An innovative venture fund is creating opportunities to support the American Dream by providing capital and resources to small businesses
An innovative venture fund is creating opportunities to support the American Dream by providing capital and resources to small businesses. ProgressWorks is a non-profit 501(c)(3) U.S. job-creation venture fund with a mission to facilitate job creation and retention in the United States. Its vision is to impact the growth of employment through targeted investment, strategic partnering, and resources that reduce the challenges small businesses face when seeking capital.
The non-profit raises capital through memberships, sponsorships, donations, and investments in the fund. Capital is deployed into qualified business transactions with the sole purpose of job creation and retention. Target investments can be startups or existing businesses in any industry. When the fund receives a return on its investments, it redeploys the capital and profits into new projects."ProgressWorks was created by and is operated by investment banking and venture capital professionals with experience in investing and operating businesses from technology to logging," states CEO Roy Y. Salisbury. "Our goal is to do good for our country by creating a legacy that continues to infuse capital into the lifeblood of the American Dream: small businesses."
To help facilitate transactions and create opportunities, on August 18, 2017, the first ProgressWorks Opportunity Expo will be held at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California. The Expo will bring together capital sources, companies, executives, and professional resource providers. Key to the event will be the PitchFest competitions, where companies seeking capital will have three minutes to present to a panel of judges and investors. There will be three categories, with the grand prize winner in each category receiving $10,000.
The Expo is structured as a vacation-destination event, with discounted hotel rooms, and park tickets, and the chance for sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees to bring their families and find new opportunities while enjoying a tax-deductible mini-vacation.Without American entrepreneurship, we would not have Apple, Google, Facebook, Starbucks, or countless companies that are a part of our daily lives. ProgressWorks aims to help the next wave of small businesses pursue the American Dream, creating new jobs in the process.Here are five ProgressWorks initiatives:
1. Membership Drive. Members support a worthwhile cause, and receive opportunities and benefits.
2. Funds Development. Investors can participate in ProgressWorks bond offerings, compliant with federal securities laws, and support the funding of companies while receiving a fixed rate of return.
3. ProgressWorks Opportunity Expo. This is the best way for businesses seeking expansion capital to present themselves for investment consideration. Another is by competing in the PitchFest competition.
4. Expansion. The non-profit is seeking volunteers across the United States to start the building of a national infrastructure. Successful volunteers who staff operations and develop business will be first in line for paid positions.
5. Scholarships. Current and future students can participate in membership drives and earn scholarship dollars towards tuition, books, tools, housing and food. Students must be enrolled in a curriculum with good prospects for employment.
To learn more, visit www.ProgressWorks.org. For more about the Expo, go to www.ProgressWorksExpo.org.
