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Finding Funding

Advocacy Group Presses For Changes To Help Entrepreneurs Raise Capital and Create Jobs

Raise The Capital has launched in an effort to support entrepreneurs across the State of North Carolina and help entrepreneurs raise capital and create jobs
Jeff Tippett - Lioness Magazine
Jeff Tippett

Raise The Capital, a grassroots advocacy campaign, has launched in an effort to support entrepreneurs across the State of North Carolina. The campaign raises awareness of a bill to be reintroduced in the North Carolina General Assembly. This bill would activate capital by allowing residents to participate in funding that supports North Carolina entrepreneurs. This funding could help entrepreneurs raise capital and create jobs.

The campaign was designed and launched by several entrepreneurs led by Jeff Tippett, founder of Targeted Persuasion. To support the campaign, Tippett’s company launched a website, Twitter account, and Facebook Page. These online tools will provide legislative updates and connect entrepreneurs in all 100 North Carolina counties.

“North Carolina has legislators that are committed to creating jobs and helping North Carolina entrepreneurs expand their companies. This bill helps rural and urban entrepreneurs equally. We look forward to discussions with NC lawmakers. Beyond just this initial campaign, I hope we create a unified, statewide voice for entrepreneurs. We desire to convey the message that North Carolina is an entrepreneur-friendly state, Jeff Tippett, organizer of Raise The Capital and founder of Targeted Persuasion, said.

One important aspect of the campaign will be a series of town halls conducted across the state of North Carolina. These town halls will connect entrepreneurs and elected officials. Efforts will be made to involve legislators as well as county and city elected officials. The advocacy group anticipates 4-5 town halls in various North Carolina cities.

Seeking to promote North Carolina entrepreneurs, the campaign will launch a portal where entrepreneurs and those supporting entrepreneurs can tell their stories. These stories will be shared through social media. Beyond collecting and promoting these narratives, the campaign seeks to build an anthology of startup stories.

One of the companies seeking this legislative change is MalartuFunds based in Raleigh, NC. Because the bill did not pass the NC General Assembly in 2013 and 2014, this startup is considering a move to Atlanta, GA. One of the company’s founders, Sean Steigerwald, has been vocal about the need for this change in North Carolina.

The advocacy group will be seeking a champion of the bill within the NC General Assembly and hopes to introduce the bill in early 2015.

“The NC Jobs Act is the best tool legislators could implement for North Carolina business. Activating capital for our companies while letting our residents participate in seed-stage funding is what takes North Carolina from an emerging tech-hub to a Silicon Valley 2.0. It’s an evolutionary step in finance, and it’s a step that North Carolina has to take to remain attractive for entrepreneurs and small business,” Sean Steigerwald, co-founder of MalartuFunds, added.

For more information, visit raisethecapital.org.

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