New ‘Rise Up Crowdfunding’ Portal Is Making It Easier For The Public To Invest In Minority Entrepreneurs

Rise Up Crowdfunding has collaborated with The Coca-Cola Company to transform funding for women and minority-owned companies.

Rise Up Crowdfunding, a FINRA and SEC registered funding portal, is on a mission to enable people to invest in diverse-owned small businesses and the future those businesses believe in.

The Collaboration With Coca-Cola Company

In collaboration with The Coca-Cola Company, the platform is giving women and minority-owned companies the chance to now raise up to $5 million through equity crowdfunding.  

“Although women and minority-led startups are launching daily, women receive less than 3% of venture capital funding, and it’s even worse for Black entrepreneurs, who received less than 2% of venture capital funding,” said Rise Up Crowdfunding CEO Ruth E. Hedges.

“We launched Rise Up Crowdfunding to give all diverse small business founders a way to raise capital online from customers, supporters, fans, and the general public who want to invest and support these companies and strengthen communities.”

The Coca-Cola Company’s commitment involves maximizing procurement opportunities and proactively engaging and building partnerships with diverse suppliers.

“Coca-Cola’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference, and we share Rise Up’s Crowdfunding’s mission to support businesses and underrepresented groups within the communities we serve,” said Fernando Hernandez, Senior Director, Supplier Diversity, The Coca-Cola Company.

“This much-needed resource can, in many cases, help small businesses scale up or expand their operations, open new locations, and grow their brands.”

To ensure the process was legal and compliant, Kendall Almerico, one of the world’s most experienced equity crowdfunding attorneys, co-founded the funding portal.

The First Three Offerings

The platform’s initial offerings are diverse and inclusive, featuring its first three Regulation Crowdfunding offerings.

The first three offerings are Palomino The Movie, Inc., a Hispanic-owned Hollywood feature film, Wunderground Coffee, a woman and LGBTQ-owned coffee company, and Dunamis Charge, the first Black-owned and woman-led EV charging manufacturer.