My frustration with the lack of access to capital led me to business school, where I aimed to democratize funding and eventually co-founded Indiegogo.

My 'why' is to democratize funding because the current financial system is broken and relies on gatekeepers, limiting equal opportunity.

My journey started as a child of two small business owners who struggled for 30 years without access to capital, which made me aware of the significant problem of access to funding.

I launched Indiegogo in January 2008 with my two co-founders, and today we are the largest global online funding platform, helping people from every industry raise money for their dreams.

The 'democratization of capital' means empowering everyone to fund what matters to them and raise money in various ways.

As a female founder, I realized that fundraising is particularly challenging, and I wanted to help level the playing field for future female entrepreneurs.

I want to democratize access to technology so that everyone, not just a small percentage of the population, can bring their ideas to life.

We launched a crowdfunding platform where donors can see the families they are helping, ensuring transparency and accountability in our operations.

I faced significant challenges in fundraising, as I had no connections in Silicon Valley and struggled to secure initial funding for Watsi. No one wants to be the first person to take a gamble and support you.