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(Atlanta, GA) – Fanbase, the next generation, user-owned social media app, has begun its $17 million Reg A series equity crowdfunding campaign, allowing the public to invest for just $399.

Founded by entrepreneur Isaac Hayes III, Fanbase disrupts the conventional social media model by introducing an innovative monetization approach. This approach enables creators to start earning from day one. Accumulating over $10 million from three distinct crowdfunding campaigns via StartEngine, Fanbase demonstrates the powerful support and confidence from a community of users and investors. Fanbase empowers users to become investors and make money from the very platform they help become popular.

Fanbase’s brand promise of “Be You. Without Limits,” is a reflection of their company values in creating a space for authentic self-expression across diverse content creation functionalities, including photo/video sharing, audio chat, live streaming, stories, and both short-form and long-form video content. This model not only champions creativity but also facilitates direct monetization of content, distinguishing Fanbase in the creator economy.

As Fanbase’s journey unfolds, its trajectory is marked by significant milestones, reflecting the platform’s growth and innovation. The community has grown to over half a million users, stretching across 190 countries, showcasing the universal appeal and scalability of Fanbase’s model. The introduction of more than 20 features in 2023 alone, such as Unlimited Subscriptions, AI Algorithms, Long-Form Video on the Web, and Chat Rooms in Fanbase Audio, highlights the platform’s commitment to continuous improvement and user-centric innovation. Furthermore, Fanbase submitted a patent for seven core functionalities, including Peer-to-Peer In-App Subscription and Revenue-Driven Audio conversations, putting them at the forefront of creator economy innovation.

The $17 million raised in this equity crowdfunding campaign will be strategically invested in further enhancing the Fanbase platform, focusing on improving user experience, expanding feature sets, protecting IP, and broadening marketing efforts to reach even more users globally.

Fanbase is furthering its community-driven mission by partnering with Apple’s HBCU Non-Profit Organization, Propel. Mentoring and working with HBCU students nationwide to empower the next generation of content creators.

“This round is a big deal. It represents the shaking up of the creator economy and shows what equity crowdfunding can achieve. It demonstrates that when the opportunity for equity in social apps is made available, amazing things happen,” says Fanbase founder and entrepreneur Isaac Hayes III.

“This raise isn’t just a milestone; it’s fuel for our journey to innovate without limits and empower creators with every tool they need to succeed.”

Click here to invest in Fanbase!: startengine.com/fanbase

About Fanbase:

Fanbase Social Media is the home for creators looking to monetize their content from the outset. Founded by Isaac Hayes III, Fanbase is driven by a mission to democratize social media, offering a platform where users can “Be You. Without Limits.” For People Who Value Content And Community, Fanbase Is The Next-Generation Social Creator Hub That Allows Any User To Earn Money From Day One. Unlike Other Social Apps, Fanbase is the One Place You Can Truly Be You. Without Limits.

This Reg A+ offering is made available through StartEngine Primary, LLC. This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment. Offering Circular (link) Risks (link)

By Dr. Donna Christensen, Debra Fraser-Howze, Shavon Arline-Bradley

Although Black women make up 7.7% of the total U.S. population, we have the highest rates of obesity in the country. Sixty percent of Black women live with obesity, which means we have higher risks for heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers related to the condition. The urgency for addressing obesity amongst Black women cannot be understated: As the obesity epidemic grows, the health of Black women is increasingly at risk and so is our ability to work, care for ourselves, and participate in society.

It’s not enough to acknowledge obesity for what it is, a silent killer upending Black women’s lives. Acknowledgement must be tied to immediate and impactful action. To truly stem the tide of this crisis, we must dismantle the discriminatory healthcare policies that deny access for millions of Black women to the full range of lifesaving obesity care, including FDA approved medications.

The science clearly shows that Black women are unavoidably exposed to the societal factors that lead to obesity. Yet as a society, we’re ignoring the evidence. The data say the lived experiences of Black women – disproportionate rates of poverty, gender bias, racism, and lack of access to healthcare – lead to higher rates of obesity. The American Medical Association (AMA) not only recognizes obesity as a complex, chronic disease, but they point out that racial and ethnic disparities are a major factor in the prevalence of obesity.

If the science is clear, then why has there been no effective solution to slowing the rates of obesity among Black women? The short answer is that national obesity policy is underpinned by outdated and punitive perceptions of the disease, resulting in discriminatory care and insurance coverage schemes that deny millions of Black women from accessing FDA-approved medication and treatment.

For decades, treatment for obesity has largely focused on recommending a regimen of diet and exercise, fueled by the myth that obesity is simply a behavioral issue that can be remedied through lifestyle changes and “self-control.” For years we have left the doctor’s office with vague instructions to lose weight and eat healthy, made to feel weak as we battle this debilitating disease on our own. But science has come a long way in the past twenty years, and we now realize there’s a lot more at play that, until now, we have not been able to control. Scientific breakthroughs have even proven that diet and exercise alone can be insufficient for treating obesity. Obesity is a disease, and it must be treated as such.

But access to its treatments are hard to come by. Medicare does not cover anti-obesity medications, nor do most Medicaid and Affordable Care Act plans. These programs are still driven by disproven notions that obesity is a behavioral issue, and not a chronic disease. As a result, patients reliant on these and other programs – including millions of Black women – are denied access to the full range of care, which includes FDA approved obesity medications. These policies were created two decades ago, when our understanding of obesity was primitive and incomplete.

The CDC recently reported that nearly 42% of American adults have obesity, yet nothing has changed for obesity care coverage since the AMA’s declaration that obesity is a chronic disease a decade ago.

It’s time to modernize our federal, state, and private healthcare programs based on science, address this disease seriously with coverage for comprehensive care, and ensure all Black women have access to treatment and care. The time for action is now!

Dr. Donna Christensen is the first female medical doctor to serve in Congress and serves on the Medical Advisory Board of Choose Healthy Life. Debra Fraser-Howze is the founder and President of Choose Healthy Life, a non-profit organization that addresses health equity through the Black church. Shavon Arline-Bradley is the President and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women.

By Noah Washington | The Atlanta Voice

“Democracy doesn’t have an off-season.” Those words are the resonating slogan for Democracy Fest, a field day for the Atlanta Public School System meant to encourage voter turnout for students who are eligible to vote.

“This was the opportunity to get my peers involved in the voting process, a lot of us as youth become discouraged and feel like our vote doesn’t matter or not even know that we can be a part of the process even before we turn 18, so I feel like this is a great opportunity for people to learn,” said Quentin Carter, 18, a senior at South Atlanta High School.

Low voter turnout, particularly in the Black community, and more specifically among young voters is not a new conversation.

Among 18- to 29-year-olds, voter turnout went from 20 percent in 2014 to 36 percent in 2018, the largest percentage point increase for any age group — a 79 percent jump, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

This could be a result of the Trumpian era of politics, but as the youth vote increased the Black turnout decreased. The Black voter turnout rate declined for the first time in 20 years in a presidential election, falling to 59.6% in 2016 after reaching a record-high 66.6% in 2012, according to Pew Research data.

So, to combat this Democracy Fest was born. Filled with games, rides, and live performances (this year’s performance was with popular Hip-Hop artist, Quavo of The Migos). Democracy Fest was not just about voting, it was about the advancement of students in their academic fields as well. Aligning the yard were several tents, where representatives were stationed to guide students to what was available post-high school.

“Democracy fest is a part of a corporate and non-profit collaboration, starting with the Arthur Blank Corporation and others who are committed to our students knowing about the democratic process, but they also know the importance of civic engagement,” said Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring.

“We believe that can happen in a space where there can also be fun, because they are scholars and are entering into this journey. We believe this also changes how they think long-term with voting,” said Herring.

An enthusiastic youth turnout could make for an interesting 2022 midterm election.

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