DECEMBER 9TH, 2021
Dear friends and supporters of “The Center”:
Happy Holidays to all! I imagine that you receive a lot of these missives this time of the year, and while I’d like to keep it short… that would prevent me from describing why investing in The Center is truly worth doing. 🙂 So please read on, and thank you.
We’ve weathered another tough year, a year of mostly virtual meetings, but also lots of big space achievements and changes both in our industry and in our nation.
As you know, 2020 was a “bust” for most of space advocacy. All the conferences we consider attending were either offered as a watered-down virtual event, or, in most cases, cancelled outright. As The Center’s activities (NewSpace Business Plan Competition, Bootcamp, and Space Investment Summit) were directly tied to those conferences, we were left flat. But like many, we hung in there the best we could.
We got a breakthrough last December, however, with an intro to a new organization being formed called “Foundation for the Future”. Out of those conversations, came an offer to try a NewSpace BPC as an all-virtual event.
As of today, we have performed two all-virtual NewSpace BPCs, as part of F4F’s “Conversations for the Future” monthly online conference, and the next one is scheduled for this coming February. Due to it’s all-virtual nature, as well, our reach extends to a far more international audience than ever before. Our finalists are no longer limited to the US/Canada, but come from Africa, the Middle East, and even Australia.
While there are several space-oriented business pitch events out there to engage in, the NewSpace BPC is the longest running, and still considered by many to be the “team to beat”. The reasons why are very clear:
- The NewSpace BPC is one of the few pitch events that offer real prize money from a variety of sponsors
- “Service after the sale” – we have developed a team of world-class professionals, fromtherealms of entrepreneurship and finance, to add value to the Finalists in online coaching, and live boot camps
- Experience – since 2009, we’ve done no less than 20 BPCs, awarding nearly $400,000 in prize money
- Legacy – past participants in our programs are prospering.
In addition, since 2007, members of our network have participated in no less than 14 Space Investment Summits in both the US and Europe, setting a standard for information sharing and promotion of deal flow in the investment sector of the industry.
What is planned for 2022?
- At least 3 NewSpace BPC events, including one live-stage conference event
- Our first All-Virtual Space Investment Summit
- Changes to website and content delivery – in process now!
- Bootcamps – We are looking at potentially “virtualizing” these and promoting them independently, as a fee-based initiative
Ways to support us
While we have a whole list of potential items on our “Support” page, for my purposes here, I want to focus on two.
First , “Donate” directly. Go to the “Support” page, push the “Donate” button. Pretty easy. And, as we’re a 501(c)3 non-profit, you get a tax deduction.
Secondly, you can support us overtime you shop at Amazon. Go to smile.Amazon.com. There you will find a dropdown list of charitable institutions. We are among the choices. Every time you make purchases on Amazon, a few coins go in our tip jar. May not seem like much, but when 2000 of you go to smile.Amazon.com to shop, it adds up!
And of course, you can always enclose a check with your holiday card – the address is below. You can make it out to CSCF.
(Yeah, I know, that’s three…!)
We at the Center for Space Commerce and Finance wish you a great finish to 2021, with all our hopes for an abundant, healthy, safe and productive 2022, for all of you.
All the best,
Thomas Andrew Olson
tao@cscf.space
www.cscf.space
Center for Space Commerce and Finance
155 Crystal Oak Drive, DeLand, FL 32720