The crowdfunding platform was initially created to enable access to capital for firms unable to raise funding through traditional angel and venture capital channels. It has done that for thousands of companies, and the sector continues to grow. In the meantime, there have been several updates to legislation governing the sector - some of which are quite complicated.

The event will focus on the following:   
(1) How the crowdfunding sector has provided an alternate path to capital for startups needing funding to grow their businesses.
(2) Developments within the rewards-based sector, clarification of primary elements of legislation governing the equity-based sector, and current market status of both areas.  
(3) Legal aspects of the crowdfunding landscape that firms should be aware of before attempting to access the market.
(4)  Ongoing developments likely to affect the future of the industry - which have the potential to further broaden the range of funding options.

Amy Cortese is an award-winning journalist who has written on several business and financial topics. Her work has appeared in Business Week, the New York Times, Portfolio, Wired, and Business 2.0. Her book, Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From it, explores how a shift in investment from multinationals to locally-owned enterprises can reap enormous economic and social benefits for individuals and communities.
 

Peter Einstein is Founder of The CrowdFunding Network, which launched a crowd-powered search engine in 2012; and a Co-Founding Board Member of the Crowdfunding Professional Association. He is a key participant in a major project whose goal is creation of an "innovation zone" crowdfunding ecosystem which will include business incubation, co-working, and financing opportunities. The model is structured to be exempt from many business taxes and regulations.  
   

Andrea Cataneo is a Partner at Sheppard Mullin, who focuses on structuring secured and unsecured private equity transactions for microcap companies, as well as taking companies public. Additionally, she offers her clients targeted sources of capital, including funding now available under recent crowdfunding legislation. She also advises publicly-held companies with reporting obligations to the SEC, exchange listings, and compliance matters.
 

Kim Wales is the Founder and CEO of Crowdbureau, an investment research and ratings firm, and Wales Capital. She has been a primary contributor to legislation on securities-based crowdfunding, having been cited in the final rules of both Title III (Regulation Crowdfunding) and Title IV (Regulation A+). She is an Executive Board Member of the Crowdfund Intermediary Regulatory Advocates. She has been quoted in the N.Y. Times, Forbes, Business Week, and BBC-TV.