Austin Kleon understands the importance of being creative in our hectic and oftentimes chaotic world. Kleon definitely has a natural gift when it comes to motivating and inspiring those with creative ambitions.

I highly recommend reading Kleon’s books Steal Like and Artist and Show Your Work! as they’ve helped motivate millions of people as they pursue their creative endeavors. Personally, I’ve revisited his books many times over the past several years whenever I needed a creative push to get back on track.

Earlier this year, BackerKit had the pleasure to host a conference called Bond, and Kleon presented a brand new talk that serves as the foundation for his upcoming book Keep Going hitting store shelves April 2019. A must-watch for anyone who has ever felt they should just give up while pursuing a passion in life. I’m guessing that’s all of us.

If you’re close to crowdfunding your own creative idea, consider joining our Community Newsletter for in-depth guides and creator interviews.

The post Austin Kleon Talks Staying Creative During Chaotic Times appeared first on Crowdfunding Blog & Resources | BackerKit.

We recently hosted Bond, a conference that explored how independent creators and entrepreneurs can make a living following their passions through crowdfunding and community patronage. We featured an eclectic lineup of 8 speakers who all shared their inspiring stories and unique perspectives.

Indhira Rojas is the founder and Creative Director of Anxy Magazine—a beautifully designed, bi-annual publication about mental health, explored through a creative lens. Anxy shares stories that bring us together by not shying away from our challenges, our successes, and all the imperfections that make us human.

Below, Indhira gives a truly powerful and inspirational talk at Bond 2018 about her experiences leading up to the creation of Anxy Magazine and beyond.

Indhira recently launched a brand new Kickstarter Campaign to fund the third issue of Anxy Magazine. This issue explores the relationship between personal boundaries and our mental health.

To learn more about Indhira’s journey leading up to her latest Kickstarter campaign, be sure to check out her awesome guest post on the BackerKit blog!

The above BackerKit Bond conference video was produced in partnership with MailChimp. Video production by Searle Video with video thumbnails by Myleen Hollero.

The post Bond Conference Video – Indhira Rojas, Founder of Anxy Magazine appeared first on Crowdfunding Blog & Resources | BackerKit.

We recently hosted Bond, a conference that explored how independent creators and entrepreneurs make a living on the internet through crowdfunding and community patronage. On March 9th, we featured a diverse and eclectic lineup of speakers at Gray Area Grand Theatre in San Francisco. Each speaker had a unique perspective on what it takes to establish your creative practice as a sustainable, independent business.

All 8 featured speaker talks from Bond 2018 are collected below.

Gary Chou
Founder, Orbital / Bond Spotlight

Kat Blaque
Vlogger & Illustrator / Bond Spotlight

Indhira Rojas
Founder, Anxy Magazine / Bond Spotlight

Jesse Thorn
Owner, Maximum Fun / Bond Spotlight

Erica Baker
Senior Engineering Manager, Patreon / Bond Spotlight

Jamie Wilkinson
Chief Product Officer, Kickstarter / Bond Spotlight

Freddie Wong
Filmmaker, RocketJump / Bond Spotlight

Austin Kleon
Writer & Artist / Bond Spotlight

The above BackerKit Bond conference videos were produced in partnership with MailChimp. Video production by Searle Video with video thumbnails by Myleen Hollero.

Be sure to check out our full BackerKit Bond recap including photos of the event!

The post Bond Conference 2018 Featured Speaker Videos appeared first on Crowdfunding Blog & Resources | BackerKit.

On March 9th and 10th we hosted our first conference in San Francisco called Bond. While we often collaborate with the crowdfunding community, we wanted Bond to reflect the creator’s journey as they bring their ideas to life. What unites our audience is the desire to focus on independence, to build a strong community, and to make a living doing what you love. At Bond, we wanted to encourage a cross-discipline conversation and help connect people leading to a broader network of creative professionals.

Erica Baker at Bond 2018

On March 9th at Gray Area Grand Theatre, we featured an eclectic lineup of speakers who all had a unique perspective on what it takes to build community and establish your creative practice as a sustainable, independent business. This was a great opportunity for attendees to hear a wide variety of stories from a diverse group of people about what it takes to follow your passions. We heard from artists, writers, filmmakers, designers, podcasters, teachers, and more. The unifying thread was the desire to follow a passion no matter how high the hurdle. It was inspiring to hear all the different paths our speakers took on their individual journey.

Austin Kleon at Bond 2018

There were some truly powerful talks at the Bond conference that we knew would spark a desire to take action. In anticipation of attendees wanting to roll up their sleeves, we reserved the next day to be all about conversation, advice, and building connections with each other. We opened our office doors for an all day event hosting small talks from knowledgable experts and experienced independent creators. We also encouraged attendees to take the lead giving them the opportunity to host their own mini-talks about anything from building a strong community to running a successful business and everything in-between. It was amazing to see creators, makers, and entrepreneurs take control sharing their experience and wisdom with one another.

Lillian Karabaic (Oh My Dollar!) Hosting an Office Hours Discussion

Now that Bond has come and gone, we can look back at all the people we met, consider all the conversations that took place, and move forward as we continue our journey through the creative space together. It’s important to remember we are not alone, and there are many individuals and communities out there eager to share knowledge and experiences. You have an idea, you can follow your passions until they become a reality, and there are networks of people eager to collaborate and help all over the world. It’s time to embark on your first adventure or continue on the path you’ve already paved.

Jesse Genet (Lumi) Mini-Talk at Bond Office Hours

To connect more people and bring together communities, we’ve created a few spaces to keep the conversations started at Bond going well beyond the event. We encourage anyone reading to join our new BackerKit Bond Facebook Group where we can share projects we are working on, trade advice, and get connected. You can also subscribe to our BackerKit Bond Twitter List and receive our weekly Community Newsletter featuring guides & best practices, creator interviews, and upcoming event announcements.

Gary Chou (Orbital) at Bond 2018

Special thanks to our friend Andy McMillan (XOXO Festival) for doing a wonderful job organizing Bond and to Mike Rugnetta (Idea Channel) who tied all the featured talks together as our MC. Thanks to all our featured speakers at the conference, our office hours guests, and each and every attendee. And we could not have made it all happen without our patrons and community sponsors including MailChimp, WordPress, Dropbox, Intercom Brand Studio, Ingram Micro, Creative Mornings, and Making Ways podcast. We’d also like to thank Patreon for hosting our opening reception and Kickstarter for hosting our after party.

Indhira Rojas (Anxy) at Bond 2018

Bond Conference 2018

Clarissa Redwine (Kickstarter) Speaking at Office Hours

Jenn Ellis (Twogether Studios) Playing Illimat w/ Attendees

Check out many more pictures of the Bond Conference and Office Hours HERE!

The post Building Community at Bond Conference 2018 appeared first on Crowdfunding Blog & Resources | BackerKit.

At Bond, we want the conference to be a safe space to share stories about running your creative practice as a business on the internet—and all of the challenges and struggles that come with it.

On Saturday March 10th from 10am-5pm, we’re hosting a second day called Office Hours at the BackerKit HQ. It’s a day of casual conversation and short talks from knowledgeable experts and experienced independent artists. Our aim is to create a comfortable, accessible space for creators, makers, and entrepreneurs to share their own stories, and offer practical advice with one another. Check out our lineup of featured speakers:

Amplifier (Merchandise & Logistics)
Joel Bush
Amplifier is a highly innovative third-party logistics company that blends traditional Order Fulfillment, high-volume Screen Printing and On-Demand Production and Personalization all under one roof.

Blackbox (Shipping & Fullfillment)
Karlee Esmailli
Blackbox is a shipping company for independent artists. Maybe you’re planning a Kickstarter campaign and you need to figure out how to ship rewards to your backers (and how much to charge). Or maybe you have a project that’s outgrown your garage. Reach out to Blackbox, send us your stuff, and we’ll take it from there. Then go back to the important part: making your next thing.

Cotton Bureau (Merchandise & Logistics)
Jay Fanelli, Nathan Peretic & Michelle Sharp
Cotton Bureau is a curated t-shirt marketplace for designers, communities, and causes. You supply the design and promotion, and we do all the hard stuff: selling, printing, shipping, and customer service. Did we mention it’s free?

Dragon Innovation (Manufacturing)
Kaethe Henning
Dragon Innovation reinvents the way companies manufacture products at scale. Through its modern SaaS platform, Product Planner, and team of hardware manufacturing experts, Dragon manages the full manufacturing process and greatly simplifies and de-risks the journey from “One to Many.” As Director of Business Development for Dragon Innovation, Kaethe works with early stage hardware companies as they approach mass manufacturing, suggesting resources and solutions to help them launch with confidence that their product can be manufactured on time and at cost.

Gaymer X (Video Games)
Matt Conn  & Toni Rocca
GaymerX started as a dream for a one-off event focused on LGBTQ people who love video games. Founder Matt Conn now spends his time working with fellow LGBTQ creators on a series of well received games through MidBoss while Toni Rocca steers the GaymerX nonprofit to create better practices and more opportunities for LGBTQ creators and fans.

Kickstarter (Crowdfunding)
Clarissa Redwine & Cassie Marketos
Kickstarter is where creative projects come to life — everything from films, games, and music to art, design and technology. Since its launch in 2009, 14 million people have pledged over $3.5 billion on Kickstarter, funding more than 139,000 creative projects. Joining us will be Cassie Marketos (VP Community Strategy) and Clarissa Redwine (Design & Technology Outreach).

Lumi (Design)
Jesse Genet
Lumi is an online tool that makes it easy for ecommerce brands to ship their products in great packaging. Jesse Genet is the founder and CEO of Lumi. She launched Lumi in 2015 with co-founder Stephan Ango and she’s been an entrepreneur since she was 16.Oh My Dollar! (Financial Planning)
Lillian Karabaic
Lillian Karabaic teaches money management for creatives using cats and glitter. As Oh My Dollar!, she hosts a weekly personal finance radio show, money bootcamps online and across the country. Her book, Get Your Money Together, is a cat-filled illustrated workbook about money – call it purrsonal finance. She’s here to help with cash flow planning, taxes for crowdfunding projects, and understanding retirement as a self-employed person.

OpenVerse (Marketing)
Rob Goodman
Rob Goodman is principal at OpenVerse, a marketing and storytelling firm focused on strategy, content, and brand for emerging technology companies. He is also the creator and host of Making Ways, a podcast all about the unexpected paths to a creative career. Today, he works with an array of startups and technology companies to drive brand, content, and product initiatives.

Patreon (Membership)
Dave Hunt & Ana Ulin
Patreon is a membership platform that makes it easy for creators to get paid. Thousands of podcasters, video creators, game developers, comic artists, and more are making a salary on Patreon. Joining us will be Ana Ulin (Senior Engineering Manager) and Dave Hunt (Creator Care Manager) helping creators manage their success.

Podo Labs (Product Design)
Eddie Lee
Podo Labs is an SF-based consumer tech startup and the creators of Podo, Jack, and Belle. In addition to shipping and retailing products all over the world, Podo Labs has established themselves as the top 1% most-funded Kickstarter creators of all time. Eddie Lee is the President and Co-founder of Podo Labs and would love to geek out with you over crowdfunding, hardware, and blockchain applications.

Twogether Studios (Tabletop)
Jenn Ellis
Twogether Studios is a small independent board game company based in Portland, Oregon.  They have successfully crowdfunded and released the games Phoenix: Dawn Command, Illimat, and Action Cats!.

Work Made For Hire (Contracts & Negotiation)
Katie Lane
Katie Lane is an attorney and negotiation coach who helps creators protect their rights and get paid fairly for their work. Her clients include comics creators, game designers, authors, illustrators, and musicians. Katie loves: teaching people how to negotiate, reading contracts with a red pen, bow ties, and Star Trek.

Tabletop Gameroom!

Throughout the entire Office Hours event, we will have a tabletop gaming room set up featuring a variety of awesome games. Here you will be able to try out some really fun games and play with the creators behind them. Featured games will include Illimat and Action Cats! from Twogether Studios, God Hates Charades by the God Hates Games crew, Ursa Miner from Room and Board Games, and Maybe Capital from creator Andréa Koval. 

Excited to meet everyone above to share stories and advice!? Be sure to head to the official Bond website for more details and announcements including our impressive lineup of conference speakers. Space is limited, so reserve your tickets today! And thanks to our generous sponsors, we still have a handful of subsidized passes available for $49!

The post Bond Office Hours Spotlight and Featured Speakers appeared first on Crowdfunding Blog & Resources | BackerKit.

Bond is our upcoming conference examining how creators make a living through the internet. On Friday, March 9th, 2018 we will be featuring an eclectic lineup of speakers who all have a unique perspective on what it takes to build community, share your work, and establish your creative practice as a sustainable, independent business.

For over a decade Freddie Wong has built a dedicated community of fans through various film and video projects on the internet. Freddie was around when YouTube was just a baby still positioning itself as the place to go for creative, fun, and often weird user-created videos. This was a time when video and audio equipment was becoming more affordable allowing just about anybody to make a splash. Freddie took on the challenge of competing for the spotlight and has placed himself as one of the pioneers in online video.

Freddie is the co-founder of the wildly successful YouTube channel RocketJump and co-creator of the popular show Video Game High School. RocketJump is a perfectly weird studio/production company that strives to bring fun, entertaining, and often action-packed content to the masses ranging from TV shows, feature films, short films, live streams, and everything in-between.

It all began with the flagship web series Video Game High School, a three-season, full-length, award-winning independent series bringing video game culture to life. It was named #1 Web Series of 2013 by Variety, nominated for a Producer’s Guild Award for Outstanding Digital Series in 2014 and 2015, and won Streamy Awards for Direction, Ensemble Cast, and Action/Sci-Fi Series. RocketJump also features a huge library of awesome content ranging from RocketJump Shorts, mini documentaries, and behind-the-scenes videos. And be sure to check out  RocketJump’s Dimension 404 exclusively on Hulu!

Freddie is the #1 most subscribed video director on YouTube with over 8 million subscribers and over 1 billion views since the channel’s inception in April 2010. Freddie took his special effects knowhow he learned in film school and took it to the next level.

Thanks to a recent partnership with Lionsgate, RocketJump and Freddie have a long future ahead of them with more groundbreaking content on the horizon. And with the launch of RocketJump Film School, Freddie is committed to give a new generation of filmmakers the tools they need to share their own stories with the world. We are beyond excited to have him speak at Bond as creators, makers, and entrepreneurs come together to join an important conversation about how to turn ideas into reality.

Be sure to head to the official Bond website for more details and announcements including our lineup of speakers and presenters. Space is limited, so reserve your tickets today! And thanks to our generous sponsors, we have a handful of subsidized passes available for $49!

The post Bond Welcomes Co-Founder of RocketJump Freddie Wong appeared first on Crowdfunding Blog & Resources | BackerKit.

Bond is our upcoming conference examining how creators make a living through the internet. On Friday, March 9th, 2018 we will be featuring an eclectic lineup of speakers who all have a unique perspective on what it takes to build community, share your work, and establish your creative practice as a sustainable, independent business.

Gary Chou is an active supporter of independent creators and his central focus is empowering people to build strong communities and networks. His experience and expertise make him the perfect speaker for Bond which focuses on taking your ideas to the next level.

Gary is the founder of Orbital, a studio for building networks.  Orbital’s believes that success for any creator—whether they’re an entrepreneur or an independent filmmaker—is a function of whether they have access to the networks that they need.  In addition to working with independent creators, Orbital also facilitates expert-led “Communities of Practice” which are small group-based learning opportunities bringing together designers, engineers, and product managers into unique peer groups who all share the same job focus. Gary understands that deeply-networked individuals tend to grow faster and perform better. He helps foster those relationships giving unique opportunities for people to connect.

At the School of Visual Arts MFA in Interaction Design Program, Gary co-teaches a class with collaborator Christina Xu called “Entrepreneurial Design”. The course challenges students to think about the implications of living in a world of networks. One of the challenges of this semester-long course is for students to make $1000 by launching an original idea. So in a sense, students learn less about how to be an entrepreneur, but rather become an entrepreneur. It’s a smart way to put knowledge into action.

Previously, Gary worked at Union Square Ventures where he created the USV Network. He advises Austin Center for Design, which exists to transform society through design and design education; and Venture for America, which seeks to revitalize American cities and communities through entrepreneurship.

As an active supporter of independent creators, he has executive produced two award-winning films and backed numerous Kickstarter projects! We’re excited to have Gary speak at Bond and look forward to possibly making $1000 in the process.

Be sure to head to the official Bond website for more details and announcements including our lineup of speakers and presenters. Space is limited, so reserve your tickets today! And thanks to our generous sponsors, we have a handful of subsidized passes available for $49!

The post Bond Welcomes Founder of Orbital Gary Chou appeared first on Crowdfunding Blog & Resources | BackerKit.

Bond is an upcoming conference examining how creators make a living through the internet. On Friday, March 9th, 2018 we will be featuring an eclectic lineup of speakers who all have a unique perspective on what it takes to build community, share your work, and establish your creative practice as a sustainable, independent business.

We’re excited to welcome Jesse Thorn as a featured speaker during the conference. He’s the host and producer of the podcast Bullseye and Jordan, Jesse, Go!, and the co-host and producer of Judge John Hodgman. He’s also the proprietor MaximumFun.org and putthison.com.

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn, now carried on over 150 public radio stations across the country, began in 2000 as The Sound of Young America, while Thorn was a student at the University of California at Santa Cruz. In 2007, the show began to be distributed by Public Radio International, making Jesse the youngest national host in public radio history. In 2012, the show became Bullseye and was subsequently distributed by NPR.As founder & owner of MaximumFun.org, Jesse oversees a network of more than thirty podcasts, along with video and other content production. The company helped set the template for the modern podcast network, and continues to be a leader in independent, audience-supported media production. Fast Company magazine called Thorn “The most important person in entertainment you’ve never heard of.”

 In addition to his work at MaximumFun.org, Thorn started Put This On, one of the country’s most popular blogs about men’s style. The site, covering news and advice, and including a store of handpicked apparel and curios, launched with a widely-acclaimed two-season video series, partially crowd-funded spanning the US and Europe.

A native of San Francisco’s Mission District, Jesse now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, three kids, and two dogs. We’re happy to have him back in the Bay Area to speak about his experience at Bond.

Be sure to head to the official Bond website for more details and announcements including our lineup of speakers and presenters. Thanks to our generous sponsors, we are offering more subsidized passes for $49. Space is limited, so reserve your tickets today! 

The post Bond Welcomes Founder of Maximum Fun Jesse Thorn appeared first on Crowdfunding Blog & Resources | BackerKit.

The post Bond Welcomes Patreon’s Erica Baker appeared first on Crowdfunding Blog & Resources | BackerKit.

Bond is our upcoming conference examining how creators make a living through the internet. On Friday, March 9th, 2018 we will be featuring an eclectic lineup of speakers who all have a unique perspective on what it takes to build community, share your work, and establish your creative practice as a sustainable, independent business. This is a guest post from Anxy Magazine’s Indhira Rojas!

Hi! I’m Indhira Rojas (you can just call me Indhi!). I’m the founder and creative director of the mental health magazine Anxy. Anxy is a bi-annual publication exploring vulnerable personal stories through an artful and creative lens. As a design consultant during the day, and a magazine maker during the “night”, my days are a balancing act of client requests, designing, art directing, and managing projects, plus addressing the new challenges (or adventures) that Anxy throws my way.

I’ve spent most of my professional career in the intersection of branding, editorial design and interaction, working for the tech and publishing sector. I’ve collaborated with businesses and organizations large and small, such as Atlas Obscura, Modern Farmer, Patreon, Obvious Ventures, and the online platform Medium. I hold a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Communication Design from Parsons School of Design and a Masters of Fine Arts in Design, from California College of the Arts.

I started Anxy because I wanted to present a counter-narrative to how mental health stories are presented. Instead of focusing on a particular diagnosis or on how to ‘fix’ an issue, Anxy invites people to explore their inner worlds and share their experiences. The magazine is structured mainly as a journal of personal essays, where the arc of the stories and how they interrelate with one another set the tone for each themed issue.

Anxy launched on Kickstarter in September 2016. We raised over $50k from over 800 backers in 30 days. Since then, Anxy has sold over 5,000 copies, gained nearly 400 new subscribers, and partnered with stockists around the world. Most recently Anxy won two Stack Awards (Launch of the Year and Subscribers’ Choice) and was highlighted by the New York Times in the Sunday Style piece, “Prozac Nation Is Now the United States of Xanax.” Anxy has been featured in Fast Company, Refinery29, HuffPo Health, among others.The inaugural issue of Anxy, Anger, features an interview with Margaret Atwood, reporting from the deep turmoil of Turkey to the front lines of customer service; beautiful and powerful photo essays from Matt Eich, Melissa Spitz, and Brian Frank; and writing from Ijeoma Oluo, Diego Salazar, May Wilkerson. It’s 144 pages of art, insight, and care.
The second edition, The Workaholism Issue, tackles what’s been called “the best-dressed mental health problem of all”—the addiction that’s more socially acceptable than any other. In fact, 1/3 of people identify as workaholics.

The magazine itself is a strikingly beautiful, but inside it really investigates the idea of workaholism across a range of different perspectives. From breakout comedy star Neal Brennan to Nepalese migrant workers; from those who are burning the candle at both ends in Las Vegas, to those who have experienced deep trauma at work. The issue also has real stories from teens at some of America’s most high-pressure schools, a perspective that is particularly worth reading. It includes artwork by artists such as Petra Eriksson, Ori Toor (cover), Billy Clark, and Talia Herman, among others.

I’m looking forward to meeting you all at Bond, until then—stay Anxy!

Be sure to head to the official Bond website for more details and announcements including our lineup of speakers and presenters. Space is limited, so reserve your tickets today!

The post Bond Welcomes Founder of Anxy Magazine Indhira Rojas appeared first on Crowdfunding Blog & Resources | BackerKit.

It’s Not Easy Being An Independent Creator

The internet has made it easier for people to start incredible projects—it has provided new opportunities for creators to make something happen faster and reach the world on a much larger scale. Thanks to the emergence of so many great platforms and tools, starting a project has never been more accessible. However, maintaining the momentum gathered from the start is still as hard as ever. We need to have a real talk about how to make being a creator not only accessible, but sustainable in the long term.

The Internet Helps You Find Your Biggest Fans

People have been making things since the beginning of time, gathering followers that believe in their ideas. Today, there is much less friction when it comes to making the things you always wanted. And it’s much easier and faster to discover who believes in your vision. The beauty of paving your own path is you don’t need one billion supporters to get things started. For the majority of us, great things come from small beginnings.

Creators Should Focus On Creating

We care that creators have the time to focus on their craft. Oftentimes, creators are not prepared for the realities surrounding the business side of things once a spark catches fire and can lose focus. We believe people put out their best work without these distractions making an even bigger and better impact in the world. While the BackerKit team helps a lot of crowdfunding creators, Bond is not exclusively about crowdfunding. There are a lot of challenges that our crowdfunding customers face that are similar to what other creators experience throughout the internet. The conversation we want to have isn’t just about crowdfunding, but the creator’s journey.The Creative Community Can Learn From Each Other

What unites our audience is a focus on independence, not one specific creative discipline. It’s a community made up of individuals working in product design, video games, tabletop games, music, film, animation, comics, journalism, and podcasting. As such, we want to encourage cross-discipline conversation and collaboration at Bond, and to help our attendees connect to a broader network of creative professionals and resources. What excites us about Bond are the lessons to be learned from the people who followed their passions as well as the enthusiasm from creators who are just about to start their journey.

Who Is This Conference For?

We want to create a space where we can have honest conversations with one another, with a focus on the realities of running your creative practice as a business on the internet. We’ll cover everything from establishing a community to building a sustainable career using crowdfunding and community patronage. Perhaps there is a project you’ve been meaning to start, or maybe you have already started building your company and want to learn more about manufacturing and fulfillment—we hope Bond is informative and inspirational no matter what stage you’re at in your creative practice.

By sharing each others’ experiences, we will be able to better navigate this creative journey together. It all begins by starting a conversation and making meaningful connections—so let’s make it a collaborative effort and trade stories, learn from one another, and figure it out together at Bond.

Please join us March 9th for the Conference, and March 10th for Office Hours—a day of conversation, advice, and short talks from knowledgeable experts and experienced independent creators.

Be sure to head to the official Bond website for more details and announcements including our lineup of speakers and presenters. Space is limited, so reserve your tickets today!

The post BackerKit’s Rosanna Yau on Why We’re Hosting Bond appeared first on Crowdfunding Blog & Resources | BackerKit.

Bond is our upcoming (inaugural!) conference examining how creators make a living through the internet. On Friday, March 9th, 2018 we will be featuring an eclectic lineup of speakers who all have a unique perspective on what it takes to build community, share your work, and establish your creative practice as a sustainable, independent business.

Kickstarter helps creators around the world find the resources and support they need to turn their passions into a reality. It’s the premiere crowdfunding platform and they’ve helped tens of thousands of projects come to life.

Jamie Wilkinson, already having a distinguished career working in service to creators, has recently been hired as Kickstarter’s Chief Product Officer. Wilkinson is tasked with leading Kickstarter’s product, engineering, and design teams building platforms and products that help fund creative projects.

Before Kickstarter, Wilkinson has been involved with an impressive amount of creative projects. He was the co-founder and CEO of VHX, a platform for selling films and TV shows directly to fans. VHX empowered creators to sell their work directly from their own websites and was bought by Vimeo in 2016.Wilkinson has been involved in a number of other cool projects including the Know Your Meme video series, FAT Lab (Free Art & Technology), and Diaspora. And back in 2010, he won a Primetime Emmy for his work on a crowdsourced re-creation of the original Star Wars film called Star Wars Uncut. I highly recommend taking the time to explore this fun community-made creation. Full versions of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back are on the site now!

Wilkinson has a wide breadth of experience engaging with online communities which gives him unique insight on what it takes to make an impact on the internet. We’re thrilled to have him as one of our featured speakers at Bond.

Be sure to head to the official Bond website for more details and announcements including our lineup of speakers and presenters. Space is limited, so reserve your tickets today!

The post Bond Welcomes Kickstarter’s Jamie Wilkinson appeared first on Crowdfunding Blog & Resources | BackerKit.