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

Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Jennifer: It's a combination of tenacity and resilience.

Experiencing endometriosis led Jennifer Eden to launch Tampon Tribe. “I just found that having this excruciating pain every month just got too much to bear. I thought to myself, there has to be a better way to live.”

Properly motivated, she began her work. “I started researching and found that a lot of the toxins and chemicals that are in period products, even some organic ones, could actually be exacerbating the situation.”

“My business partner [Gabriela “Gaby” Alves] and I found that we could manufacture totally certified organic cotton period products with no toxins, with no bleaches, that were good for people's bodies,” Jennifer says. “At the same time, the sustainability revolution was right in front of us. Both I and my co-founder Gaby are so passionate about our planet. We thought, ‘Could we do this, make products that don't have plastics?’ So, Tampon Tribe was born.

Throughout the short history of Tampon Tribe, crowdfunding has been a key to success. She explains:

It's made a massive impact on our growth. I mean, it just stands to reason when you have a product like ours, a CPG, impact-focused product, you know that you need a community behind you to grow. 

So, from our very, very first Indiegogo campaign all the way up. We've done three Wefunder rounds now and an SMBX round. We just have this amazing community. It's our tribe, and that's how we built the company.

Another key to success has been Jennifer’s superpower, tenacity.

AI Episode Summary

* Jennifer Eden is the co-founder and CEO of Tampon Tribe, an organic cotton period product company.

* Tampon Tribe started after Jennifer experienced pain from endometrial endometriosis and wanted to create healthier and environmentally-friendly products.

* The company started with tampons and expanded to include pads, liners, menstrual cups, and period underwear.

* Tampon Tribe has experienced significant financial success, with an average year-on-year growth of 486% for the first four years.

* The company has also found success in the B2B space, supplying products to co-working spaces, businesses, and hotels.

* Tampon Tribe has a strong community and has utilized crowdfunding to support its growth and impact.

* Jennifer sees her superpower as a combination of tenacity and resilience.

* Her biggest accomplishments are the support and belief from people who have invested in and supported Tampon Tribe.

* Jennifer emphasizes the importance of balance, taking rest, and having a sense of humor while building a company.

* To learn more about Tampon Tribe, visit their website, sign up for their direct mail program, and follow them on social media. They are also available on Amazon and in local grocery and boutique stores.

How to Develop Tenacity As a Superpower

Jennifer sees the big victories in the small things that result from her tenacity and resilience. 

When you see someone that says, “I put in …” $100, $500, whatever it is, “into your campaign,” that really blew both myself and my business partner away, that people believe in us. It's very humbling. I don't know if that's the right answer, but an incident like that, for me, surpasses these great wins or a large contract. 

I mean, of course, getting distribution. Amazing. Getting into our first retail store–amazing, like huge, large milestones that I could talk about or [getting] into these hotels or the businesses that we're in. 

But, when you think about it, it's the support from people you respect and admire that speaks volumes. That, in turn, shows the recognition by them of your little superpower and continues it. It's like it fuels that fire.

Jennifer offers some tips for strengthening your tenacity:

* Don’t take yourself too seriously, even when tackling serious issues.

* Take care of yourself, rest, spend time with family and friends or take a walk.

* Be efficient. You don’t have to do more; just be efficient.

* Believe in what you’re doing and in yourself.

* Keep going and have some fun!

You can make tenacity a strength by following Jennifer’s example and advice. Over time, you may be able to make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Jennifer Eden (she/her): Co-Founder / CEO, Tampon Tribe

About Tampon Tribe:

Website: www.tampontribe.com

Twitter Handle: @tampontribe

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/tampontribe/

Biographical Information:

An entrepreneur at heart, Jennifer is an internationally-awarded marketer, business leader and broadcaster. Beginning her career in Australia and working as a live news anchor, journalist and broadcaster both there and in China, Jennifer is no stranger to making very quick decisions under extreme pressure. She founded, grew and exited two businesses in Beijing and has led several marketing teams from business inception to exit. Jen was awarded Women in Business in Asia’s MarCom Director of the Year and graduated from Charles Sturt University with a Communication and Marketing degree and a triple major in economics, politics and sociology. Jen is a fast problem solver, is quick to pivot and has worked extensively leading results-driven teams in sales, management, marketing and communication.

Twitter Handle: @Jen90545305

Personal Facebook Profile: facebook.com/jennifer.eden.520

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jeeden/

Instagram Handle: @tampontribe @jen_eden

Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Dorian: I look at my superpower as a blended cocktail of perseverance, humility, and true empathy.

“Funding Hope is one of the good things that came out of Covid,” says the company’s founder, Dorian Dickinson. “Prior to Covid, I was doing rural development and economic development work, mostly in conflict zones and developing countries.”

“When Covid hit, my business went from 100 to 0 in about 48 hours,” he says. He began thinking about how he could deploy his experience abroad here at home.

“It always circled back to funding,” Dorian says. The key being, his experience showed, “funding that really hit the ground really reached the people most in need in communities that could then drive economic development activity in their community.”

Success in a community doesn’t stop there. “That then would expand regionally,” he says. “At the end of the day, it would create a safer, healthier, cleaner environment for all.”

Today, Funding Hope is live, FINRA-registered and taking funding applications. He has a message for investors:

These communities that we're working in, which are distressed, at-risk in rural zip codes across America, are ripe with potential, but they're starving for capital. This is an opportunity for us to connect everyday investors to these small business owners, entrepreneurs and innovators who are also contributing to sustainability. Our target [investors] are committed to helping achieve UN Sustainable development goals in these communities because, at the end of the day, we're going to end up with safer, healthier, cleaner communities.

Dorian has developed impact in his career by deploying a triple cocktail of superpowers, perseverance, humility and empathy.

AI Episode Summary

* Dorian Dickinson is the co-founder and managing director of Funding Hope, a crowdfunding site targeting solutions to big problems at the community level.

* Dickinson believes that crowdfunding can be a part of the solution to these problems by using investment dollars from ordinary people to address economic development challenges in distressed rural communities.

* He started Funding Hope after his previous business in rural and economic development was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

* Funding Hope aims to get money into the hands of the people most in need and support small business owners, entrepreneurs, and innovators in rural areas.

* The platform is vetting issuers looking to raise between $500,000 and $5 million and actively helps them target potential investors and drive funding for their projects.

* Dickinson's career has taken him to conflict zones and developing countries, where he has worked on rural development projects.

* One of his most memorable experiences was in Kabul, Afghanistan, where a 12-year-old boy expressed hope for a better future due to the work Dickinson was doing.

* Dickinson believes his superpower is a blend of perseverance, humility, and empathy, which allow him to push through challenges, understand his limitations, and connect with the needs of others.

* He advises others to step outside themselves, listen, and learn from different perspectives in order to improve their ability to help others.

* To connect with Funding Hope and Dickinson, visit the Funding Hope website and sign up to receive their newsletter or become an investor. Dickinson can also be found on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

How to Develop the Triple Cocktail As a Superpower

Dorian explains how his superpowers, perseverance, humility and empathy work together:

My background has given me the wherewithal to push through any difficulty or challenge and continue to pivot when necessary to see the light at the end of the tunnel, which I always hope is not a train coming at me. 

From there, humility gives me a clearer understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. I fully embrace my limitations and recognize that I'm not always the sharpest knife in the drawer. 

Then true empathy lets me move beyond just understanding someone's feelings to mentally connect with their needs and situation to gain a deeper insight into their state of mind and how they're acting the way that they are, and how we can improve their position to give them hope for the future.

Dorian shared a story to illustrate the impact of his triple cocktail:

A few years ago, before Covid, I was standing on a rooftop in Kabul, Afghanistan, with a government official from there. We had a small team with us. 

The work we were doing–some of it was urban work, some of it was rural work. But the man had his son with him; he was a 12-year-old boy who the father took out of school that day just so he could meet me. And the boy came up to me and said, “I just love the work you're doing here. I pray to God that you'll be successful, and you'll make the country a better place for us.”

And that just stuck with me, where I put myself in his father's footsteps. I put myself being that young boy again, [feeling] what it would be like, what his life is like, and how we could make it better and what we can do to make it better.

It's not bringing Western philosophy there. It's listening to them, listening to what their needs are, listening to how they would like to accomplish their goals, their ambitions, to restore that hope in what they can do moving forward in life. That stays with me every day.

Dorian offers some thoughts about developing this triple cocktail of superpowers for yourself.

I think everybody needs to take a step out of themselves. They need to try to put themselves in the other person's footsteps and understand where this person is coming from by listening to them. Listening is such a huge, huge attribute that people need to adopt and need to understand so that people can then share what they want, what they need so that then you can come back and you can look at how you can help guide them and help them achieve some level of success of where they want to be.

Everybody has the opportunity to learn, and everybody else has that opportunity to educate someone. So, I think by taking the time to learn from somebody when you're having a conversation with somebody. Always try to leave with one or two ideas of what you've learned while you're having a conversation with them. This will make the world a whole lot better place.

By following Dorian’s example and advice, you can develop the triple cocktail of perseverance, humility and empathy as strengths that empower you, potentially allowing you to make them superpowers that let you do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Dorian Dickinson (he/him):

Co-Founder & Managing Director, FundingHope

About FundingHope: FundingHope, LLC is an investment crowdfunding platform registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and as a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). FundingHope connects everyday impact investors with entrepreneurs, small business owners, and innovators who are in need of capital to grow their business and who are focused on achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets in distressed, at-risk, and rural communities across America. FundingHope aims to transform how impact investments reach those who are often left behind by big banks and Wall Street by providing an online marketplace so that everyone can invest in what matters most to them.

Website:

fundinghope.com

Twitter Handle:

Company Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/fundinghopecrowdfunding

Other URL:

Biographical Information: Dorian Dickinson founded FundingHope with the mission of connecting investors to entrepreneurs and SMEs in economically disadvantaged communities to help achieve UN SDG targets and to grow stronger in America and around the world. For over a decade, Dickinson has worked on economic development and sustainability projects in rural America, as well as in conflict zones and developing countries in the Middle East, South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.Dorian Dickins…

Devin: Peter, what is your superpower?

Peter: My superpower is caring and doing humanitarian efforts most of my life.

Devin: John, what’s your superpower?

John: I grew up in a very large family, and the concept of getting along with people comes into play because, you know, you got to love brothers and sisters.

When Peter Teahen started thinking about this round-the-world trip, his wife was supportive but didn’t expect him to pull it off. After a year, when he announced his plan to actually go, she insisted he find a co-pilot. Luckily, marriage had connected the pair to a cousin who was also a pilot, John Ockenfels.

John, with over three decades in Rotary, was excited to make the trip and, after a few weeks of contemplation–and discussion with his wife–agreed to the journey and brought the fight to end polio to the flight.

That, it turns out, was just the beginning of their challenges.

“This was the trip that couldn’t be done, that shouldn’t be done, that nobody in their right mind was going to do. But somehow, we managed to pull that off,” John says.

Planned for 2020, the pair had their trip canceled by covid. Rescheduled for 2021, covid’s relentlessness canceled the second effort. 

A third effort, in 2022, was blocked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The duo had planned to take an established northern route that included stops in Russia. US-Russia tension after the attack resulted in revoked invitations. 

Almost anyone else would have given up at this point. The primary alternative, a southern route, would require 15 and 17-hour-long hops over the Pacific, which their plane couldn’t handle.

Undeterred, the pilots just bought a plane that could make the trip!

They left on May 5th and returned on July 31st. 

Over the years of preparation and during the flight, the duo raised millions for polio, counting the $2 for $1 match provided by the Gates Foundation.

“We believe we had just raised our first million dollars before our departure. Since then, we’re pretty sure that we’ve got at least another half a million that we’ve raised along the route. So that’s going to be a pretty good check to the Rotary Foundation,” John says.

Rotary leads the global effort, now funded primarily by the Gates Foundation, in collaboration with UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control.

John explained the history from his perspective, “I joined Rotary in 1986. They had just gotten on board with this polio elimination program. At that point, three-fourths of the world was endemic with polio. We watched these charts go from red to green as polio around the world went away.”

Today, polio is endemic only in Pakistan and Afghanistan. A 2022 visitor from Pakistan was contagious, and the first case of polio in the US in decades was recorded.

Peter explains the growing vulnerability around the world, including in rich countries:

In today's environment, where there's a decline in people vaccinating, especially post-covid, a lot of people have just dismissed vaccinations. The vaccination rate in the world is at the lowest it's been for years. That sets up trouble for children and families whose children will be exposed to the polio virus. 

Studies show that if we don't eliminate polio soon, in the next ten years, we'll see 200,000 new cases of polio. It's time to stop. It's time to get across the finish line.

Completing the journey and raising so much money to end polio required the pilots to use their superpowers, Peter’s caring and John’s getting along with people.

AI Episode Summary

* Peter Teahen and John Ockenfels completed a round-the-world trip in their Cessna airplane to raise money and awareness for the fight to end polio.

* Peter had the dream to fly his plane around the world and started planning in 2018.

* He approached John, who initially hesitated but eventually joined the trip.

* Their original route was canceled three times due to Covid and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, so they had to plan a new southern route.

* The route included stops in Newfoundland, Iceland, Europe, Crete, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Kuala Lumpur, Surabaya, Darwin, Canes, Brisbane, Pango Pango, Hawaii, Maui, and Oakland.

* The trip was challenging, and they faced risks and limited communication, but they successfully completed the journey.

* Their goal was to raise money for the fight against polio, as there are still cases in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

* They raised over a million dollars before their departure and believe they raised another half million along the route.

* They emphasized the importance of polio eradication and the need for continued vaccinations and funding.

* Their trip was a spiritual journey, and they were inspired by the support and dedication they witnessed in communities affected by polio.

How to Develop Caring As a Superpower

Peter shared his feelings about the trip, which included time volunteering directly to give oral polio vaccines to children:

For me, this trip around the world became a spiritual journey. It was so true, especially when we were working in the ghettos in the poorest part of Karachi in Pakistan, holding babies in our arms and giving them the vaccine, talking to the parents, talking to the caregivers who are there. It moved me to tears.

In Afghanistan, a lot of the resistance came from the fathers of the children who would prohibit the vaccinations. 

John and I witnessed in the ghettos of Karachi, where the fathers came out of their homes with their babies in their arms, and they presented their children for the polio [vaccine] drops. That brought tears to my eyes. 

I'm thinking that is the power of humanity when in one country, people would be killed for giving drops to their children and through education and creating an environment where they felt safe, the men presented their children for the drops.

By following his example of caring, you strengthen your ability to care, potentially helping to create a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

How to Develop Getting Along With People As a Superpower

John grew up in a large family and learned a lot of lessons there. He shared a notable insight:

Being in that large family, we didn't really have a lot of money. We had to make do. But we also found out that we got a lot of help from other people.

I found out that returning that help, giving that help back and working in other entities, Rotary or Jaycees or whatever the organization is–many other organizations I've been working in–I enjoy that aspect of it. 

Even today, now that I'm retired, my wife and I still spend many, many hours every week and every year in particular, doing things for other organizations for which we get no funding or no pay. And we're okay with that.

John has worked his entire career with his four brothers in the family business. He shared the advice he often gives to help people learn to get along. “There are differences for everybody and everything. Play to those differences. Work with those differences, and you can make a difference.”

By following his example and advice, you can emulate John’s ability to get along with others, serve in your community and make it a strength that can enable you to do even more good in the world.

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Guest-Provided Profile

About Flight To End Polio: Our pilots, Peter Teahen and John Ockenfels, are raising awareness for polio eradication by piloting a single-engine aircraft all the way around the globe in 90 days. Only 700 pilots in history have ever achieved this feat, and less than 270 are alive today! Both Peter and John are Rotarians and members of the Fellowship of Flying Rotarians. They departed from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on May 5th, 2023, and returned on July 30th. They flew a 1977 Cessna T210M (single-engine) airpl…

Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Nika: There are a lot of areas where I feel like I am skilled that relate to my profession, but one that is not spoken of as often, which I do very much consider to be a superpower, is my ability to hold the middle, to appreciate the nuance, to be that bridge builder.

In a historic ruling In June, the Supreme Court decided that college admissions could not be guided by affirmative action. The ruling has left corporate professionals engaged in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) anxious.

Dr. Nika White, author of Inclusion Uncomplicated: A Transformative Guide to Simplify DEI, joined me to talk about the implications of the ruling.

“Don’t panic,” she says to those who work in corporate DEI and human resources. “Nika: this is a time for organizations to realign and reassess their why. Why did they, in the first place, have such a deepened commitment to DEI?”

“This is time for leadership, in particular, to show that leadership,” Nika says. “Equity and inclusion is all about leadership and not finding this news as a crutch or an excuse or a reason to abandon the work.”

She also explained the broad appeal of her new book, Inclusion Uncomplicated.”Nika: this is a book that helps everyone, regardless of your position, your title, where you are within your journey of deepening your understanding of DEI, to really think about, ‘What is my role now, and what type of influence do I have within the circles that I belong to; where I can take a more active part, a more intentional part of fostering equity and inclusion?”

AI Episode Summary

* Devin and Nika discuss the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action and its impact on academia and corporate environments.

* The ruling currently only applies to higher learning institutions but could potentially affect corporate environments in the future.

* Nika advises organizations to remain committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values despite the ruling.

* She recommends organizations realign their DEI strategies and have open conversations about the impact of the ruling.

* Leadership should show support for DEI initiatives and not use the ruling as an excuse to abandon the work.

* Nika is the author of "Inclusion Uncomplicated: A Transformative Guide to Simplify DEI," which helps individuals understand their role in fostering equity and inclusion.

* She believes that resistance to DEI often stems from a lack of clarity and suggests demystifying the complexity of DEI to engage more people.

* Nika emphasizes the importance of listening and asking thoughtful questions to facilitate conversations about DEI.

* She advises individuals to hold the middle, appreciate nuance, and bridge divides to foster understanding and acceptance.

* Nika's superpower is her ability to hold the middle, bridge gaps, and appreciate both sides to address divisions within society and organizations.

* She suggests developing curiosity, active listening skills, tolerance for difference, and deliberate intention to improve listening abilities.

How to Develop Holding the Middle Ground As a Superpower

Nika’s career highlights her ability to hold the middle ground, allowing people of differing opinions to see each other more fully and respectfully. She shared an anecdote that illustrates this especially well.

I remember this was years ago. I am based in Greenville, South Carolina. And Greenville County was the last county in the nation to recognize MLK, Dr. King [Day] as an official holiday. That news left a stain on Greenville. And there were a lot of protests, a lot of division. 

Finally, once the holiday was passed, they needed a lot of healing. So, I would say that the “both-and” was being a convener of different individuals within the community, different leaders and influencers, and just giving space for people to express their frustration, to express their dismay, but then also to turn that into, say, “How can we now let this work for our good?”

When I think about the outcome that I'm really proud of, we went on–a group of us–served as founders of what became known as MLK Dream Weekend for ten years. We curated these special events and different types of initiatives in honor of Dr. King's legacy. One of those initiatives was a diversity banquet.

The very first year after the holiday was passed, we convened hundreds of people for this banquet and this celebration. We were fortunate enough to be able to get the attention of Dr. Bernice King to come and be our keynote speaker.

The reason that I reflect on that is when you think about MLK weekend–where the children, the voice, the legacy of Dr. King could be anywhere delivering any type of message–that Dr. Bernice King saw fit to come to Greenville and to share a message with us. And that message was “the last shall be first.”

When I think about holding the middle, and the “both-and,” we could have waddled in that disappointment; we could have let that define us. We could have just not taken the initiative to really try to see the other side of it–the “both-and.” 

That is something that I'm proud to say that I was a part of is bringing that level of healing through these specially curated events in honor of Dr. King.

After sharing that powerful example of holding the middle and its impact, she offered a few tips for developing that superpower.

First, she encouraged viewers to foster their curiosity, attributing her ability to hold the middle, in part, to her curiosity. “Asking questions is a great way to learn and to form a perspective–not judgment.”

Second, she encouraged the audience to practice accepting what people say. “Acceptance doesn't always mean agreement,” she says. It simply means acknowledging that others hold a different perspective or opinion.

Finally, she encourages everyone to listen with intention. Focus on listening to “respond” rather than “react.”

By following her example and advice, you can strengthen your ability to hold the middle, potentially making it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Dr. Nika White (she/her):

Dr. Nika White, founder, CEO of Nika White Consulting and author of Inclusion Uncomplicated.

About Nika White Consulting: Nika White Consulting is a diversity, equity, and inclusion boutique consulting firm with recognized authority on strategic diversity, intentional inclusion, and organizational effectiveness.

Website: www.Nikawhite.com

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/nikacwhite

Biographical Information: Dr. Nika White, the author of Inclusion Uncomplicated: A Transformative Guide to Simplify DEI, is president and CEO of Nika White Consulting (www.nikawhite.com). Dr. White is an award-winning management and leadership consultant, keynote speaker, published author, and executive practitioner for DEI efforts in the areas of business, government, non-profit and education. Her work helping organizations break barriers and integrate DEI into their business frameworks led to her being recognized by Forbes as a Top 10 Diversity and Inclusion Trailblazer. The focus of Dr. White’s consulting work is to create professional spaces where people can collaborate through a lens of compassion, empathy, and understanding. 

Twitter Handle: @NikaWhite

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/nikawhite/

Instagram Handle: instagram.com/nikacwhite/

Join us for the SuperCrowdHour with Lea Bouhelier-Gatreau of KingsCrowd as she explains how you can start investing for impact with just $100 on August 16 at 1:00 Eastern/10 Pacific. Register at half-price here.

Léa is a Sr. Investment Analyst at KingsCrowd who writes the company's impact investing monthly article, providing investors with the best impact investing deals and market insights. She previously worked for Stanford's accelerator, StartX, and led the first award-winning study on the Malawian startup ecosystem. She holds a degree in Anthropology from France and studies at UC Davis, working toward an MBA.

Register for SuperCrowdHour

We’re excited to announce that the Superpowers for Good show is now available for streaming on television via e360tv. Download the e360tv app on your Apple TV, Roku or Amazon Fire TV device to enjoy the show on your big-screen TV. The app is also available for mobile devices.

Devin: Stephanie, what is your superpower?

Stephanie: My superpower is my imagination.

Devin: Hayley, what's your superpower?

Hayley: I'm going to say the word connecting, the ability to connect. And it's not just with people. It's with animals, too.

Twenty-somethings Stephanie and Hayley Painter founded and now lead as co-CEOs of Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt, which is growing like one of the well-fed calves on their dairy farm.

The pair founded the company to ensure the farm could remain economically viable for future generations. “We are the fourth generation on our family's organic dairy and crop farm,” Stephanie says. “We're a regenerative farm in northern Pennsylvania. We've always wanted to vertically integrate our family's farm and connect consumers to the direct source of their food, which is the American farmer.”

The company is raising money on Wefunder to provide the fertilizer it needs to continue its rapid growth. “We decided to utilize a crowdfunding campaign instead of going directly to one investor because we are a mission-oriented company,” Stephanie says.

“We want to sustain Mother Earth. We want to give people great transparent products,” she says, adding, “We are also young women in this CEO role.” Data shows that crowdfunding may be one of the best ways for women to attract business capital.

The campaign could benefit Painterland Sisters’ growing community. “It's a great opportunity for our community who supported us from the beginning to come in,” Haley says.

One of the things that attracted my attention was the pair’s commitment to regenerative agriculture. Folks like me, far removed from farm life, hear about cows’ contributions to climate change. The sisters explain how the animals can contribute to carbon sequestration.

Hayley says:

Cows and land and soil it's a symbiotic relationship along with the community that supports it. And so as the cows release that carbon and that fertilizer, it goes back into the soil where they graze. They also act as natural aeration because when they walk on it, that really supports getting the ground ready to accept that carbon in that carbon goes back into the ground, back into the soil, and then it comes back fueling those plants for the cows to then eat again. So it's a completely symbiotic relationship.

Stephanie adds, “We need grazing animals grazed sustainably and regenerative agriculture so that we can help turn around the climate crisis that we are facing today and sustain Mother Earth for generations to come.”

To build Painterland Sisters–which they tell me did over $1 million in revenue in its first full year in operation–they used their superpowers, Stephanie’s creativity and Hayley’s ability to connect with people and animals.

AI Episode Summary

* Stephanie and Haley Painter are the founders and co-CEOs of Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt.

* They come from a fourth-generation regenerative farm in northern Pennsylvania.

* Their goal is to vertically integrate their family's farm and connect consumers directly to the source of their food.

* They launched an organic Icelandic-style skyr yogurt and have achieved significant sales growth, with a projection of $3.5 million in sales for 2023.

* Their yogurt is sustainably sourced from their family farm and other local farms and contains high protein and billions of probiotics.

* They are raising money through a crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder to allow their community to invest in their mission and become equity owners.

* Stephanie's superpower is imagination and creativity, while Haley's superpower is connecting with people and animals.

* Stephanie coaches others to develop imagination by visualizing solutions and maintaining a positive mindset.

* Haley encourages others to develop their ability to connect by getting involved in communities, volunteering, and networking.

* People can learn more about Painterland Sisters and their crowdfunding campaign by visiting their website, social media platforms or searching for their campaign on Wefunder.

How to Develop Imagination As a Superpower

Stephanie developed her imagination early in life, leading young family members on adventures.

I would just line up all my siblings and cousins, and we would go on all these adventures. We would be–I didn't realize it was called hiking until I went to college–walking up the hills. We just called it walking. We'd walk up the hills. We’d imagine ourselves in different worlds. Like, we grew up in the middle of nowhere. That's what people would call it, the absolute middle of nowhere. We had to create our own world and our own fun.

Stephanie offers a few insights for developing imagination. “I just naturally tell people how to expand your mind. You can do it. There's always a different way to figure things out.”

“I think imagination has to be coupled with positivity and a belief in yourself and a connection to your soul,” she adds.

By following Stephanie’s example and advice, you can strengthen your imagination and build it into a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

How to Develop Connecting with People and Animals As a Superpower

Hayley sees the business as evidence of the benefits of her superpower, connecting with people and animals. “We started in 2018. We did not know how to start a national yogurt brand. I didn't even like yogurt. Now I love our yogurt. I had to make one that I liked, and then I had to make one that was really nutrient dense. That was the problem. How we got started is we talked to everyone.”

Things are going pretty well as a result of those connections, she says. “We've now been asked to sit on the board of Team PA next to the governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, and Secretary Russell Redding, the agriculture secretary here.”

Hayley offers a few tips for strengthening your ability to connect. “Don't be afraid to try something new.”

To help you see how she works, she shares an example of her approach. “When we were learning how to make products, I wanted to make cheese. So, I traveled across the country, meeting different cheesemakers.”

By following Hayley’s example and advice, you can improve your ability to connect with people–and perhaps animals–potentially turning connection into a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Hayley Painter (she/her) and Stephanie Painter (she/her): 

Co-CEO and CO-Founder, Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt

About Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt: Sisters Stephanie and Hayley Painter launched Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt as part of their mission to preserve, showcase and utilize their family’s Pennsylvania organic dairy farm, Painterland Farms, as well as others like theirs. Additionally, they strive to connect the consumer with the direct source of their food; The American Farmer. A fourth-generation family-owned and operated farm, Painterland Farms practices regenerative farming and uses rotational grazing to keep the farmland as nutrient-rich as possible.  Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt is a certified Woman-Owned business, and the yummy skyr contains billions of probiotics (BB12), is high in protein and calcium, lactose-free and Kosher.

Website: painterlandsisters.com

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/painterland-sisters/

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/painterlandsisters

Instagram Handle: @painterlandsisters

Biographical Information: Hayley Painter is one of the two sisters who founded Painterland Sisters. She graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Animal Science. After college, Hayley focused on value-added products through learning how to produce, sell and market cheese, yogurt and gelato. One of the most fun experiences, she says, is getting to work in farm…

We’re excited to announce that the Superpowers for Good show is now available for streaming on television via e360tv. Download the e360tv app on your Apple TV, Roku or Amazon Fire TV device to enjoy the show on your big-screen TV. The app is also available for mobile devices.

That said, I’m embarrassed to report that the new workflow got me a bit discombobulated, and I neglected to upload the audio for the podcast here! So, I’m sending it again with the audio. Please forgive me.

Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Lynn: I will share something that a friend of mine said when I was on a walk with her. I was telling her what I thought her superpower was, and she came back to me and said, “Well, I think your superpower, Lynn, is that you…” How did she phrase it? I can't remember how she phrased it, but she said basically, “You have the guts to try things that you have no business trying, that you set your mind on something, and you'll go out, and you'll just make it happen.” I guess the short answer to your question would be it is just sort of the guts to–what's the Yiddish word? The chutzpah. I'm not Jewish, but I love that word.

Solar can be expensive and difficult to install on your rooftop, especially for households in low-income communities with older buildings. Renters are typically excluded from the option to add rooftop solar. 

The Community Action Fund, a nonprofit, steps into this gap in hopes of allowing everyone to save money on their energy bills and lighten their carbon footprint.

Founder and CEO Lynn Heller says, “Living in Baltimore City, I regularly witnessed lots and lots of poverty. So, I was trying to figure out, all right, how do we create a very scalable model for low-income household access to clean energy? The world is transitioning to clean energy. Let's not leave out huge swaths of the population.”

Under Lynn’s leadership, the nonprofit has attracted a diverse funding strategy, including a tranche of crowdfunding raised via the FINRA-registered portal Raise Green. Everyone is eligible to invest–even I invested!

The funding round was successful, exceeding the target cap of $370,000.

To make this happen, Lynn uses her superpower: chutzpah.

AI Episode Summary

* Devin Thorpe is interviewing Lynn Heller, CEO of the Climate Access Fund.

* The Climate Access Fund is a nonprofit green bank that focuses on providing low-income households with access to clean energy, particularly through community solar projects.

* Community solar allows households to sign up for solar power from a project located elsewhere, such as a large tract of land or a rooftop, and receive a discount on their electricity bill.

* The Henderson Hopkins School project in Baltimore is a community solar project that will provide a 25% discount on electricity bills for low-income households in the neighborhood.

* The project is unique because it is entirely for low-income households, it has co-benefits such as job training programs and educational components, and the nonprofit owns a portion of the solar asset to share dividends with subscribers.

* The Climate Access Fund has raised around $350,000 through a crowdfunding campaign on Raise Green.

* The fund initially hoped to give low-income families the opportunity to invest directly in the project but faced challenges due to mistrust from previous bad experiences with third-party electricity providers.

* Lynn Heller sees her superpower as having the guts to try things that others may not feel confident in attempting.

* She is proud of where the Climate Access Fund has come and its ability to carve out a niche in the industry.

* Lynn advises others to listen and learn from different perspectives, collaborate with well-meaning experts, and align themselves with a team to collectively foster innovation and confidence.

How to Develop Chutzpah As a Superpower

Lynn sees the progress at The Climate Access Fund as evidence of the power of having the guts to try something you have no business doing. She explained:

I'm proud of where the Climate Access Fund has gotten today. We have a long way to go, in that we are we have been a startup nonprofit in a startup industry, so it's kind of a double startup, which, I have to be honest, has been difficult at times. We've had to be very nimble as the community solar market has evolved over the last five to seven years in Maryland. We have been very involved with some of the legislative efforts and in advocacy and also, at the Public Service Commission level, the regulations. I'm very proud that last year I originated A law–a bill that passed that session in Annapolis in the state legislature that increased the benefits to low-income households through community solar. So, there are certain tasks that I'm proud of. But I would say overall, I'm proud of the fact that we have been able to carve out a niche for ourselves, again as a startup in a startup industry.

Lynn sees two essential aspects to building chutzpah:

First is the self-confidence to keep trying when you inevitably encounter challenges. Say, “All right. Well, that didn't work. But let's try this. That didn't work. So, let's try this.”

The second is to be inclusive. Build a diverse team that includes people with different skills, perspectives and abilities to take risks. “The best thing folks can do is to listen to other people and learn from other people,” Lynn says. Building a team builds confidence.

Following Lynn’s example and advice can strengthen your confidence, potentially turning it into the sort of chutzpah that can become a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Lynn Heller (she/her):

Founder, CEO, Climate Access Fund

About Climate Access Fund: The Climate Access Fund (CAF) is a statewide nonprofit green bank based in Baltimore, Maryland. CAF leverages public and philanthropic capital to drive private investment into the low-income residential energy market. CAF’s goal is to substantially reduce the energy burden of low-income households through access to offsite, or “community,” solar.  CAF offers financial incentives to solar developers who provide attractive savings to low-income subscribers, and it develops projects in historically disinvested communities through community-based partnerships. By demonstrating that affordable solar power can be successfully financed and deployed, CAF is helping to bring an equitable clean energy market to scale in Maryland and beyond. 

Website: climateaccessfund.org

Other URL: vimeo.com/682058145

Biographical Information: Lynn Heller is the Founder and CEO of the Climate Access Fund, a nonprofit green bank focused on expanding clean energy access in disinvested communities. Lynn has previously served as Vice President of the Abell Foundation, worked as a strategic planning and management consultant, and led start-ups in refugee resettlement, microenterprise lending, voter education, and election monitoring in the U.S. and overseas. Lynn is Board Chair of the MD League of Conservation Voters and past member of the MD Commission on Climate Change and the Baltimore Sustainability Commission. Lynn earned degrees from Princeton University and the Harvard Kennedy School and loves spending time with her husband, three kids and dogs.

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/lynn-heller-22932131/

Join us for the SuperCrowdHour with Lea Bouhelier-Gatreau of KingsCrowd as she explains how you can start investing for impact with just $100 on August 16 at 1:00 Eastern/10 Pacific. Register at half-price here.

Léa is a Sr. Investment Analyst at KingsCrowd who writes the company's impact investing monthly article, providing investors with the best impact investing deals and market insights. She previously worked for Stanford's accelerator, StartX, and led the first award-winning study on the Malawian startup ecosystem. She holds a degree in Anthropology from France and is currently enrolled in the UC Davis MBA program.

Here is a very lightly edited transcript of the SuperCrowdHour for July, The Power of a Purpose Round with Parker Clay CEO Ian Bentley, DealMaker CEO Rebecca Kacaba and Renew Venture Capital’s Mark Hubbard.

Devin: I have just the most extraordinary panel discussion organized today, and I just couldn't be more excited about it. Rebecca Kasaba is the CEO of DealMaker, which is one of the fastest-growing companies in North America. I mean, Rebecca, you're just killing it. You're absolutely crushing it. We're thrilled to have you here to take a minute to be on the show. Ian Bentley is the CEO of Parker Clay, and he's working with help from Rebecca. He's in the middle of a $15 million goal of a crowdfunding campaign. We're excited to talk to him about that. He's got an incredible social mission. I just love what he's doing. And Mark Hubbard, who is the managing director of Renew Venture Capital, he's playing a vital role in putting that together. And so they've created, and they are sort of walking their talk, eating the dog food, as folks in Silicon Valley like to say, they are actually modeling the use of what they've started to call a purpose round. And I'm excited to talk to them about that because their crowdfunding campaign is really centered on fulfilling their mission.

Devin: So with that, Ian, let me invite you to just take a minute and tell us about the mission, the social purpose behind and the motivation and purpose for Parker Clay.

Ian: Thanks, Devin. Yeah, and doing it in a minute would be a little bit tricky, but I can try. I just got home, back to California, where our headquarters are here in the US. But I just got back from our factory in Ethiopia; I was there for actually about a month. A little bit longer than I'm normally there. But we so as you can imagine, we've got both an Ethiopian headquarters and a US headquarters. And it started back in 2012 when my family and I bought one-way tickets, left California, left our careers, moved to Ethiopia; and we moved there primarily to help women who had been caught in trafficking and really looking for more dignified employment opportunities. That was not that line of work. And we were doing skills training, and job training, discovered the leather industry while we were living there, and saw it as primarily being exported to the world, like Europe. And we thought we could create jobs for women. And really, that was the purpose of why we were there to create opportunities for women to thrive. And we are doing that through business. So really kind of changing the model around even aid that has been poured into the country for many, many years and shifting that to a trade model and doing business at scale. And we'll talk more about the manufacturing opportunities and all that we're doing there. But we've got a team now of about 200 people, 80% of whom are women. And we are proud of the impact and the work we get to do every day through that.

Devin: Yeah, it is just really inspiring what you're doing. And I was shocked by the story when I heard it and thrilled and really admire the work that you've been doing. You've been at this for a while now. It's been a decade or so since you, the roots of this effort, began. Is that right?

Ian: Yeah, Yeah. We officially started in 2014. That's when we set up the entity. So it's been almost ten years. I have lost all my hair and gotten a few more gray hairs, and working alongside my wife is the creative director of Parker Clay, and we've got five kids, so a very full life as well. But it's been it's an exciting time at the moment really for what we're doing because a lot of the hard work we've put into the foundation over these past few years is now really ripe to scale. So that's why we're doing what we're doing.

Devin: Yeah. Well, Rebecca, as you have, you know, worked with Ian, one of the things that I've observed from our past conversations about this, and we've had an opportunity to talk about it a few times, I think you have a real passion for this. I wonder if you tell us a little bit about how you feel about this and how you're working to DealMaker to support Parker Clay.

Rebecca: Devin, I'm happy to. Yeah, we're really excited about what Parker Clay is doing. Remember when my team first met Ian, we were so excited about the company and the mission and the way they're having such a transformative impact on Ethiopia that we were like, Okay, this is one deal we've got to get for the system. We've got to win this one. So what DealMaker does is essentially give companies the technology infrastructure they need to raise capital digitally online. And so traditionally, in my background as a capital markets attorney, I saw a lot of paperwork being exchanged in order to get capital raising done. And when the Jobs Act came out, I saw the opportunity for all of this capital raising to move online. And, you know, like Ian, it's been a short ten-year journey where we've watched the legislation transform, and we've really seen digital marketing take a huge foothold now in this industry and give entrepreneurs a way to communicate their message to all the four corners of the Internet, to people who their message might appeal to and build up a community behind them and don't want to get too into it because I know we'll continue to chat about it for the next hour, but it's something I'm really passionate about, the impact that people today want to have with their investments, especially when they see companies like Parker play, and they want to do things, you know, they see what Mark and Renew are doing. And this whole trend of impact investing is something that we're all fortunate to be a part of and get to propel forward, which really just makes the world a better place and gets better businesses funded.

Devin: Yeah. Well, Mark, I want to turn to you now for a second. We've it's my sense, and I may be wrong, forgive me if I am, but it's my sense that you played a really vital role in pulling this together for both your capital and your concept. So what I'd like to do is to invite you to talk a little bit about your role in all of this and why it is that what Ian does resonates with you.

Mark: Sure. I guess it goes back to sort of the genesis of the term purpose around for us, you know, what we were trying to accomplish. And then Ian became sort of part of the first use case for that, not the total piece, but certainly the proof case for, for why we want to do it. As Rebecca said, everything we do is impact. We have a venture studio and a venture capital firm, and it's all either social impact companies or it's women and historically excluded founders. And those don't have to be impact companies. And we want to, I mean, look, we're part of, as Rebecca mentioned, this sort of global shift and what I sort of call a movement. It's kind of a paradigm shift where more and more people want to align what they say they believe about the world with what their money does in it. Right. Or what their effort does in it. A lot of people will shift professionally in those ways. I mean, I guess I am in some ways, it's taken me 20 years, but in some ways, I'm part of that shift as well. And so, you know, we looked at the look, any time you do investing, you're a two-sided marketplace. Right. So I have investors that I invest on behalf of, and I have companies and founders that we invest in. And so the thing we saw was really twofold, both sides of that marketplace. One, that it was really frustrating that only rich people, you know, only accredited investors, could... I mean, they still, to this day, right in the fund, I can't take anybody who's not accredited. I have to see your tax statements.

Mark: So I really can't take anybody who's not accredited. And so that's frustrating, like in and of itself, just sort of from an investing standpoint that you can't invest in early-stage companies; you can't really do VC. When you couple that with the idea that this is an effort to align your valu…

Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Julie: I have this incredible commitment to something that I started and that I saw the value in. I stayed with it for my entire life. I read a beautiful quote the other day. The irony of commitment is how liberating it can be. And that’s really true. I’ve been liberated by the fact that there’s never been a plan B; I’m going to get these products used by as many people as possible for the betterment of mankind.

“We’re one of the few American manufacturers of high-end laboratory instruments,” says Julie Anne DeSa Lorenz, CEO of On-Line Instrument Systems, Inc. “We got our start back in the 70s when my father, a research biochemist, had learned to program computers.”

Years before the invention of the PC, Dr. Richard DeSa recognized the market opportunity to connect computers to lab equipment. The company gained traction by helping companies retrofit high-quality laboratory technology purchased before computers became commonplace.

“It’s always been my love of this company was that we were upcycling equipment, so we were therefore reducing the wasted instrumentation, extending its lifespan,” Julie says. Under her leadership, the company is focusing more broadly on reducing waste.

The company’s technology allows for lab work to be done with dramatically improved efficiency, eliminating waste.

But a product that my father developed around 2000 or so dramatically simplifies the preparation of a sample for measurement. This goes beyond simple product waste. “We are reducing the number of animals being sacrificed in the name of better eyedrops or whatever,” Julie says.

Julie’s long career has benefitted from her commitment to the company and its work, something she now sees as her superpower.

Tomorrow, we’ll hold the first-ever SuperCrowdHour with an extraordinary panel I’ll moderate, discussing “The Power of the Purpose Round.” The panel will include Parker Clay CEO Ian Bentley, DealMaker CEO Rebecca Kacaba and Renew VC founder Mark Hubbard. You’re entitled to a 50 percent discount as a Superpowers for Good reader! Join us for just $5 when you use the discount code SUPERCROWD. Register here.

AI Podcast Summary

* Today’s guest is Julie Ann DeSa Lorenz, the CEO of Online Instrument Systems Inc. 

* The company is a manufacturer of high-end laboratory instruments and was founded by Julie’s father, a research biochemist, in the 1970s. 

* They initially focused on upcycling existing equipment and later started producing their own instruments designed for upgradability. 

* Their instruments, like spectrophotometers, are used in scientific research and analysis, including in fields like pharmaceuticals, vaccine development, and water management. 

* Julianne’s company is dedicated to reducing waste in the lab by developing technology that simplifies sample preparation and reduces the need for consumables and excess materials. 

* She believes that providing scientists with better tools can lead to more efficient work and cost savings. 

* Julianne’s superpower is her unwavering commitment to her work and continuous growth and learning. 

* She emphasizes the importance of staying focused and dedicated, even during challenging times. 

* Julianne encourages others to find something they are passionate about and commit to it wholeheartedly. 

* To learn more about Julie and her company, visit her LinkedIn profile and the Online Instrument Systems website.

How to Develop Commitment As a Superpower

Julie’s career has not been all smooth sailing. “No matter where the winds have taken us. And over the decades, we’ve been through a lot of ups and downs. I just got on my knees or whatever it took to ride through it. But even in the worst of times, I would literally say there is no plan B; this has to work.”

“And that assurance that it was going to work made it possible for me to get up off the floor and come back into the office and do what needed to be done,” she says. “Once you ride through that deepest of valleys, then you’re back up on another upswing again.”

She hopes everyone can develop this sense of commitment. “I wish everyone could find something that they’re that passionate about where they just feel like ‘this is what my purpose is. This is what I was made to do. This feels right.’”

She invites you to doubt the doubts that may come. “Go back and remember why it felt so good and tap into that when you’re feeling low because, again, the valleys are going to happen. The self-doubt is going to come along. The other opportunities will present themselves well.”

When the challenges come, she suggests you ask yourself, “Do any of those things have that resonance, that heft that your early commitment felt?”

By deflecting your doubts as she suggests, following her example, you can work at making commitment your superpower, enabling you to do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Julie Ann DeSa Lorenz (she/her):

Owner/ CEO, On-Line Instrument Systems, Inc. (OLIS)

About On-Line Instrument Systems, Inc. (OLIS): OLIS was founded in the 1970s by a research biochemist who was the first to computerize data acquisition from a laboratory instrument. His 1969 paper attracted the attention of others, and for 15 years, the company successfully modernized an ever-expanding range of best-in-class, pre-PC spectrophotometers by computerizing them. The original incentive was to reduce time and effort by the researcher. The consequence was better science and reduced waste in science. In addition to keeping hundreds of still best-in-class spectrophotometers in labs and out of the landfill, the company started pioneering products of its own in 1992. Every OLIS product is endlessly upgradable; they all have designed-in upgradability instead of the tragically ubiquitous designed-in obsolescence common in the modern era. Among our inventions of the 2000s is a technology that eliminates a hugely consumable-intensive step, furthering our commitment and success in achieving better results with reduced waste. In the 2020s, the company is focusing on expanding the use of this technology beyond research laboratories and into the quality control and quality assurance labs of pharma, beer, wine, and paints.  Website: www.olisclarity.com

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/on-line-instrument-systems-inc./mycompany/

Biographical Information: The daughter of a genius scientist/ inventor, I have spent my life learning about and using technologies long before they reach the average consumer. I was a year old while my father was developing electronics and stereo amplifiers. I was six when he started coding. I was 16 when the University of Michigan purchased the first OLIS Data Acquisition/ Instrument Control System. In college, I was the first student to submit assignments written on a PC and printed on a dot-matrix printer. And, I was in my 30s when Dad and I wrote his first patent for the Subtractive Double Grating rapid-scanning monochromator with moving intermediate slit. I am comfortable with the sales and marketing, and product development; and in 2015, when the company needed me to take over as CEO, I became comfortable with leadership. I am highly motivated to be as green as possible. I found a family in the teachers and classmates of the Inner MBA, which I completed in May 2023. The company is poised to become B Corp certified in 2023.

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/julieanndesalorenz

Superpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To receive early access, top-secret rewards and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Devin: What do you see as your superpower?

Peter: It’s grit—grit and values. Grit comes from values. Grit comes from having an aim, a mission.

Peter Rostovsky’s fintech startup, Raiseway, grew out of his personal experience helping a friend raise money for his startup. Exploring the possibility of investment crowdfunding, he was flummoxed by the sheer number of portals to choose from. At the time, there were over 40, a count that has now topped 70.

“That kind of started this very long exploration into the execution problem with investment crowdfunding for founders of startups and small businesses,” he says, having learned that crowdfunding can be difficult.

Last year, Peter asked me to serve as an advisor to Raiseway, and I was honored to accept. He is an advisor to The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation.

Raiseway is potentially game-changing because the vast majority of businesses in the country that can benefit from crowdfunding are small and can’t afford expensive consultants but can afford to use an app that will guide them through and, using AI, help them execute their crowdfunding campaigns.

Peter has two critical tips for folks looking to crowdfund:

* Assess your community. Before you launch, assess your community to determine how large, accessible and warm it is.

* Don’t bet on “if you build it, they will come.” To get people to invest, you need to drive people to the investment opportunity thoughtfully and strategically. They won’t find it on their own.

In building Raiseway, Peter leverages his superpower: grit.

AI Podcast Summary

* Devin Thorpe interviews Peter Rostovsky, the founder and CEO of Raiseway, a crowdfunding app for entrepreneurs.

* Raiseway is designed to streamline the crowdfunding process and help entrepreneurs accelerate their fundraising journey.

* The alpha version of Raiseway is currently available for free use.

* Peter’s work with Raiseway could completely alter the investment crowdfunding landscape.

* Raiseway aims to make crowdfunding more accessible and affordable for small businesses and startups.

* Peter’s key tip for entrepreneurs considering crowdfunding is to thoroughly prepare and evaluate their community and connections before starting.

* Peter’s superpower is his grit and determination, which he developed through his experiences as an immigrant and in running his own business.

* Peter believes that being okay with failure and having a few wins under your belt can help develop grit.

* Raiseway can be accessed through the app; contact Peter directly.

How to Develop Grit As a Superpower

Peter developed grit as he grew up. Born in St. Peterburg, his family moved first to Moscow and later to Bryansk, a city he describes as a “hellhole.” Later, still a teenager, he immigrated to the United States, facing a fresh set of cultural challenges.

The difficulties adapting to new situations, cultures and individuals helped him develop the grit he deploys to build his business.

Peter faced a challenge recently. After publicly announcing the launch of the alpha version of the software would happen on April 15, the startup missed the deadline. He admits feeling ashamed due to missing the self-imposed but now public due date.

After worrying that he couldn’t possibly recover, he took responsibility for getting the process back on track and, within weeks, got the product launched. It is now available as a free download for a limited time for those interested in help with their crowdfunding campaigns, willing to provide feedback.

Peter offers some advice for developing grit. “I am a former F-student through and through,” he says. He acknowledges that the learned helplessness phenomenon applied to him. The key to overcoming it is to “get a couple wins under your belt.”

“You can point to them in your life and say, ‘Well, no, I’m not a failure. I did this, this and that.’ It’s not only professional, it’s personal as well,” he says.

By following Peter’s example and advice, you can make grit a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Peter Rostovsky (he/him):

Founder & CEO, Raiseway

About Raiseway: Raising money with crowdfunding is prohibitively hard for businesses that need it the most - small businesses and startups. Raiseway is a software service to make investment crowdfunding easy and affordable to execute. From the moment of learning about crowdfunding through campaign preparation, execution, and reporting to investors, Raiseway provides businesses with digital tools to increase their chances of successfully raising capital with crowdfunding for a monthly subscription fee. 

Website: raiseway.app

Biographical Information: Born and raised in St. Petersburg and Moscow, I moved to New York in 2011 to finish high school. After graduating with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from CUNY Hunter College with a focus on geopolitical risk analysis and the work of the UN, I sold and serviced capital markets intelligence services. After working at Panjiva, Roubini Global Economics, Debtwire, and Preqin, I decided to apply the learnings to serve small businesses that need access to capital the most. 

Twitter Handle: @peter_raiseway

Personal Facebook Profile: fb.com/peter.rostovsky.7

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/peter-raiseway

Instagram and Threads Handle: @pool_bread

Superpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To receive early access, top-secret rewards and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

On July 19, 2023, we’ll hold the first-ever SuperCrowdHour with an extraordinary panel I’ll moderate, discussing “The Power of the Purpose Round.” The panel will include Parker Clay CEO Ian Bentley, DealMaker CEO Rebecca Kacaba and Renew VC founder Mark Hubbard. You’re entitled to a 50 percent discount as a Superpowers for Good reader! Join us for just $5 when you use the discount code SUPERCROWD. Register here.

Devin: What is your superpower?

Marcus: I have a few of them, but the one that sticks out most with me and I realized that I have optimism is such a superpower that I possess. I'm not a negative person. The cup is half full, not half empty to me.

Marcus McAllister consults with governments and NGOs around the world on one singular topic: ending violence.

He doesn’t work on any other aspect of crime than that. Seeing it for the public health challenge it is, he works to help communities stop the spread of violence.

He’s become one of the most respected leaders in the country on this topic. You can see him in this photo with President Biden below.

Marcus helped me see violence in a whole new way.

I will ask an audience of people from all walks of life, do they believe that—people in communities across this country, specifically black and brown, disproportionately affected communities—do they believe that disrespect can get you killed?

I tell you, unanimously, almost everyone raises their hand because they can all think of a situation—whether we agree with it or not—they can think of a situation where just a little disrespect turned into somebody being shot, especially with young people across this country.

His follow-up is powerful:

So my next question is, I ask them how many people in the room raise their hand if disrespect is against the law. Almost 99 percent of them—no one raises their hand.

So we just established that everyone believes that something as simple as disrespect gets shootings that get escalated into more homicides in the inner city, and yet it's not against the law.

Ponder that for a moment. Let that soak in.

People are dying because of triggers that weren’t crimes. Imagine the challenge for those seeking to interrupt the cycle. It’s not about locking people up who are committing pre-murder crimes.

If it's not against the law, but we know it can get people killed, you have to have a specialized type of work—which we do—to handle disrespect before it gets to the point of multiple homicides.

So we kind of police the disrespect; we get in front of things before they happen.

Be sure to watch or listen to the full episode to pull all the insights Marcus uses to prevent violence.

In his remarkable work, Marcus leverages optimism and love for others as a superpower.

AI Podcast Summary

* Marcus McAllister is the guest on the podcast discussing his work in community violence interruption.

* He has been involved in violence prevention and intervention for over 20 years.

* Marcus started his career in Chicagoland working for an organization called Ceasefire, which later changed its name to Cure Violence.

* His work involves diffusing conflicts in communities and using personal experience and credibility to intervene in violence.

* The work aims to prevent disrespect and conflicts from escalating into homicides or multiple shootings.

* Marcus emphasizes the need for specialized work in community violence intervention, separate from traditional law enforcement, due to the unique nature of diffusing conflicts.

* He trains individuals in mediation, conflict resolution, risk reduction plans, and identifying high-risk individuals.

* Marcus highlights the importance of optimism and love in his work, which he considers to be his superpowers.

* He shares a specific example of using optimism and love to successfully resolve a conflict between two individuals who had engaged in violence.

* Marcus can be reached through his website, McAllisterConsult.com, or on Instagram @marcusmcall. He is available for consultation and training on community violence intervention.

How to Develop Optimism As a Superpower

“I don't have anybody’s major degree, but I’ve been to the White House,” Marcus says. “I’ve been a keynote speaker at Yale Law School.” He credits his optimism and love for his fellow man for helping him achieve such success.

He shared an anecdote about preventing a violent response to a violent act that likely saved at least one life.

I had a situation years ago where a guy had beat a guy upside the head with a pistol real bad, and he reached out to me. At this point, he was trying to see if I would—if I call myself a violence interrupter, a peacemaker, “Here's your opportunity.”

He explained to me what happened. The individual that he had beat upside the head with a pistol, he didn't want that guy to come back to kill him, or he didn't want to have to kill him if he did. But yet, he was the one that was the aggressor.

So I knew both parties involved. That was the work we do. That's the work we train on. That's why I said native to the community. I remember going and talkinh to the guy that had been hit upside the head bad with this pistol.

I thought to myself, what am I to tell somebody who had just been hit upside the head? Most people want to get back. But all I could think about was trying to pull the positive out to him and let him see how things won, how they could have been worse, how they can get worse.

I mean, not that I was condoning him getting hit, but he could have been dead. We know of other situations. They both were intoxicated with alcohol. We know a situation like that don't always just have to wind end up with someone… Hey, and thank God that I'm even here to talk to you.

So, I found myself in a positive situation, just talking to both sides, letting them know that they were friends, letting them know that things could have been much worse. We have the opportunity now. No one's shot. No one's, you know... Yes, you're bruised up. It's more so your pride. Your pride is more bruised than anything. It wasn't something life-threatening where he lost an arm or couldn't hear anymore.

As hard as it is, you have to believe in your superpower. So you have to be able to still find positive things and tell them. Most people say they don't want to hear that. I don't want to hear that. If you have the right superpower and you're able to do it, they will hear it.

For now, your superpower will break down their power of thinking that there's nothing nobody can tell me. So all I did was take the time to point out all the positives. These two individuals are friends today. But it wasn't like an overnight thing. That's one story.

Marcus offers some tips for developing positivity and love as superpowers:

* He believes that training your mind and brain to seek the positive, even when you don’t feel like it, is beneficial in the long run.

* Finding the good can be practiced and strengthened over time, just like any skill.

* Marcus gives an example of missing a flight and finding the silver linings in it rather than dwelling on the negative.

* He advises practicing finding the good in all situations, no matter how small until it becomes second nature.

* By doing so, one can respond positively even in more serious situations, such as losing a job, because they have built resilience through practicing on smaller issues.

By following Marcus’s example and advice, you can develop optimism as a superpower that will enable you to do more good in the world.

Guest-Provided Profile

Marcus McAllister (he/him):

CEO/ Founder, McAllister Consultancy & Training LLC. (MC&T))

About McAllister Consultancy & Training LLC. (MC&T)): McAllister Consultancy and Training LLC.(MC&T) specializing but not limited to all things Community Violence Intervention & Prevention (CVIP). With over 20 years of community work and working in the violence intervention & prevention space, Marcus McAllister launched MC&T to help groups/cities interested in learning about doing violence Intervention & prevention work.MC&T has provided an array of training and technical assistance (TTA) to over 100 communities in over four countries. The services are adapted to each community based on the needs and capacity of the local partners. MC&T’s goal is to provide quality TTA services for community, city, state, and federal partners to assist in ending the violence epidemic.  Even within a single locality, the crisis of violence is constantly evolving, with new groups involved, n…