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 crowdfundingWhy regulated markets innovate slower — and how the JOBS Act changed the gameThe rise of community capital as a complement to venture capitalSports ownership, fandom, and why fan-owned teams can build outsized brand valueWhy crypto retail adoption exploded — and how private investing can catch upHow AI will streamline investor onboarding, accreditation, and compliance workflowsFounder lessons: ruthless prioritization, Scaling Up / Rockefeller habits, and building a high-experiment cultureWhat fundraising looks like in 2026 as public/private markets blurKeywords: 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.Follow the PodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/venturecapitalfm/Twitter: https://twitter.com/vcpodcastfmLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/venturecapitalfm/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7BQimY8NJ6cr617lqtRr7N?si=ftylo2qHQiCgmT9dfloD_g&nd=1&dlsi=7b868f1b72094351Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/venture-capital/id1575351789Website: https://www.venturecapital.fm/Follow Jon BradshawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrbradshaw/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjonbradshaw/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrjonbradshawFollow Peter HarrisLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterharris1Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevcstudentInstagram: https://instagram.com/shodanpeteYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@peterharris2812