In my previous posts I’ve discussed the ways FanVestor is using changes in SEC regulations to revolutionize the way fans, regardless of their net worth, can invest in their favorite performers and athletes. I now turn to how the FanVestor model can help musicians thrive during this challenging time.

Musicians have been especially hard hit by the pandemic — mostly due to prohibitions on the live performances many depend upon for their livelihood. In fact, pre-pandemic, the largest portion of a musician’s income came from live performances, whether this was the tips received from regulars at the neighborhood bar or a cut of the proceeds from sold-out concert halls. Moreover, many musicians are self-employed and have informal or temporary arrangements with the venues where they perform. This has often resulted in them falling through the cracks of government aid efforts, not just in the U.S. …

In my recent posts, I’ve discussed how FanVestor has teamed up with iHeartMedia to help with Covid-19 relief, and create even more incredible experiences for fans to deepen their relationship with sports and entertainment celebrities. This post focuses on changes in securities regulations and tech innovation that created tremendous opportunities for forward-thinking organizations. I will share some insights on how FanVestor is applying innovation and a data-driven mindset to capitalize on this new economic situation.

The idea of fans funding their favorite celebrities is not new — there are many examples of fans supporting athletes, musicians, entertainers and celebrities. Some of these examples are contributions and others are investments. …

In my previous posts I wrote about how FanVestor is leveling the playing field for investors in the entertainment and sports arenas and the differences between FanVestor and other forms of investment such as traditional capital markets and crowdfunding platforms. Now, it is with great excitement that I share with you news of the collaboration between FanVestor and one of America’s most important media companies, iHeartMedia.

FanVestor and iHeartMedia focus on the joy of entertainment and sports and make these worlds accessible to the masses. Each does so in its own unique way — iHeart by providing a personalized listening experience to 276 million listeners across 848 radio stations, and FanVestor by making investment in top musicians and sport figures possible for everyone, regardless of net worth. …

In my last post, I discussed innovations and disruptions in business and introduced you to FanVestor, the first of its kind all-in data-driven ecosystem that is revolutionizing investment through fan investing and fan-commerce with regard to entertainment and sports. FanVestor’s mission is to democratize investing so everyone, regardless of their bank balance, can become an “owner/investor” in individual celebrities and teams about which they feel passionate. What follows is an in-depth look at how FanVestor compares with other types of investing such as traditional capital markets and how it is innovating the crowdfunding industry.

Historically, investing has been a privilege reserved for high net worth and high-earning individuals and institutions. For the most part, this investing is also focused solely on investors’ financial goals, with no consideration of their other possible motives for investing. In recent years that has begun to change, as the uptick in investment in mission-driven companies has demonstrated that consumers have a desire to invest in enterprises that are aligned with their own values and interests. Unlike profit-driven companies that later add a philanthropic foundation as an afterthought, entrepreneurs are now building businesses that are conceived around a mission to do good in the world, and investors, particularly millennials, are investing with their conscience. But even with this socially responsible view of business, the investment paradigm continues to ignore millions of potential investors, who don’t fit the criteria for the concept of investing in the traditional capital markets. Even if these consumers have the means to do so, they may not be knowledgeable about investing in the stock market and perhaps even have a fear or distrust this arena. Some of these consumers have only been exposed to the 401K or IRA retirement investment plans and think of anything else as too risky. Whatever the case, for companies such as FanVestor there is a tremendous opportunities to democratize investing and innovate on both crowdfunding and entertainment and sports finance. …

Having served as CFO and a C-level executive for a number of companies that went and/or were public, I have spent most of my professional life managing complex financial and operational transactions. Often challenging and always exciting, these transactions taught me a number of lessons, some of which I have written about in articles on why companies go public, the role of high frequency spectrum and fixed wireless technologies in 5G networks, and my personal favorite, the correlation between a game of chess and business negotiations. The most important lesson, however, is to constantly be focused on the next great innovation on the horizon. …

There’s been a lot written about IPOs lately, so I figured I’d take a step back and cover some of the drivers of company valuation and why companies “go public”. The reality is, as an investor, a successful investment in a private company usually results in returns much higher than a similar investment in a public company could offer. This is mainly due to the higher growth that private companies usually experience as they gain a public foothold in their respective industry. …

Previously, I published a piece on how small cells are important for 5G. This week, let’s look at a couple of other distinguishing technological enablers of 5G — the use of high-frequency spectrum and fixed wireless. Both of these technologies will work hand-in-hand to provide high-speed internet to the home and on the go, replacing existing technologies like cell towers and cable connections with faster and more advanced options.

High Frequency Spectrum

Also known as millimeter waves, or extremely high frequency bandwidth (EHF), this previously underused territory of the radio continuum offers significant benefits for 5G transmission that aren’t available at lower frequencies. …

The 4th Industrial Revolution is upon us, and it will be driven by technologies like 5G wireless. The potential impact of ubiquitous 5G to revolutionize the global economy should not be underestimated. Undergirding the new wireless infrastructure will be a whole ecosystem of small cell antennas, broadly distributed, densely populated, and creatively interspersed where people live and work. Small cells are crucial for providing the coverage, capacity, and network performance that will make 5G so revolutionary.

We have all seen how macrocells (aka, cell towers) have aided in the development of 4G/LTE technology. Base stations that support the current mobile network can handle both voice and data signaling covering wide geographical areas. But while coverage may be a great benefit of macrocells, they will struggle to meet the high usage demands of growing networks. Microcells (aka, small cells), on the other hand, work together in densely populated areas to provide capacity far beyond the limits of macrocells. …