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

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.

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.

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 graduated from business school with $140,000 in debt, which made me determined to find a way to succeed as an entrepreneur without being constrained by that debt.

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.

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.

Working in corporate finance made me realize how broken the finance system is, especially when I encountered filmmakers seeking funding but lacking the means to secure it.