Crowd-Lending Goes Live! Crowdfunding Brings Affordable Loans to Small Businesses

Re-post.  Original via TriplePundit.com

When Congress passed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act in April 2012, the finance and small business communities were both excited and befuddled. Title III established approval of crowd-sourced securities—allowing crowd-funding web portals like Kickstarter to issue equity loans or revenue-sharing agreements from individual investors.

But since then, the SEC has dragged its feet with follow-up regulations for crowd-sourced equity funding; meanwhile, small businesses have been searching for urgent solutions to their funding needs. There’s been much chatter about small businesses driving our economic recovery, yet finding best-fit financing remains a remarkable challenge for entrepreneurs in our credit-restricted economy.

Why Sharing News About Solutions Is a Revolutionary Act by Frances Moore Lappé — YES! Magazine

Loved this article from Fances Moore Lappé. She always has something inspiring and urgent to say that’s relevant to the sustainability economy. And Yes! Magazine is a great resource for sustainable community news.

Why Sharing News About Solutions Is a Revolutionary Act by Frances Moore Lappé — YES! Magazine.

Saint Lucia’s going Fossil-fuel Free? ‘Ten Island Renewable Challenge’ with Richard Branson and the UNFCCC

Big news for St. Lucians! If done well, the Ten Island Challenge could generate possible solutions for other vulnerable island nations (not to mention, vulnerable coastal communities).

Saint Lucia signs up for the Carbon War Room’s ‘Ten Island Renewable Challenge’ – Renewable Energy Focus.

News was announced on Virgin Mobile’s blog in May.

Eve, God, Biodynamics: A collection of food philosophy essays

Welcome to my collection of food philosophy essays, “Eve, God Biodynamics.” I’m posting this table of contents so that you can read them in order, by referring to the links below. Cheers!

Part 1: Eve, God, Biodynamics http://wp.me/pVfWS-dg
Part 2: Outhouse to Hotseat to Hothouse http://wp.me/pVfWS-dh
Part 3: Digging the Subtleties http://wp.me/pVfWS-dj
Part 4: The seeds of market failure http://wp.me/pVfWS-dn
Part 5: The antagonistic shopper society http://wp.me/pVfWS-dq
Part 6: Redemption and My Gardenin’ Angel http://wp.me/pVfWS-du

Part 6: Redemption and my gardenin’ angel

It is time for a new economic system—the “I Care” economy. 

Part 5: The antagonistic shopper society

Is it REALLY Real in the Whole Foods parking lot?  Who am I in this debate on sustainable foods?  I am far removed from the ground. 

Part 1: Eve, God, Biodynamics

One early autumn evening in Durham, NC…  I’d stopped by the SEEDS community garden just as it was closing.  The last remaining staff member, locking up shop at the storehouse, gave me the nod to walk through.  She paced impatiently, busily complaining about whatever to whomever on her cell phone, in evident desire to move on with the rest of her modern life.