Iquo B. Essien

About Iquo B. Essien

What happens when women & BIPOC founders seek funding for their businesses? Typically, they are: → Less likely to get VC money → Less likely to receive business financing → Less likely to have a successful raise from friends & family, due to historical barriers to wealth creation So, what does all this mean? Less women & BIPOC founders launch and grow their businesses, and more go out of business due to lack of funds. By the same token, if you learn how to raise money, you\'ve got a superpower that makes you unstoppable. After launching my first fundraiser, raising $15K in 4 weeks as a grad student at NYU Tisch, I founded Crowdfund Your Dream to help people fund their dream businesses. I\'d seen firsthand how culture impacts fundraising, but nobody was talking about it. Through my proprietary fundraising method, I teach women & BIPOC founders how to overcome traditional barriers to be successful at their raises. In our fundraising course, coaching, and consulting, you\'ll learn: → How to craft a multi-platform fundraiser with strategies such as investor prospecting, grassroots fundraising, friends & family, Giving Tuesday, crowdfunding (rewards- and equity-based), and corporate & fiscal sponsorship. → How to create a budget & timeline, craft a compelling story, manage your fundraising campaign, and cultivate donors & investors. → How to market your campaign and conduct outreach using direct mail, email, social media, a landing page, pitch deck, and press. → How to lean into your culture factor and the community your business serves, both untapped resources. Since 2018, we\'ve helped clients raise $500K+ for their businesses; trained founders on 3 continents; partnered with organizations like the Tory Burch Foundation, Charitable Ventures, and NY Foundation for the Arts; and we\'re just getting started! JOIN US We believe that, when it comes to fundraising, each of us can find our village, no matter how small. We\'ll help you find yours! To join our course & coaching program: To apply for a 1:1 consultation: CLIENT SUCCESS STORIES \"Just finished my call with a Big Four bank! Thank you for going through the pitch deck with me, Iquo. They were impressed and said they can give me $100K easily, but want to do much more than just write a check. I am extremely blown away!\"\"We met our [$200K] goal and then some! I gained a whole new skillset, one that I can see applying to any project in the future. This was a confidence game-changer.\"

Experience

1. Fundraising Consultant

   Adelante Partners Inc

   Nov 2022 — Present · Los Angeles, CA, US

Education

• Stanford University

  B.S.

  1999 — 2003

• New York University

  MFA

  2008 — 2013