Callahan & Associates, an innovative thought leader to credit union industry decision-makers, and GrowthFountain, a crowdfunding marketplace, have announced a strategic partnership to provide credit union members with both the ability to invest locally and raise capital as entrepreneurs.
The JOBS Act, signed into law in 2012, enables everyone to invest in America’s small businesses – opportunities previously reserved only for people who met certain wealth or income thresholds. Leveraging this new partnership between Callahan & Associates and GrowthFountain, now credit union members will have access to cutting-edge investment options which directly support and grow their local economies, while participating credit unions will solidify their pioneer status as they deploy groundbreaking technology to improve the financial well-being of their members and communities.
Commenting on the partnership with GrowthFountain, Jon Jeffreys, Managing Partner of Callahan & Associates shared, “Before this partnership, the 100 million credit union members did not have a reliable way to invest in small businesses, which are the backbone of the communities in which they reside. At Callahan we see crowdfunding as a way to take the ‘people-helping-people’ philosophy into the digital age, and believe there will be a real first-mover advantage in this market. That’s why we’re so excited about our partnership with GrowthFountain. We are confident credit union members will relish the new investment opportunities as much as the entrepreneurs within their communities appreciate gaining access to capital, connections, and support never before seen.”
Ken Staut, CEO of GrowthFountain noted, “We started GrowthFountain to level the playing field for small businesses. Currently small business finance options are cost prohibitive and inefficient – and small organizations have difficulty attracting the right talent, getting the right advice and connecting with the right people. We believe that crowdfunding will be a complete game changer, and we’re convinced that credit unions, not banks or investment shops, are the best bridge connecting people with these opportunities. We’re incredibly excited to partner with Callahan & Associates as our missions are aligned to bring the power of crowdfunding to credit union members across America.”
Callahan & Associates and GrowthFountain will be co-hosting an informational webinar exclusively for Callahan’s Leadership clients on November 18 at 2PM ET. The webinar will explain what crowdfunding is, highlight the opportunities this emerging financing platform provides for credit unions and the communities they serve and deliver perspective from an early adopter credit union CEO on why the industry should be paying attention to this trend.
Callahan & Associates is dedicated to helping the credit union industry thrive. Our team of experts provides leading research, analytics, networking and consulting solutions. More than 4,000 credit unions and industry suppliers rely on us for the latest data, actionable insights and benchmarking tools to develop their unique competitive advantages and achieve their strategic goals. Our 30 year history has enabled us to build an unparalleled knowledge transfer consortium which connects the industry’s best minds.