the tendency to respond emotionally and toward greater objectivity in analyzing a situation.

That new perspective helps create space for better-understanding others and developing deep empathy.

Following Sharon’s example and advice can enable you to grow your capacity for empathy. With practice, you could add that strength to your portfolio of superpowers that enable you to do good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Sharon Melnick, PhD (she/her):

CEO, Horizon Point Inc

About Horizon Point Inc: Horizon Point Inc is an international coaching and training firm dedicated to creating fast and lasting behavioral change in accomplished but overwhelmed professionals, enabling them to expand their leadership impact and become change agents across the enterprise. With Dr. Melnick's psychological tools, clients harness their emotional makeup to create an inspiring culture under stressful conditions and use their influencing capacities to achieve outsized results.  

Website: sharonmelnick.com    

Other URL: inyourpowerbook.com

Biographical Information: Sharon Melnick, PhD, is the premier expert on being in your power as a leader, and a global advocate for women's leadership, resilience, and power. She’s been selected as a Marshall Goldsmith Top 100 Coach and named a top leadership voice by LeadersHum. Her methods are informed by ten years of research at Harvard Medical School and field-tested by 40,000 coaching/training participants around the world.  As a speaker, she has created buzz at conferences worldwide (and also at the White House, West Point, and the United Nations).  She is the best-selling author of a new book, In Your Power: React Less, Regain Control, Raise Others, and her prior one titled Success under Stress. She's a sought-after Executive Coach for women executives and the Founder of the Next Level Leader program, which has a 92% success rate at advancing women into next-level opportunities within weeks.

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sharonmelnick/

Instagram Handle: @drsharonmelnick

For the September SuperCrowdHour, I’m going to share some of the lessons I’ve learned from making dozens of crowdfunding investments and talking to hundreds of entrepreneurs and investors. You’ll learn not just how to make investments via crowdfunding but how to make money doing it.

Many impact crowdfunding investors focus on impact first. I admire the approach but note that a goal for maximizing impact is best accomplished by making money. It works two ways. A company that goes out of business has no impact after it dies. One that grows profitably can do unlimited amounts of good. Furthermore, if the investment delivers financial results to you, you can reinvest and do more good as an investor!

If you’re focused primarily on making money, you’ll find this session helpful, too. We’ll discuss maximizing financial returns. Don’t miss it!

Register now for half-price!

I’m not a financial advisor; nothing I write in Superpowers for Good should be considered investment advice. You should seek appropriate counsel before making investment decisions. I have received no compensation from the issuer profiled.

Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Jean: My superpowers. I really love this term. Probably many superpowers are required to build a company. So I would say that one, which I've experienced a lot, is probably resilience.

Jean Gregoire, founder and CEO of LoveBox, joined me for this conversation about his purpose-oriented tech company, its product and purpose and its current crowdfunding campaign.

“What is a LoveBox?” I ask.

Jean explains:

So it's a it's a it's a box that has two main functions. First of all, connecting you to your loved ones so you can connect your whole family to the LoveBox. It's a box that you have at your home. There is a mobile app pairing with the box to let all your loved ones send you messages through this box.

The heart in front of the love box beats whenever you have a message until you read it. So it's a bit like sending a postcard or a greeting card but from a distance. It brings a great source of joy to the person who receives messages. 

The second function of the box is more in a self-care way. Basically, you can subscribe to content that you can receive on your box every single day, like positive affirmations or any kind of content that makes you feel, feel better and have a better life.

Jean made an important observation about technology and its role in our lives. “With technology, we tend to be a bit too focused on the technical functions of a product. ‘Oh, this product allows me to receive a message.’ But I think we should be much more aware of the role of the purpose.”

The purpose of the LoveBox is to deliver joy and happiness.

Jean launched the company after creating a single device for his girlfriend when they were separated by the Atlantic Ocean. In 2017, after the duo found joy in the device, they decided to offer it to others via Kickstarter.

Today, the company is raising money via Wefunder.

Over the past six years, to build the company, Jean has leveraged his superpower: resilience.

AI Episode Summary

* Jean Gregoire is the CEO and co-founder of Lovebox, a technology company focused on spreading love and joy.

* Lovebox is a physical box connected to a mobile app that allows loved ones to send messages to each other.

* The Lovebox serves as a source of happiness and connection for users.

* Users can also subscribe to receive daily content that improves their lives and promotes positivity.

* Lovebox has sold over a quarter of a million units and generated $25 million in revenue.

* Jean's superpower is resilience, which he developed through his personal experiences and deep connection to his work.

* Resilience is essential for entrepreneurs, especially when facing challenges in funding and other aspects of running a business.

* Jean advises others to be deeply connected to their work and to have something else in their lives outside of their projects.

* Surrounding yourself with people who believe in your mission and support your goals is crucial for maintaining resilience.

* To learn more about Lovebox and to support its mission, visit its website and its Wefunder campaign.

How to Develop Resilience As a Superpower

Jean explains how building the company required resilience:

We had a few times during the course of the company where we were struggling with money and raising capital. At the beginning of the company, I thought that we would raise money with VCs and get to $2 million in the bank and then develop the product and then sell the product. The truth is that I quickly failed at raising these two million to develop the product.

There could be a lot of entrepreneurs who start trying to raise money for a project, and then they fail at raising the money. They just cancel the project and move on to a new project. Instead of that, I just decided to raise money with the community and find customers first and then get some investors coming. 

Every time a door shuts, or every time something fails, you just say, “Okay, well, let's find a way to go around it.” 

Having demonstrated his resilience, Jean offers some tips for developing this ability.

First, he suggests, you need a deep connection to what you do. If you don’t feel that, look for something new to do. That connection is required to be genuinely resilient.

Next, he says, you need balance. You have to have something in your life outside work. He learned that when he focused too much on the business, he quickly became less resilient to the stresses the business creates. You have to be happy to be resilient.

Finally, he says, it’s best to surround yourself with people who share your sense of purpose and connection to the work.

You can increase your resilience by following Jean’s example and advice. By focusing on it over time, you may be able to make this a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Jean Gregoire (he/him):

Founder & CEO, Lovebox

About Lovebox: We're on a mission to spread happiness. Our tangible boxes radiate endless love and joy, delivering daily doses of positivity. Through technology and content, we empower people to strengthen bonds with their loved ones and reconnect with their inner selves. Our products drive positive changes in the lives of our users, all while bringing heartfelt smiles to the faces of their loved ones.

Website: www.lovebox.love

Twitter Handle: @lovebox_love

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/lovelovebox

Other URL: wefunder.com/lovebox

Biographical Information: Jean has been coding and building tech since the age of 12. With a degree in engineering, a master's in innovation & entrepreneurship, a PhD in robotics, followed by a postdoctoral research position at MIT (Boston, USA), his expertise is truly multidisciplinary. In 2016, he invented the Lovebox as a heartfelt gift for his long-distance girlfriend. Recognizing the potential to bring daily happiness to billions, he founded the eponymous company in 2017.

Twitter Handle: @jmmgreg

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jean-gregoire-blissify/

Instagram Handle: @jmmgreg

For the September SuperCrowdHour, I’m going to share some of the lessons I’ve learned from making dozens of crowdfunding investments and talking to hundreds of entrepreneurs and investors. You’ll learn not just how to make investments via crowdfunding but how to make money doing it.

Many impact crowdfunding investors focus on impact first. I admire the approach but note that a goal for maximizing impact is best accomplished by making money. It works two ways. A company that goes out of business has no impact after it dies. One that grows profitably can do unlimited amounts of good. Furthermore, if the investment delivers financial results to you, you can reinvest and do more good as an investor!

If you’re focused primarily on making money, you’ll find this session helpful, too. We’ll discuss maximizing financial returns. Don’t miss it!

Register now for half-price!

Join us at the Kinect WeROC® Conference 2023 on Sep 5-6! Empower female CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders as they scale their visions into reality. Be inspired, support, and invest in the Power of Her. Let's drive success together! Get your tickets now. #WeROC2023 #WomenInBusiness 💪🌟

Register today!

Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Justin: I believe my superpower is kind of rooted in authenticity. My friends get the same Justin as my colleagues, as the entrepreneurs that I work with. I wear my heart on my sleeve.

“Wefunder kind of coined this term ‘community round,’” explains Justin Renfro, the director of revenue-based financing at the popular investment crowdfunding portal.

“We want to simplify the fundraising process by orchestrating all the legal, all the compliance, all of the operations around fundraising and allow founders to fundraise from a broader group of people,” he says.

One key to that objective is a new emphasis on revenue-based financing, which is especially relevant for smaller, impact-focused businesses. Justin explains:

Revenue-based financing is a new financial instrument for founders to be able to raise capital. The way it works is they offer a multiple to investors; for simplicity's sake, let's say a 2X multiple. So investors are going to put in a thousand and get $2,000. 

The way in which an investor realizes that multiple is through small quarterly payments of a percentage of revenues. Again, for simplicity purposes, let's say 5 percent of revenues. So, an entrepreneur pays 5 percent of their quarterly revenues until investors have realized a stated multiple of two X.

In this framework, it's very friendly because it's not a fixed payment every month. It's based on the progress of the business. If the business is going well, investors get paid back faster. [If] the business goes slower, investors get paid back slower.

The advantages of this structure go beyond being easy to understand. A debt structure's legal and tax burden tends to be simpler than for an equity round of financing.

Justin’s time at Kiva informs his work at Wefunder. He remains focused on social impact. He says his authenticity, his pattern of wearing his heart on his sleeve, is his superpower.

AI Episode Summary

* Devin Thorpe hosts the Superpowers for Good Show, and his guest is Justin Renfrow from Wefunder, a crowdfunding platform.

* Wefunder is focused on helping impact companies raise funds through innovative financing structures.

* The community round, a term coined by Wefunder, allows startups to raise funds from a larger group of people, simplifying the fundraising process.

* Wefunder encourages the use of revenue-based financing as a new financial instrument for founders to raise capital.

* Revenue-based financing offers flexibility and a variable payment based on the progress of the business, shifting the focus from equity and future exit events.

* Wefunder also simplifies the legal and compliance aspects of fundraising, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on growing their businesses.

* Debt deals on Wefunder are attractive for impact companies as they do not require revenue or profitability and have tax simplicity.

* Investing on Wefunder allows smaller investments and a diverse portfolio of impact startups for individuals who cannot afford large angel investments.

* Justin's experience at Kiva, particularly working with microloans in the US, influenced his passion for supporting entrepreneurs.

* His superpower is authenticity, showing genuine interest in others and building personal connections, which has positively impacted his personal and professional relationships.

How to Develop Authenticity As a Superpower

Justin shared the story of how he used his authenticity superpower:

Wefunder has a really cool policy that every three years, we get a three-month sabbatical—my sabbatical hit about a year ago. I decided to go out into the desert alone for almost three full months. And I just wrote, wrote and wrote. I wanted to write a book. I didn't know what the book was going to be about. And. I kind of put my whole personality on display. This is who I am. This is what I'm about. This is my perspective of the world. 

I sent the book to a lot of people that I've worked with professionally, to friends, just sharing who I am with a broad group of people, sharing my pains, sharing my challenges, sharing what I'm optimistic about, sharing my perspective of the world.

I learned a lot about myself being out in the desert for three months, and writing pretty much is my only activity other than hiking. So, I think that [authenticity] was one of my main takeaways. I think that came out in the book. It's something that I was very proud to share with the people I've worked with and the people in my personal life as well.

Justin recognizes that genuine authenticity can create vulnerability and acknowledges that it isn’t for everyone. Still, for those who would like to lean into it, he shared some insights for strengthening it as a skill.

First, he suggests that you remember that building genuine relationships helps build business. “I trust that if I share who I am and I show genuine interest in who you are, and we build a personal connection, the business will naturally follow.”

So, he notes, for business development folks like him, authenticity is a sales tool.

Second, he highlights the fact that you can and should start with the easy stuff. “It doesn't need to be a deep dive into your deepest, darkest secrets. It's like, I want to know what you do for fun. Start there.”

By following Justin’s example and advice, you can strengthen your authenticity, potentially developing it into a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Justin Renfro (he/him):

Director, Revenue Based Financing at Wefunder, Wefunder

About Wefunder: Wefunder (PBC) is an investment platform that helps startups raise capital.  Wefunder’s platform allows founders to raise from their friends, family, customers, and community, with a mission to democratize startup investing.  We’re driven to help more founders take their shot.  To date, we’ve helped over 2,000 founders raise over $600M in funding. 

Website: wefunder.com

Twitter Handle: @wefunder

Biographical Information: Justin Renfro is a leading expert in early-stage fundraising. He currently leads Revenue Based Financing at Wefunder, a new initiative designed as an alternative to banks and VCs.  Justin has mentored hundreds of startups and captured top insights about fundraising.  These insights include pathways to secure funding, the mindset of successful founders, and how to raise money from the crowd.

Twitter Handle: @JustinRenfro11

Superpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

For the September SuperCrowdHour, I’m going to share some of the lessons I’ve learned from making dozens of crowdfunding investments and talking to hundreds of entrepreneurs and investors. You’ll learn not just how to make investments via crowdfunding but how to make money doing it.

Many impact crowdfunding investors focus on impact first. I admire the approach but note that a goal for maximizing impact is best accomplished by making money. It works two ways. A company that goes out of business has no impact after it dies. One that grows profitably can do unlimited amounts of good. Furthermore, if the investment delivers financial results to you, you can reinvest and do more good as an investor!

If you’re focused primarily on making money, you’ll find this session helpful, too. We’ll discuss maximizing financial returns. Don’t miss it!

Register now for half-price!

Join us at the Kinect WeROC® Conference 2023 on Sep 5-6! Empower female CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders as they scale their visions into reality. Be inspired, support, and invest in the Power of Her. Let's drive success together! Get your tickets now. #WeROC2023 #WomenInBusiness 💪🌟

Register today!

Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Sarah: I'm going to cheat a little bit because a friend told me yesterday where he thought mine was. And what he told me is the fact that I act on ideas. I move on ideas.

Sarah Thomas, PhD, is the founder and CEO of EduMatch, an ed-tech platform for educators around the world to share ideas and collaborate on their common passions.

“EduMatch started out very grassroots back in 2014,” Sarah says. “It was just kind of folks saying, ‘Hey, I know this one thing. I'm very passionate about this thing, and I'm looking for connections.’ So what I would do is just kind of connect folks over social media that had things in common.”

Today, the social enterprise is an umbrella organization for four different operations:

* Publishing

* Podcasting

* Professional Education

* Foundation

The company has already published 100 books!

Today, Sarah is leading the company through a crowdfunding campaign on SMBX.

Sarah explains:

Back in December, I was in a Facebook group, and someone mentioned the SMBX. I went on there and saw what they were doing, and I was just like, “This is amazing,” because I also dabble in investing myself.

So, I started going in and funding different things. I saw that there was a piece on there for entrepreneurs. I clicked on that and saw how I could get my business linked up with it. I said, “Okay, let's give it a shot.”

What I like about the SMBX is that they are a community-funded way to crowdsource funds for your business.

Sarah attributes her success to her superpower, her bias toward acting on her ideas.

AI Episode Summary

* Devin Thorpe interviews Sarah Thomas, the founder of EduMatch, a global platform for educators and students to connect and improve education.

* EduMatch started in 2014 as a grassroots initiative to connect educators with similar interests and has since grown to include publishing books, podcasting, and professional learning services.

* The platform aims to amplify the voices of historically marginalized individuals and empower educators to learn and grow together.

* EduMatch has an international reach, with participants from countries like Australia, Ghana, the Philippines, Canada, and Vietnam.

* Sarah Thomas decided to use crowdfunding as a financing tool after discovering SMBX, a platform that aligned with their mission to empower educators and help them achieve their ideas.

* Sarah's superpower is acting on ideas and embracing opportunities to try new things. She believes in taking risks and learning from failures.

* She shares her own experience of struggling in her early years as an educator but finding the support and connection with students that kept her going.

* Sarah's advice for others is to dive in and try new things, taking shots and staying in the fight even when facing challenges or failures.

* To engage with EduMatch, individuals can visit the website edumatch.org, join the EduMatch Fam Facebook group, or email Sarah directly at [email protected].

* EduMatch is currently running a crowdfunding campaign on SMBX, and Sarah encourages people to participate and support their mission.

How to Develop Acting on Ideas As a Superpower

Sarah sees EduMatch as the manifestation of her superpower, acting on her ideas.

EduMatch almost didn't happen. I remember the backstory. It was a Friday night in September 2014. I was chatting with a friend on my phone, and so something she said just kind of gave me that idea, like, that might be a good thing to try. 

I almost didn't act on it, but something told me, “Okay, you know, right now, right now, this is the time to go ahead and set up a Twitter profile. This is a time to set up a Google form. This is a time to set up a landing page. And let's do this.” I am just so glad that I listened to that little voice.

Sarah offers some advice for developing this bias toward acting on your ideas.

First, she suggests taking moderated risks. She counsels jumping in feet first rather than diving in head first.

Second, she says it is important to remember what Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” even if you don’t remember who said it.

Third, she points out that her friend Tammy Neal taught her that “it doesn’t count as failure unless you give up.” Sarah adds, “Sometimes you might have that little voice to listen to as well, saying, ‘Don't give up. Stay in the fight.’”

By following Sarah’s example and tips, you can strengthen your ability to act on your ideas, potentially turning that ability into a superpower that enables you to do even more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Sarah Thomas, PhD (she/her):

Founder/CEO, EduMatch

About EduMatch: We are a worldwide community of educators who learn and grow together.  We support one another in our professional learning journeys and believe in the power of sharing stories.  For that reason, we connect on various social media platforms and build deep relationships that transcend geography, job titles, and all demographic categories.  We also believe in empowering the expert within and seek to amplify voices of students and educators, as well as grassroots educational efforts.

Website: www.EduMatch.org

Twitter Handle: @edu_match, @edumatchbooks, @emfoundationinc

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/groups/edumatchfam

Other URL: thesmbx.com/app/auction/EduMatch-2

Biographical Information: Sarah Thomas, PhD is the founder of EduMatch, an organization that empowers educators to make global connections across common areas of interest.  She has spoken and presented internationally, participated in the Technical Working Group to refresh the 2017 ISTE Standards for Educators, and is a recipient of the ISTE Making IT Happen award.  Sarah is a co-author of the ISTE digital equity series, Closing the Gap and the winner of the 2023 Maryland Society for Educational Technology Outstanding Leader Using Technology award.Twitter Handle: @sarahdateechur

Personal Facebook Profile: facebook.com/sarahdateechur

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sarah-jane-thomas

Instagram Handle: @edu_match

For the September SuperCrowdHour, I’m going to share some of the lessons I’ve learned from making dozens of crowdfunding investments and talking to hundreds of entrepreneurs and investors. You’ll learn not just how to make investments via crowdfunding but how to make money doing it.

Many impact crowdfunding investors focus on impact first. I admire the approach but note that a goal for maximizing impact is best accomplished by making money. It works two ways. A company that goes out of business has no impact after it dies. One that grows profitably can do unlimited amounts of good. Furthermore, if the investment delivers financial results to you, you can reinvest and do more good as an investor!

If you’re focused primarily on making money, you’ll find this session helpful, too. We’ll discuss maximizing financial returns. Don’t miss it!

Register now for half-price!

Join us at the Kinect WeROC® Conference 2023 on Sep 5-6! Empower female CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders as they scale their visions into reality. Be inspired, support, and invest in the Power of Her. Let's drive success together! Get your tickets now. #WeROC2023 #WomenInBusiness 💪🌟

Register today!

Devin: What do you see, JohnMatthew, as your superpower?

JohnMatthew: My superpower is a committed life.

“There are cities that are literally separated by a zip code; in one zip code, you may see a life expectancy of 80, 85 years of age and in another that butts right up against it, you may see a life expectancy of 65 years, 70 years of age,” explains JohnMatthew Douglas, a leading authority on social determinants of health in helping to define his discipline.

Health is measured in many ways, but life expectancy is a simple, easy-to-understand barometer for the impact of social circumstances on population and individual health. Wealth, in other words, is “absolutely” and “intrinsically” linked to life expectancy, he says.

One of the ways that individuals can play a role in reducing socioeconomic gaps that accelerate death and cause poor health is crowdfund investing–impact crowdfunding.

“Within the United States, we have an environment within which 80 percent of business owners are white–actually, a little bit more than that,” JohnMatthew says. “Somewhere in the neighborhood of 14.5, 15% Hispanic, approximately 2.4% or so are Black-owned businesses, and then the rest are dispersed among our diverse population.”

Noting that Black-owned businesses are perceived as having a higher rate of failure, he says, “This is occurring not because of a lack of will and desire and passion, great idea, great solution. But it's occurring because of a lack of access to the resources and tools and knowledge that an entrepreneur or small business would need to ensure their success.”

Crowdfund investing is a tool we can all use to address this lack of funding.

JohnMatthew consults with the Lonely Entrepreneur, “a SaaS platform that makes it easier for not only for Black and Brown communities of entrepreneurs but all entrepreneurs actually, to access the knowledge, tools and resources that they need to ensure their success.”

By investing in diverse founders, we are directly addressing the social determinants of health in a constructive way toward closing gaps in health outcomes.

JohnMatthew has developed his expertise and a successful career serving people because he has followed the counsel of Rev. Martin Luther King to have a “committed life,” making it his superpower.

AI Episode Summary

* Devin Thorpe interviews John Matthew Douglas, co-founder of Nello Health and I Press Forward LLC, on the Superpowers for Good show.

* John Matthew Douglas is an authority on social determinants of health and explains that social determinants of health are about the environment we live in and the barriers that may hinder our health and well-being.

* There is a connection between social determinants of health and life expectancy, both globally and within specific communities, with wealthier areas having longer life expectancies than impoverished ones.

* Nelo Health is using technology and the metaverse to address social determinants of health and improve patient outcomes and the overall healthcare system.

* Upstream interventions focus on addressing neglected social determinants such as education and economic empowerment to position individuals for a better life and reduce reliance on downstream interventions.

* Crowdfunding can help address health concerns by providing funding to diverse founders who are traditionally excluded from capital markets, leading to positive impacts on health outcomes and communities.

* John Matthew's superpower is living a committed life, inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s call to redefine greatness as an individual's capacity to serve others.

* He shares an example of his mentorship program, I Press Forward, which successfully impacted the lives of at-risk middle school students through the collaboration of professionals, including Rear Admiral Ken Braithwaite.

* The program helped improve attendance, behavior, and academic performance of the students, emphasizing the importance of passion, vision, and believing in oneself.

* John Matthew can be reached on LinkedIn and through Nelo Health and I Press Forward LLC's websites.

How to Develop A Committed Life As a Superpower

MLK preached that one’s goal should be to maximize service to others. He called that a “committed life.” Having given his life in pursuit of that ideal, subsequent generations–including JohnMatthew–have been influenced by his commitment to walking his preaching.

In our conversation, JohnMatthew shared an anecdote to illustrate the power of leaning into a commitment to serving others. 

He recounts founding the mentorship program "I Press Forward" in 2012 at the behest of a public school teacher. Focused on rescuing middle school boys from troubled paths, the program was inspired by the challenges of crime, single-parent households, and poor attendance. The program's foundation rested on imparting soft skills, resilience, and leadership to students. 

A pivotal moment came when retired Rear Admiral Ken Braithwaite engaged with the program, sharing his experiences of meeting presidents and emphasizing that anyone, regardless of circumstances, can succeed in the United States.

Over four impactful years, the program enhanced students' attendance, behavior, and academic performance, transcending the confines of their neighborhoods.

By following JohnMatthew’s example, you can make a committed life a strength that defines you, too. In so doing, you can make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

JohnMatthew Douglas (he/him):

Biographical Information: John Matthew Douglas (JohnMatthew), with nearly two- and one-half decades of diverse healthcare industry experience, tireless work in social determinants of health (SDoH) offers perspective many may have not considered. Meaning social determinants of working life condition, community violence, entrepreneurship & economic empowerment, and a new definition of competitive market collaboration bent towards achieving the heavy lift of effectively addressing social determinants of health and sustainable community impact. JohnMatthew understands that we are the sum of our parts - as a person and as a people. Disparities in access to, and availability of, resources are as important to our national health as disparities in our own bodies. JohnMatthew has elevated himself to a national and even global presence in the field of Social Determinants of Health and is founder of LinkedIn’s first in class “Social Determinants of Health & Education collaborative group. More than theories and academics, JohnMatthew talks the talk and walks the walk, as demonstrated in his numerous community efforts. JohnMatthew’s beliefs and values are well-founded, and his desire to help others knows no bounds, which he has demonstrated time and again within his local community while supporting and collaborating with other national community leaders and organizations as well. His notable accolades stem from his work with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), the iPressForward mentorship program which JohnMatthew founded, and more recently, The Lonely Entrepreneur, LLC (501c3). He received the Mission award from LLS, special Congressional Recognition from Congressman Chris Gibson, a New York State Senate Citation from Senator Neil Breslin, and additional citations from Assemblymen Tony Jordan and John McDonald. In addition, in 2020 JohnMatthew was awarded the Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield “Whole Health Hero Award” for his efforts in SDoH and health equity. He has also received a Stakeholder's (National Points of Light Affiliate) GOBY award for Community Mentorship. A US Army veteran, JohnMatthew is a graduate of State University of New York and has proven himself a lifelong learner and agent of change. He is also the author and lead author on several noteworthy Social Determinants of Health publications and consults regularly. JohnMatthew has worked for several of the country's largest companies and organizations, notwithstanding recently consulting with Vanity Fair Magazine. His ed…