This Sunday 26 August is National Dog Day and CASHREWARDS wants to use this opportunity to raise awareness and support dog welfare by donating as much as they can to The Vanderpump Dog Foundation, a dog rescue organization, founded in 2016 working on the international front to help create a better world for dogs globally.
For 3 days (26, 27 and 28 August) CASHREWARDS will be donating to the Vanderpump Dog Foundation 2% of all Commission they receive for sales through their site on popular partner pet supply shops Petbarn and Pet Circle.
The CASHREWARDS team hopes to spread awareness through a social campaign that will launch on Instagram on Sunday supported by some well-known Instagram dog-lover influencers, CASHREWARDS members, and their spokesperson Kathy Sheeran from Shopping Confessions.
“I am a great advocate of CASHREWARDS, I truly believe shopping through CASHREWARDS is the smartest way to shop, not only because of savings and the Cashback I receive; but because it is an organisation with ‘giving back’ at the heart of what they do. I am extremely happy CASHREWARDS is taking the initiative to support dog welfare, as a dog owner; knowing that I can help other dogs in need by just doing my usual shopping for our beloved Maui through CASHREWARDS is actually beyond satisfactory” said Sheeran.
CASHREWARDS are committed to giving back, not only to their community of loyal shoppers but also to worthy causes. CASHREWARDS is also a proud partner of Pledge 1%, a corporate philanthropy movement pioneered by Salesforce and Atlassian. CASHREWARDS gives 1% of all cashback rewards, 1% its equity, 1% of its time to the Starlight Children’s Foundation, so when you shop with them not only do you know you’re saving money you’re also giving to sick children and their families at times of need.
About CASHREWARDS
With over 420,000 members, Australian owned and based CASHREWARDS is the nation’s largest, most trusted Cashback shopping community.
CASHREWARDS is free to join and its members receive a percentage of every dollar back when shopping as normal at over 1,200 stores such as Amazon, eBay, Apple, Booking.com, David Jones, Woolworths and many more. The stores pay CASHREWARDS a commission for sending its members to them and CASHREWARDS shares the commission with those members.
Since inception, CASHREWARDS has generated in excess of $1 Billion in sales for its merchant partners, given back over $40M to their members and have helped over 1,800 children through its partnership with the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
Originally published via PR Newswire.
BOSTON, June 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — That’s the message from Boston Tech Entrepreneur Barry Hinckley, who today launches his innovative new growth mechanism in a play on words termed “IPO” or Initial Philanthropic Offering.
In the first of its kind, Hinckley’s IPO will see him pledge at least 10% of his company, to nonprofit organizations that partner with Yotme during its initial rollout and brands that support charities via their Corporate Social Responsibility programs.
The launch pad for Hinckley’s pioneering IPO mechanism is the Yotme social relationship management and experience marketing platform. For the uninitiated, Yotme is a new and truly social network that allows nonprofits and brands to engage customers and supporters while creating the world’s largest, most effective social impact platform.
Inspired by Pledge 1% and the work of The Boston Foundation, Hinckley conceived a way to donate to not just 1% of his personal Yotme shares, but 10% of the entire company to nonprofit organizations.
With Hinckley’s goal being to build a “billion dollar business” and the market opportunity there to do it, early adopting nonprofits that begin leveraging Yotme’s platform, will be eligible to share a potential equity stake of tens of millions of dollars.
Under the terms of the IPO, nonprofits that use the Yotme platform to sell tickets to their events, may be eligible to a 5% credit against the revenue they generate. These credits will be tracked internally by the Yotme team. On the occasion of a liquidity event, the Boston Foundation, as the custodian of the Yotme Charitable Fund, will be responsible for distributing grants to eligible charities based on the resulting available funds.
“The Boston Foundation has a long history of working with business and other organizations to strengthen and expand their philanthropy,” said Paul Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. “This IPO concept is a unique way for Yotme to demonstrate its commitment to the nonprofit sector and potentially drive millions of dollars in charitable donations in years to come.”
And the great news for 501(c)3 charities, who Hinckley has noted are often budget constrained and “under-teched”, is that Yotme is giving access to its platform for free. With Yotme, organizations can do everything from invites, ticketing, event and consumer relationship management, event marketing and real-time messaging.
Yotme enters a social networking market, which thanks to the dominance of Facebook and the big 4 social networks, have seen many tech entrepreneurs head for the hills. But not Hinckley and his team:
“In a sadly divided world, I want to create a social network that brings people together and rewards them for positive social activity,” said Hinckley. “By sharing our technology and growth with nonprofits and brands, we believe we can nurture an ever increasing society of people and businesses who strive to combine commercial viability with social responsibility.”
By Julia Flaherty originally published on the Ledgeview Partners blog.
Ledgeview Partners Joins the Pledge 1% Movement, Commits to Compassion and Helping to End Child Poverty
Ledgeview Partners Leverages 5% of its Net Income to Improve Global Communities
Appleton, WI, June 22, 2018 – Ledgeview Partners announced today that it has joined the Pledge 1% program, a corporate philanthropy movement dedicated to making the community a stakeholder in every business.
Spearheaded by Atlassian, Rally, Salesforce, and Tides, Pledge 1% empowers companies to donate 1% of their product, 1% of equity, 1% of profit or 1% of employee time to improve communities around the world.
Ledgeview Partners has joined an impressive network of entrepreneurs and companies across the globe that have committed to philanthropic efforts through the Pledge 1% movement. By donating 5% of its net income, Ledgeview Partners is demonstrating its commitment to philanthropic leadership.
Ledgeview Partners has focused on the value of giving back to communities since its inception more than 10 years ago.
“At the beginning of Ledgeview Partners, one of our goals was to make a difference in our communities, not just locally, but globally,” says Doug Fissell, Co-Founder and President of Ledgeview Partners.
“As an organization, we believe in giving back; it is one of the pillars of Ledgeview Partners’ business philosophy. Through our donations, we strive to help end child poverty.
We are proud to align with Salesforce’s Pledge 1% philanthropic model. Our give-back initiatives have helped guide our team with a spirit of charity and being a part of something bigger than a workplace or company — compassion is who we are.”
Image Courtesy of Compassion International
Lucie Schulze, General Manager at Ledgeview Partners, was with Ledgeview Partners from the beginning. She reflects on the company’s work with Compassion International and unwavering commitment to charity since then.
“At Ledgeview Partners, we truly believe in our motto of ‘transforming business, one relationship at a time’,” says Schulze.
“Though we may not have the direct resources to end poverty ourselves, we can contribute to organizations that do, between the Pledge 1% program and Compassion International.
Compassion International is a nonprofit organization that provides resources and opportunities to children in third-world countries with the education, food, mentorship and medical care they need to survive. We are proud to sponsor these children to give them restored hope for bright futures.”
Salesforce excites over Ledgeview’s involvement.
“Salesforce is dedicated to changing the way companies think about corporate philanthropy,” says Suzanne DiBianca, EVP of Corporate Relations and Chief Philanthropy Officer at Salesforce. “We’re excited that Ledgeview Partners is joining us in giving their resources back to the community. This is another great example of the power that business has to create change in our communities.”
Beyond the company’s commitment to charity, Ledgeview’s primary business is with helping customers achieve above and beyond CRM, Sales, Customer Service, and Marketing solutions.
Ledgeview Partners is a business and technology consulting company who partners with organizations to transform sales, marketing, and customer service operations and processes that are supported by core technologies including Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Marketing Automation.
Ledgeview Partners’ consultants combine savvy business intellect with a strong technical aptitude to provide solutions that extend well beyond software implementations. It’s about building relationships, transforming business, and delivering phenomenal customer experiences.
ABOUT PLEDGE 1%
Pledge 1% is an effort spearheaded by Atlassian, Rally, Salesforce, and Tides to accelerate their shared vision around integrating philanthropy into businesses around the world. Pledge 1% encourages and challenges individuals and companies to pledge 1% of equity, profit, product, and/or employee time for their communities because pledging a small portion of future success can have a huge impact on tomorrow. Pledge 1% offers companies turnkey tools and best practices, making it accessible for any company to incorporate philanthropy into their business model. To learn more or to take the pledge, visit www.pledge1percent.org.
Originally published by CAF America.
The China Overseas NGO Management Law, officially the “Law of the People’s Republic of China on Administration of Activities of Overseas Nongovernmental Organizations in the Mainland of China” went into effect January 1, 2017. The law requires that foreign NGOs coordinate their efforts with the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and provides the framework within which they can continue their activities in the country through two ways: opening a representative office in China or applying for a temporary activity license.
When the law first came into effect there was a lack of detailed guidance on how to comply with the requirements of the law. This led to confusion amongst international philanthropists and grantmakers about how the new regulation would affect their charitable efforts within China. While the government has not yet officially clarified all details regarding implementation, over the past several months it has become clearer how NGOs can become compliant either by opening a representative office in China or applying for a temporary activity license. These two compliance measures enable foreign NGOs to plan their strategy for continuing their work in China. To date, some estimates from The Diplomat and The China NGO Project say that 90 to 250 foreign NGOs have successfully registered their offices in China. The number of temporary activity licenses that have been released is unclear, The China NGO Project estimates there have been less than 150 to date.
What is clear, however, is that donors from the United States can continue to support registered Chinese NGOs through intermediary organizations or through direct grantmaking if that is what they would prefer. Intermediary organizations may choose either option to fund charitable efforts in China, i.e. opening a representative office in the country or working with a “Chinese Partner Unit” and obtaining a temporary activity license. Both avenues are complicated and burdensome on the intermediary, however, a temporary license provides more flexibility for the donor.
When giving to an organization that has a representative office registered in China, the law requires that the registered office submit its entire activity plan by December 31 for the following year. This means that donors to this organization must know what exactly they want to fund a full year in advance and must provide this information to the registered office in due time.
The alternative, providing funding to an organization that works through temporary activity licenses, does not require this level of planning. The donor is therefore able to give at any time during the year, without the burden of 12 months of advance planning. Instead, while obtaining temporary activity licenses requires significant amount of resources (the prescribed documentation is extensive and requires close coordination with the “Chinese Partner Unit”), the temporary license allows for far more flexibility for both the Chinese Partner Unit and the donor.
The following steps should be taken by grantmakers and others applying for a temporary activity license. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and it may differ based on region of China. Requirements may also change over time. Thus, it is important that you engage with your Chinese Partner Unit directly to ask them what is needed in order to apply before you begin this process.
- The funder should first obtain the following documents
- 501(c)(3) Determination Letter – English and Chinese Translation (may need an original copy from the IRS)
- Articles of Incorporation – English and Chinese Translation (these must be originals from your state of incorporation and require an apostille)
- A document certifying the source of and purpose of funds
- The grant agreement with the intended Chinese Partner Unit
- All of these documents, including an application for notarization, must be submitted to the Chinese Embassy for certification in-person. However, the Chinese Embassy will not certify the documents unless they have already been certified by the U.S. Department of State Authentications office.
- After approximately 10 days, the funder must return to pick up their notarized documents from the Embassy and proceed to coordinate with the Chinese Partner Unit to complete the license application process.
Given that each grant must go through a process similar to that described above, financial and staff costs are burdensome but not prohibitive.
Want more? Listen to our podcast to learn more about the China Overseas NGO Management Law
Cloud Co-op joined the Pledge 1% movement with a commitment to pledge 1% of our profit and time to charitable causes in our community.
Our Pledge 1% motto, “Plant seeds to grow where you live so others can benefit from you being there.”
We believe that our success is tied to our local community and that is why we chose to donate time and resources to helping Operation Supply Drop, a local Austin area Non-Profit.
The fact that Operation Supply Drop works to serve military members was a key determiner in our decision to help their organization.
Cloud Co-Op is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, founded by David Franklin, our CEO who served 8 years in the United States Navy.
By leveraging twenty years of corporate experience, and twelve within the Salesforce eco-system, David has been able to build an organization that focuses on mentoring and coaching veterans into a certified business consultant career. “In doing so, the veterans connect to a meaningful post-military purpose, receive valuable real world experiences, and become the heartbeat of our mission,” says David. On a mutual understanding the clients in turn reduce implementation and development cost, ensure governance controls, user adoption and strategies for growth.
“As conflicts in various parts of the world end, our soldiers return home to a different kind of battle field – one of a virtual composition surrounded and fortified by a concrete jungle with its own unique set of rules and challenges. While a war veteran may be able to adapt and survive under the most unbearable conditions, chances of survival in the corporate world however are few and far between.” The idea of bridging this gap between the corporate world and the transitioning veterans was what motivated David Franklin, a former navy veteran to start Vets2Cloud.
While Salesforce is a common tool today, it cannot be utilized effectively in a corporate setting without years of corporate experience and further certifications. This hinders the veterans from using their newly earned certifications as they are often viewed simply as providers of pro-bono work for nonprofits. Cloud Co-Op helps the veterans get around this obstacle by incorporating a “Warriors” apprenticeship program called Vets2.Cloud which allows experienced persons in corporate roles to give back in group training sessions in addition to its own mentoring and coaching. Cloud Co-Op also reinforces a training program provided by Salesforce called Trailhead which incorporates gamification and applies these skills to much-needed real working situations in the field.
A message from Cloud Co-Op’s CEO: David Franklin
I started my military career prior to entering my senior year of high school (John F. Hodge, St. James, Mo). I enjoyed 8 years in the Navy as a Radioman. I didn’t have the assistance during my transition which is available today. That would have been amazing. There are many great organizations helping now. I’ve transitioned without it, I know first hand how difficult it can be. I entered the military with what is described as complex PTSD and my tours only supported the behavior and shielded me for many years. I was living my life on auto-pilot. Since then, I’ve worked through corporate roles from Service to Sales to Marketing over 19 years. I found areas to excel in the military and in those corporate positions. I’ve experienced great highs and extreme lows during those same time frames and now I am here to help others succeed.
It is now, with my military and corporate experience, that I return my service to the community from which I was given my start. I often wonder how many Veterans entered the military as I did or lived without knowing important values or behaviors that impacted them for too long. Having a new understanding and finding a purpose to serve my fellow Veterans, I created Vets2Cloud and Cloud Co-Op. I believe Veterans need more than training and more than an opportunity to work in a corporate role, they need real work experience with mentoring and coaching that allows them to become consulting professionals or business owners. Most importantly, as I have learned, we can address their personal needs so they experience the freedom to move forward.
Many people, specifically non-Veterans have joined my cause to support the Veterans transition. I don’t stand alone and I am very grateful for their service and commitment to Cloud Co-Op. As we grow and partner with other organizations and source work for the Veterans, I want to thank these companies in advance for working with us.
Cloud Co-Op expands Vets2Cloud™ Apprenticeship service to include Military Veteran Staffed Help Desk
Cloud Co-Op is a Registered Salesforce Consulting Partner providing Salesforce business consulting services for clients wishing to evolve their business processes into the cloud – is expanding its commitment to helping military veterans transition into the workforce, through its Vets2Cloud™ apprenticeship program that provides on-demand, fractional support to Salesforce clients. This help desk is staffed by former military veterans looking to transition into full-time careers as Salesforce administrators and developers.
“Our goal is to make the transition from military to civilian (corporate) life a little easier. As these veterans go from boots on the ground to boots in the cloud,” says Cloud Co-Op founder and CEO David Franklin, who happens to be a Service Disabled US Navy veteran.
Vets2Cloud is an apprenticeship program under the mentorship and coaching leadership of senior consultants at Cloud Co-Op and supporting entities. In co-operation with Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) like VetForce, Jewish Vocational Services and the Merivis Foundation, transitioning veterans and spouses are able to obtain Salesforce certifications before they enter the Vets2Cloud™ Apprenticeship program for advanced job readiness skills.
Once qualified veterans finish their initial training with the VSO, they have the opportunity to continue to advance their careers by receiving on-the-job training, and being paid to provide support to Salesforce customers facing real-world business challenges for companies with no dedicated resource or an admin requiring fractional on-demand support.
Service and Support That Matters
All of our clients salesforce support teams are staffed in-part by service minded military veterans and salesforce certified administrators that act as an extension of a company’s existing team.
Businesses get real-time, proactive support from a US based team of Salesforce certified admins capable of handling any technical questions and product support related issues. And military veterans get real-world experience, while getting paid and learning skills that lead to future careers in the Salesforce ecosystem.
The Road Ahead
Established in 2015, Cloud Co-Op intends to become a strategic, or Platinum business partner with Salesforce.com by uniting small firms nationally that function as one to support the growing eco-system. By doing so, Cloud Co-Op will have the technical capabilities of many firms which in turn can be translated into their growth on a substantial scale. “We will have the strength of many, while contributing to the growth and success of all. We are many members but one body that allows for many specialties and client opportunities. In doing so, our mission will flourish and our veterans will grow into leading consultants and future employees within the workforce,” reiterates David. In the next five years Cloud Co-Op looks for 20 small firms and 100 veterans to join their group.
Quote from a graduate of the Cloud Co-Op Apprenticeship Program:
“Cloud Co-op has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. My transition from the military to the civilian world has been a challenge. David and his staff have provided me with an opportunity to start a wonderful career as a Salesforce Consultant. The training has been top notch, with plenty of resources and staff that are more than willing to help you reach you full potential. It is truly amazing! Cloud Co-op shows great appreciation for Veterans and their service for our nation. It makes me very proud to be apart of such a great organization. – Sheldon Simmons, US Navy, Salesforce Certified Consultant.
Originally posted: November 28, 2017
Originally published by Samanage.
Samanage, a Service Success Company, today announced that they will partner with Make-A-Wish, a Samanage customer, at Dreamforce 2017.
Samanage will donate $10,000 to Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina, which is local to their Cary, North Carolina headquarters, with $1 donated for each attendee that is scanned at one of the Samanage booths and $5 donated for every on-site survey that is completed during the event.
Samanage made a Pledge 1% commitment earlier this year, joining hundreds of other organizations in the corporate philanthropy movement that’s dedicated to making the community a stakeholder in every business. Social responsibility has always been a key part of Samanage’s culture, and through Pledge 1%, Samanage promised to dedicate at least 12 volunteer hours per employee annually to causes that make a measurable difference in children’s causes.
Following Dreamforce, Samanage’s donation to Make-A-Wish will fund the wish of a local child with a life-threatening medical condition. Make-A-Wish of Eastern North Carolina covers 49 counties and grants wishes to children between the ages of 2.5 to 18. Since its founding in 1986, the chapter has granted wishes to more than 3,400 kids.
Comments on the News
“At Samanage we are deeply committed to giving back to the communities we operate in. By sponsoring Make-A-Wish, Samanage is strengthening its commitment to improve the lives of children in our community,” said Doron Gordon, founder and CEO, Samanage. “As a long-time Samanage customer, Make-A-Wish and it’s efforts hold a special place in our hearts. As we donate a dollar to Make-A-Wish for every scan at our booth, we are excited to give attendees of Dreamforce the opportunity to be a part of changing a child’s life for the better.”
“We’re thrilled to be involved with this campaign which will create much-needed awareness for our chapter’s mission,” said Jerry Peters, Vice President of Brand Advancement for Make-A-Eastern North Carolina. “As both a customer and partner, our chapter is fortunate to have the dedicated support from Samanage and their employees.”
Salesforce, Dreamforce and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.
Originally published by Karissa Neely in The Daily Herald.
Almost all the desks were full at 97th Floor’s “Paid Landing Page Optimization” workshop Thursday.
Many entrepreneurs and small business leaders came to the free workshop held in Silicon Slopes Lehi headquarters, hoping to learn how to more effectively market their business online. In just one hour, they all got some expert advice on how to make their paid landing pages more powerful.
Workshop leader and 97th Floor marketing specialist Tyler Girsberger explained that a paid landing page different than a company’s home page on its website, because it is one that draws in users via online ads. He encouraged those attending to use different landing pages catered to different audiences or target markets.
“If you don’t, you might as well just send them to your home page,” he said.
Paid landing pages target potential buyers and answer their initial questions quickly. These pages also have a clear call to action — usually a small form users fill out for more information. Girsberger took attendees through what makes these landing pages work: a strong “hero” image and header, clear benefits of the product to the consumer, a strong positioning statement, proof of the brand’s trustworthiness and the call to action form.
The hero image, he explained, is the picture on the page that draws the reader in. In one example, the picture of a girl happily getting a drink of water from a faucet underscored the organization’s call to donate money towards this cause. Girsberger said this image selection can be changed based on location, demographics or audience to effectively speak to the user.
Products and services all have multiple benefits, but for a powerful landing page, Girsberger said users need to focus only on the most important three or four benefits to consumers. This makes the content easily digestible, and allows those other benefits to come to light further on in the buying process.
On the landing page, he said, businesses must set themselves apart in the market with a clear positioning statement — what differentiates the company from others. They also must share a bit of proof of their brand with the audience.
“These people coming to your page, they don’t know your brand,” Girsberger said. “To instill trust in the brand, you include proof: testimonials, other people or brands that use your products, and awards. The more they trust your brand, the more they will convert to a sale.”
Girsberger concluded that business leaders must then consistently test their paid landing pages to see how effective they are with the targeted audience.
“Landing pages are really, really powerful. You don’t know where in the buyer’s journey they are coming from, but you capture them just enough to walk them through the process,” said Shante Schroeder, 97th Floor director of marketing and communications.
97th Floor, a digital marketing company located in Lehi, regularly offers these free workshops to small business owners as part of its partnership with the Pledge 1% nonprofit organization. Schroeder said in their work with clients, they saw the “community asking for these insights,” and wanted to reach out to startups and entrepreneurs who don’t have easy access to this type of information. Due to limited seating, the workshops are invite only, but interested business leaders can contact Annalee Peters at 97th Floor by phone: (801) 919-8749.
“For those just starting out, this will get them ahead that much faster,” Schroeder said.
Originally published on Medium.
This is a great day for us as a team and as a young company. We are officially part of this great movement that promotes and celebrates giving back. Joining Atlassian, Salesforce and thousands of other companies.
Dentem is proud to join Pledge 1%, a global movement creating new normal where companies of all sizes integrate giving back into their culture and values. Pledge 1% empowers companies to donate 1% of product, 1% of equity, 1% of profit or 1% of employee time to causes of their choice. Dentem is excited to join Pledge 1%’s network of founders, entrepreneurs and companies around the globe that have committed to giving back.
Arnold Schwarzenegger once said in a speech in front of university students “Call me anything, but never call me a self made man!” and he was right about one thing. None of us individually or as companies are self made. We work hard but together with the help of the people that support us we grow and get better.
Since our early days we thought of giving back to the community a little bit of ‘us’. Our time, our help in product and our support. As of late we have helped hundreds of young developers get into coding and tens of new entrepreneurs think of starting up. But we are not even stopping here. We are helping more and more developers and young boys and girls get into coding to one day become better developers and join great companies in their future. And as well help new startup founders with our network and advice. And to top it all of we are thinking of giving back more with product and health.
We are drafting a clear action plan to how we can give back something that will last long and create a meaningful impact in a lot of people lives. Stay tuned fore more.
We urge all companies young and old. Big and small to join this great movement. http://www.pledge1percent.org/
#TeamDentem #PledgeOne #GivingBack
The below letter was originally published on the Rapunzl Investments blog.
Greetings,
I am pleased to announce the launch of Rapunzl Cares – a social outreach initiative dedicated to promoting financial literacy and entrepreneurship education in under-resourced communities. By exposing students to investing and breaking down the stock market (which transacts over $40 trillion every year) into digestible content, we knock down barriers which many may have believed to be insurmountable.
Our company’s inspiration for community outreach has existed since our inception. Although, a basic understanding of the financial markets relies upon math we are exposed to in secondary school, financial markets are viewed as dauntingly complex and difficult to navigate. In an era of unprecedented access to information, we see this as an issue, with a solution.
We are excited to announce a formal partnership between Rapunzl Cares and UrbanX Learning, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating the opportunity gap for high school youth by providing educators, students and families access to breakthrough innovation.
How Did This Happen?
Since 2016, I have served on UrbanX’s Associates Board and could not be more thrilled to partner with a more inspiring organization. Their mission to eliminate the opportunity gap for low-income students by expanding access and exposure to meaningful opportunities, thus breaking the cycle of poverty resonates with me personally. How does UrbanX transform communities and classrooms?? By providing professional development support to educators and tuition-free blended learning summer immersion programs at the University of Chicago’s Charter School and Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s Bridgescape.
So where does Rapunzl Cares play into their vision?
UrbanX knows that ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’: students need to visualize themselves at college and in the workforce, to believe there is a path to success. We believe the same can be said about investing. The stock market is a portal to the world and we must see companies for more than a share price before we invest in them.
In order to understand Facebook’s market valuation, you have to understand the intersectionality of big data, advertising, and the promise of their recently acquired virtual reality companies. When you examine Amazon, we are inevitably introduced to career paths dedicated to coding and logistics; when we delve into Home Depot’s profit margins, we must understand the place of commodities in the overall economy. When we look to invest in Boeing, we first understand airplane costs, the upcoming pilot shortage due to low wages, and arrive at the understanding of an industry.
Ultimately, the stock market is the world in numbers. It can enlighten and empower individuals to see just how much opportunity is in the world; jobs that students have never heard of defining our economy, career paths that don’t materialize because students were not exposed.
We founded the company on the idea that the high returns of Wall Street are trapped in an ivory tower. A tower which the ordinary person cannot scale alone. UrbanX sees the same gap we saw with financial markets, except with student achievement being dictated by zip code, gender, and ethnicity. We are united in a mission to fix a system that controls access and to explore opportunities to improve our community.
Together, we are launching a blended learning program that will guide students and educators view the world through a financial lens.
I.P.O. – Idea, Product, Opportunity – is built on a simple premise: everyone has an idea. However few know how to build a business. IPO takes students from inspiration to opportunity through understanding the stock market, and the ways in which it connects the world. We provide meaningful resources that are intuitive, engaging and take the onus away from educators to know the right answers. It’s our mission to show every class that opportunities abound: that we are powerful in numbers and smarter, together.
I look forward to growing Rapunzl Cares into a transformative source of financial literacy programming. If anyone has comments, suggestions, or synergies to explore, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Until then, all the best,
Myles Gage
COO & Director of Rapunzl Cares