#proudinvestor

[fmcapitalgrp]

🌱 Introducing #QweziBeauty, the first retail product from Raintree Farms @rt_farms • Available only in Kampala 🇺🇬 (for now😏) #moringaoil #feedyourglow • #proudinvestor #investinafrica #myfirstinvestmentinafrica #faithmight 💯 (at Kampala, Uganda) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8JfV6KHJ97/?igshid=jaw6cf29uv06

[kayspearritt]

Bucket list investor necklace finally arrived!! #proudinvestor https://www.instagram.com/p/CWdUcboseal/?utm_medium=tumblr

[releaseteam]

via Twitter https://twitter.com/releaseteam

[tempestdigitalstudios]

via Twitter https://twitter.com/ajlfx

[fcvoice]

Moving Beyond Crowdfunding

I’ve been very fortunate to be involved as an investor in numerous companies that truly do well by doing good. When I first met the founders of GiveForward, I was inspired by the magnitude by which this company was making a social impact, raising millions of dollars for people in need. Today in America, 1 in 3 bankruptcies come as a result of medical expenses.  Imagine at a time that a person is most in need of love and support to fight a life threatening medical condition, they are also on the verge of financial ruin. This is all too common in our country and GiveForward was created to help. On this premise, I was delighted to lead GiveForward’s seed financing in 2012.

Yesterday, GiveForward announced a major evolution in their service and made a surprising admission—crowdfunding isn’t enough.

People come to GiveForward when times are tough and rely on the service to help them raise the money they need for surgical bills, IVF treatments, adoption expenses, pet emergencies, and the costs of living during a crisis. And it’s been successful having raised over $170 million dollars for people in need since coming out of Techstars in 2010.

But over the years, the team at GiveForward realized that fundraising is only a part of what’s needed. During times of extreme stress people don’t just need money, they need a community that’s acting on their behalf and a central rallying point to get things done. Caregivers have been hacking together solutions with spreadsheets, phone calls, and Facebook Groups, but GiveForward felt strongly that hacking something together during a crisis shouldn’t be necessary and set out to build a single cohesive product.

Crowdfunding has been largely transactional business. It’s not uncommon to donate money to a friend in need and then never return to the site. It’s likely that most people don’t even pay attention to which site they’re on when they donate. With its new product, GiveForward gives supporters a reason to go beyond a transaction and show support in various way to those they care about over time.

By providing a centralized service—a sort of mission control—GiveForward has empowered those in need and their closest supporters to build engaged communities that can help with everything, from coordinating meal delivery, sharing information with far-flung friends and family, purchasing necessary items on wish lists, and of course, contributing money to a fundraisers.

This new model helps people through the entirety of these major life events and opens up the door for incredible partnerships and additional revenue streams. For GiveForward, it means more monthly active users and more frequent transactions. For their users, it’s a lifeline during trying times.

It’s an exciting time for GiveForward and I’m more thrilled than ever to be a part of this. On a personal note, I’ve seen firsthand the very real impact they make. A close friend of my brother, Oren Miller, was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer. Oren was a well known dad blogger and penned a very moving piece about his diagnosis and his hopes for after his death. Oren’s friends and family rallied to raise over $40,000 on GiveForward. The money was helpful, but the outpouring of love and support was incredibly meaningful to Oren. With the new GiveForward, this outpouring will be so much more powerful for those who need support like Oren did. The new GiveForward is poised to improve the lives of so many more people.

GiveForward has a big vision: to be the first place people turn to when someone they love is in need. The entire culture of the company is built around this vision. The whole team rallies around it. What’s more, the decision to embark on this new path has helped GiveForward attract key new executives, like new CEO Josh Chapman, and transformative partnerships, like our new integration with Fortune 100 insurance leader Nationwide.

GiveForward combines the humanity of the best charities with the kind of connection and coordination that can only be achieved by a tech-enabled business. Doing well by doing good is hard, but I have confidence they’re on the path that will thoughtfully combine social purpose and startup scale.

[faithmight]

(via On the impact of remittances and the Virtuous circle of value-addition at the last mile — TMS Ruge)

Teddy is a crazy entrepreneur. He had this crazy idea that agriculture in Uganda could be a source of wealth. And not just financial but SOCIAL. He knew he could empower farmers in their own farms, rather than buy them out. He knew that using local talent would empower hundreds of women. And, as he and I both knew, empowering women has an exponential effect on the quality of life in developing communities. Economic empowerment is virtuous. It ripples to reaches of the community that you may never thought possible and makes successful companies pivot many times over to get it right. Farm-to-capsule is a growing trend that I think is definitely undersupplied. So 

This investment continues to be a tremendous learning experience for me too. I can definitely be a better partner. But I am glad for the many talks Teddy and I have had. When a company is not ready for growth, failing to meet demand is devastating. But the market will always be there. That has been the silver lining. We, investors, the team, our founder, are not crazy for investing in a company that grows and sells moringa. People want this stuff. It is so healthy and so nutritious is makes you really wonder why it hasn’t been on the market sooner. The demand proves itself robust. So building a company to serve this demand has become akin to waiting for a trade setup. Waiting for crop to grow is a long 9 or more months. Building factories and roads is not a quick endeavor. Waiting for a trade to set up while watching price action all around it, is not easy to do either as time drags on. But it is always worth the wait. 

[jasonbinn]

Congrats to my pal #WarnerMusic's COO @wiesenthal #RobWiesenthal for creating @FlyBlade and taking over as the CEO. Wiesenthal promises #FlyBlade will be the Uber of helicopters.#ProudInvestor

[fmcapitalgrp]

A great reminder from founder of @ienrichher, a platform for investors to invest in #womenentrepreneurs. So if you’re a founder, check them out. If you’re an investor, talk to your advisor about it. 🙋🏾‍♀️😉 #proudinvestor #portfoliocompany #womenfounders of #venturecapital #yolo #faith #levelup #Repost @roshawnnanovellus with @get_repost ・・・ Love your fucking life. Take pictures of everything. Tell people you love them. Talk to random strangers. Do things that you’re scared to do. So many of us die and no one remembers a thing that we did. Take your life and make it the best story in the world. Don’t waste that shit. (at Crowne Plaza Silicon Valley N - Union City) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqGzG87FbIP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=v7jpcwbc3obe

[fmcapitalgrp]

🙌🏾 We got really exciting news from our portfolio company @weareshyftpower that founders Ugwem Eneyo and Cole Stites-Clayton have been selected as Forbes 30 Under 30 for the 2020 Energy Sector. FM Capital Group was one of their first investors a few years ago and we are so proud to witness their growth since then. They were our first investment and made it such a pleasure that I got spoiled lol. Thankfully, I’ve had more difficult investments since then to ground my expectations but these 2 have been an absolute pleasure persevering through the challenges, hitting company milestones and giving timely updates. Ugwem is an incredible leader in her own right (see previous posts). I look forward to continued growth and success 🚀🚀 CONGRATULATIONS UGWEM AND COLE! • #energy #cleanenergy #solar #nigeria #forbes30under30 #congratulations #proudinvestor #vc #womensupportingwomen #womeninbusiness #blackgirlmagic #investing #fmcapitalgrp #faithmight 💯 https://www.instagram.com/p/B5sZZ40HU8E/?igshid=16atxfoqra51b

[fmcapitalgrp]

This weekend, I spent 2.5 days at the annual African Diaspora Investment Symposium (#ADIS2019). This conference is simply the place to be for African entrepreneurship and investment. I connected with so many individuals and organizations. But the highlight for me was finally meeting the awardees of the Builders of Africa’s Future Award whom I had the pleasure of learning about as a judge of the competition. These young people ARE DOING IT and making real impact in education and business in their home countries. Because Nigeria’s precarious visa process was compounded by the #usgovernmentshutdown, I had the pleasure of accepting the award on behalf of @wemoveco and presenting the company to the entire conference. I was honored to do it. The founder of @africandiasporanetwork, Almaz Nagesh, is an amazing beacon of leadership and strategy for bringing everyone in that room together for the amplification of the abundance that already exists in Africa and within the diaspora. I’m just happy to do my part ☺️ I love my work 🌍 _________________ #investinAfrica #africaninnovation #blackexcellence #africans #africandiaspora #friendsofAfrica #allies #investor #entrepreneur #nonprofit #ADN #fmcapitalgrp #proudinvestor #faithmight 💯 (at Computer History Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtI6qtzFGb4/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=hnrkab0nc53z

[fmcapitalgrp]

WeMove Technologies is one of our portfolio companies based in Nigeria. This startup uses technology to make transportation easy and accessible to every individual. You can hire a driver for your trip (which is what initially attracted me to them), manage transportation services for your business and receive data trends to power those business decisions. All online. Transportation logistics is a huge opportunity in Nigeria and across emerging economies where infrastructure is still being built up. It’s nice to see others recognize what I saw from the beginning. We were WeMove’s very first check causing other investors to quickly follow us #proudinvestor #portfoliocompany #vc #venturecapital #firstcheck #wemove #alwaysaleader #vision #opportunity #nigeria #tech #technology #startup #keepgoing #fmcapitalgrp #faithmight 💯 . . . #Repost @wemoveco ・・・ "Yesterday's work yields today's wins. As the rewards for today's efforts lie in wait for tomorrow..." WeMove Technology Ltd was celebrated yesterday as one of the #top100EmergingSMEs in Nigeria by @connectnigeria and @unionbankng and we can't keep calm. The founding team @jidkod @celestocalculus @keec20 was in attendance on behalf of the brand to receive this recognition. With stronger resolve towards greater achievements in 2019 and the coming years... #CNTop100 #wemoveco #wemove #britishcouncilng #unionbank #connectnigeria (at Lagos, Nigeria) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrahdXiFOIT/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=152ivvle10s9s

[fmcapitalgrp]

That would make @ienrichher our first #femalefounder #blockchain company in the portfolio 👊🏾 #proudinvestor #fmcapitalgrp #faithmight #Repost @ienrichher ・・・ EnrichHER is the first debt-based crowdfunding platform that uses Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Algorithms to unite investors and entrepreneurs who share a vision for sustainable women-led ventures. Join the movement, click the link in our bio 🎀 · . · . · . · . #Invest #Funder #Founder#BusinessBuilding #Return #Capital #Dreams #Build #CEO #Growth #BeTheChange #EnrichHER #Opportunities #Boss #Lending #Motivate #Dedicate #Inspire #Inspo #DailyInspo https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq0YNsiFF4s/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ezmp60dokmo6

[faithmight]

Now that the show has finally launched, I am at liberty to burst with pride!

BlackTree made its television debut last week with "BlackTree on TV". This is the trailers many are watching as show opens on DISH TV in select markets.

I've watched this company since 1996 and been a part since 2001. I can't tell you how amazing this milestone is! My hubby's dream come true. Amazing and honored to be a part of watching someone fight for their dreams and WIN. I'm so proud of him!

[faithmight]

This is the best investor update ever: https://twitter.com/tmsruge/status/251227256087781376 I am beaming!

[faithmight]

Nice for the Washington Post to recognize our half billion milestone.

[faithmight]

BlackTree TV has crossed the half BILLION mark! Wow. How far this company has come. Proud investor :)