DealMaker CEO Rebecca Kacaba on the Rise of Retail Investors

This week on Inside Startup Investing, Chris Lustrino sits down with Rebecca Kacaba, co-founder and CEO of DealMaker, one of the leading platforms powering retail capital raises for private companies. Rebecca discusses the growing influence of retail investors across private markets and IPOs, why companies like SpaceX, Reddit, Gemini, and others are increasingly allocating shares to retail participants, and how community ownership is becoming a strategic advantage for modern brands. The conversation explores DealMaker's unique approach to capital formation, helping companies build and own their own investor communities rather than relying solely on marketplace traffic. Chris and Rebecca also discuss repeat issuers, investor engagement, liquidity opportunities, sports ownership, regulatory developments, and the long-term future of retail investing. If you want to understand where private markets, equity crowdfunding, and retail ownership are heading over the next decade, this is a must-listen episode. Highlights include...