Equity Crowdfunding & Digital Capital Formation: Dealmaker’s Playbook (Rebecca Kacaba)

Rebecca Kacaba (CEO & Co-Founder of DealMaker) joins The Venture Capital Podcast (VC.fm) to explain how capital formation is moving online — and how founders can raise money directly from their communities in a compliant, scalable way.

Rebecca started her career as a capital markets attorney working on IPOs, M&A, and fundraising, where she saw a painful truth: even after an investor says “yes,” deals can die from complexity, delays, and compliance friction. DealMaker was built to fix that — powering digital fundraising and investor management for brands and high-growth companies. DealMaker has helped drive $2B+ in digital capital raised, was named one of Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators, and recently closed a $20M round.

In this conversation, we cover:

• DealMaker’s “Shopify vs portal” approach to equity crowdfunding
• Why regulated markets innovate slower — and how the JOBS Act changed the game
• The rise of community capital as a complement to venture capital
• Sports ownership, fandom, and why fan-owned teams can build outsized brand value
• Why crypto retail adoption exploded — and how private investing can catch up
• How AI will streamline investor onboarding, accreditation, and compliance workflows
• Founder lessons: ruthless prioritization, Scaling Up / Rockefeller habits, and building a high-experiment culture
• What fundraising looks like in 2026 as public/private markets blur

Keywords: DealMaker, capital formation, equity crowdfunding, Regulation A+, Regulation CF, JOBS Act, retail investors, fintech, startup fundraising, community investing, sports team ownership, venture capital, AI in finance.

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