ASBDC Accredited Member seal
A newly created crowdfunding portal in collaboration with The Coca-Cola Company, and a look at last week’s Federal Reserve actions are among topics of this week’s free webinar presented by the Small Business Development Center at CSU Bakersfield.
Host and SBDC director, Kelly Bearden is joined by Ruth E. Hedges, CEO of Rise Up Crowdfunding, a new portal recently launched in collaboration with The Coca-Cola Company. Hedges discusses how the portal provides a place for women- and minority-owned small businesses and startups to raise capital using Regulation Crowdfunding from the general public of investors.
A national regulation crowdfunding expert and speaker, Hedges is one of the original pioneers of legislation signed into law in April 2012 known as the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act). It established crowdfunding provisions to allow early-stage businesses to offer and sell securities and provided crowdfunding dollar limits be adjusted for inflation every five years.
Kelly is also joined by economist Mark Evans, emeritus professor from CSUB. Dr. Evans interprets the Federal Reserve’s most recent actions. He also takes a look into some surprising statistics of older Americans. The webinar begins with Kelly providing updates on availability of capital resources programs, and weather-related disaster assistance for businesses from local, state, and federal governments.
This marks the 281st episode of the free weekly “Webinar Wednesday” business series that provides news and information helpful to employers and business owners.
The SBDC provides free one-on-one consulting to help small business owners. New and existing businesses can sign up for assistance by clicking here!
TIMESTAMPS - you can click below on the blue highlighted timestamps to go directly to Ruth E. Hedges or Economist, Dr. Mark Evans.
00:00 Intro
00:52 Coming up on Webinar Wednesday!
02:07 What’s up today June 21, 2023
03:44 Poll Question #1: “How much do you know about crowdfunding?”
05:28 Poll Question #2: “The most 100-degree days in Bakersfield was 76. Which year was that?”
07:39 Poll Question #3: “Which are the fewest 100-degree days that occurred in 1965 & 1999?”
09:31 Capital Corridor....Debt ceiling for small business – factors that can limit raising capital
10:55 Capital Corridor....Debt ceiling for small business – leveraging equity from crowdfunding example
13:38 SBA Disaster Loans for CA Declaration 17757 vs. 17842
14:15 SBA property damage declaration & EIDL deadlines are both extended
14:48 Economic Corner – Kelly introduces WW resident economist, Dr. Mark Evans
15:32 Dr. Evans begins – Inflation & Interest update and Aging, Small Business & Economic Growth
16:08 Inflation & interest rate update: The Fed’s evolving disinflation target
17:04 Fed is watching core services price index
18:00 Which is driven by wage-price spiral
18:26 Fed revised EOY interest rate forecast upward, despite recent pause (EOY forecasts)
19:38 “Soft Landing” status report
20:33 Aging and Economic Growth – the baby-bust economy
21:22 “The Economist” magazine cover story June 3-9, 2023 – What does aging imply in terms of innovation and productivity increases
26:01 Local workforce challenges will increase with diminishing in-migration – One example
26:52 Kelly rejoins Dr. Evans
27:13 Community Calendar: USC Access to Capital Online Workshop
27:31 All About EIDL free webinar with Q & A on June 29th
28:01 See what tools the SBDC has for your business
28:06 Kelly introduces Ruth E. Hedges, CEO of Rise Up Crowdfunding
28:53 Ruth Hedges begins to speak
31:29 Ruth introduces Rise Up Crowdfunding Portal
31:42 Ruth plays video of what Rise Up Crowdfunding Portal does
33:22 Ruth resumes speaking
40:55 Kelly rejoins Ruth for discussion and examples of successful crowdfunding
51:20 Questions & Answers with webinar attendees
