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“Think big, start small.” — Eric Ries, The Lean Startup
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There are hundreds of in-person community groups in Portland that use digital platforms to communicate: to chat, to publicize events, to recruit new members. But none of these platforms serve a critical need: connecting groups with sponsors. No platform has the built-in features for connecting groups with a network of outside partners, and for seamlessly integrating partner communications — logos, ads, messaging — into the spaces these groups occupy, online and offline.
This is a problem for community groups of all sizes, and a lost opportunity for local businesses looking to reach new audiences.
Digital platforms that fail to meet all the essential needs of in-person community groups.
A message that inspired and motivated me during my year of studying social entrepreneurship at PSU. — Stephen
As Beople achieves traction, we will explore options for sharing ownership with the people who use the platform (our customers). Options include platform cooperatives (like REI, but for digital platforms), direct public offerings (community crowdfunding that includes equity), and perpetual purpose trusts (the “mission” owns the business, like Patagonia).