By @RoccoTarasi
In the last month the SEC has said that it will consider changes to certain capital markets regulations, including:
1. Raising the 500 shareholder threshold that triggers a public disclosure of financial results (and usually results in a public stock offering);
2. Adjusting the ban on general solicitations that prohibit or restrict publicizing share offerings; and
3. Allowing some form of crowdsourcing to raise smaller amounts of capital from a larger group of investors.  (via Mashable and VentureBeat)
Changing these and other rules are long, long overdue.  Our capital markets operate under some …

Let’s play an innovation game.
Here is the scenario: You are trying to increase donations to feed hungry children around the world – a noble cause if there ever was one.  According to the World Food Programme, it only costs $0.25 per day to feed one child.   You are going to use the web to create a site to solicit donations.  What can you do on the site to maximize the likelihood of a visitor donating?
Odds are you didn’t think of this: The Feedback calculator.  You type in your favorite food, …

The biggest news in the world of start-ups in the last 24 hours is the announcement that investor Yuri Milner of DST is partnering with famed angel investor Ron Conway on a new innovative start-up investment vehicle called Start Fund.  The Start Fund is offering $150,000 loans to every one of the 43 start-ups in the Y Combinator class.
Some background here.  Yuri Milner runs the Russian investment firm DST, which has already been a force of disruption in the venture capital world by making very large investments in Facebook, Zynga, …

With this last post of 2010, I wanted to write about some of my observations of retailers and products during this holiday shopping month.
Charity giving at the register. When I was making a $50 purchase at the local Pottery Barn, as I was paying the clerk asked if I’d like to donate $1 to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.  I think this is a terrific way to raise money (and I said yes).  First, I’ve already taken out my credit card, so that barrier is gone.  Second, they didn’t ask me …

President Obama has signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act into law.
Besides my general opinion on the size and role of government(*), I wasn’t happy about the initial drafts of the law due to its impact on a start-up companies’ ability to raise angel funding.
Under the previous regulations, start-ups raised angel funding from only “accredited investors” to minimize their legal costs, hassle and time to close.  During the initial drafting of this new law, Congress proposed raising the bar to quality as an accredited investor from a …

Can someone please innovate the school fundraiser?
Like most people, I’m happy to support local school fundraisers.  They usually don’t cost more than $10-$20, the money goes to a good cause, and I usually either get something of value (like wrapping paper or frozen pizzas) or I’m sponsoring the efforts of the kids (if say they are “running for dollars”).
But I can’t stand being interrupted at my house.