Fund Me, KC: My Bear Jeff spreads comfort to child trauma survivors, bear to bear
December 5, 2019 | Startland News Staff
Startland News is continuing its “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like Rachel Cohen with her My Bear Jeff campaign — to share their crowdfunding stories to gain a little help from their supporters.
Rachel Cohen, My Bear Jeff
Who are you?
Rachel Cohen, Chief Bear Officer at My Bear Jeff. I’m passionate about people, companies and movements that drive to create impact and positive change to everyone around us.
What is My Bear Jeff?
My Bear Jeff is a buy one, give one teddy bear company to support kids dealing with trauma. Every time a bear is purchased, its twin is delivered to a qualifying child through our nonprofit partners.
Click here for the My Bear Jeff Kickstarter page.
What’s your ‘why’?
I created this company from the intersection of several personal experiences. The first being a rare heart diagnosis at the age of 4 and recovering from a high-risk procedure that could have cost my life. The second came from my time in Southeast Asia working with children who were dealing with extreme trauma every day. I returned home with a pure, burning desire to support these kids.
My Bear Jeff
How much do you hope to raise with the crowdfunding campaign?
What do you plan to use the funds for?
To place our first production order of 2,500 bears.
How are you differentiating your campaign?
While the product has some uniqueness to it, the mission is unique. For each bear purchased, one will be donated to a nonprofit partner working with kids who deal with trauma.
My Bear Jeff
Is there anything quirky with your campaign?
Nothing super quirky about it unless you consider teddy bears quirky?
What’s some advice you have to others launching a crowdfunding campaign?
Tell all your friends, do lots of research, find where the real/raw pain is, hone in on exactly what your business is/what you’re selling and make it clear and concise.
If you or your startup is running a crowdfunding campaign, let us know by contacting news@startlandnews.com
This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.
For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Selling ‘the infinite commodity’: Farmobile leverages blockchain to build secure data store
With more than a million acres of field data amassed by Farmobile, farmers now need an exchange to securely connect them with buyers of the digital machine and agronomic information they’ve harvested, said Jason Tatge. A newly opened Farmobile DataStore, which leverages elements of blockchain technology fueled by Intel Sawtooth and Amazon Web Services to…
Rif Raf Giraffe plays matchmaker for buildings, money and artists in Crossroads
Jason Harrington sees opportunity in places often overlooked – alleys, elevator shafts and the sides of brick buildings. For the artist better known as Rif Raf Giraffe, they’re vast canvasses, waiting to be filled with gallons and gallons of paint and passion. Harrington recently traversed the East Crossroads Arts District in search of more real…
Black & Veatch delivers first consumer product ever: Solarhood
After more than 100 years in business, engineering giant Black & Veatch has launched its first consumer product: Solarhood. Built through the B&V Growth Accelerator program, the company created Solarhood to streamline the process for homeowners to tap solar power. The Solarhood mobile and web-based app allow homeowners to access the feasibility of going solar,…
Two KC EdTech startups earn spots in latest LEANLAB cohort; launch set for August
It’s a highly selective process to join the fifth LEANLAB K-12 fellowship, said Katie Boody, but two Kansas City startups made the cut. K12 Perform and Base Academy of Music will join four other cohort members — hailing from the Midwest to Washington D.C. — in the August-to-November EdTech accelerator program. LEANLAB is partnering…