The biggest obstacle that any new entrepreneur faces is making that initial decision to really commit and launch their product or service. Besides the fear of failure, there are a lot of reasons that hold entrepreneurs back from taking the plunge. Access to funding being a big one.

#GEW2016 is a celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. It is widely supported by political leaders for its power to fuel the entrepreneurial ecosystem. One of the major goals of this week...

I’m Nicole Denholder, the Founder and CEO of Next Chapter. I became interested in crowdfunding two years ago, and suggested to some friends that they use it. I kept an eye on the industry and, at the same time, talked to many women about how they were validating, marketing and funding their business.