We can probably guess, based on the media buzz, at the impact that the popular crowdfunding platform Kickstarter has had on aspiring startups and entrepreneurial endeavors, but with the recent release of the actual numbers of people (and money) pledged to crowdfunded projects, it’s apparent that the effects of crowdfunding in the new economy are staggering. Today, Kickstarter announced that they’ve surpassed $1 billion in cumulative crowdfunding pledges, from over 5.7 million people, with more than half of that money…

It’s no secret that using crowdfunding to raise money to launch a product or project or company these days can be an effective method of getting a business off the ground. All it takes is a quick look around the web to see that crowdfunding is no longer on the fringe anymore, or just for hardware startups, but it’s all happened so rapidly that it’s hard to get your head around just how big of an impact crowdfunding has made…

We all love to share stories about highly successful crowdfunding campaigns, but the fact is, many project campaigns fall far short of their goal, and in the all or nothing environment of some crowdfunding platforms, that can be the death toll for those ideas. Just because you or your startup has a great idea for a new kind of solar charger, and one that might be a potential gamechanger, it may not be enough to get fully funded, because no…

In a world with a skyrocketing population that already faces global food security issues, finding more efficient and productive ways to feed people in this era of drought and extreme weather is a key component of a more sustainable future. And similar to most industries, the lack of sufficient capital to launch and implement new solutions in agriculture may be keeping some innovations from reaching those who could most benefit from them, namely the farmers and their customers. But a…