Because crowdfunding is all about connecting people globally to help bring ideas to life, we like focusing on the stories and people behind the projects. Whether it’s a Turkish artist, a Burning Man innovator, or even a group of young high school entrepreneurs, these entrepreneurs continue to succeed, long after their campaign:

Film

It would be pretty crazy for a film to be made about all of the weird and exploratory thoughts you have. It might also make you feel a little self conscious about said thoughts, unless you’re a renowned artist. Tangent Realms is a documentary that simultaneously explores the imagination and reality of Memo Koseman, a Turkish artist who “can reveal our deepest fears, our hidden desires, our haunting anxieties, and excites our imagination”. That sounds like a lot for one guy to do. If you’re feeling curious, it’s because you should be.

Other

Burning man is right around the corner so it feels timely to talk about Flocons, large ornaments made by several artists that are displayed for anyone to examine. Even though each one is made by a different artist, it’s important that they stay as a set making transportation expensive. Plus, they can double as Christmas tree decorations if you should happen to befriend a giant.

Where are they now?

Two whole years ago Indiegogo co-founder, Slava Rubin, took his show on the road and visited some inner-city schools in Chicago. While it may seem like kids just don’t listen, sometimes they do! After joining the team of “Surviving Life After a Parent Dies“, a social network for teens who have lost parents, young Benny Friedman was inspired by Slava’s talk. He agreed with Slava’s analysis that “entrepreneurship is like jumping off a cliff and building your parachute on the way down.” A prospect that is both terrifying and exciting. They’ve also done a pretty good job with their parachute, becoming finalists in UChicago Booth’s Social New Venture Challenge and named one of Chicago’s most Innovative Companies. These kids are graduating next year and they’ve got a pretty impressive Indiegogo campaign. Check it out if you’ve got a hankie on you. (In an effort to be eco-friendly, I’m no longer promoting tissues.)

It may be evocative of a fight between siblings, but “She Started It” is actually a film about female founders in tech. It’s about amazing women who started amazing businesses or projects to encourage other women to do the same. Even though it can be discouraging to see a world in which many founders and top executives are men, She Started It proves that the fight is worth fighting. It will premier this fall at the Mill Valley Film Festival.

And for our final ‘Where Are They Now’, we have Mifold, which continues to be cool and successful. To catch you up, the founder of Mifold (also a dad) created a lightweight, extremely portable carseat that is designed specifically to keep kids safe in carpool situations. Shortly after raising $2M, they raised $3.3M from investors, including the founders of the company behind the sweet game Candy Crush. They’ve delivered 20,000 pre-orders, and will retail on Amazon, Walmart.com, Buy Buy Baby, and Babies R Us, among others.

Feeling inspired? Check out our Essential Guide to Crowdfunding to learn more.