IndieGoGo

IndieGoGo is a collaborative funding platform. Anyone with an idea (creative, cause, or entrepreneurial) can create a campaign on IndieGoGo, offer perks and raise the funds needed for execution - all while keeping 100% ownership. Customers range from artists (musicians, writers, filmmakers, etc.) who pre-sell their work as a way to fund it, to people raising money on behalf of charities to small businesses offering limited edition items or access to fund their start-up capital.

IndieGoGo launched the beta in 2008 within the film vertical. By 2009 IndieGoGo became the largest online film funding platform and brand. In 2010, IndieGoGo focused on further developing its funding tools and opened the platform to more verticals. Recent growth has been excellent at IndieGoGo including:

* Revenue up 24x in last year
* Funding projects from 134 countries
* 11,000+ projects
* Webby Award Nomination (versus Flickr, Vimeo & Digg)

Danae Ringelmann, CFA - COO

Danae co-founded IndieGoGo to democratize fundraising.  She brings finance and entertainment industry expertise, and Fast Company Magazine recently named her one of the Top 50 Women Innovators in Technology.

Prior to IndieGoGo, Danae was a Securities Analyst at Cowen & Co. where she covered entertainment companies including Pixar, Lionsgate, Disney, and Electronic Arts.  Danae also focused on cable network, NFL, newspaper and hedge fund clientele while at JPMorgan's Investment Bank and Private Bank.  In the wake of 9/11, Danae co-produced a concert reading of Incident at Vichy, an Arthur Miller play addressing the politically charged topic of racial profiling.

Danae is a CFA charterholder and holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.  Danae graduated with a B.A. in Humanities from UNC-Chapel Hill, where she was a Morehead Scholar and varsity rower.

Slava Rubin - CEO

Slava co-founded IndieGoGo to empower creative entrepreneurs with Do-It-With-Others (DIWO) tools.  He offers expertise in audience-building and social media marketing, and serves as an Advisor to the IFP Film Week and Film Labs.  Slava also recently produced the short film Wonder of Seasaws.

Prior to IndieGoGo, Slava was a Strategy Consultant at Diamond Management & Technology Consultants, working on projects from start-up go-to-market strategies to corporate execution plans.  Beyond his passion for film, Slava started Music Against Myeloma, an annual charity event raising funds and awareness to fight this rare form of cancer.  Slava graduated with a B.S.E. from the Wharton School of Business.

Eric Schell - CTO

Eric co-founded IndieGoGo to bring advances in Internet technology to the creative community.  He offers expertise in software development, technology architecture, and IT analytics and governance.

Prior to IndieGoGo, Eric was an IT Strategy Consultant at Diamond Management & Technology Consultants, working for Fortune 500 Companies across Financial Services, Insurance and Telecom industries.  Eric was a founder of the Vanguard, the grassroots marketing team of The House Theater of Chicago.  He graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder.  Eric also holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.

IndieGoGo charges 4% on all funds raised when the project reaches or exceeds its funding goal by their deadline, and 9% if they don't reach their goal.  

The industry has been validated by VC funded competitors and several new entrants into the market.  IndieGoGo differentiators include:

1. Pricing incentives: Posting a project is absolutely free. Projects keep all the funds they raise less 4% when they reach their goal (or 9% if they don't.) 

2. International capabilities:  As long as a project has a bank account, there are no restrictions on locations for project owners or funders.   IndieGoGo is currently in over 130 countries.

3. Fiscal sponsorship integration: We can offer tax deductions to contributors through our Fractured Atlas & San Francisco Film Society fiscal sponsor partnerships.  We're the only site online funding site with this capabilitiy, and projects only have to pay one fee for the access to multiple organizations.  

4. 24-hour customer service policy:  We have a 24-hour policy for any questions, requests, or troubleshooting inquiries.  Our customer happiness team provides frequent tips on how to improve campaigns based on recent success stories.

5. Campaign data & analytics:  Each campaign is equipped with a dashboard to track the number of referrals and dollars a fan or 3rd party organization drives to the campaign by sharing via Facebook, Twitter and other embedded social media tools.

6. Strategic partnerships:  We are partnered with MTV New Media, who uses IndieGoGo to curate projects for their network.   Partnership with Distribber.com provides turnkey online distribution services for film projects.