Echo Ridge to launch crowd platform that allows citizen activists to counter big-money interests and pursue genuine political reform
Echo Ridge Corp today announced it has raised $150k in pre-seed funding from a single, undisclosed investor. The new funding will allow Echo Ridge to launch its political crowd activism platform for the public. Conceived by Silicon Valley veteran Jeff Allan and incubated through the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network (DEN) at Dartmouth College, Echo Ridge has been developing the platform in stealth since April 2016.
A 2015 New York Times survey of 1,022 American adults revealed that 84 percent believe money has too much influence in politics. Minus a US Supreme Court reversal of Citizens United v FEC, the issue is here to stay. The Echo Ridge platform tackles the problem of big money in politics head-on by giving individuals access to the same tools enjoyed by the political elite and supercharges those capabilities through the power of the crowd.
According to Echo Ridge founder and CEO Jeff Allan, “There’s a real perception in this country that the average citizen no longer has a voice in politics. Big-money has disproportionate influence in laws and policies at both the state and federal level. Issues like Net Neutrality are a perfect example of this. We will be providing a platform that restores balance to the process for all Americans and gives teeth to the sub-grassroots level of political activism.”
Echo Ridge will be launching at a pivotal time in American politics. In 2006, outside spending as part of federal elections was almost non-existent. Since Citizens United, however, outside spending has reached nearly 25 percent of all spending. Meanwhile, the country’s major partisan divide is usually blamed on big-money. The Echo Ridge platform will level the playing field and provide Americans with the ability to have a more direct effect on political change.
About Echo Ridge
Echo Ridge is pioneering the era of citizen-driven politics. Combining the unifying capabilities of social networking with the efficacy of the crowd, Echo Ridge is providing Americans with a platform that will counter the influence of big-money in politics. Echo Ridge will take individuals beyond hashtag activism, allowing for real change, driven by real people. To learn more about Echo Ridge, visit echoridge.io.
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