Meet Our Members: DeKoven Ashley and Mike Colosimo of thrdPlace

Meet DeKoven Ashley and Mike Colosimo, Co-Founders of thrdPlace.

This past weekend, thrdPlace won second place (out of 223!) in CrowdFunder’s Las Vegas contest, CrowdStart LV StartUp Competition. You can check out their award winning pitch here, or read on to hear them discuss their mission in their own words. 

What is thrdPlace?

DeKoven: ThrdPlace is a web and mobile platform that applies crowdsourcing to community service and development.  As a startup we knew we could find success if we focused on our experience.  We are both urban designers with a combined 18 years of professional experience.  So, together, we built a platform that overcomes challenges we saw each and everyday.  As a result, thrdPlace makes it easy  to crowdsource and manage community action.

What challenges does thrdPlace address?

Mike: ThrdPlace addresses a specific challenge: there is no platform that connects community members based on their interest in community service and development.  Our platform enables any community member to resource and manage projects at the local, regional and national level.  We have integrated of best of breed features of both social media and web tools.  You can collaborate with community members to crowdsource the funds, supplies and volunteers needed to execute.

Presumably thrdPlace has gone through the very same start-up difficulties that it seeks to remedy!

DeKoven: ThrdPlace has absolutely experienced the challenges of crowdsourcing.  As a startup, we considered raising money via crowdfunding platform Profounder.  Before we could begin however, Profounder (like other, similar platforms) ceased operations citing difficulties in “the current regulatory environment.”  To us, it remained clear: the value of crowdsourcing has been both uncaptured and undercapitalized. Instead of crowdfunding, thrdPlace received investment from StartEngine.  Founders Howard Marks and Paul Kessler – successful entrepreneurs in their own right – provided us mentorship and collaboration with minds fast at work on disruptive technologies and business models.  Ultimately, they invested in our vision: to empower anyone to be the changemaker of their community.

What are you looking forward to achieving with your Hub LA membership?

We are excited to be a part of the Hub community.  With thrdPlace, Hub members will spend less time soliciting support and resources and, instead, focus more time executing their own vision.

Support thrdPlace here, and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.