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.Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It’s an easy way to support our work.Devin: What do you see as your superpower?George: My superpower is the ability to combine the analytical, the data with the human connection and the empathy required to live in a society.When I met George Cook, the founder and CEO of Honeycomb Credit, about seven years ago, he and I chatted about the social impact of local community investing. I was skeptical. Over the years since I’ve become a true believer. I relished my conversation with him for this episode, focusing on the societal benefits of local investing.Honeycomb Credit is one of the leading players in regulated investment crowdfunding. The SEC-regulated FINRA-member portal primarily helps small businesses with debt financing. It is quickly approaching $25 million in business financing since its founding.There are nearly 30 million small businesses in the US. Most of them have capital needs. This is a big potential market for Honeycomb Credit–and for the investors like you who participate in the loans.George grew up in Appalachia in a family that operated a community bank for 130 years. “I grew up in the family business. I fell in love with relationship lending, working with business owners who are literally sitting across the street from the branches that I was working out of and loved working with us, hearing their stories and playing a small piece in their growth journey.” He shares his vision for the community impact of the work he does.This is such an opportunity to do well while you do good. The diversity of business owners is: We're working with businesses that support disabled entrepreneurs. We have a ton of veteran-owned businesses. More than half of the businesses we work with are owned by BIPOC business owners. Almost two-thirds are women-owned businesses, and over 40 percent of the businesses we work with are in low to moderate-income communities.It's an incredibly diverse group of entrepreneurs that we get to work with. Every single one of them has these incredible, inspiring stories that just get us fired up every single day to come to work and know that we're playing this tiny little piece in their growth journey. That's how we want our investors to feel.For every single offering, we help coordinate a professional video shoot to help the entrepreneurs tell their stories. It's almost a little mini shark tank where you can come to the Honeycomb site and hear these stories. You can dig in and understand the health of the business, too. Of course, that's important. But then you get to decide which of these businesses you want to put your own hard-earned money into and see that money go to work in your community.With my skepticism of community investing’s social impact long retired, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to invest in Honeycomb Credit’s loans. I made my first loan about 18 months ago, and every payment has been made on schedule, as promised. The business, a local restaurant, is thriving.George has built Honeycomb Credit utilizing his superpower, an ability to use both data and a human connection in decision-making. For the sake of brevity, let’s call it analytical empathy.AI Episode Summary1. Devin Thorpe introduces his guest, George Cook, the founder and CEO of Honeycomb Credit, one of the leading crowdfunding portals focused on small businesses.2. George Cook shares that Honeycomb Credit has grown from raising $1 million to being on its way to raising $25 million across its platform.3. The platform enables small businesses to raise capital from customers, fans, community members, and internet supporters who are interested in aiding small businesses in their growth journey.4. Honeycomb Credit has funded various businesses, including puzzle companies, ice cream shops, coffee shops, and microbreweries, helping them to purchase new equipment, launch product lines, or open additional locations.5. The platform returns on investments can be compelling, offering a way for people to build a portfolio of loans with significant yields while also strengthening community ties as businesses repay their local supporters.6. George discusses his background in banking and credit analytics and the need he saw for small businesses that were being left behind by traditional lending as industries evolved.7. He shares the story of how he and his business school classmate co-founded Honeycomb Credit after his classmate, a former investment banker, had difficulties obtaining an SBA loan.8. Honeycomb Credit focuses on empowering small businesses to raise capital from those who believe in them and know them, reinvigorating a sense of community lending.9. George emphasizes the diversity of business owners who use Honeycomb, including women, BIPOC entrepreneurs, veteran-owned businesses, and businesses in low to moderate-income communities.10. The company conducts thorough due diligence on all businesses seeking to raise money, including financial reviews, background checks, and credit reports, but also considers the businesses' community connections and customer relationships.If you think more people should invest in their local community, please share this post.How to Develop Analytical Empathy As a SuperpowerGeorge expanded on how he thinks about his analytical empathy superpower.As a society, we talk so much these days about big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence and how that's changing everything. We forget the human connectivity. We sometimes think the world is all data. We forget that qualitative data can be just as important. An algorithm can't answer all your questions because so much of what we experience in the world isn't just a clean number. Is the baget at the bakery–does it taste good? That's a hard thing to put into an algorithm to get a good result. So, being able to have an empathetic human connection while at the same time understanding and being able to leverage the power of data–if you can put those things together, the sky is the limit.George uses his analytical empathy on every offering. Not only does the team crunch the numbers, but they also dive into the story to better understand what makes the entrepreneur and the business tick. They recognize that the numbers aren’t the only thing that matters.He offers a profound starting point for developing greater analytical empathy. We’ve got to do away with the idea that we have to agree fundamentally with people to respect them. “At the human level,” we can “respect and appreciate” people even if we disagree.Ultimately, George brought the conversation back to the impact of small business lending and community capital. He challenges us to remember that “nobody fights about ice cream.”By following George’s advice and example, you can develop analytical empathy as a skill. With practice, you can make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileGeorge Cook (he/him):Co-Founder & CEO, Honeycomb CreditAbout Honeycomb Credit: Honeycomb is a community capital platform where independently owned small businesses can borrow expansion loans from their own customers, fans, and community members.  With Honeycomb, beloved local businesses are unlocking fair capital while building community wealth in the neighborhoods they serve.Website: www.honeycombcredit.comX/Twitter Handle: @honeycombcreditCompany Facebook Page: fb.com/honeycombcredit/Instagram Handle: instagram.com/honeycombcreditBiographical Information: George Cook is the Co-Founder and CEO of Honeycomb Credit, a Pittsburgh-based, VC-backed loan crowdfunding website that allows locally owned small businesses to borrow expansion loans from their own loyal customers and fans.  Honeycomb unlocks fair growth capital for Main Street businesses while simultaneously enabling anyone to invest local in their own communities.  Born and raised in southwestern Pennsylvania, George is a sixth-generation community banker.  His community banking roots have driven him to search for new methods of capital formation and access to credit for small businesses.  He started Honeycomb to counter the adverse effects resulting from the rapid consolidation of the community banking industry and to provide small businesses an alternative to predatory online loans that often do more harm than good.  Prior to founding Honeycomb Credit, George worked at TransUnion and ZestAI to develop state-of-the-art data analytics tools that help lenders extend credit quickly and fairly.  He has also previously served as an Economist at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.George holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Statistics from George Washington University and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/george-cook-honeycombUpcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024: This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore’s prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on March 26, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. Everyone is welcome to join the free events.* SuperCrowdHour, March 27, 2024 at 1:00 Eastern. Devin Thorpe will explain the three surprising reasons impact investors should seek to make money from impact investing.* Superpowers for Good - Kinect Capital Live Pitch, March 28 at 9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific: Four companies currently raising via crowdfunding will pitch their offerings live via the Superpowers for Good streaming television show on e360tv. Kinect Capital will host the pitch. Applications to pitch are open now through March 8! * SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don’t miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information is coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event Calendar* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET * Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, Texas* Crowdfunding Professional Association Webinar Series - March 13, 2:00 PM ET* AMIBA’s “Community Investment Funds,” March 14, 2:00 PM ET* Investment Crowdfunding Demystified, Crowdfund Better, March 26 at 2:00 PM ETIf you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 4,000+ members of the SuperCrowd, click here. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

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.Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It’s an easy way to support our work.Devin: Laura, what do you see as your superpower?Laura: I'm very friendly, I'm outgoing, and I like to get to know people.Devin: Zach, what do you see as your superpower?Zach: I will be the first to admit I don't have the charisma of Laura. I'm constantly thinking about food and flavors and combos and what's going to go good together.Laura Harris and Zach Meier and building a healthy vegan protein bar company in Colorado. This enables them to take advantage of Colorado’s intrastate exemption from securities rules for IPOs to raise capital from the local crowd exclusively.The company has three flavors on the market:* Blueberry Coconut* Salted Chocolate Cherry* Peanut Butter BananaThe last one was a challenge for Zach, the chef who develops the bars. “A funny story with the peanut butter banana. I am deathly allergic to bananas,” he says. “So creating that recipe for the peanut butter banana bar was a bit of a task. It was a lot of whipping up some ingredients, putting them together, having people taste them, getting their honest feedback, and then just, like, doing it again.”Laura shares how she came up with the idea:Having worked in the service industry for most of my adult life, you never get a break. Protein bars became a staple of my diet. I always had one on my server apron if I was serving or on top of the register if I was bartending. Back in 2018 summer, I was bartending a lunch shift, took a bite of another competitor's bar and thought, man, I wish this thing was packed with spinach. I would love for it to not contain any artificial flavors and no refined or added sugar.I thought about it for a few minutes and did some searching on Google and Amazon, and there was nothing like it. So, six months later, I enlisted the help of Zach. Zach is passionate about making great products. “Creating these recipes was a lot of fun, just with the ideology of super minimal ingredients. Everything is clean, everything all-natural, you know, not using any chemicals or preservatives, or added sugars because I always like to say that real foods taste the best.”Investing in the company is an opportunity to have impact in several ways. The company founder is an LGBTQ woman, ticking two impact boxes for investors with goals to support diverse founders. The products are vegan, which could have climate and animal welfare benefits. The bars are healthy, potentially helping people to live longer, healthier lives. That’s a lot of impact!The company is raising via CrowdSprout.co under state crowdfunding laws, limiting investors to that state.AI Episode Summary1. Devin Thorpe hosts Laura Harris and Zach Meier on the Superpowers for Good show to discuss their company, Greens Gone Wild.2. Laura started Greens Gone Wild to create snack bars packed with spinach and no added sugars or unnatural flavors.3. The company offers three products: Almond Butter with Blueberry and Coconut, Salted Chocolate Cherry, and Peanut Butter Banana bars.4. They are crowdfunding on Crowdsprout.co, a Colorado-exclusive platform where locals can invest and receive equity and bars and contribute to a charity.5. Laura's future plan involves living a van life to promote the product across Colorado; Zach will handle backend operations.6. Laura's superpower is her ability to genuinely connect with people and her passion for real food ingredients.7. Zach's superpower lies in his culinary skills, particularly in creating exciting flavor profiles with clean, natural ingredients.8. Both find using their skills to contribute to the well-being and diets of their customers and their communities rewarding.9. Laura encourages listeners to visit their website to purchase products and consider investing in the growth of the company.10. The co-founders' dedication to providing healthy and tasty snack options is underscored by their interaction with customers and commitment to quality ingredients.Want to invest but live outside Colorado, share this with friends in the state.How to Develop Interpersonal Skills As a SuperpowerLaura says that her ability to relate well with people is a critical part of her success in business. She honed her ability to care for and about people after her father had a stroke.The biggest time where I really was able to give a lot of myself to someone else was when I took care of my dad. He had a right-side ischemic stroke and was on the floor for three days before anybody found him. So, he was not doing great when our neighbor found him. So, I moved from Minneapolis back to my home state of Virginia to help him and just see him through this healing journey post-stroke. There were so many challenges that he faced. I always made sure I showed up for him every day and did anything that he needed me to do and help out in all the ways that were best for him, to give him love and support and make sure he had a good last five years of life.Laura says the first thing to do to strengthen interpersonal skills is to listen. “When you ask someone questions, be genuine. Pause. Let them finish. That'll be lesson number one.”“Show love,” she says of a second aspect of developing interpersonal skills. “If someone needs help, help them do it out of the goodness of your heart. And, uh, not just to try to gain something.”By following Laura’s example and advice, you can strengthen your interpersonal skills. With practice, you can make them a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!How to Develop Culinary Skills As a SuperpowerZach shares the story of how he uses his culinary superpower:I grew up kind of in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming. Not kind of, like in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming. It was a food desert up there. Being from just such a small kind of reclusive community, people aren't necessarily open to trying new foods. The idea of veganism up there, or like, health foods, is still a poked fun at subject. I've been able to, when I go home when I visit family, bring some food culture back to them, to maybe open their eyes a little bit more. Just because it says vegan, just because it says spinach, just because it says protein bar, doesn't necessarily mean that it’s going to be gross.It's this ideology of, like, oh, spinach is gross. Spinach is a relatively flavorless ingredient. Adding the combination of its fruit, its vegetables–just because it’s vegan, it’s not bad. It's not scary.His advice to people is to “Just eat it” when you are presented with a new food to try!By following his example and advice, you can strengthen your culinary skills. With practice, you could make them a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileLaura Harris (she/her):Founder & CEO, Greens Gone WildAbout Greens Gone Wild: Welcome to Greens Gone Wild! The CPG industry's only non-GMO, vegan, spinach-packed protein bar loaded with a full serving of spinach. Our bars are gluten and soy-free. Plus, there's no added sugars, fillers, or preservatives. We believe in a genuinely healthy bar with ingredients we know, like, and trust. In our bars, you'll find nut or seed butter, dates, unsweetened, dehydrated fruit, pea protein, spinach, a touch of sunflower lecithin, and just a few more real-food ingredients. If you're a health-conscious, busy individual looking to get your greens on the go, we've got the perfect nutrient-dense, chewy, tasty, won't-get-stuck-in-your-teeth bar. At Greens Gone Wild, we're giving you protein, energy, and greens on the go!Website: greensgonewild.comCompany Facebook Page: facebook.com/eatgreensgonewildInstagram Handle: @eatgreensgonewildOther URL: crowdsprout.coBiographical Information: Meet Laura Harris, a passionate entrepreneur in her early forties originally from Virginia but now proudly rooted in the vibrant landscape of Colorado. Driven by her love for spinach, her dogs, and the mountainous scenery, Laura embarked on a transformative journey to fulfill her true calling. Her brainchild, Greens Gone Wild, was born from a simple wish for a protein bar packed with spinach. Determined to create a vegan protein bar with minimal ingredients and no added sugars, she has successfully combined her love for healthy living with her entrepreneurial spirit. Laura's personal growth, marked by a significant break from alcohol and five years of caring for her father, stands alongside the flourishing success of her business as her three proudest accomplishments. With unwavering determination, she continues to share her spinach obsession with the masses, turning Greens Gone Wild into a household name, one spinach-packed protein bar at a time.Personal Facebook Profile: facebook.com/harriselauraLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/laura-harris-i267424Instagram Handle: @the.laura.editionZach Meier (he/him):Co-founder and chief chef, Greens Gone WildBiographical Information: I am a former professional chef, ending my culinary career as an executive pastry chef. Making food clean, with the knowledge of flavors, helped create the Delicious flavors of Greens Gone Wild. Our bars stand out from the crowd for that reason. Personal Facebook Profile: Facebook.com/ztmeierInstagram Handle: @zmeier91 Upcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on February 20, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. Everyone is welcome to join the free events.* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee: This free event on February 21, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern, features President Brian Christie, Vice President Jenny Kassan, Secretary Brian Belley and Chair Scott McIntyre. Learn how you can join and make a difference. Earn rewards!* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024: This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore’s prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowdHour, March 27, 2024 at 1:00 Eastern. Devin Thorpe will explain the three surprising reasons impact investors should seek to make money from impact investing.* Superpowers for Good - Kinect Capital Live Pitch, March 28 at 9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific: Four companies currently raising via crowdfunding will pitch their offerings live via the Superpowers for Good streaming television show on e360tv. Kinect Capital will host the pitch. Applications to pitch are open now through March 8! * SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don’t miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information is coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event Calendar* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET * Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, Texas* Crowdfunding Professional Association Webinar Series - March 13, 2:00 PM ET* AMIBA’s “Community Investment Funds,” March 14, 2:00 PM ET* Investment Crowdfunding Demystified, Crowdfund Better, March 26 at 2:00 PM ETIf you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 4,000+ members of the SuperCrowd, click here. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

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.Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It’s an easy way to support our work.Devin: What do you see as your superpower?Vicky: I believe my relentlessness or tenacity, determination, whatever you want to say that is, has been a real driver in my life–always.“The Humane League works to end the abuse of animals raised for food,” says the nonprofit’s president, Vicky Bond. “We're working to end cages for laying hens worldwide through our work with the Open Wing Alliance.”Always an animal lover, Vicky trained as a veterinarian. She shares her experience:While training to be a vet, I witnessed factory farms for the first time. I got to see how these animals suffered day in and day out in these systems. As a veterinarian, you would go on a farm and treat the individual animal. You may give bulk antibiotics for the animals, but you weren't treating the fundamental issue: these systems are wrong. Animals should not be in them, and being in them causes them a lot of suffering. So, while doing my veterinary degree, I went and did a master's of environment, development and policy and learned about the impact of policy work of that institutional change that you can make and how much you can scale up impact.So, when I left that school–I did work as a vet for a while–but I also got involved in more activist-led things, in policy change and ended up being able to work what I do now, which is to create change for farm animals on a large scale, impacting hundreds of millions of animals versus what I could have done as a veterinarian, which would have probably been much smaller on the individual level of animals.The work is staggering. In the US alone, producers are raising about 1.5 billion chickens, including broiler and laying hens. About 9 billion are raised annually in this country alone–broiler chickens are slaughtered after just six weeks.Vicky describes what she’s seen firsthand:I've been on these on these farms. You walk into a very large shed, and all you can hear is the clanging noises of the birds' beaks and feet on the metal because that's their entire life. They spend their life in this metal cage, four or five of them–not even enough space to spread their wings. They will be fed, given water, and that's all they get. They never get to see sunlight. They never get to spread their wings. They often end up pecking at each other through sheer boredom. They end up with broken bones. All in the name of cheap eggs.“When we talk about the world, we're talking about over 70 billion land animals raised and slaughtered every year for food,” Vicky says. It's not sustainable. The cruelty is not sustainable. The food system itself–we need to move to more plant-based options to remove some of the eggs, dairy, and meats from our diets so that we can have a sustainable food system.”She is emphatic that animal suffering needn’t be a part of our food supply. “It is perfectly plausible for us to have farming systems that are higher welfare and that move away from these intensive practices that see animals stacked on top of each other, beak to beak,” she says.“We want a day when animals aren't abused for food,” Vicky continues. “We want to see that through incremental change, like ending cages, like ending farrowing crates, which is where mama pigs are put while they're pregnant–and they can't even turn around.”The Humane League is making progress. “We started this work over a decade ago now,” she says. “At the time in the US, 5 percent of birds were cage-free here for laying hens; we're now at 14 percent. So, we're seeing an impact of 130-plus million birds every year.”Throughout her career, she has used and strengthened her tenacity, making it a superpower.AI Episode Summary1. The Humane League, led by President Vicky Bond, aims to end the abuse of animals raised for food, predominantly by working with food companies to improve farm animal welfare in their supply chains.2. They also focus on policy and legislative changes, advocate for individual diet changes, and aim to end the use of battery cages for laying hens through collaborative global efforts with the Open Wing Alliance.3. The Humane League engages in peaceful protests to raise public awareness and hold companies accountable for farm animal welfare, especially in regard to ending the confinement of laying hens in cages.4. Vicky Bond described the poor conditions of caged hens, emphasizing the lack of space and natural behaviors, highlighting the broken bones and the lack of access to sunlight, which leads to suffering—all for the production of cheap eggs.5. Vicky argues for a sustainable food system that doesn't include farm animal cruelty, stating that higher welfare farming systems are possible and that we should shift towards plant-based options to maintain sustainability.6. Incremental changes advocated by The Humane League have led to significant welfare improvements, citing that the percentage of cage-free hens has increased from 5 to 14 percent in the US, thereby affecting the lives of over 130 million birds annually.7. Vicky Bond transitioned from veterinary practice to animal welfare advocacy after witnessing the suffering of animals on factory farms, realizing she could have a broader impact on animal welfare through policy change and activism rather than individual veterinary care.8. Actions that individuals can take to support the Humane League include volunteering, taking digital action through Fast Action Network, raising awareness on social media, donating, and making informed purchase decisions based on welfare-conscious product labeling.9. Vicky encourages a gradual approach to changing dietary habits towards plant-based options, acknowledging that swift changes can be difficult and recommending gradual steps like "Meatless Mondays" or substituting one meal a day with a plant-based alternative.10. Finally, Vicky shared her superpower of tenacity, recounting her refusal to back down against industry leaders, such as a rabbit farm donor, ultimately influencing him to consider cage-free options, highlighting the importance of staying persistent to achieve goals.Share to encourage others to take action.How to Develop Tenacity As a SuperpowerVicky shared a story that illustrates her tenacity:A number of years ago now, I was working on rabbit farming. So rabbit farming–we don't hear of it that much, but it's the second most farmed species in Europe. I was working across Europe. I was at a conference and trying to push to end cages for rabbits as well because they're predominantly in battery cages in Europe. We're at the conference, and I didn't know at the time, but he was the largest owner of all the systems, basically, in Austria, Germany and other places. After the conference, he came up to me and said, “Well, it's nice to meet you, but what would you know about rabbit farming? This is unrealistic, and I can show you why it's good to keep them in cages.”In that moment, I just didn't stand for it. I was very much like, “Well, the science is this. I disagree strongly on this. I've got systems. I've seen systems that work that are not in cages. It is doable. This is very much a profit-driven mentality.”He was pretty upset and left. Then, the next day, he came up to me and was like, “I was thinking about what you said. I do think we should potentially–this does sound like this might be the future for rabbit farming. I want to understand more. Here's my card. Can we have a conversation?”So, in those moments, I've come up against industry leaders. It's not shrinking down. But actually, standing tall, I think, has paid off.The tenacity paid off! Vicky offers some advice for strengthening yours:Think that mistakes are good. We're going to make mistakes, but learning from them is the important bit. So, if you have a clear goal, don't give up. You will get there. The path might be wandering and might not appear exactly how you hoped it would, but you will get there if you stay the course of time. So, stay strong, stay relentless. You can make it.By following Vicky’s advice and example, you can strengthen your tenacity. With practice and patience, you can make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileVicky Bond (she/her):President, The Humane League, The Humane LeagueAbout The Humane League: The Humane League is a global nonprofit that exists to end the abuse of animals raised for food. We work to influence the world's largest food companies to improve the treatment of animals by adopting higher welfare practices for the animals raised for food in their supply chain, which includes a current focus on accelerating the food industry's momentum and legislation toward production of cage-free eggs. Website: www.thehumaneleague.orgX/Twitter Handle: @thehumaneleagueCompany Facebook Page: facebook.com/thehumaneleagueOther URL: FastActionNetwork.com; EndCages.com; InspireBrandsBetrayal.com; DupedbyDunkin.com; SonicsSecrets.comBiographical Information: Vicky Bond is a doctor of veterinary science, animal welfare scientist, and president of The Humane League, a global animal protection nonprofit that exists to end the abuse of animals raised for food. Bond trained as a veterinary surgeon and practiced as a veterinarian with the primary goal of helping animals. When she witnessed firsthand the horrors that take place on factory farms, she realized that if she really wanted to help animals, she had to work to end factory farming. From there, Bond worked internationally in research and food business departments for several animal protection organizations. She worked closely with food corporations, including restaurants, retailers, food service companies, producers, and suppliers, as well as in slaughterhouses, to better understand and improve their supply chains and business structures to improve the lives of animals raised for food. X/Twitter Handle: @vickybond_thlLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/vicky-bond-b9107936/Upcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on February 20, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. Everyone is welcome to join the free events.* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee: This free event on February 21, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern, features President Brian Christie, Vice President Jenny Kassan, Secretary Brian Belley and Chair Scott McIntyre. Learn how you can join and make a difference. Earn rewards!* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024: This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore’s prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* Superpowers for Good - Kinect Capital Live Pitch, March 28 at 9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific: Four companies currently raising via crowdfunding will pitch their offerings live via the Superpowers for Good streaming television show on e360tv. Kinect Capital will host the pitch. Applications to pitch will open soon! Save the date! More information is coming soon! * SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don’t miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information is coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event Calendar* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET * Leveraging Donor-Advised Funds for Climate Investing, Raise Green, Today at 11 AM ET* Strengthening Positive Peace to Create Hope in the World, February 24, Fredericksburg, VA* Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, Texas* Crowdfunding Professional Association Webinar Series - March 13, 2:00 PM ET* Investment Crowdfunding Demystified, Crowdfund Better, March 26 at 2:00 PM ETIf you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 4,000+ members of the SuperCrowd, click here. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

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.Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It’s an easy way to support our work.Devin: What do you see as your superpower?Karl: I sometimes say that I'm a puzzle solver. I have the ability to connect the dots.Karl Dakin, the capital coach, helps small businesses raise capital–or even figure out how to get where they’re going without it. A big fan of regulated investment crowdfunding, he led an effort to pass enabling legislation in Colorado. Then, he helped to launch a crowdfunding portal to take advantage of the rules.Investment crowdfunding has topped $2 billion cumulatively since it started but still represents a small part of the economy. When issuers and investors finish the courtship, the space could explode to multiples of this scale. Karl thinks he’s figured out how that could happen. Keep reading!Seeing the vital role small businesses play in the local economy, he works with a wide range of companies.I work with all kinds of companies and all kinds of industries. Some people think I'm confused because of the diversity of things I work with. Right now, I'm working on a dinosaur theme park. I'm working with an international lottery gaming company. I'm working with a company that's using topical CBD products to reduce pain and inflammation. I'm also helping with the local crowdfunding platform that is working to set up a farm-to-table group of supporters for any small business that's looking for microfinancing here within the state of Colorado.He’s also helping an LGBTQ woman-owned manufacturer of vegan protein bars raise capital. Greens Gone Wild, led by Laura Harris, is raising capital via Crowd Sprout, a crowdfunding portal operating under the Colorado State exemption. The campaign is open only to Colorado investors.I love this one. It hits so many notes for me. It’s a small business that is scalable. A woman leads it. A member of the LGBTQ community leads it. It is vegan. The layers of impact inspire me. This is a moment when I wish I lived in Colorado so I could invest.Karl uses that offering as an example of what he suggests all consumer products companies should do with their campaigns. He explains the example:With Greens Gone Wild, if you make a $100 investment, you're also going to get $50 of free product. They'll ship to your door product, just like if you had ordered it on their online website–$50 value. Then we also give a $100 discount on future purchases. So, you get 20% off the list price on buying these products.The company also agrees to donate $25 per investor to a local nonprofit.The investor gets $150 in rewards–plus the satisfaction of enabling $25 of charitable giving. The company presumably has a good margin on the products, so it doesn’t cost $50 to offer the $50 perk. The discounts are valuable to the consumer but still allow the company to make a narrow profit. The investors become long-term, repeat customers.Then, the investor gets equity, too. For small investors, the rewards essentially remove the risk. The company gets repeat customers with a permanent connection–ownership–to the business. Problem solved!That, Karl believes, is the key that will unlock crowdfunding success for small businesses.He reached this conclusion using his superpower, I’ll call problem-solving.AI Episode Summary1. Devin introduces Karl Dakin, founder and CEO of Dakin Capital, who shares Devin's passion for investment crowdfunding.2. Karl Dakin's company, Dakin Capital, is a consultancy firm that assists small businesses in obtaining the necessary capital for starting or growing their ventures.3. Karl positions himself as a "capital coach," aiding businesses in designing capital campaigns, preparing to receive capital, and, in some cases, managing the entire campaign on behalf of the company.4. Karl believes that small businesses are vital in bringing innovation to the market, contributing to global impact by improving the quality of life through their products and services.5. He works with a diverse range of companies across different industries, such as a dinosaur theme park, an international lottery gaming company, a CBD product company, and a crowdfunding platform focused on microfinancing in Colorado.6. One of Karl's current projects involves working with Greens Gone Wild, a company producing vegan protein food bars, to help them navigate crowdfunding to reach a broader base of investors.7. Karl emphasizes targeting campaigns not just at wealthy individuals but also at customers and future patrons, integrating immediate value for investors through product discounts and immediate gratification.8. For the Greens Gone Wild crowdfunding campaign, with a $100 investment, investors receive $50 of product, $100 of future purchase discounts, and a $25 product donation to a local charity, creating a package with a retail value of $275.9. Karl believes in the potential of equity crowdfunding to allow non-wealthy individuals to invest and build wealth while supporting small business growth and innovation.10. Karl encourages reaching out to him through LinkedIn, where he recently started a daily newsletter called Instant Funding, his website Dakin Capital, and other platforms like SuperCrowd, expressing his dedication to helping small businesses raise capital.Share this post to start a discussion on X, LinkedIn or Facebook about adding rewards to investment crowdfunding campaigns.How to Develop Problem-Solving As a Superpower“People would say is I see dots that no one else sees,” Karl says of his problem-solving superpower. Like solving a puzzle, he connects the dots between disparate data points to draw fresh conclusions to test new solutions.Following the passage of the JOBS Act in 2012, Karl began working on implementing crowdfunding in Colorado. So, he’s been thinking about optimizing fundraising for a decade, along the way, helping companies do it. He loves that under the new rules, “investments are not limited to wealthy people.” But, he sees a need to think differently about bringing in small, novice investors. He framed the question as, “How do you get a non-wealthy person to be able to make an investment where they can benefit enough that it makes sense to them at their income level, where they're at in their life?”His conclusion is to incorporate substantial consumer rewards, reflecting a genuine innovation in crowdfunding. He developed that strategy using his ability to solve problems.Karl offers some tips for strengthening your ability to solve problems.First, he suggests shaking off the fear by embracing the idea that much of what you try will fail–on your way to ultimate success. Second, he offers that it is important not to lock your focus on what has been done in the past. Start with a “blank canvas,” focusing on what you want to accomplish rather than how you’ll get there.That kind of thinking, he says, allows you to conclude that you may be able to borrow or rent something rather than raise capital to buy it. You get where you’re going without some of the cost and stress.By following Karl’s example and advice, you can strengthen your ability to solve problems. With practice, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileKarl Dakin (he/him):Founder / Owner, Dakin Capital LLCAbout Dakin Capital LLC: A specialty consulting company that provides coaching to small businesses in the design, staging and conduct of capital campaigns.Website: www.dakincapital.comX/Twitter Handle: @KarlDakinBiographical Information: Mr. Dakin is a professional entrepreneur, a leader of business startup projects, consultant on small business capital formation and an educator on entrepreneurship. He owns and operates Dakin Capital LLC, where he provides services as a capital coach to small businesses leveling up or just getting started. He serves as a business leader in several small businesses.Mr. Dakin is currently an Adjunct Faculty with the University of Denver and a member of a faculty team that teaches the BioEntrepreneurship program at University of Colorado, Anschutz Campus.He shares his knowledge of raising capital through his Instant Funding newsletter, media posts and guest appearances.Mr. Dakin is a member of the Economic Development Council of Colorado, National Coalition for Community Capital, SuperCrowd, and the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs.He is a licensed attorney in the State of Colorado with 45 years of experience in commercializing innovation. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Washburn University School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Washburn University School of Business in Topeka, Kansas.X/Twitter Handle: @KarlDakinPersonal Facebook Profile: fb.com/karl.dakinLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/karldakin/Upcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on February 20, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. Everyone is welcome to join the free events.* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee: This free event on February 21, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern, features President Brian Christie, Vice President Jenny Kassan, Secretary Brian Belley and Chair Scott McIntyre. Learn how you can join and make a difference. Earn rewards!* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024: This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore’s prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* Superpowers for Good - Kinect Capital Live Pitch, March 28 at 9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific: Four companies currently raising via crowdfunding will pitch their offerings live via the Superpowers for Good streaming television show on e360tv. Kinect Capital will host the pitch. Applications to pitch will open soon! Save the date! More information is coming soon! * SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don’t miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information is coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET * Leveraging Donor-Advised Funds for Climate Investing, Raise Green, February 15 at 11 AM ET* Strengthening Positive Peace to Create Hope in the World, February 24, Fredericksburg, VA* Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, Texas* Crowdfunding Professional Association Webinar Series - March 13, 2:00 PM ET* Investment Crowdfunding Demystified, Crowdfund Better, March 26 at 2:00 PM ETIf you would like to submit an event for inclusion on our community calendar, click here. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

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.Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It’s an easy way to support our work.Devin: What is your superpower?Paul: My favorite superpower, my favorite personal talent or strength, is what Don Clifton and the Clifton Strengthsfinder would call ideation.Paul Allen, serial entrepreneur and founder of Ancestry.com, is building on his history managing massive databases to develop a proprietary ethical AI model he’s deploying in several fields, beginning with Citizen Portal. The new company monitors public governmental meetings, from school boards to the Supreme Court. (Full disclosure: I’m a crowdfunding investor in Citizin Portal.)Soar is a parent company Paul founded to develop the proprietary AI engine that underlies Citizen Portal and other companies in the works. “Our vision for PURE AI is an acronym for personalized–you ought to be able to control the AI and design it according to your needs–uplifting–it ought to be wonderful to interact with and joyful to use–and then responsible and ethical,” Paul says. “A lot of companies talk about responsible AI and ethical AI, but we like the personalized and uplifting as well.”Paul shares the vision for Citizen Portal:The vision of Citizen Portal is to use AI to empower citizens to become informed and engaged about every issue they care about at the local, state, and federal level. If you think about the difficulty of being a citizen right now–do we trust our leaders? Do we know what's going on? Are we happy with the $34 trillion debt? I mean, there are lots of issues that make you feel like the country is not going in the right direction.Paul notes that part of the lack of trust is the rapid decline in local journalism over the past 20 years or so. Two or three decades ago, local papers had reporters at virtually every public meeting. That is no longer true. Citizen Portal can monitor all public meetings that are accessible digitally–which is a vast majority today.Citizen Portal is now conducting a crowdfunding raise under Regulation Crowdfunding via StartEngine.Paul shares his thoughts about crowdfunding:I literally love the American Jobs Act from 2012–finally, the SEC in 2016 launched the rules for crowdfunding. But I love the idea that average people can invest in a startup company that has a lot of promise, and obviously, billions of dollars have now been raised across the industry.Paul will deliver a keynote address in the opening session of SuperCrowd24 on April 17. To learn more about the offering, visit startengine.com/citizenportal.Paul has built Soar to take advantage of his superpower, ideation, enabling him to apply the core technology across a broad suite of applications.AI Episode Summary1. Paul Allen, the founder of Ancestry.com, is introduced as a "rock star entrepreneur" and is currently working on a new venture called Citizen Portal.2. Citizen Portal is an AI-driven platform designed to empower citizens to become informed and engaged on issues at the local, state, and federal levels, addressing the decline of traditional media coverage.3. The platform has imported and transcribed 600-700,000 hours of public meetings, making the content searchable and accessible to citizens.4. Paul's vision is to fill the void left by the diminishing newspaper industry by giving citizens firsthand access to government proceedings and facilitating a new generation of informed citizens.5. The ethical AI model used at Soar, called PURE AI, focuses on creating AI that is Personalized, Uplifting, Responsible, and Ethical.6. Paul plans to launch around 15 corporations in the next 2-3 years, including Faith Portal AI for religious content, Learning Portal, and Workplace AI Portal, aimed at improving human capability and decision-making.7. Family and Friend Portals are also in the pipeline to help enhance relationships, countering the rise in loneliness, stress, and isolation exacerbated by platforms like Facebook.8. Citizen Portal is currently running a crowdfunding campaign on StartEngine to further develop the platform and strengthen democracy.9. The platform aims to create a personal voter scorecard by indexing content from elected officials and opposition candidates, providing personalized, issue-based insights for voters.10. Paul attributes his success as an entrepreneur to his superpower of "ideation," the ability to come up with new ideas, which he pairs with executing strengths and building teams to bring ideas to reality.How to Develop Ideation As a SuperpowerPaul is a primary reason we call the show and the newsletter “Superpowers for Good.” An expert in personal strength development, Paul and I–friends for decades–met for lunch four or five years ago, and he explained how he appreciated the superpowers questions I asked guests. That ultimately led to writing the book, Superpowers for Good, and the show's rebranding.Paul shared his struggle with his ideation superpower in the early days of the World Wide Web: I had what I called dotcom syndrome. That is, for any word in the English language, I would just close my eyes and put a .com on it, and boom, a business model would pop into my head. Here's what the product or service could be. I bought a high-speed satellite dish in 1995 in Provo, Utah. I was probably the first person [there] to have high-speed internet. I would stay up till 2 or 3 in the morning studying thousands of other dot coms to find out their marketing strategy, their product strategy, what niches they were in, and how were they getting funded. I had a folio knowledge base with over 3,000 copy-and-paste things about what I discovered about internet companies.Paul advises changemakers: “Don't take advice from other people unless that advice lets you play to your strengths.”By following Paul’s example, you can strengthen your ideation ability. With practice, you, too, could make it a superpower that would enable you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that, as Paul suggests, research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfilePaul Allen (he/him):CEO & Board Member, Citizen PortalAbout Citizen Portal: Citizen Portal is a non-partisan, AI-powered platform with $426,200 in pre-seed funding and a seasoned leadership team aiming to revolutionize civic engagement, revive government transparency, and transform American democracy. Citizen Portal is on a mission to transform democracy with an AI-powered approach. We are reshaping civic engagement and education by providing Americans with up-to-date, accurate, newsworthy information straight from the source. Citizen Portal utilizes AI to index, transcribe, and summarize meetings and hearings at all levels of government. By providing access to video recordings of school boards, local, state, and federal meetings, Citizen Portal helps to empower citizens, journalists, and advocates to know what is being said by their elected officials and done in their government.Website: citizenportal.aiX/Twitter Handle: @CitizenPortalAiCompany Facebook Page: fb.com/profile.php?id=100093227401453Other URL: startengine.com/citizenportalBiographical Information: Paul Allen is a visionary tech entrepreneur and evangelist driven by a desire to help individuals live their best lives. Paul has founded eight companies. He calls himself a “platform entrepreneur” since his products are usually built on top of the latest tech platform or wave, such as CD-ROM, the World Wide Web, mp3 audio, or Facebook. For the past several years, Paul’s focus has been using machine learning and artificial intelligence to help individuals and organizations reach their full potential.In 1990, Paul founded Infobases, whose mission was to digitize and publish the world’s most important books on CD ROM with a full-text search engine. This endeavor led directly to Ancestry.com—Paul’s best-known company—which sought to gather and publish the world’s genealogy records, family trees, and memories on the internet to enable everyone to discover their heritage. Over 100 million people have learned about their family history at Ancestry.com.Paul’s teams have a history of building viral products. MyFamily.com (1998) attracted millions of users and, for a time, was the fastest-growing online community on the web, as well as the top photo-sharing site in 2000 and 2001. Paul’s We’re Related app on Facebook (2007-2010) gained more than 120 million users in two and a half years. From 2012 to 2017, Paul worked with Gallup to promote the StrengthsFinder assessment (now called CliftonStrengths) from the Washington, DC headquarters. As the “Global Strengths Evangelist,” Paul helped increase online purchases of the assessment and supported a global community of strengths coaches. Today, more than 30 million people have taken the CliftonStrengths assessment. Paul’s most recent creation is Soar.com, a company whose mission—once again—is to uplift humanity. Paul is a strong advocate for using AI in positive ways, specifically to enable individuals to become the best version of themselves. When excellent training is paired with AI-generated feedback on actual performance, leaders, managers, founders, and individual contributors can achieve excellence faster than ever before. Soar is an AI Studio that will form more than fifteen separate corporations to bring PURE AI (Personalized Uplifting Responsible Ethical AI) to many fields, including education, faith, government, health, finance, medicine, law, family history, and the workplace. Eventually, Soar will enable people to build and customize their own AI assistant (think of Jarvis from Iron Man or Janet from The Good Place) to help them learn, grow, make better decisions, and maximize their time on Earth. Paul’s influence extends beyond entrepreneurship. He’s a sought-after keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, teaching the importance of family stories and personal strengths in shaping one’s identity. A lifelong learner, Paul has amassed a vast library of thousands of books. In fact, Paul’s dedication to learning extends to his teaching roles in Internet Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University. He’s received numerous accolades, including Ernst & Young Utah Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000 and MarketingSherpa National Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008. Paul is a fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association and was named a Cyber Pioneer in 2010 by the Cyber Law Section of the Utah State Bar. In 2016, he was the honored alumnus of the BYU Humanities College, having graduated in 1990 with a BA in Russian. Most recently, Paul has been featured on The Pulse of AI, The Briefing with Steve Scully, The Business of Learning, and The Adventures in Machine Learning podcasts.Paul and his wife, Christy, reside in Missouri. They have eight adult children and five grandchildren.X/Twitter Handle: @paulballenPersonal Facebook Profile: fb.com/paulallenLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/paulballen/Instagram Handle: @paulallendcUpcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on February 20, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. Everyone is welcome to join the free events.* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee: This free event on February 21, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern, features President Brian Christie, Vice President Jenny Kassan, Secretary Brian Belley and Chair Scott McIntyre. Learn how you can join and make a difference. Earn rewards!* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024. This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore’s prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don’t miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.” Paul Allen will deliver a keynote address in the opening general session.* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information is coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET * Leveraging Donor-Advised Funds for Climate Investing, Raise Green, February 15 at 11 AM ET* Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, Texas* Crowdfunding Professional Association Webinar Series - March 13, 2:00 PM ET* Investment Crowdfunding Demystified, Crowdfund Better, March 26 at 2:00 PM ETIf you would like to submit an event for inclusion on our community calendar, click here. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It’s an easy way to support our work.Devin: Rosa Lee, what do you see as your superpower?Rosa Lee: Growing up in the church, I just kind of saw through a bunch of the crap, if you will, about what people thought church was about and saw I had a clear vision of that. What my faith needed to be about was figuring out what Jesus would do and doing it.Devin: What's your superpower, Leroy?Leroy: I've been a person who can look out and do something and bring people together to do something scary.Rosa Lee Harden and her husband and business partner, Kevin Doyle Jones, founded Neighborhood Economics as a community-focused version of the highly successful SoCap event series they created.“Back in 2008, my husband, Kevin Jones, and a bunch of us started this organization called SoCap,” Rosa Lee said. “We decided after about a decade that we wanted to go more downstream, if you will, and start working with economics in a way that could change neighborhoods for good.”The next Neighborhood Economics event is in San Antonio, Texas, on February 26 - 28, 2024. The event will feature about 70 speakers in 42 sessions over the three days.Leroy Barber, the executive director of Neighborhood Economics, joined us for this conversation. He says the enterprise brings together the world of impact investing and social entrepreneurship with his traditional focus on community development and church work. The connection to faith is more overt than implied, as it was at SoCap, recognizing faith leaders' and organizations' roles in repairing local economies. “We are mostly Christians in our organization, but we believe that faith writ large, not just Christianity, is the glue that holds the moral compass of the economy together,” Rosa Lee said. “It's important for people of faith to be in conversation with the economy.”A vital element of the event is bringing about a dozen foundations together to talk about patient capital's role in local community investing.Rosa Lee and Leroy both bring their superpowers to work. Rosa Lee’s early conviction to do what Jesus would and Leroy’s ability to get people together to complete scary community projects enable them to impact communities through their events.AI Episode Summary1. Devin Thorpe introduces Rosa Lee Harden, founder of Neighborhood Economics, and her colleague Leroy Barber as his guests on the "Superpowers for Good" show.2. Rosa Lee talks about starting SoCap in 2008, focusing on global impact investing, and later creating Neighborhood Economics with a more local approach to building economic justice in neighborhoods through ideas and community collaboration.3. Neighborhood Economics hosts events that bring together around 300 people to discuss actionable ways of making positive changes in local communities with input from national experts.4. Leroy Barber joined the initiative after being invited to SoCap, realizing the potential connections between social entrepreneurship, impact investing, and local community development.5. Rosa Lee highlights the purpose of Neighborhood Economics as a platform for facilitating discussions that SoCap couldn't cater to, such as impact investing for specific local contexts, and emphasizes the role of faith as a moral compass in economy-related conversations.6. Leroy explains the importance of the faith community as a mobilizer for local economic efforts, fostering a merge between the financial world and faith-directed community action.7. Rosa Lee shares details about an upcoming event in San Antonio, Texas, providing a platform for discussing various topics like reversing redlining, equitable homeownership, and employee-owned business models, alongside sessions about the role of faith in economic justice.8. Rosa Lee considers one of her superpowers to be her ability to see through superficial religious motivations and focus on living out her faith through actions that reflect a divine dream for the world, as well as her exceptional capability to organize large events without stress.9. Leroy identifies his superpower as the ability to bring people together to undertake challenging and transformative community work, fostering relationships and building unlikely alliances.10. Rosa Lee invites viewers to the Neighborhood Economics event and provides contact information for both her and Leroy—Rosa Lee at [email protected] and Leroy at [email protected]—for anyone interested in connecting or learning more about their work.To help others learn about Neighborhood Economics, share this post.How to Develop Doing As Jesus Would As a SuperpowerSoCap is the living manifestation of the power of Rosa Lee’s influence. Her faith led her to keep the balance at the events on impact, so the focus didn’t shift entirely to making money.“The idea that was emerging in the early 2000s, that you could invest for profit in mission-based businesses, that businesses should have a mission and that they should be doing good, and that you could follow your money through that path has proved to be true,” she says. In those early days of SoCap, her influence helped to maintain the balance.By following Rosa Lee’s example, you can increase your ability to apply principles of your faith in contexts outside of worship services. With practice, this could become a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.How to Develop Completing Scary Community Projects As a SuperpowerLeroy explains his superpower:My superpower is to convince people on the margins in local neighborhoods who've been underneath it for so long and are not resourced that this is possible. [Impact investors and social entrepreneurs] exist, and you can come meet them. We're going to pull all of y'all together, right? And something powerful can and will keep happening. I love the idea of that because people don't believe that that's there. My superpower is convincing people it's there.By following Leroy’s example, you can make bringing people together to tackle scary problems something that you can do, too. With practice, you can make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileAbout Neighborhood Economics: Neighborhood Economics convenes, recruits, and connects people repairing local economies. Our convenings gather local leaders, impact investors, catalytic foundations, minority entrepreneurs, and people of faith who want to build a more just economy.Website: https://neighborhoodeconomics.orgX/Twitter Handle: @neighboreconCompany Facebook Page: fb.com/neighborhoodeconomics/Other URL: https://neighborhoodeconomics.org/san-antonio/Rosa Lee Harden (she/her):Executive Producer, Neighborhood EconomicsBiographical Information: The Rev. Canon Rosa Lee Harden is a self-described serial entrepreneur. Her vocational life has included being publisher of weekly newspapers, trade journals, a business journal and CEO of a ‘Silicon Valley’ start-up. She was ordained as an Episcopal Priest in 2000 and served as Vicar of Holy Innocents Episcopal Church in San Francisco for ten years. She also served as the Canon for Money and Meaning at All Soul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Asheville, NC. In 2003, she developed ‘via media,’ a video curriculum about basic theology for the Episcopal church, developed at a time when the church was under great stress. Purchased by more than 1000 churches, it brought healing and connection across the denomination. In 2008, she and her husband, Kevin Jones, launched the global SOCAP (Social Capital Markets) conference, the conference at the intersection of money and meaning. In its 11th year, SOCAP18 brought more than 3,000 people from more than 60 countries to San Francisco to accelerate the good economy. Now, Rosa Lee is leading F+F: Reimagining God’s Economy, a conference to enable the varied and disconnected tribes of the Christian church to learn a language for making theological sense of money and its uses. She is also executive producer of Neighborhood Economics, a convening in Indianapolis that brought together leaders and practitioners in the field.Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/roharden/Leroy Barber (he/him):Executive Director, Neighborhood Economics Biographical Information: Leroy Barber has dedicated 30 years living and working towards what Dr. King called “the beloved community.”Leroy starts projects that shape society. In 1989, burdened by the plight of Philadelphia’s homeless, he and his wife, Donna, founded Restoration Ministries to serve homeless families and children living on the streets. In 1994, he became Director of Internship Programs at Cornerstone Christian Academy. Leroy was licensed and ordained at Mt Zion Baptist Church where he served as Youth Director with Donna, and also served as Associate Minister of Evangelism.  In 1997, he joined FCS Urban Ministries in Atlanta, GA, working with the Atlanta Youth Project to serve as the founding Executive Director of Atlanta Youth Academies, a private elementary school providing quality Christian education for low-income families in the inner city.  Leroy also helped found DOOR Atlanta, Community Life Church, South Atlanta Marketplace, and Community Grounds Coffee shop in Atlanta, as well as Green My Hood and The Voices Project. Leroy is an innovator, entrepreneur and lover of the arts. Leroy has a Masters Degree in Divinity and D. Min.Leroy is currently Executive Director for Neighborhood Economics, former Director of Innovation for an Engaged Church serving the Greater NW area of the United Methodist Church. Leroy is the Co-Founder of the Voices Project and Adjunct professor at Multnomah University. Rev. Barber has served on the boards of The Simple Way, Missio Alliance, The Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN), and the Former Board Chair of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA).He is the author of four books:• New Neighbor: An Invitation to Join Beloved Community (2008, Mission Year)• Everyday Missions: How Ordinary People Can Change the World (2012, Intervarsity Press)• Red, Brown, Yellow, Black and White: Who’s More Precious In His Sight? with Velma Maia Thomas, 2014, Faith Words/Hachette Book Group)• Embrace: God’s Radical Shalom For A Divided World (2016, Intervarsity Press)Leroy currently lives in Portland, Oregon and has been married to Donna for the past 35 years. Together they have six children.X/Twitter Handle: @leroybarberLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/leroy-barber-899041aInstagram Handle: @Leroybarber Upcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on February 20, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. Everyone is welcome to join the free events.* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee: This free event on February 21, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern, features President Brian Christie, Vice President Jenny Kassan, Secretary Brian Belley and Chair Scott McIntyre. Learn how you can join and make a difference. Earn rewards!* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024 This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore’s prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don’t miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information is coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Crowdfunding & SBA Lending with Kathleen Minogue of Crowdfund Better, Today!* Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, Texas* Crowdfunding Professional Association Webinar Series - March 13, 2:00 PMIf you would like to submit an event for inclusion on our community calendar, click here.Superpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It’s an easy way to support our work.Devin: What is your superpower?Dana: I asked some of my team yesterday on a call what they thought my superpower was. Since this is a family show, I'm going to self-edit here and say that they said, “If we had to describe Dana Spain's superpower, it’s that she gets stuff done.”Dana Spain is a second-generation business leader and real estate developer who turned her attention to supporting veterans. She founded the nonprofit Veterans Villages to house unsheltered and impoverished veterans.She shared the founding story and the vision with us:Veterans Village came out of a very simple problem; the problem that I saw when I was running a small but very mighty homeless shelter for female veterans is that when they put in all the work and did all kinds of enrichment programs–mind, body, spirit started to make great positive steps in their lives–government agencies were putting them in abject squalor when they were applying for independent housing. I just couldn't believe the scattered sites and the drug activity and crime-ridden areas that our ladies were being put into, especially when there was an affordable housing crisis all across the country. But these are people who have fought for our freedoms, and they're being discarded as if they're second-class citizens–if citizens at all. So, I was very frustrated and finally had enough. I went to my dad, who was alive at the time, Bernard Spain. He was an army vet. And over cocktails–where we always did our best business meetings–I said, “Dad, I'm just so frustrated. We work hard, the ladies work hard, they're veterans. Yet we're throwing them away and then wondering why the cycle of homelessness and bad decisions continues.”He looked me square in the eye, Devin, and he said, “You build buildings for a living. Why don't we build a building that is respectful, safe, affordable housing for our veterans and show the government how it's done?”So Veterans Villages was born. The first Veterans Village is called the Bernard Spain campus as a legacy to my dad because he was the force behind the idea of let's not talk about it, let's be about it. Let's build brand new construction, just like my market-rate apartments, and make it solely for our veterans who are coming out of transitional housing or addiction recovery programs or trauma centers, and have it be a place where our veterans can live together in a community, hence the village concept.If they are having a bad day, if they feel like they're going to make bad decisions, they have 46 other apartments to go to to knock on the door and say, “I could use a cup of coffee or a shoulder or an ear,” or “Let's watch a ball game together.” It stabilizes a foundation for them to thrive so the cycle does not repeat itself.That lesson from her father, the sense of urgency to be about something rather than talking about something, became Dana’s superpower.AI Episode Summary1. Devin introduces the show "Superpowers for Good" with the guest Dana Spain, founder of Veterans Village, which is aimed at supporting veterans through housing and community.2. Veterans Village was born out of Dana's experience running a homeless shelter for female veterans, where she saw a need for better housing solutions after transitional programs.3. Dana’s father, an army veteran, proposed building a respectful, safe and affordable housing project for veterans, which led to the founding of the first Veterans Village, named the Bernard Spain campus.4. The project was funded privately through corporate and foundation donations, grants, and traditional financing without relying on government funding or tax credits.5. Key supporters of Veterans Villages included Saint-Gobain's Certainteed, Dow Tile, Amira Vets, Quatro Capital, and First Citizens Community Bank.6. Dana's professional background includes a career as a developer after working in various fields, such as translation for a French bank, retail with Hallmark stores, publishing, and commercial real estate.7. Transitioning to veteran-focused charity work, Dana identified a lack of safe housing for female veterans, particularly those suffering from military sexual trauma.8. Dana describes her leadership style as direct and results-oriented, with a propensity to surround herself with expert teams and adapt plans as needed.9. A past accomplishment highlighted by Dana was the successful fundraising campaign for the Philadelphia Police Foundation to reintroduce the mounted police, a project initially deemed too expensive.10. Dana invites listeners to visit VeteransVillages.org to learn how to get involved with the initiative, highlighting the variety of ways support is welcomed, including donations and volunteering.You can support veterans simply by sharing this post to increase awareness.How to Develop Getting Stuff Done As a SuperpowerDana describes her superpower this way:I see a problem. Instead of the problem being the obstacle, the problem becomes the challenge to find a solution. So, in all of my endeavors, whether on the for-profit or nonprofit side, I look at the problem, the issue, and how we resolve that issue. How am I going to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty to be the first one on the front lines to address the issue?She adds:I'm not much of a business plan kind of gal because I feel that it puts you in this box of, “Okay, well, here's my business plan that's going to happen in six months, 12 months, 18 months, three years. So, I have to stick to that because that's the plan. I'm more of a back-of-a-cocktail-napkin kind of gal that every six months, I have to say, “Okay, well, that didn't work. Let's scratch that off. Let's let's go over here. Let's go over there.” Especially, I would say, in our charity endeavors, it's very organic. You have to be able to reposition on the fly.She shared an anecdote that typifies the way she gets stuff done. While serving on the Philadelphia Police Foundation, the police commissioner, Charles Ramsey, asked for help bringing back the mounted police.One board member spoke up to suggest that the challenge was somewhere between silly and impossible, “We’re never going to get that done.” Dana says the doers on the board simply said, “Watch us.” Creating a fundraising infrastructure that had never existed in the past and hosting events that had no precedent, they raised the money and brought back the mounted police. They still ride in Philadelphia.By following Dana’s advice and example, you can make getting stuff done a personal strength. With practice, it could become your superpower, enabling you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileDana Spain (she/her):President, Veterans VillagesAbout Veterans Villages: Veterans VIllages is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe and affordable housing for America’s veterans facing conditions of abject poverty and, in many cases, housing insecurity. Our replicable modular construction model ensures that we can expand our reach and impact and create Veterans Villages nationwide. Website: veteransvillages.orgX/Twitter: @veterans_vCompany Facebook Page: fb.com/vbcgivingfoundationLinkedin: linkedin.com/company/veteransvillages/Instagram Handle: @veterans_villagesBiographical Information: Dana Spain is the founder and president of Veterans Villages. A serial entrepreneur and philanthropist, Veterans Villages is Spain's third nonprofit following the creation of HAVEN Women in 2016 and the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in 2005. Upcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee: This free event on February 21, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern, features President Brian Christie, Vice President Jenny Kassan, Secretary Brian Belley and Chair Scott McIntyre. Learn how you can join and make a difference. Earn rewards!* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024. This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore’s prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don’t miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information is coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Crowdfunding & SBA Lending with Kathleen Minogue of Crowdfund Better, February 6* Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, TexasIf you would like to submit an event for inclusion on our community calendar, click here.Superpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It’s an easy way to support our work.Devin: What do you see as your superpower?Richard: If you asked the people around me, my superpower is, at its core, my competitiveness.Prominent money manager Richard H. Lawrence’s new book Carbon Done Correctly officially comes out today. The book features the history of his clean cookstove project, which started in Honduras in the late 1990s.Working with his daughter and a local team, they launched the project after volunteering for several years in the area following the devastating hurricane. While volunteering, they were perplexed by the number of people needing treatment for breathing problems. His daughter was the one who determined that the problem was cookstoves that vented smoke in the homes.Working with locals, they designed, built and installed 29 stoves. Struggling to fund further development of the project, Richard stumbled upon the growing voluntary carbon credit market. He learned that he could generate cash there to fund the project. Four years later, they successfully qualified for Gold Standard certification, enabling the sale of carbon credits.Today, Richard’s Proyecto Mirador has sold 310,000 stoves in Honduras and Guatemala with help from carbon credits.Carbon credits have become controversial in recent years. Seen favorably as a potential solution to climate change early on, some climate activists have become skeptical.“There's blame on both sides, I think,” Richard says, reacting to the critics. “Over the last ten years, 12 years, a lot of new methodologies were developed, and those methodologies were not strong enough. That resulted in an overcrediting of emission savings. Quite rightly, those developers are subjected to criticism.”“On the other side of the coin, the critics tend to throw the baby out with the bath water,” he says. “So, they'll find a cookstove project that they believe has over credited, and then they'll pass that all cookstoves over credited.”The truth is that many good carbon projects both reduce carbon emissions and improve lives with better health and economic well-being.Richard credits his superpower, a competitive nature, with driving his impact.AI Episode Summary1. **Introduction**: Devin Thorpe introduces Richard Lawrence as the guest on the "Superpowers for Good" show. Richard is an author, philanthropist, fund manager, nonprofit founder, and the writer of the newly published book Carbon Done Correctly.2. **Carbon Done Correctly**: The book tells the story of Richard's life over the last 20 years, focusing on his efforts in environmental and social work, particularly highlighting a transformative experience during a medical mission in Honduras.3. **Family Trip to Honduras**: Richard's initial involvement in social work began as a concern for his children growing up in a hedonistic society, leading to a family trip to Honduras to participate in medical missions, which revealed health issues linked to inadequate cookstoves.4. **Discovery of Health Issues and Cookstove Solution**: During the Honduras mission, they observed a pattern of respiratory illnesses in women and children, which Richard's daughter linked to smoke from indoor cookstoves. This became the impetus for Richard's work in designing and implementing better cookstoves.5. **Funding Stove Projects**: Richard learned about the carbon market and its potential to raise funds through gold-standard-certified carbon credits. Realizing the power of this mechanism, he decided to use it to finance the building of improved cookstoves.6. **Challenges in Cookstove Implementation**: Acquiring gold standard certification and selling carbon credits took four years. To ensure the initiative's success, the project emphasized holistic improvements in stove design, education, supervision, and monitoring.7. **Cookstove Project Expansion**: The cookstove project expanded significantly, leading to the construction of over 310,000 stoves in Honduras and Guatemala, employing 250 people, and proving the efficacy of using carbon markets for funding.8. **Response to Carbon Credit Criticism**: Richard acknowledges criticism of carbon credits, admitting some issues relate to flaws in methodology and over-crediting. He emphasizes the ongoing work to improve standards and ensure carbon credits effectively contribute to fighting climate change.9. **Social Justice Aspect of Carbon Credits**: Devin mentions, and Richard agrees, that carbon credits represent a means to transfer capital from wealthier nations to places with less capital where climate mitigation strategies can be implemented more cost-effectively.10. **Superpower – Competitiveness**: When asked about his superpower, Richard cites his competitiveness and determination as critical to his success. He shares a story where this trait helped solve a significant problem in the cookstove initiative, leading to a simple but impactful innovation. Richard also advises us to keep moving forward, not dwelling on mistakes and emphasizes the importance of teamwork.If you believe that climate solutions that serve people deserve more attention, please share.How to Develop Competitiveness As a SuperpowerRichard shares a story to illustrate how his competitive nature enabled impact. Many cookstove projects struggle with adoption and utilization. Installing a stove the family doesn’t use doesn’t help.In the early days, when Richard visited the project in Honduras, he too often found problems like that. In the field with the project COO, Professor Elder Mendoza, the two were angry about the adoption problems.Elder identified the problem–a simple maintenance issue prevented the stoves from working correctly. The solution was a $1 wand they called a “cinco” that the residents could use to keep the stoves operating perfectly. Now, 300,000 stoves later, the solution has proved its worth.Richard suggests a philosophy to develop and strengthen your competitiveness. “Just don’t give up.” “Keep looking forward,” he adds. “Don’t look back; don’t waste time on your mistakes. Just keep moving forward.”By following Richard’s example and counsel, you can strengthen your competitiveness. With practice, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileRichard H. Lawrence, Jr.  (he/him):Climate Activist and Author of Carbon Done Correctly: A Model for Climate Mitigation from the Global South to Wall Street Website: CarbonDoneCorrectly.comBiographical Information: Richard H. Lawrence, Jr., is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Overlook Investments Group, which he established in 1991. Overlook is an independent fund management company that invests in a concentrated portfolio of public equities throughout Asia, excluding Japan.Richard is a director and co-founder of several non-profit organizations with specific focus on climate change mitigation. In 2004, Richard and his wife, Dee, founded Proyecto Mirador Foundation, a non-profit that has built over 330,000 fuel-efficient stoves in rural communities across Honduras and Guatemala. In 2016, the Lawrences founded Cool Effect, a non-profit online platform that enables individuals and Fortune 500 companies to offset their carbon emissions through the purchase of carbon credits from high-integrity carbon reduction projects worldwide. In 2017, they established High Tide Foundation, a non-profit organization involved in climate change mitigation.Richard is Chairman of the non-profit Carbon Mapper, which deploys satellite technology to pinpoint and track point source emissions, particularly methane. In 2021, he helped establish Global Methane Hub with over $225 million in philanthropic funds to support methane advocacy and mitigation.Richard currently lives in San Francisco, California, with his wife and two adult children. His first published book, The Model: 37 Years Investing in Asian Equities, was released in 2021. Richard is also a member of the Board of Directors of The National Audubon Society.Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/richard-h-lawrence-jr-74480013Upcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee: This free event on February 21, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern, features President Brian Christie, Vice President Jenny Kassan, Secretary Brian Belley and Chair Scott McIntyre. Learn how you can join and make a difference. Earn rewards!* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024. This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore’s prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don’t miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information is coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* CfPA Webinar: A Conversation with Brendan Ballou, Author of Plunder, January 31* Crowdfunding & SBA Lending with Kathleen Minogue of Crowdfund Better, February 6* Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, TexasIf you would like to submit an event for inclusion on our community calendar, click here.Superpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It’s an easy way to support our work.Devin: What do you see as your superpower?Dom: I think my superpower is empathy.Dom Kelly is the CEO and founder of New Disabled South, a nonprofit organization that supports disabled people and fights for their rights. Disabled by cerebral palsy, Dom leads from a position of personal experience, empowering him to be effective.While the organization doesn’t have a policy to only hire people with disabilities, by making the workplace attractive to them, he’s built a team comprising people with that lived experience and perspective.Dom shared some of the tactics used to create an appealing workplace. They include unlimited PTO. “We have it unlimited for a reason. If people need to take care of themselves, they take care of themselves.”“We have a very progressive parental leave policy,” he says. New Disabled South offers “a year of parental leave– that's six months fully paid, full time off, and six months part-time hours fully paid.”In addition, the organization offers a robust insurance package that includes life, vision, dental, and health. “Also, we're a remote organization; we support our employees, making sure they have a comfortable place to work,” Dom says.A final aspect of the hiring practice is a four-day, 32-hour work week that allows people time to rest and enjoy life as well as work.This broad, employee-friendly policy grew out of Dom’s superpower: empathy.AI Episode Summary1. Dom Kelly is the founder, CEO, and president of New Disabled South, a nonprofit with an affiliated 501(c)(4), that focuses on advocacy and support for disabled individuals in the South.2. New Disabled South is unique in focusing on disability issues from a regional perspective in the South, addressing common challenges that disabled individuals face in the area.3. Some of the challenges specific to the South include barriers to voting access, non-expanded Medicaid, long waiting times for home care waivers, higher poverty rates, inaccessible transportation, and housing crises.4. Dom mentions that leaders lacking empathy can negatively impact both their leadership and their organization.5. New Disabled South's employment practices are designed to create an inclusive and supportive environment and include benefits like a four-day workweek and fully paid unlimited time off, among others.6. The organization’s workplace policies prioritize empathy and support for employees' overall well-being and life experiences.7. Dom believes that his superpower is empathy, which has been shaped by personal experiences, such as the loss of his brother when they were children.8. He shares a story where displaying empathy during a difficult time at his job led to him doubling down on his commitment to help refugees, which reaffirmed his values and eventually brought him on the path to his current work.9. Dom advises that developing empathy starts with genuinely listening to others without interjecting, allowing for perspectives and experiences to be shared openly.10. Dom can be reached and supported through New Disabled South’s website (newdisabledsouth.org), with direct donation links available, and he is also on LinkedIn and social media under the handle (at)the_tattooedjew. If you think employers can do better at including disabled people in hiring, please share.How to Develop Empathy As a SuperpowerDom began to appreciate empathy when his fraternal triplet brother passed away when they were six. It helped him to better understand the human connections between people.“I have seen a lack of empathy take down leaders and organizations,” Dom says. “It is something I just go back to often and remind myself to use my empathy as a strength.”Dom shared a story of a time when feeling and manifesting empathy was a challenge but also particularly important, and he could lean on this strength to help a friend.I was in a job that I was feeling frustrated with. It wasn't a good fit. The boss that I had didn't have a whole lot of empathy. He said some things to me–my wife and I were doing some work at the border at the time to help refugees, doing some organizing. At the time, he said something like, “I wish you cared as much about my business as you do about refugees at the border.” It was frustrating because I felt I was working hard. At the same time, it highlighted some misalignment for me.So, I share that because I was feeling frustrated, I was feeling afraid I was going to lose my job, or I was going to quit my job.At the time, we had a couple of friends who came to live with us as refugees from Honduras. When I got home that day, one of them had found out he had got a bad diagnosis and shared it with us. I got to put my stuff aside, be there for him and his partner, and be supportive and listen. It affirmed my commitment to that work. What wound up happening was I lost that job, and it wound up being the best thing that ever happened to me because I wouldn't be down this path that I'm on now. But my ability to put that aside and be there for someone who needed it put it into focus and put things into perspective and made me realign with my values and what was important to me. I showed up in that moment for someone who needed me.Dom offers a few tips for developing your empathy.“Take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth,” he says. “Empathy is just sitting and listening to another person, not having to speak, not having to interject unless it's needed or asked for.”By following Dom’s example and advice, you can strengthen your empathy. With practice, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileDom Kelly (he/him):Co-Founder, President and CEO, New Disabled SouthAbout New Disabled South: New Disabled South is the first and only regional disability organization in the United States, fighting for liberation, justice, and rights for all disabled people in the South. We are a political home for all disabled people in 14 states across the US South. We are winning policy and narrative change for disabled people through organizing, advocacy, education, and research. New Disabled South exists to win rights, justice, liberation, and material improvements by and for disabled people across the US South. We are working to ensure there is a cost to ableism. We do this by exposing and holding accountable ableist actors in government, business, media, politics, and everywhere – to ensure we achieve transformative change for disabled people in our lifetimes. We also strive to be the go-to resource hub to understand disabled people in the US South – shedding light on where disability justice and rights stand and where they could and should be. Our mission is to improve the lives of disabled people and cultivate strong disability rights and disability justice frameworks in the South, working toward a vision of a South where all disabled people experience liberation and justice in our lifetimes.Website: newdisabledsouth.orgX/Twitter Handle: @DisabledSouthCompany Facebook Page: fb.com/NewDisabledSouth/Instagram Handle: @newdisabledsouthBiographical Information: Dom Kelly is the Co-Founder, President & CEO of New Disabled South, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and New Disabled South Rising, its 501(c)(4) arm. He previously served as both the Georgia Fundraising Director and the Senior Advisor for Disability for Stacey Abrams’ campaign for governor of Georgia. Prior to that, he was Senior Fundraising Manager and a Strategic Advisor for Disability at Fair Fight Action, the voting rights organization founded by Stacey Abrams, where he also created and led the organization’s Disability Council, composed of prominent disability advocates and policy experts from across the country. Dom is one of a set of triplets born with Cerebral Palsy and has been a disability advocate since he was four years old. Starting when he was a young teenager, Dom and his brothers played around the world with their rock band, touring and collaborating with artists like Indigo Girls, Joan Baez, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Bangles and more and releasing six records over 15+ years. He is retired from music, but with a decade of additional experience in digital and editorial strategy, nonprofit development, and community building, he has devoted his life to disability justice advocacy, progressive policy, and nonprofit leadership. He received a Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice, where he also received the Excellence in Social Impact award. Additionally, he holds a bachelor’s degree in music production, a master’s degree in journalism, an executive certificate in social impact strategy, and a graduate certificate in interdisciplinary disability studies. Dom was chosen as a 2024 Rockwood National Leading From the Inside Out Yearlong Fellow and as one of ten winners of The J.M. Kaplan Fund’s 2023 Innovation Prize. He was a 2021 New Leaders Council fellow, serves as Chair for the board of The Kelsey, as Treasurer for the board of Disability Victory, as an advisory board member of ADA Watch, and as a member of the NationSwell Council. Dom also occasionally works as a consultant under The Tattooed Jew LLC, helping both political campaigns and nonprofit organizations with strategy. Dom currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Catie, their daughter, Mahalia, and their dog, Vivi.X/Twitter Handle: @the_tattooedjewPersonal Facebook Profile: fb.com/dominic.kelly1Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dominic-edward-kelly/Instagram Handle: @the_tattooedjewUpcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee: This free event features President Brian Christ, Vice President Jenny Kassan, Secretary Brian Belley and Chair Scott McIntyre. Learn how you can join and make a difference. Earn rewards!* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024. This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore’s prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don’t miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Local Investment 101 with Michael Shuman, January 27 - February 24, Lake Katrine, NY* CfPA Webinar: A Conversation with Brendan Ballou, Author of Plunder, January 31* Crowdfunding & SBA Lending with Kathleen Minogue of Crowdfund Better, February 6* Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, TexasIf you would like to submit an event for inclusion on our community calendar, click here.Superpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

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.Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It’s an easy way to support our work.Devin: What is your superpower?Shubber: What I think I'm particularly good at is identifying the right problem to solve.Shubber Ali’s story is fascinating on several levels. He volunteered himself into a great job. Perhaps I should have him back just to drill down more on that brilliant career maneuver. We focused our discussion on how he identified a critical gap in the work of a national nonprofit and helped it close the gap with a for-profit solution.After becoming a donor and a big fan of the work of the National Wildlife Federation, Shubber helped guide them to design a business line that initially operated within the nonprofit–selling the local plants the organization had long coached people to buy.Shubber had figured out that the big box retailers with garden centers were selling invasive species–often exclusively–in their stores. Given the massive number of people shopping at those stores, this is a big problem. It proved difficult for him to get the native plants he wanted in his yard.He approached the National Wildlife Federation with an offer of pro-bono consulting with this offer “We need to solve the problem of supply; we need to make it easy for people to get these plants so they can put them in their yards and help restore habitat one yard at a time.”After the successful launch of the product line inside the nonprofit, the opportunity began to grow. He shares the story:Long story short, I went to them again last year and said, this is a fantastic business opportunity, but it's not going to thrive inside of a not-for-profit because you're not designed to run a business. They agreed and said, “We'll spin it out as a for-profit company [that they are the majority shareholder of], and then we could bring in outside investors,” but on the condition that I would come in and be the CEO.So, I absolutely jumped at the chance. This is the combination of doing good and doing what I love doing–building companies.Today, you can visit Garden for Wildlife at GardenForWildlife.com to find and order native plants for your zip code. This customized finder works for just about everyone east of the Rocky Mountains. Shubber learned some of what guided his yard plantings and business strategy from Doug Tallamy’s book Nature's Best Hope. In this book, he learned the vital role native plants play in the ecosystem. He explains:Native plants are actually the food source for the caterpillars of many of the pollinators, the butterflies and moths, etc.Those caterpillars are the food source for the songbirds. So, as the book laid out very clearly, by wiping out all the beautiful native flowers and plants that are out there, we have systematically destroyed not only the pollinators but over 3 billion pairs of nesting songbirds, which is why you just don't see as many these days.Sure, you see sparrows and crows and things like that–and pigeons, of course, in every city, but all the beautiful birds that we're used to, cardinals, wrens, blue jays, chickadees–all sorts of things. They've all basically really diminished in terms of population.Recently, Garden for Wildlife launched a regulated investment crowdfunding campaign, allowing anyone to invest in the company. The National Wildlife Federation invested additional funds and remains the largest shareholder, but now everyone can participate.Living in Suburban Maryland, Shubber will speak at SuperCrowdBaltimore on March 21, 2024. Superpowers for Good readers can save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd” right now. Register today.Throughout his career, Shubber has been honing a vital skill that enables his success. He’s good at identifying the problem that needs to be solved.AI Episode Summary1. Shubber Ali is the CEO of Garden for Wildlife, which aims to educate people about native habitat protection and provides access to native plants for gardens, with a history extending from a program started by the National Wildlife Federation.2. The initial focus of the program has been to protect species like the monarch butterfly and pollinators, creating certified wildlife habitats mainly in people’s yards and schools.3. After moving from California to Maryland, Shubber transformed his lawn into a habitat for birds and pollinators by planting native species, inspired by Doug Tallamy’s book Nature's Best Hope, which emphasizes the importance of native plants for local ecosystems.4. Shubber identified a core problem in the marketplace: the lack of supply of native plants, as most big box stores sell invasive species, harming local ecosystems.5. Seeing an opportunity to address the problem, Shubber pitched a business plan to the National Wildlife Federation to create Garden for Wildlife, a company that would directly ship native plants to customers' doorsteps.6. After a successful launch inside the National Wildlife Federation, Shubber proposed spinning Garden for Wildlife out as a separate company, with the Federation as the majority shareholder, employees as stakeholders, and bringing in outside investors.7. They launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise additional working capital to scale operations, like building more greenhouses, offering different tiers of investment for shares in the company.8. Garden for Wildlife's website features a native plant finder database, allowing customers to easily find plants that are native to their zip code, aiding in efficient and eco-friendly gardening.9. Shubber touched on the connection between Garden for Wildlife’s mission and climate change at COP28, discussing how planting native species with deep root systems can help biodiversity, water absorption, and carbon sequestration.10. Shubber invites interested parties to visit Invest.GardenforWildlife.com to read more about and participate in the investment offering, and he recommends reading Doug Tallamy’s book for a deeper understanding of the importance of supporting native plants for environmental health.If you think the world needs more native plants and deeper carbon sequestration, please share this episode.How to Develop Seeing the Problem to Solve As a SuperpowerThroughout his career, Shubber has been using and refining his ability to find the right problem that needs to be solved. It is becoming a signature strength. He’s long used a quote that has sometimes been mistakenly attributed to Einstein, “If you have an hour to solve a problem, spend 55 minutes defining it and five minutes solving it.”His work at Garden for Wildlife is an excellent example of using this skill effectively. He shares the story to illustrate the superpower:Garden for Wildlife is a result of understanding the right problem to solve. It wasn't enough to educate people about native plants because, frankly, they've been doing it for almost 50 years, and yet it's only getting worse. It's supply. It was a lack of supply and then awareness to the people who needed to know about it. I was that customer. I gladly shopped at places and bought all the wrong stuff because I didn't know what the right stuff was, and then it wasn't available once I did figure it out. So that's an example of saying, okay, what do we have to solve for? It's an arc of awareness, education, access.By following Shubber’s example, you can improve your ability to define the problem you need to solve before you try to solve it. With practice, you can make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Shubber will also be speaking at SuperCrowd24. Held on April 17 and 18th, Superpowers for Good readers can save 50 percent on tickets with the discount code “SuperCrowd” right now. Register today. Guest ProfileShubber Ali (he/him):CEO, Garden for Wildlife IncAbout Garden for Wildlife Inc: Garden for Wildlife (GFW) Inc. is a recent spinout from the National Wildlife Federation (our largest investor and shareholder), building on the 50-year history of the GFW educational program.  The company's mission is to drive a massive increase in the planting of native plants in North America (at homes, schools, businesses, community gardens, etc) by making it easy for people and organizations to learn about, find and get the right native plants.  It launched as an ecommerce site in 2021 and, in its first full year of operation (2022), sold approximately $1m of plants to consumers in over 35 states.  Website: gardenforwildlife.comX/Twitter Handle: @garden4wildlifeCompany Facebook Page: fb.com/gardenforwildlife/Other URL: invest.gardenforwildlife.comBiographical Information: Shubber Ali is CEO of Garden for Wildlife.  He is a father, husband, avid gardener, and loves nature - and it’s those last two things that led to his current role.  He has spent over thirty years helping companies solve their most complicated and difficult problems through innovation, identifying growth opportunities, enabling technologies and platforms. He was the VP and Global Lead for the Elevate team at Elastic from April 2021 to June 2022, and prior to that, he was one of Accenture’s global leads for digital innovation from September 2017 to April 2021, where he worked with the National Wildlife Federation to create the Garden for Wildlife business. He has also served as VP of Strategic Innovation at Salesforce. He has co-founded multiple consumer technology companies, some successes including Centriq (acquired) and Flaik (privately held), and some great learning experiences (aka “failures”).  He serves as an advisor to numerous startups. In addition, Shubber has served for nine years on the Advisory Board of the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown (where he has also been an adjunct professor of Innovation Management in the Executive MBA program) and a guest lecturer for the Emory University Executive MBA program.  Since 2014, he also serves as a member of the global advisory STAR program for Airbus.X/Twitter Handle: @shubberaliPersonal Facebook Profile: fb.com/people/Shubber-AliLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/shubberaliSuperpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee (free)* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024 (save 30 percent with “SuperCrowd”)* SuperCrowd24, April 17-18 (save 50 percent with “SuperCrowd”) Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe