Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
Karsten Wenzlaff is a Crowdfunding and Fintech Expert from Germany. He is Secretary-General of Digit[...]
Category Archives: NCFA Supported Events
Event Vancouver (May 28, 2013): Crowdfunding – Another Option For Start-ups, Charities & Education
VEF | May 14, 2013 Posted by Christine McDonald
Event Details
When: May 28, 2013 (5:00PM - 8:30PM)
Location: Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC)
Early bird rate of $45 in effect. Register today at www.vef.org/events.
* Doors open 5pm, main presentation at 6pm
Overview
Crowdfunding - our panel will discuss this rapidly growing way of raising capital which is expected to generate $2.8 billion in 2013 according to Massolution. Our panel will include both crowdfunding companies and those who have used these companies to raise capital as well as an angel
investor at the forefront of equity crowdfunding. Topics the panellists will discuss include;
• How significant is crowdfunding as a means of raising capital?
• What are the different types of crowdfunding?
• What factors maximize crowdfunding success?
• What are the opportunities and risks involved?
• What does the future look like – especially with regards to equity crowdfunding?
Panelists:
Daryl Hatton, Founder & CEO at FundRazr.com
Mike Volker, Director at SFU-Innovation Office and Director for WUTIF
Jay Giraud, Founder & CEO of Mojio
David Geertz, Founder of SoKap
View registration details
Montreal Workshop (May 16, 2013): Crowdfunding Advanced Level
NCFA Canada Ambassadors | Posted by Seeding Factory | April 30, 2013
Event Details
Thursday, May 16, 2013 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM (EDT) Montreal, QC
A 3-hour workshop to learn step by step how to prepare, launch and manage a triumphant crowdfunding campaign.
You've decided you will do a crowdfunding campaign to fund your project or launch your new great product and you are wondering how to practically doing it. You want to learn a methodology that will maximize your chances of success, and avoid to be one of the 50% campaigns that fail.
This interactive workshop based on Seeding Factory's methodology will deliver you precious tools to build an action plan, understand key succes factors and bypass major mistakes.
Who should attend?
This workshop is for entrepreneurs, creatives, artists (filmmakers, musicians), hackers & makers, activists, inventors, designers, small business owners, and anyone who wants to make their idea a reality.
This workshop is a great complement to the "Basic level" one organized by Seeding Factory and Spiegel Sohmer.
Finger food and beverages will be served.
>> Limited Capacity: 20 people <<
Register for the Workshop now
NCFA Canada Member Discount
(Limited # of discounted tickets. Email casano@ncfacanada for details)
Workshop Outline
This workshop will be fully bilingual, in French & English
With a maximum of 20 people in the room we'll focus on qualitative activities during which every participant will have the opportunity to generate a plan customized to its project.
Seeding Factory
Bruno Rakotozafy & Heri Rakotomalala are crowdfunding experts, founders of Montreal-based Seeding Factory. They've helped raised more than $100,000 last year for various projects (Build Notman House, J'accorde,...). They are also active evangelists with the critically acclaimed Crowdfund Night event series hosted every 4 months in Montreal.
Spiegel Sohmer
Founded in 1967, Spiegel Sohmer is a firm of attorneys offering state-of-the-art expertise to a diversified business clientele seeking solutions that are innovative, concrete, and pragmatic.
About NCFA Canada Ambassadors Program
The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada Ambassadors Program is a nation-wide initiative aimed at recognizing, supporting and unifying crowdfunding leaders across the country through collaborative events, education and resource sharing.
Expand the range, reach and depth of your voice by interacting with a vibrant and growing network of crowdfunding experts across the country. Contact us at casano@ncfacanada.org to learn more...
Join Team NCFA at the Amazing Toronto Tech Race & BBQ
North of 41 | Posted on May 7, 2013
For information on free race & BBQ tickets with NCFA membership intro please contact casano@ncfacanada.org.
Amazing Toronto Tech Race
North of 41 is excited to present the first annual Amazing Toronto Tech Race to be held on Saturday May 25th, 2013 from 10:00AM until 2:00PM. Breakfast, lunch and drinks throughout the event are included in the registration fee.
Modeled after the widely popular television series, participants will compete in a city wide race with other members of the tech community. The race is organized around 15 checkpoints and simple tasks (such as taking a team picture next to a tech businesses address, or solving a skill testing question at an incubator). Teams will travel via TTC using a day pass provided at the event.
Participants will meet at MaRS Discovery District located at 101 College Street and finish at Toronto City Hall located at 100 Queen St. West. Register today as an individual to be placed on a team or as a team (four people per team). Please indicate the team name when you register.
Event Details:
Registration Link: http://amazingtorontotechrace.eventbrite.com
Date: Saturday May 25, 2013
Time: 10:00 am until 2:00 pm (rain or shine)
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Contact: Tania@northof41.org or for more information please email info@northof41.org
Prizes will be awarded to the first 3 teams to complete the race.
Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting the Global Artisan Technology Project.
Go Register Now
OSC Chair Opening Remarks and “Regulatory Vision for the Exempt Market” at the 2013 EMDA Exempt Market Conference
OSC | May 6, 2013
On May 2, 2013, the annual EMDA Exempt Market Conference was held at the National Club in Toronto’s financial district. It was a full day affair with a stellar line-up of exempt market industry leaders, providers and sponsors covering the key discussions and topics pertinent to the $28 billion that was raised in the exempt market in Ontario by non-investment funds in 2011 (out of a reported total distribution of approx. $87 billion). The Honourable Howard Wetston, Chair of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), kicked off the EMDA conference with a speech entitled “Regulatory Vision for the Exempt Market”. Highlights include:
Background
- Small and medium-sized companies play a significant role in driving economic growth. They represent more than half of Canada’s GDP yet struggle to raise capital when they need to grow.
- Regulators around the world are facing 3 challenges:
- Structural changes in markets
- Financial innovation and complexity
- Globalization
- Effective securities regulation must be balanced and address 3 fundamental objectives:
- Improve efficient access to capital for issuers
- Increase access to investment opportunities for investors
- Provide appropriate protection for investors
OSC’s approach to the Exempt Market
- Agree that something needs to be done
- Received more than 100 comment letters to their OSC’s Exempt Market Review consultation paper issued last December 2012
- Held 4 town hall sessions with approx 165 stakeholders to solicit feedback
- Consulted over 40 interested stakeholders including NCFA Canada and the EMDA
- Conducted an online survey to over 1,500 Canadian investors
On Crowdfunding
- OSC is considering and examining the issue of crowdfunding by asking 3 key questions:
- Would crowdfunding be an effective capital raising tool for companies?
- Are investors interested in these types of investment opportunities?
- Can we find ways to address investor protection concerns regarding the potentially high risk and illiquid nature of these types of investments?
- OSC’s objective is to attempt to harmonize Ontario’s exempt market regulatory regime, as appropriate, with other Canadian jurisdictions. The CSA has agreed to explore ways to achieve harmonization of these exemptions to the extent possible
- OSC is considering feedback from investors, issuers, dealers and other stakeholders and plans to publish a progress update of a possible new exemption in late summer.
Source: OSC speech "Regulatory Vision for the Exempt Market"
Montreal Workshop (May 15, 2013): Crowdfunding Basics
NCFA Canada Ambassadors | Posted by Seeding Factory | April 30, 2013
Event Details:
Montreal Workshop on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT)
A 2-hour workshop filled with how-tos & action plan for your next crowdfunding campaign
Looking to raise funds for your project, but find it a daunting task? Crowdfunding is really just classic community fundraising meeting new technology tools and is a great way to boost your project budget and profile. Yet, too many doers & makers don’t reach their funding goals due to lack of planning and attention to making the campaign successful. Because this new world of crowdfunding has a new set of rules, and requires new techniques and approaches.
This interactive workshop organized by Seeding Factory, in partnership with Spiegel Sohmer, will help you understand the crowdfunding space and identify key elements for crafting a comprehensive campaign.
Who should attend?
This workshop is for entrepreneurs, creatives, artists (filmmakers, musicians), hackers & makers, activists, inventors, designers, small business owners, and anyone who wants to make their idea a reality.
This workshop is a perfect preliminary to the "Advanced Workshop" organized by Seeding Factory & Spiegel Sohmer.
Finger food and beverages will be served.
>> Limited Capacity: 20 people <<
Register for the Workshop now
NCFA Canada Member Discount
(Limited # of discounted tickets. Email casano@ncfacanada for details)
Workshop Outline
This workshop will be fully bilingual, in French & English
You will walk away with a clear vision to start crafting your own campaign and the confidence to know how & why crowdfunding works.
Seeding Factory
Bruno Rakotozafy & Heri Rakotomalala are crowdfunding experts, founders of Montreal-based Seeding Factory. They've helped raised more than $100,000 last year for various projects (Build Notman House, J'accorde,...). They are also active evangelists with the critically acclaimed Crowdfund Night event series hosted every 4 months in Montreal.
Spiegel Sohmer
Founded in 1967, Spiegel Sohmer is a firm of attorneys offering state-of-the-art expertise to a diversified business clientele seeking solutions that are innovative, concrete, and pragmatic.
About NCFA Canada Ambassadors Program
The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada Ambassadors Program is a nation-wide initiative aimed at recognizing, supporting and unifying crowdfunding leaders across the country through collaborative events, education and resource sharing.
Expand the range, reach and depth of your voice by interacting with a vibrant and growing network of crowdfunding experts across the country. Contact us at casano@ncfacanada.org to learn more...
Event Toronto (May 7, 2013): MaRS Best Practices – The Crowdfunding Success Pattern
MaRS | April 17, 2013
MaRS Best Practices - The Crowdfunding Success Pattern
Tuesday, May 7, 2013 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM (EDT)
Toronto, Ontario
Want to learn more about crowdfunding?
Designed for startup project leaders who leverage crowdfunding, this session examines how to maximize this funding model.
Modern social networking makes reaching out simple and virtually free. More people are taking up projects independently. A revolution is emerging in independent creativity and entrepreneurism. Crowdfunding is the foundation of this new economy.
RocketHub has narrowed down the formula for successful crowdfunding. Come hear about the factors that determine which projects achieve their goals (and which ones don't).
We’ll discuss how project leaders currently crowdfund their endeavours, and the "core patterns" that affect funding probability.
REGISTER NOW
MaRS Discovery District
MaRS (www.marsdd.com) is a large scale, mission driven innovation centre located in Toronto and networked across Ontario, focused on building Canada’s next generation of technology companies.
MaRS works closely with entrepreneurs to grow and scale their ventures into global market leaders in life sciences and health care, information, communications and entertainment technologies, cleantech, advanced materials and engineering, as well as innovative social purpose businesses.
Source: here
Alberta Primetime TV (April 9, 2013): Creative ways to raise capital
Alberta Primetime | April 16, 2013
On April 9, 2013 Alberta Primetime hosted a show called 'Creative ways to raise capital'. Marty Gunderson, a board member with the National Crowdfunding Association of Canada appeared on the show to discuss crowdfunding models, trends and how they can help local projects and businesses raise money in Alberta.
Original Air Date: Tuesday, April 09, 2013
Websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo are taking advantage of the organizing power of social media to get funding for special projects. Is crowdfunding a sustainable funding model that can work in Alberta?
We talk to Ken Bautista, from Startup Edmonton and Marty Gunderson, from the National Crowdfunding Association of Canada.
View the Alberta Primetime TV Segment
About Alberta Primetime
Alberta Primetime is a daily current affairs show airing weeknights from 7pm MST to 8pm MST. Airing across Alberta on CTV Two Alberta, Alberta Primetime drills through the surface of current issues to explore the ideas and concerns of Alberta’s real energy sector – its people...
Alberta Primetime can be seen on CTV Two Alberta on the following channels:
- Calgary SD: Shaw Cable Channel 13
- Edmonton SD: Shaw Cable Channel 9
- Bell TV: Channel 267
- HD: Shaw Cable Channel 212
- Shaw Direct Classic: Channel 351
- Shaw Direct Advanced: Channel 23
- Telus Optik TV: Channel 13
- Telus Satellite TV: Channel 267
The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada is Canada’s Crowdfunding Advocate. Newly formed, dynamic and inclusive, NCFA Canada works closely with industry groups, government, academia, other business associations and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry and voice across Canada.
JOIN today and ‘stand out’ in the crowd. Download eBrochure to learn more…
Contact Us
Craig Asano, Executive Director
(416) 618-0254
casano@ncfacanada.org
ncfacanada.org
