By Claire Grant | Posted: Friday April 29, 2016
Anna is an entrepreneur, a participant in the Audacious Challenge, and founder and Chief Executive of PledgeMe, an innovative crowd funding platform.
PledgeMe has successfully helped many New Zealanders turn their dream into reality. Supporters have pledged over $8 million to a huge range of projects since it was set up in 2012, everything from business ideas to teaching yoga in prison. Anna came up with the PledgeMe idea while completing her Masters at the University of Otago. She knew there was a huge gap in the market for a way to fund the projects no one else was supporting, but also that activated the client’s crowd of friends, family, customers and fans. “It’s not just about raising money for a specific goal, it’s about how the fundraiser connects with their network of people and manages those relationships.”
Entering the Audacious Challenge in 2011 gave Anna some valuable skills in putting ideas to paper, preparing, presenting them, and listening to feedback. “Not every idea wins the Challenge or becomes a commercial reality; the key is resilience. Just get on with it – you won’t have all the skills you’ll need, but believing in it, and loving what you do is the most important. You have to work hard to make your own luck, but also don’t forget to have fun.”
PledgeMe turned into a business success story very rapidly, and with it came an equally fast learning curve in business management skills. One of the most important things the PledgeMe team has done was to take on advisors in key areas such as accounting and branding, and to include on its board some of New Zealand’s top business people. “We’ve learnt and made mistakes as we’ve gone, but a customer relations focus has always been crucial.”
Anna says it’s very satisfying to know that that they are giving people a hand when they need it. Each project has its own story, but she was impressed with craft brewers Yeastie Boys, who equity crowdfunded half a million in half an hour, one of the world’s fastest crowdfunding initiativess.
Anna has lots of plans to develop the crowdfunding platforms into different directions, but she’s also passionate about inspiring women in business, and playing her part in breaking through barriers.