American Idol meets Crowdfunding. See eight socially responsible projects square off against each other. Projects pitch the audience as well as a panel of judges to see who can earn more money. Winners move on in a single elimination tournament for the final grand prize. New York Crowdfunds is the first event of its kind where the audience, along with the judges, will determine funding on the spot. Utilizing state of the art technology, anyone with an SMS capable mobile phone will be able to weigh-in.
Panelists:
Alex Binkley - Co-founder, FundedCommunity: a white-labeled securities investment platform; empowering communities to better connect their members by helping them raise money and invest in companies founded within the community. A former corporate lawyer at WilmerHale focused on startups and venture capital. Graduate from Harvard University and Boston University School of Law.
Brian August - Founder, 110 Stories: an application using augmented reality to superimpose the Twin Towers exactly where they would have been on any picture taken of the NYC skyline; Formerly SVP for Watchitoo, VP, Business Development for Digital for NBC Universal and President/Founder of Webster Hall Digital. Graduate from Binghamton University and Boston University School of Law.
Johannes Bhakdi - CEO i2X: a new seed stage investment infrastructure that streamlines sourcing, processing and trading of seed stage equity. A former corporate development and M&A executive at WPP and Omnicom Group agencies and worked closely with C-level clients in over 30 Fortune 500 and Eurostoxx 50 companies. Graduate from Tubingen University, one of Germany’s top 10 academic institutions.
Judges:
Devo Springsteen, a Grammy Award winning producer and songwriter. Launched career of John Legend. Produced and co-wrote songs for Legend, Aretha Franklin, Britney Spears, Nas, Estelle, Common and more; Won Best Rap Song Grammy in 2006 for "Diamonds (from Sierra Leone)" with Kanye West. Worked at Venture Architects. Graduate of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Business School.
Andrew Asnes, Broadway producer. Credits include: Superior Donuts, The Color Purple Musical, Legally Blonde – The Musical and All My Sons. Currently producing Pulitzer Prize winning play The Great White Hope. Founder of TheaterAdvisor.com. Previously, a principal dancer in several dance companies, Broadway productions, television programs and films. Graduate of Dartmouth College.
Vanessa Rae, Host, Today Show (Today Celebrates). Also the NY correspondent of AXS Live on AXS TV. Has hosted several series for MSNBC.com, Syfy, OneMinuteNews.com. Produced segments for MTV News, VH1, E!, Full Frontal Fashion, Video Fashion and the Fabulous Life. Graduate of Boston University.