Aspen Forum—The First Major Investment Conference of 2014, will be held January 6–7, 2014

DENVER - Dec. 29, 2013 - PRLog -- The passage of the JOBS Act has created new opportunities in the private investments industry. This legislation has resulted in high expectations but also raised many concerns. This fall we saw two major developments: in September, an 80-year ban on general solicitation was removed, allowing private companies and investment funds to openly promote their fund-raising needs. Then, in October, the SEC voted on the rules for crowdfunding to allow nonaccredited investors to participate. Aside from the legal battles, we witnessed the emergence of new crowdfunding portals and entrance into the industry of established financial institutions and global corporations.

Participants at the Aspen Forum (http://www.aspeninvestmentforum.com/) will discuss new trends in the industry and how they will influence specific segments and the investment ecosystem in general.

Among the speakers are founders of seven real estate crowdfunding platforms, which offer investment opportunities through business loans to real estate developers, equity in commercial and residential projects, and distressed mortgages.

Healthcare entrepreneurs will learn from Andrew Farquharson, founder of equity crowdfunding platform VentureHealth; Dan Burnett, CEO of Channel Medsystems, a company currently raising money through crowdfunding; and Howard Leonhard, an inventor of more than 20 products for treating cardiovascular disease.

Those interested in portfolio diversification or business loans will benefit from attending the “Innovations in lending industry” panel. Speakers represent companies offering loans and lines of credit up to $500,000. Financial groups and investment funds have already started outsourcing some of their loan originations to lending platforms. With further progress in technology and significantly lower overhead costs, social lending will continue to grow and impact the financial world.

In addition, presentations will be devoted to the legal landscape of private placements, common misconceptions about equity crowdfunding, investor relations in the post-JOBS Act era, secondary markets for the new class of securities, investing through self-directed IRAs, and how global corporations can benefit from crowdfunding.

Other speakers represent AngelList, the largest online community of private investors; SparkMarket, first US equity crowdfunding platform for nonaccredited investors; due diligence service providers; legal firms; and leaders of investment/crowdfunding communities from the UK, Sweden, Israel, Netherlands, and Australia.

The Forum is organized by Crowdfund Productions LLC with financial support from Pepper Hamilton LLP, Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, and Patch of Land.

To find additional information and to register, visit the event’s website: www.AspenInvestmentForum.com

About Crowdfund Productions: crowdfunding consulting and event management company based in Colorado. In 2013 it hosted conferences in Colorado, California, Massachusetts and Illinois. For additional information about the services visit www.CrowdfundProductions.com.