During the month of April, Dawn Daria and her partner Paul Miller are embarking on a new endeavor - launching
a crowdfunding campaign. Although raising capital serves as one of the
motivations, they are also looking to use the platform to market a new product
and to validate an idea.
Dawn and Paul created Flow Circus over a decade ago as a business that utilizes performances and workshops to
promote active learning and play through the juggling arts. Paul has performed
his comedy juggling and magic show nationally, including Disney Cruise Lines and Off-Broadway. A former WCPSS teacher,
Dawn joined Flow Circus in 2007 to enhance program development, create
curriculum, and conduct market research. Flow Circus has impacted thousands of
tweens, teens, and families leading to growing sales each year. In 2011, they
won Small Business of the Year from the Wake Forest Chamber and in 2012 Dawn won a Moonbeam Children's Book Award for her debut book Grounded for Good.
In 2012, they had the idea for Skoyz,
a web-app to make skills development more accessible, provide an on-line
journal of personal growth, and build a community of engaged, individuals
seeking new challenges. Last year, they began developing the app with the first
iteration out this month. Skoyz (named for the skill toys that have inspired Paul
and Dawn’s own skills journey) will allow teen and adult users to learn through
curated instructional videos, log and notate practice sessions, and share out
accomplishments through social media channels. The initial set of videos will
include juggling and other skill toys, but other skills will be added in the
future. Users will be able to customize their own content and set their own
personal growth goals. Learn more at Skoyz.com.
This month’s campaign on Indiegogo has
motivated them to develop a media blitz in an attempt to introduce Skoyz and
Skoyz Wellness to the world. Dawn and Paul have redesigned their skills
acquisition programs for the corporate market to address the growing concerns
regarding employee engagement and whole person wellness (visit SkoyzWellness.com
to learn more). Already featured in a Bloomsberg Business Week column and
collaborating with Fox 50 for an April promotion, Dawn and Paul also plan to
get their Indiegogo campaign covered in a number of other media sources, blogs,
and social media channels so that Skoyz becomes a national brand.
Most importantly, the campaign
provides the opportunity to test a concept and start building a community of
users now. Through the rewards chosen, supporters can provide feedback and indicate
that it is a project that should move forward in development. What do you
think? Visit Indiegogo.com/projects/skoyz after April 1st and show
your support. Feel free to contact Dawn if you have questions or
creative suggestions to help spread the word.
