40billion.com is the entrepreneurs' micro-funding platform, matching entrepreneurs and investors through an online network of friends and family. We are addressing a $40 billion gap in small-business funding by creating an online marketplace for friends-and-family funding (a.k.a. "love money", microfinance, social lending), fundraising, and investing so that more entrepreneurs can have access to affordable business financing through loans and contributions/donations.

    The #1 reason why many small businesses fail is lack of adequate funding and access to resources. Together, we can change that statistic, and we can help the 650,000 new businesses formed each year and almost 26 million existing small businesses in the U.S. to increase their chances of success. 40billion.com enables friends and family members to form private networks, in which they can raise money for a new business, invest in a business, and find resources to build a successful business.

Market Overview

    There is a credit crunch ensuing in the US due to a declining economy, a falling dollar and banks tightening up their lending practices. Consumers and small businesses are finding it more and more difficult to get financing at affordable rates. The growing demand and reduced supply of affordable financing are accelerating the growth of the person-to-person microlending market, from $650 million in 2007 to $5.8 billion by 2010 (according to Celent), and to $9 billion by 2017 (according to Wall Street Journal and Online Banking Report).

    The average cost of starting a small business is $10,000, and approximately 7% of the working age population is actively engaged in efforts to start a business; i.e., approximately 13 million people this year. Furthermore, there are approximately 26 million existing small businesses, which represent 99% of all employer firms in the U.S.

Benefits of 40billion.com

    40billion.com makes small-business funding and resources more accessible, more affordable, and more efficient.

ENTREPRENEURS:

1. Gain access to needed funding to start and grow their business, with more funding options, and at rates that are lower and more affordable than most alternatives.
2. Can take advantage of unique features that are created specifically for entrepreneurs that need to raise money; such as scheduling live presentations/pitches online!
3. Are able to build a network and reputation that they can utilize for future funding needs.
4. Can find trusted resources and services for their business.
5. Can acquire customers by offering services to other members on 40billion.com.

INVESTORS:

1. Have the satisfaction of helping a trusted friend or family member to fulfill his or her dream.
2. Can gain social and financial returns. What goes around, comes around!
3. Can get involved in new businesses.
4. Can reduce investment risk by investing small amounts of money (as little as $50) and spreading the risk across a larger number of investors.

Our Management Team

    The talent behind 40billion.com includes veteran entrepreneurs, ideators, product managers, and financial analysts with over 70 years of combined experience in information technology, software sales, and financial services.

Cornelius Colin McNab - Founder and Managing Director, 3 Guys in a Garage LLC; Founder, co-Chief Venture Officer, 40billion.com

    Cornelius is a digital media entrepreneur, idea guy, and manager of new product development and innovation, with experience launching Internet and media-related businesses since 1999. He has held leadership and consulting roles in product management, business development, and software engineering with Fortune 1000 corporations such as Time Warner (Turner Broadcasting System), IBM, and Pitney Bowes, as well as smaller Internet companies such as Autotrader, Div2000, and BrainReactions.

    Cornelius has successfully led and supported the launches of several Internet-related ventures, targeted at both businesses and consumers: Div2000, a business-to-business portal linking minority business suppliers with Fortune 1000 procurers; OmniLinks.com, a local search engine and Web development service; VeryFunnyAds, a TBS broadband video entertainment site; and 3 Guys in a Garage, an idea incubator for digital media innovations. He is an inventor with 3 patents issued and has been featured in Boston Business Journal, Mass High Tech, and US Black Engineer & IT Magazine.

    Cornelius holds a bachelors degree from Yale University and an MBA from the Sloan School at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). He is originally from the island of Jamaica, has traveled as far as India, and was the president of a local Toastmasters Club in Atlanta.

G. Mark Ellis - co-Chief Venture Officer, 40billion.com

    Mark has over 30 year's industry experience in selling and managing software businesses in the currency and financial services industry. He began his career in 1980 at the Royal Bank of Canada. He created a software solution for processing cash deposits linking personal computers to currency and coin counting equipment, opening a new era in cash management. He left the bank to launch a software development company, SFB Solutions. Less than three years later, sold the company for over $2 million to Brinks Inc, the global leader in armored carrier services. For the next 7 years Mark continued to grow and develop the business throughout North America for Brink's.

    In 2000, Brink's sold off the division to Giesecke & Deverient, a worldwide leader in currency equipment manufacturing. For 7 years, Mark was responsible for global sales and service for the software division living in London, England, and Munich, Germany the last 3 years.

    From 1996 to 2004, Mark ventured out in the emerging world of the Internet and created a company specializing in web sites for professional racing drivers. Through his vision, innovation and partnerships, he was successful in developing the trust and confidence in NASCAR's leading drivers including, Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip, the Petty Family, Joe Gibbs Racing, and others.

    Mark is a graduate of Harding University.

Harendra B. Jani - Senior Venture Officer, Strategy and Regulations, 40billion.com

    Harendra is a seasoned accounting and finance professional with 33 years of experience. He started his career working as Tax Accountant with City of New York, performing desk audits of individual and corporate tax returns to ensure compliance with City Tax Codes. He also prepared assessments as necessary, and met with taxpayers to discuss findings.

    Harendra left City of New York to pursue his life long ambition of working for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). At the IRS, Harendra conducted field examination of complex individual and corporate tax returns to ensure compliance with IRS Code and Regulations.

    Later, he joined the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), where he remained for 25 years. At NCUA, Harendra managed, supervised and conducted examination of Federal Credit Unions of varied asset sizes. He also provided oversight of problem credit unions from assisting in mergers, conversions and/or liquidations to initiating actions such as suspension of charter and suspension or removal of officials. He developed turnaround strategies for numerous credit unions that led to profitability, and financial soundness, saving hundreds of thousand of dollars to the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund.

    Harendra holds a bachelors degree in accounting, LLB (JD) in law and MBA in accounting/finance. Born and raised in India, he migrated to the U.S. in 1970 to further his studies. He is well-versed in Asian culture and fluent in seven languages.