SmartMoney Entrepreneurs Donates Shark Event Profits to Hurricane Sandy Recovery Efforts

Nov. 2, 2012 - PRLog -- Today, SmartMoney Entrepreneurs (SME), a broker dealer-based equity crowdfunding platform, announced that it will donate all net profits from their November 27 event, “How To Get Funding From A Shark!” featuring celebrity “Shark Tank” investor Daymond John, to the American Red Cross hurricane relief efforts in the NYC metro region.  The event, being held at AlleyNYC, 500 7th Street, New York, NY, will bring together many entrepreneurs, investors, and business service providers, to discuss startup financing and effective entrepreneurship.  

The impact that Hurricane Sandy has had on New York and New Jersey residents and small businesses are unprecedented.  Residents and businesses have lost power, workspace, phone lines, internet access, etc.  Over the past few days, many groups in the NYC/NJ startup community have offered support for entrepreneurs in need.  “I think co-working spaces, like our partner AlleyNYC, have answered the call in supporting entrepreneurs who need working space and resources,” says David Brown, Co-Founder of SmartMoney Entrepreneurs.  SME is seeking to do what it can to support businesses in need.

The Founders at SmartMoney Entrepreneurs want to do more than just donate financial capital.  “In line with our company’s vision to support the growth of sustainable small businesses, SME has decided to create a Professional Assistance Hurricane Relief Program.  We want to do more than just offer financial assistance,” says Chirag Sadana, Head of Business Development and Strategic Planning at SME.  SME will develop a list of business experts and service providers who can support startup/entrepreneurs negatively impacted by the hurricane.  SME will then match these experts with small businesses and entrepreneurs in need.  Volunteers can sign up before the event through an online form, or at the event.  Chirag was the winner of the 2010 NYU Stern Social Entrepreneurship Competition, and understands the difference between a short-term solution and an initiative that makes a lasting social impact.

SME intends to expand the exposure of their event through a live webcast, or online showing if the live event, to increase their capacity to support the hurricane relief efforts.  They created a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to finance the live webcast.  Campaign backers can receive their name on the webcast credits, a live webcast ticket, a ticket to the main event, or even an exclusive one-on-one business coaching session with the shark Daymond John.  The deadline for the crowdfunding campaign is Saturday, November 10, 2012.  

To partner, or to apply for the Professional Assistance Hurricane Relief Program, email SME Co-Founder David Brown, at david@smartmoneyentrepreneurs.com.  To back the crowdfunding campaign, go to www.indiegogo.com/smeshark.  To purchase tickets to the live event, go to smeshark.eventbrite.com. (http://smeshark.eventbrite.com)