Utah Startup, CrowdHall, Accepted into Venture Accelerator

CrowdHall, a free online social platform built on the idea that public discourse with high-profile people and organizations doesn't have to be one-sided, is making its way to a successful start with acceptance into The Brandery. The Brandery is a 14-week program that includes $20,000 in financing as well as access to the partners, mentors and resources typically reserved for major corporations.

Co-founders Jordan Menzel and Austin Hackett have been working to perfect and expand the platform as well as meeting with possible investors. During The Brandery program, they will continue to learn the process of starting something from scratch. 

Essentially, CrowdHall is a customizable town hall meeting. It can be used by businesses, consumers, organizations, high-profile people and anyone wanting to have an open, efficient and organized discussion. Participants submit questions, vote on questions they would like to see answered, express opinions and responses, and share the discussion on other social media platforms.

According to Menzel, the public platform is set to launch in the fall prior to the election season and after a private beta launch in late summer. Currently, CrowdHall is working with USAID for its Frontiers in Development conference with a private beta test, which is organized by day, panel and questions. (https://usaid.crowdhall.com)

Scott Howell, the Utah Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, has signed on to be a part of the CrowdHall launch. This will enable voters and constituents to come together with questions and receive responses from him, while also allowing Howell to stay informed on issues in an organized and prioritized manner.

“It empowers the crowd to organize its thoughts, articulate its questions and voice its perspective in a democratic way,” said Menzel. “We are building a product that solves a big problem with group communication.”

In April, CrowdHall was named the champion of the Social Track for Georgetown University’s Hoya Challenge. Menzel, co-founder and COO, graduated from Georgetown with a Masters of Science in Foreign Service.

“CrowdHall has been excited about the reception of the Utah investment community and is confident and hopeful that the investment community will welcome CrowdHall back to Salt Lake City when it finishes the incubator accelerator,” said Menzel. “The goal is to be headquartered out of Utah.”