After a disappointing experience trying to help a theater producer raise money, I understood that the people who wanted to bring projects to life often lacked the power to do so, relying instead on gatekeepers and investors.

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 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.

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

I learned that I didn't really know anything about fundraising or venture capital, which was a significant realization for me.

I pitched 75 investors for funding, but we faced rejection after rejection, which made me cynical about fundraising, especially during a time when no one was investing in consumer-driven businesses.

My reason for starting Indiegogo was to democratize access to capital, a problem that affected my family and me personally.

I faced rejection from investors at least 50 times while fundraising, and it was tough to determine if my challenges were due to being a brown woman without a higher degree or simply lacking progress.

I realized there was a huge opportunity in the investment space when I discovered that many hedge funds lack in-house technical support, relying instead on a handful of analysts.