INspired INsider Podcast Helping Startups Get the Funding They Need With Howard Marks, Co-Founder of StartEngine
Howard Marks is the co-founder of StartEngine, a premier equity crowdfunding platform. They connect investors with tomorrow's progressive companies. StartEngine aims to revolutionize the startup business model by helping individuals invest in private companies on a public platform helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams.
Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:- [1:25] Jeremy introduces his guest, Howard Marks.
- [2:20] What did the gaming industry look like in the early 90's?
- [8:00] How did Howard get involved in the gaming industry?
- [13:40] Howard talks about how StartEngine started.
- [15:50] Who works with StartEngine?
- [18:00] What it takes to raise money for startups.
- [20:10] Howard talks about the future of StartEngine.
- [23:00] The lowest moment and proudest moment in business for Howard.
Can you imagine a business built around helping startups get the funding they need? Why do startup entrepreneurs need help? Why can't they get the funding they need on their own? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you'll hear from innovator and entrepreneur, Howard Marks. In his conversation with Jeremy, Howard talks about how he got started in the gaming industry, why he decided to start StartEngine, what it takes to raise money for startups, plans for the future, challenges faced along the way, and much more. You don't want to miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Howard's story!
Where do you go after you've spent a large portion of your career working in the software and gaming industries? Do you use that experience to start your own software or gaming company from the ground up or do you do something else entirely? Howard Marks was ready for a change and realized that there weren't any startup accelerators or any programs to help young entrepreneurs get started in the LA area. To fill the gap and put his business experience to use, Howard and his business partner, Ron Miller created StartEngine. StartEngine's mission is to help entrepreneurs achieve their dreams by democratizing access to capital.
If you were tasked with creating a startup from scratch, what would be your first step? Where do you think you'd find funding? How would you test and validate your ideas? There are nearly 6 million businesses in the US, yet the majority of these companies have a difficult time accessing capital, whether through public markets or venture capital. After starting out as a tech accelerator, the team at StartEngine decided to pivot their focus to helping startups raise capital by building a crowdfunding platform. StartEngine was empowered to make this pivot with the passage of the JOBS Act in 2012. For the first time, anyone, regardless of wealth, could invest in private businesses and buy shares of stock, debt, revenue share, and more.
What keeps you in the fight? Seriously! What is it that motivates you each and every day to go to work and engage in your profession? Do you love problem-solving? Do you enjoy dreaming up big and ambitious projects? Or is there something else that animates and motivates you? Howard Marks views his work as a responsibility he has to be a productive member of society and but beyond that; he loves helping startups. When Howard looks back at his journey of success, he notices a lot of lucky breaks along the way, and he wants to play an active roll in helping others enjoy the success he has experienced. Make sure to check out the great work that Howard and his team are doing at StartEngine by visiting their site located in the resources section.
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