How the JOBS Act Unlocked Customer-Investors with Sherwood Neiss

Season 7 of Innovators Inside kicks off with Sherwood “Woody” Neiss — entrepreneur, venture capitalist, architect of the JOBS Act, and author of Investomers. Woody walks through how investment crowdfunding went from an eight-bullet framework to a 485-page regulation that opened startup investing to everyday people. He and Ian dig into the rise of the “customer-investor,” why doctors, scientists, and operators are backing the tools they actually use, how crowdfunding is changing access to capital for women and minority founders, and why health tech and biotech are now leading the pack. They also explore how data, AI, and tighter feedback loops are creating new “signals” for VCs, what founders get wrong about valuation and communication, and why lean, disciplined fundraising is back.Topics & Timestamps👋 00:00 – Meet Sherwood “Woody” Neiss and the story behind the JOBS Act🧾 06:02 – Writing a new exemption: from Reg D to equity crowdfunding🏦 11:09 – Why crowdfunding is just a new way to do an old thing🚀 15:31 – Making the bull case for investment crowdfunding (beyond “last resort” money)👩🏽‍💼 18:56 – Democratizing capital: women and minority founders at 50% of raises🧬 20:36 – Why health tech, life sciences, and biotech are suddenly #1 in crowdfunding📖 22:45 – Inside INVESTOMERS: a manifesto on early-stage finance and Web3/AI🌍 24:09 – Building crowdfunding ecosystems in 43 countries with the World Bank🤖 27:17 – AI everywhere: from animated Sasquatch to drones in agriculture📈 33:17 – D3VC and Capital Pulse: using data and ML to find the best deals⚠️ 36:42 – The two biggest reasons crowdfunding raises fail📉 38:13 – Great tech, no customers: hard lessons from a failed portfolio company🔁 40:09 – Tighter loops: customer feedback, investment, and product iteration📺🎧 Enjoying the conversation?Discover more stories of innovation and transformation at alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts — and explore how today’s leaders are shaping the future.