Sherwood Neiss - Crowdfund Investing For Dummies

Crowdfund Investing For Dummies

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Legal counsel should be consulted before offering or selling securities. A violation of either state or federal securities laws may result in civil and/or criminal penalties. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is required to adopt new regulations that will govern the crowdfunding industry. Until the SEC adopts such regulations, the sale of securities through crowdfunding is prohibited. These new regulations may cause the content of this book to become inaccurate. The authors and publisher do not undertake to revise, amend, or update this book with new information or inform the reader of any changes.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2012956396

ISBN 978-1-118-44969-1 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-46022-1 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-46024-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-46025-2 (ebk)

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About the Authors

Sherwood Neiss: Sherwood Neiss is a co-founder of Crowdfund Capital Advisors (CCA). He is an expert at building successful businesses. He is a three-time Inc. 500 winner whose company won E&Ys Entrepreneur of the Year. As a serial entrepreneur and investor during the credit crunch, Sherwood saw a need for a change in outdated securities laws and did something about it as a co-founding member of Startup Exemption, Sherwood co-authored the crowdfund investing framework used in the JOBS Act that was signed into law by President Obama on April 5, 2012. CCA advises angel groups, venture capital, private equity, investment banks, and hedge funds on understanding how to profit in what expert VC Fred Wilson claims will be a $300 billion per year market. He produces comprehensive crowdfund investing educational materials so that investors can decide whether crowdfunding is appropriate for their portfolios, as well as help them access the essential tools to invest safely, legally, and successfully. Sherwood co-founded and sits on the board of the Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA) and Crowdfund Intermediary Regulatory Advocates (CFIRA), where he leads the fight to ensure that investors are protected while entrepreneurs have access to the capital they need to start and grow promising companies. He also sits on the boards of advisors for several crowdfunding portals and industry players, as well as on the boards of Invest Crowdfund Canada and the European Crowdfunding Network. An avid public speaker, Sherwood speaks at congressional hearings, universities, and seminars around the world discussing crowdfunding. Some of his appearances include testifying in front of Congress, the MIT Global Startup Workshop in Istanbul, and the 2013 SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas. He is a contributing author to TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Forbes, and The Huffington Post. Sherwood is a recipient of the first Crowdfund Visionary Award. He holds an International MBA from Thunderbird and a BA from Tulane University.

Jason Best: As a co-founder of Startup Exemption, Jason Best co-authored the crowdfund investing framework that was used in the JOBS Act to legalize equity- and debt-based crowdfunding in the United States. The JOBS Act was one of the largest changes in U.S. investment laws in over 30 years; it allows private companies to raise capital via their online social networks. Jason has provided U.S. Congressional testimony on crowdfunding and was honored to attend the White House ceremony when President Obama signed this legislation into law on April 5, 2012. He is also a frequent speaker both domestically and internationally, including speaking at the 2012 White House Global Entrepreneurship Celebration; TEDx San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; and the Global Innovation Symposium and Globe Forum in Stockholm, Sweden. As a co-founder and principal at Crowdfund Capital Advisors (CCA), Jason works with angel groups, venture capital firms, and family offices, as well as the World Bank, governments, and NGOs, to understand crowdfunding and to create successful strategies for maximizing the value of this emerging asset class and its ecosystem. Jason is a co-founder of the Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA) and the Crowdfund Intermediary Regulatory Advocates (CFIRA), which is the global industry advocacy organization for crowdfunding. Additionally, he is a board member of the European Crowdfunding Network and the Canadian Technology Alliance. CCA also participates in the U.S. State Departments Global Entrepreneurship Program.