WE HAVE REACHED FULL CAPACITY!

Thank you! To the financial contributors:

Cindy Gordon

Brian Monrad

Gary Stairs

Helen Seibel

John Reid

This is an open ALL Party Briefing

Let's Kick Start

A Quality Conversation about Crowdfunding in Ontario

Who Should Come:

• MPPs from all parties interested in job creation, funding small business & investor protection,
• Startups: small tech companies, social innovators, small business owners,
• Members of the OSC Small and Medium Enterprises Committee.
• Angel investors, Venture Capitalists, incubators, acclerators, investment bankers, lawyers and startup advisors.
• Government, NGO and Academic employees concerned with innovation in Ontario.
• Traditional media and bloggers who want to help bring crowdfunding into focus for Ontario.
• You should. If you want to learn about crowdfunding and the state of innovation in Ontario.

Check our OPEN RSVP and learn more about who in Ontario is on top of the game changing emergence of crowdfunding and what they are doing to about it.

Here is what we will discuss:

• The JOBSAct in the USA, that President signed into law, legalizing crowdfunding south of the border.
• What does the emergence of crowd funding in the US mean for Canada?
• What are the different types of crowd funding: definitions, platforms and methods.
• How can we protect investors from fraud and the inherent risk of startups?
• Who is for and who is against legal crowdfunding in Ontario and why?

Guest Speaker: Sherwood Neiss, StartupExemption.com

Sherwood Neiss, one of three entrepeneurs who led a 579 day campaign that included authoring the original crowdfunding framework that was ultimately signed into law by President Obama with the JOBSAct.  

Donation Optional:  This event is organised for entrepeneurs by entrepeneurs.  There are real, hard costs involved in making it happen and we would be grateful for your financial support.  An average donation of $20 would be close to breakeven. All donations greater than $100 will be recognized. Feel free to inquire about sponsorship opportunities.

The Agenda:

1 pm

Welcome & Introduction - co-hosts, Michael Cayley, Cdling Capital Services Inc. and Tonya Surman, Centre for Social Innovation.

1:10 pm

Pecha Kucha: The pitch for Ontario small business.  The benefits of crowdfunding: new jobs, a new way to develop a culture of innovation, a MUST HAVE alternative method of finance.

1:40 pm 

Sherwood Neiss, the Emergence of Crowdfunding in the USA

2:10 pm

Q& A with Sherwood Neiss -

Facilitated by Tonya Surman

2:40 pm - CATA Crowdfunding Panel

- Introduction to Crowdfunding (including update on what the signals are from various Provinces),

to be presented by Dr. Cindy Gordon (10 mins + 5 min Q&A),

- Ontario Technical Overview & Recommendations

Andrea Johnson, Fraser Milner Casgrain  (15 min + 10 min Q&A)

- Views on Regionalizing Crowdfunding Advocacy in BC

Tony Arias, (5 mins + 5 min Q&A)

3:40 pm to ajourn

Participatory Q&A - action items and next steps.