Mike Spear

If you are looking for a magical community space where you can... ✨ Connect with neighbors and build generative friendships ✨ Learn about local climate solutions in NYC (this one will be on food justice + circularity!) ✨ Take meaningful action with your new friends to combat your climate anxiety while making an actual difference Come to our Soapbox NYC's pop-up community night on Thursday at Rethink Food! You'll be treated to a delicious upcycled dinner and share this meal with people who care deeply about our shared future. Soapbox Project is building joyful spaces for you to transform your climate anxiety into meaningful change, and if you come to our pop-ups this year, you'll be able to shape this social experiment that asks... What if we had vibrant places for people to go where they can truly belong and build community around things that actually matter? If you're in NYC and in your loneliness + climate anxiety feels, come bring them and let's transform them together. Link in the comments! Tag your friends so they can grab the last of our 5 tickets!!

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ImpactUp is baaaack + slowing down all at once on Oct. 10. We’re aligning the ImpactUp gathering with #WorldMentalHealthDay for a lineup of honest convos that start on the virtual stage (and oh dang the lineup!) and then continue in community - as we gather at local meetups around the globe. Enter, ImpactUp: PAUSE Coming to you on 10.10.2024. But don’t be fooled. This isn’t about packing more, more, more into a day… (although legit - the struggle is real for the achievers in us!) ImpactUp is a place to push away the overwhelm for a hot second. To slow down long enough to take stock of the moment.  To listen to what your body (and, tbh your data!) is telling you.  And to find a path to your wellness - and spoiler it’ll likely make those other metrics seem more reachable too. So ImpactUp is for you… If you need a reminder you aren’t alone in this journey. If you’re interested in finding more alignment for what's next. Of resting first instead of defaulting to running on empty.  It’s a day that will focus on the journey within each of us + acknowledge that it’s more than OK to start there. In fact, it’s the only way. If you feel the nudge but can’t commit to the full day - I get it. But even popping in for a few minutes will offer some balm to the busy. And joining live is FREE. (Registration is linked in the comments!) The people gathered around ImpactUp are sharing their experiences, wisdom + care… AND are deeply good humans. You’re in good hands. And guess what - all our speakers are PAID for their time + expertise too. We’ve partnered with TWLOHA + The Teaching Well for content + resources AND have tapped more than a dozen incredible speakers that guiding us into the theme of PAUSE. All that we need... is YOU. Yes, you! And picture me leaning in close to make sure you feel the sincerity of my voice. I want you you there, my friend. And not for more clicks, more numbers. More, more, more. (ugh, right!) I want you there because I care about you. And I care about this sector + it's people so deeply. We need a PAUSE. I feel it in just about every meeting I take with someone in our community. We’re overburdened - but aren’t giving up. We just need to recalibrate - and this gathering is a place for that. So can you join us? We’d love for you to be there + help us spread the word.  ImpactUp registration is live with hundreds already joining us from the first email announced yesterday - it’s gonna be good! ✨✨ Let's goooooo (and pause!) together! cc: We Are For Good

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Mindful mountain biking is more than just a personal hobby for me—it aligns with my passion for transitioning into the realm of climate change solutions. Check out this insightful read on Nature's Heart-Shaped Wave to dive deeper into the connection between our actions and the environment. #climatechange #climatechangesolutions #climatepolicy #nativeplants #biodiversity #vote #nature https://lnkd.in/gQnsiYVJ

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I don't want to sound like Eeyore, but I wish more (powerful) people saw the value and potential that grassroots initiatives have on advancing food + climate issues. While institutional change is (obv!) necessary to drive emissions reductions at scale, it’s equally important to expand access to climate-friendly food in “third spaces”—the restaurants, cafes, and community hubs where people naturally gather. These places are fertile ground for lasting cultural shifts because they are where people come to connect, celebrate, and build community. Good associations are key to changing people's perspectives on... everything, but especially food. For our final initiative of 2024, we're partnering with the City of San Antonio, TX for the second year in a row. Last year, their Office of Sustainability team committed to 5 pro-planet plant-based climate actions, and this year, we’re going even further by adding the collaboration of ¡Por Vida!, an innovative program from the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. ¡Por Vida! recognizes local restaurants that create healthy, sustainable environments through good nutrition and community engagement. In my opinion, they’re setting a gold standard that every city would be lucky to have. As Planted Society moves into our annual season of reflection, I’m thinking about how we can better support these grassroots initiatives—especially those that make climate-friendly food accessible in the spaces where community really happens.

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80% of fundraisers don't follow up properly. They reach out. They send their deck. Sometimes we've even talked in person. And then… ? Usually nothing happens, or the other extreme, a message the next day. It surprises me that this happens so often. I wonder how these founders are doing sales? Unless this is a totally oversubscribed round, you need to do a proper 3-step follow up... 1️⃣ It's perfectly legitimate to send the first message after a week. But please be a little more creative than "Did you see my last message..." Ask directly if this is interesting, if there are questions. No response? 2️⃣ Do the same after another week with a slightly different text. Still no response? 3️⃣ Last chance & closure: "I assume this is currently not interesting, may I still add you to my investor update newsletter?" (you never know) Dare to ask. Fundraising is selling! ____________________________ Sharing my experience as an entrepreneur and angel investor. Investing in early stage B2B SaaS startups. Happy to connect 👋

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Prime Coalition has long taken a different tack to climate finance compared to its for-profit brethren. It makes the usual venture-style investments in startups through Azolla Ventures and also helps philanthropists direct their money to climate-related projects that it deems high impact. Trellis Climate follows the latter model with a focus on middle stages, where capital has grown scarce. #climatetech #climateVC #climatefinance

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Echoing Green announces the launch of the Signal Fund, a financial tool that provides capital to social innovators at critical growth stages. Signal launches with $15.6 million raised and prioritizes founders with overlooked potential for scalable social impact. Signal Fund aims to test a new set of financial mechanisms and model more broadly accessible investment vehicles that can help fuel transformational social change and innovation globally. It will disrupt the current funding landscape that is misaligned with the needs of social innovators. “In the current economic climate, fundraising for entrepreneurs has become increasingly difficult,” said Echoing Green President, Cheryl L. Dorsey. “Through Signal Fund, we are strengthening and de-risking a new pipeline of social innovators — ones that we believe will expand the set of leaders who are too often overlooked by mainstream philanthropy and financial institutions. This fund can help proven social innovators move past the proverbial valley of death that so many start-ups face, achieving organizational milestones recognizable to traditional investors without compromising impact.” #YesWeInnovate https://lnkd.in/dgfjDqAd

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Many non-profits are missing out on growth opportunities by not applying innovation processes internally. Edwin Goutier, your thought-provoking questions on revenue and mission impact are spot on! I couldn’t agree more. Funders are increasingly favoring non-profits that embrace change and take structured, well-measured risks. In a world facing unprecedented disruption, the demand for non-profits to innovate and achieve mission impact has never been greater. LaunchPath is a breakthrough, affordable tool that demystifies innovation methodologies for non-profits while engaging staff and stakeholders in the process. When done right, innovation can be fun and rewarding, boosting morale! 💡✨ #nonprofits #innovation #socialimpact

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This is the Final Meeting where the Charter Review Commission Will Be Voting to Put Rural Boundary Protections on the 2024 November Ballot! We need your voice! *Developers will be showing up in DROVES* 🌳 Orange County Charter Review Commission Meeting: Speak Up For Rural Boundary Protections + Additional Conservation Protections🌳 📅 Date: Monday, May 20th 🕕 Time: 6:00 PM 📍 Location: Orange County Administrative Building, 201 South Rosalind Ave, Orlando, Florida 32801 On the agenda we have a lot to fight for: 1. Incorporate the affordable housing trust fund in the charter (2nd/final reading) 2. Create rural boundaries in unincorporated Orange County for which a majority plus one vote of the county commission would be needed to increase density or intensity of rural area land use (1st reading) 3. Require a majority plus one vote of the county commission to change the use or sell land dedicated to parks or conservation (1st reading) 4. Require the county to adopt methodology and processes to evaluate long term fiscal sustainability of urban service area expansions and rural service area development (1st reading) As concerned citizens, we've proposed a rural boundary initiative—similar to Seminole County's model—to be included in our county charter. This boundary, meticulously reviewed and endorsed by the CRC subcommittee, aims to combat rampant development that threatens our rural landscapes. 📢 Call to Action: Email Support: Send your comments to Charter2024@occompt.com.

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🎙️🔥 We dropped a NEW interview on She's Interesting, featuring the extraordinary Zoey McKenzie, Founding Partner of Public Ventures $100M fund. Hear why Zoey is placing her bets (and $100M!) on impact investing to drive positive change through climate change, poverty, and health disparities. This episode will help you gain practical advice on overcoming imposter syndrome, fundraising for entrepreneurs, and navigating the business world. And, we also dig into horoscopes and spirituality because it wouldn't be a She's Interesting interview without going deep into the human psyche. In this episode, we dive into: 💎 Zoey's Early Years: From a precocious child to discovering her ADHD 💎 Tech Passion: Pitch competitions, syndications, and government work 💎 Impact Investing Journey: The pivotal moment leading Zoey to health sciences and the UN 💎 Building a Fund: Ground-up strategies for fund-raising and reputation building 💎 Founder Advice: Tips for raising funds, brand elevation, and building support systems 💎 Spiritual Insights: Unveiling spirituality's role in business and embracing your divine plan 🎧 Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation! Listen to the full episode now on She's Interesting Podcast. Links in the comments below! 👇👇 Shout-out to the team at CreatorClub for their ongoing support as a studio sponsor of the podcast! #ShesInteresting #ImpactInvesting #WomenInvestors #FounderStory #Podcast #Innovation #Philanthropy #DiversityInTech #BusinessLeadership #Inspiration #heathtech #Lifesciences

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#PrincipalGifts may be where philanthropic advisors, and consultants to grantmakers, intersect with fundraising or institutional advancement. Principal Gifts also intersect with Leadership Gifts and gifts during the silent phase of a Capital Campaign. Advice on these is given by another set of campaign consultants like CCS Fundraising. Some transformational gifts are "organic;" they are the fruit of a lifetime of donor cultivation and engagement. They are, for that long-term loyal, high-capacity donor, "the largest gift of a lifetime," the "ultimate gift." These organic gifts from insiders may be either solicited or "self-solicited," as Ronald Schiller puts it. Say, half of Principal Gifts Gifts are organic. The other half are "over the transom" from philanthropists and companies who approach the nonprofit because they have done research, and perhaps have received strategic advice, that this nonprofit is an appropriate fulcrum for the donor's lever to move the world. Where #trustbasedphilanthropy intersects with these big-dollar transformational gifts is another matter. Arabella Advisors, Phīla Engaged Giving, and The Bridgespan Group would have insights and practical guidance. To make transformational gifts for the benefit to small community-based organizations that may not even have a full-time fundraiser, but address community needs is no small challenge. Community Foundations, Faith Foundations, and other Platform Organizations may play a role in connecting the big dollars through endowed funds for small organizations collectively addressing major community needs. Such gifts are potentially transformational at the level of systems change, or reboot, driven not only by the wisdom of the few, but also by the lived expeirence of the many. Megan Hyman at Dallas Jewish Community Foundation is among the pioneers in this community-based Principal Gift facilitation.

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Finally, fundraising support for nonprofit agencies with lean budgets ✅ Fees based on your budget ✅ Expert fundraising tactics & strategies ✅ Affordably priced services 👉🏿Act now. Submit your interest form 👇🏿Click the link is in the comments #KiaCroomFundraising #Nonprofit #Fundraiser #TheGoToBIPOCFundraiser #SocialJusticeFundraiseHer

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Check out these #socialimpactjobs #jobs.

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From Morningstar Upfront Ventures Provided by PR Newswire May 28, 2024 8:08am Upfront, Maverick Systems, The Studio Home, and Billions Join Equity Angels' First #Proptech CohortUpfront, Maverick Systems, The Studio Home, and Billions Join Equity Angels' First Proptech Cohort PR Newswire BELLEVUE, Wash., May 28, 2024 New accelerator focuses on supporting real estate technology startups with diverse leadership BELLEVUE, Wash., May 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Equity Angels, a social impact organization dedicated to fostering fair access to innovation and opportunity, names the 2024 cohort for its first-ever accelerator program. Upfront provides innovative financial solutions for agents and brokers, The Studio Home leverages Web3 visualization for curated home furnishings, Maverick Systems optimizes big data analytics for agent acquisition and retention, and BILLIONS specializes in streamlining operational solutions for high-performing teams. The founders of these startups include some of the most seasoned and unique tech entrepreneurs in real estate today. One such founder is Diana Zaya of Maverick Systems, whose father was raised in a minimalist "mud hut" in Syria, but with hopes of finding a more fulfilling life. After receiving his degree in engineering, he immigrated to the U.S. to start his family. Raised with this dedication to achievement, Diana has established a performance-based system for recruiting and retaining real estate agents. She is positioned to dramatically improve how the industry optimizes big data analytics to enhance brokerage growth strategies. "With such a diverse and seasoned group of founders, we're all learning so much from one another," remarked Equity Angels Founder Kenya Burrell-VanWormer. "We're honored to work with such inspiring founders and look forward to helping grow their businesses through our accelerator program." Upfront Founder Mukund Venkatakrishnan is a recent Harvard graduate who launched his first tech company at 17 and a real estate brokerage by 20. His co-founder Pierre Calzadilla brings extensive real estate expertise, having built and scaled growth teams at Trulia, RealScout and Local Logic. Together, they are leveraging their combined experience to create innovative solutions that financially empower agents and brokers in the real estate industry. The Studio Home Founder Nicole McGuire's passion for modernizing the homebuilding industry stems from her experience working with her family's 80-year-old construction company. She partners with homebuilders to offer curated furniture collections seamlessly integrating with their home designs. Leveraging Web3, she creates aspirational living experiences that buyers can easily envision, personalize and purchase with just a few mouse clicks. ******** We at The Dandy Horse, Inc. have a #proptech solution that increases the cash flow. #VIDAT it. #CO2 avoidance verifying and secured bicycle parking that impacts LEED V 4.1 U.S. Green Building Council #startup

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If you're a nonprofit leader thinking about a large scale fundraising campaign (aka "capital campaign"), the advice I'm about to share could save your nonprofit thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of time. Before you spend a bunch of money on campaign consultants or a bunch of your time on planning your campaign, take this 15 minute litmus test from capital campaign expert Amy Varga. “If anyone is thinking about doing a capital campaign, just take a piece of paper out….. Write down 1-30 the names of people that are already giving to you, that you already know how to reach, and are in conversation with. Put down those that can make big gifts and would be inclined to give, if so motivated and convinced that your project (or initiative) was important. If you cannot make that list, you don’t need to pay me or anyone else to tell you what we would tell you at the end of a feasibility study….that you don’t have the relationships in place with the right people. ” (edited for brevity) Want to know what to do if you can’t make that list? Take a listen to Amy's interview with 100 Degrees Consulting: https://lnkd.in/gRfHxGJD Or reach out to me about how to build the foundation so you'll be ready for a successful campaign.

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Surgeon General Vivek Murthy talks about the need for a "whole-of-society approach" to advancing social connection. We've tried to heed that call in our work at Einhorn Collaborative, supporting a broader range of efforts that engage actors across sectors. That includes: Projects like Team Up to enlist large national civic organizations with a presence in local communities to help people build connection across difference through service. Research groups like Building H to measure the impact of products on consumers’ health and urge companies to do better to improve social connection and other health outcomes. Initiatives like Human Connections AI to bring together social connection experts with technologists to puzzle through how AI companions can be designed to enhance and not degrade human relationships. Another project that has helped us explore a facet of the whole-of-society approach is the Connective Tissue Framework, which puts forward a range of recommendations for how government – especially at the local level – can create the structural conditions and everyday opportunities for people to experience healthy connection. I've learned a lot from Sam Pressler, lead author of Connective Tissue. In this piece, I asked Sam to share more about the story behind the framework and a few highlights. https://lnkd.in/esayJU3b

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A SAFE and convertible note had a baby and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati was the midwife- out popped the D-SAFE! 👶🏽🎉 A new #climatetech funding instrument was announced by Elemental Excelerator last week. One of the company’s main goals is to support smaller, up and coming companies during the awkward “Scale Gap” phase between #VC funding and natural growth. It’s called the #DSAFE (Development Simple Agreement for Future Equity) and it aims to aid the process by giving companies a small amount of cash to overcome initial risks and expenses during the developmental stages of a product launch or company. How does it work? D-SAFE has a redemption clause meaning companies can choose to have their payments offered as a loan or convert to equity at the investor’s discretion. Funders and companies will have clear communication and expectations about where the money is going and how it will be applied to either the company or the projects at hand. Financiers and companies will work together with more #transparency, and that’s a great boon for #startups and VC alike. As of this month, Elemental has already invested using D-SAFE in eight different companies, including Dimensional Energy and Origen — both companies investing in innovative and out-of-the-box solutions to environmental issues! Seems like a win-win on the surface. What do you all think about the D-SAFE? Alfredo Coppola Momoka Ueda Tim Wagner Stephen D. Torres Olya Irzak Natsuho Toyama Noriya Tarutani Shin Ogawa

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The biggest conversation amongst #socialimpact professionals right now? 💡 "𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 #𝘾𝙎𝙍 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢?"  CSR budgets are getting cut because they have historically been a c͟o͟s͟t͟ ͟c͟e͟n͟t͟e͟r͟, not a r͟e͟v͟e͟n͟u͟e͟ ͟c͟r͟e͟a͟t͟o͟r͟. #nonprofits are feeling this, as their longstanding corporate donors are churning, forcing them to generate more, new donors in a competitive and uncertain environment. It's tough out there, kids! This doesn't have to be the case... Check out Accelerist's 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 that is baked into our software and measures both Mission AND Business outcomes - subscribing to dual impact measurement philosophy of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Nonprofits - offer dual impact measurement to your corporate donors so your partners can continue justifying their support of you! #CSRleaders - prove to leadership that you are NOT a cost center, and do have measureable impact on your business. Get access to this framework here to start today >> 𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝗵𝘂𝗯𝘀.𝗹𝘆/𝗤𝟬𝟮𝗛𝗭𝟱𝟵𝗤𝟬

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[RESOURCE - FREE] 📊 CSR Impact Measurement: More Crucial Than Ever! 🌍 Contrary to some reports, the demand for corporate social responsibility is stronger than ever. But how can CSR teams prove their value and align with broader company purposes? 🤔 True Impact and Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals have created a toolkit to measure and maximize corporate social impact. This guide helps CSR leaders move beyond commitments and stories to demonstrate tangible benefits and increase SROI. 📈 3 Key Insights for CSR Managers: ✅ Focus on outcomes, not just inputs or outputs 🎯 ✅ Align measurement with philanthropic priorities 🔍 ✅ Use data to improve investment strategies and partnerships 🤝 Ready to elevate your CSR game? Dive into the guide now! "Measuring Corporate Social Impact: Recommendations for Better Partnerships and Reporting" 📚👉 https://lnkd.in/e87waybb #CSR #SocialImpact #CorporateResponsibility Gabe Cohen Sara Ansell Farron Levy Carolyn S. Berkowitz Christina Fagan Jeanne Metzger

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