We believe in Crowdfunding for Good—
Helping purpose-led companies build communities and raise millions through the crowd.
We’re a full-service crowdfunding partner for ambitious startups on a mission to make a difference.
For us, crowdfunding isn’t just fundraising. We believe it’s about building movements. Investors want to back companies that align with their values, stand for something bigger, and create real change. At The Crowd, we help founders turn their vision into a compelling story, connect with the right audience, and activate a community of believers to turn their ideas into reality.
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Tailored planning to set clear goals and outline a comprehensive roadmap for your crowdfunding campaign. Expert advice to select the most suitable platform and design reward tiers that motivate investors to pledge at various levels.
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Your efforts will only be as powerful as the connection you have with the people you inspire. Identify and align with investors who share your values and channel their hopes and dreams into the success of your product, idea or movement.
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Crowdfunding success depends on tapping into a fundamental core feeling. Engage your audience in a compelling way and tell a story that builds excitement through PR, social media, influencer outreach and digital advertising.
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Ensure all the elements are in place and running smoothly for a successful campaign launch. Monitor progress, troubleshoot issues, make adjustments and provide insights to optimize campaign performance.
CAPABILITIES —
Meet the Founders
For nearly a decade, Sarah and Quincy have building brands and campaigns side by side. With a shared belief that marketing can and should inspire movements, the two lead marketing strategy for renowned brands like Nestlé, Martha Stewart, Chiquita, Crystal Geyser, and DIRECTV.
Together, they relaunched Aptera Motors in 2019 and built a powerful movement around the brand that resulted in $1.7 billion in pre-orders for solar-powered vehicles. It was here they executed one of the most successful campaigns in crowdfunding history, raising over $140 million from nearly 20,000 investors.
Over the last five years, the duo has helped shape the crowdfunding space and set new standards for fundraising for passionate entrepreneurs and startups. Now, with The Crowd, they’re bringing that hard-won expertise to purpose-led brands ready to raise millions, build communities, and change the world.
SARAH HARDWICK & QUINCY SALAZAR
OUR CLIENTS
Will you be the next success story?
The Crowd executed a multi-channel crowdfunding campaign that raised over $140 million from 20,000 investors and generated nearly 50,000 pre-order reservations for the company’s solar EV, representing over $1.7 billion.
We've teamed up with Geoship to create and execute a crowdfunding campaign that has activated a passionate ambassador community around regenerative housing. To date, they’ve raised over $10M to bring the company’s bioceramic domes closer to market.
We helped raised over $1.4M to bring Doroni’s revolutionary eVTOL, the H1-X, closer to commercial launch. This momentum has contributed to securing additional investment totaling $8.7M in crowdfunding.
Our Team
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Chris is a creative director, designer, and educator based in Boulder, Colorado.
Chris’ practice is shaped by principles of human-centered design, and his process is informed by a diverse background in agency and in-house environments. He currently works as a fractional design leader through his consulting firm and teaches as an adjunct design professor at University of Colorado Boulder.
For over twenty years, Chris has leveraged the power of design to help smart teams create positive cultural impact. As a product designer, Chris helped create the first social dating profiles on Match.com, launched an NBA themed basketball game for Disney, and worked as a design lead crafting well-loved digital products like Apple Music, Adobe Marketing Cloud, Airbnb Trips, Playstation Video, and more.
Chris’ career has followed the rise of social and digital products, the deregulation of cannabis and fintech markets, and the emergence of artificial intelligence as a game-changing design tool. His highlights include building a from-scratch marketing department for a $100M+ cannabis company, founding a human-centered startup studio, and creating curriculum for a post-grad design accelerator program.
Chris Znerold
CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER —
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Sarah is a dynamic entrepreneur, agency owner and digital marketer. She blazed her own trail for 20+ years as the founder and CEO of Zenzi Communications, a groundbreaking firm that reshaped the way brands connect with audiences. Under her leadership, Zenzi became synonymous with creative disruption, pushing the boundaries of traditional marketing to build authentic and engaging values-based connections. She developed a proprietary method of using psychological insights to improve effectiveness of advertising campaigns. Among the well-known companies that Zenzi represented include Nestle, Chiquita, and Crystal Geyser Water. After selling Zenzi in 2022, Sarah was hired as Chief Marketing Officer at Aptera Motors, where her unwavering passion and strategic expertise brought her to the forefront of the solar mobility revolution. She was integral in helping the company to raise $140 million from 19,000 investors and generating nearly 50,000 reservations valued at $1.6 billion. Through compelling narratives and engaging brand stories, she orchestrated a multi-faceted fundraising campaign that resonated deeply with investors. Now, Sarah is bringing that same playbook to values-driven founders through The Crowd. Fueled by her belief in the power of storytelling, strategy, and values-aligned investing, Sarah launched The Crowd to democratize access to capital — and to support the next generation of changemakers by helping them turn their big visions into movements.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER —
Sarah Hardwick
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Quincy brings deep experience in campaign execution, brand storytelling, and growth marketing to The Crowd’s advisory team. With a background leading multi-channel marketing campaigns for startups and mission-driven brands, Quincy specializes in transforming big vision into actionable plans that raise capital and build community. Previously, Quincy served as Head of Digital Marketing and PR at Aptera Motors, where she played a critical role in one of the most successful equity crowdfunding campaigns in history — helping the company raise over $140M and generate $1.7B in pre-orders. Her expertise spans content strategy, paid media, investor communications, media relations & influencer marketing, and lifecycle marketing. At The Crowd, she serves as the driving force behind campaign execution for the agency’s diverse clients — translating strategy into momentum, managing deliverables, and making sure every campaign hits its mark.
CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER —
Quincy Salazar
OUR PARTNERS
We Wrote The Playbook. Then We Built the System.
If you're preparing to raise capital, we have the roadmap and we’re ready to be your partners. The Crowd System is our custom coaching program built around the exact playbook we used to help founders raise over $150M. It includes everything you need to plan, launch, and scale your raise, from legal prep and messaging to marketing funnels and investor engagement. Plus live weekly support from our senior team to help you execute.
Where community meets capital
Strategic Planning:
Develop a high-level marketing strategy aligned with your fundraising or launch goals. Includes a detailed campaign timeline, intake discovery, and strategic roadmap.
Market Positioning:
Craft a compelling market position with competitive analysis, target audience insights, and a tailored positioning strategy backed by thorough market research.
Tech Foundation:
Build the right marketing tech stack for scalable campaigns. Expert advice to select the most suitable fundraising platform, marketing tools, and channel strategy.
PR Strategy:
Create a strong earned media presence with compelling press releases, blog content, media training support, and a library of pitch-ready story angles.
Legal and Compliance:
Ensure your campaign is investment-ready with support for entity structure, compliance checklists, and financial disclosure considerations tailored to crowdfunding.
Web Experience:
Design and develop conversion-optimized websites with custom content, UX/UI strategy, and full-stack web support to maximize engagement and trust.
Investor Engagement:
Build and nurture investor relationships through curated lists, targeted email newsletter campaigns, and personalized investor engagement plans.
Social Experience:
Optimize your social presence to build credibility and awareness. Includes content calendars by channel, engagement strategy, and creative asset development.
Message Crafting:
Clarify your brand voice and investor messaging with a full messaging audit, audience research, and investor persona development.
Brand Platform:
Develop a cohesive brand identity with logo and design system, visual style guide, and messaging hierarchy that sets your campaign apart.
Marketing Activation:
Launch and scale your campaign with paid media strategy, event/speaking opportunity support, and influencer or ambassador program support.
Pitch Planning:
Create a compelling and conversion-focused investor pitch with a customized deck, FAQ document, and executive bios tailored for fundraising success.
