The document describes a new platform called microNeeds that aims to efficiently fulfill small, individual needs around the world through crowdsourcing. It works by having individuals directly carry supplies in a single bag or box to destinations, bypassing large logistical barriers. Needs are added to the platform and authenticated members help market, provide solutions for, and deliver the supplies to fulfill each need. The platform intends to crowdsource every step of the process and enable measurable social impact for both individuals and companies.

1. microNeeds
One Person. One Package. One Less Need.

2. What is a MicroNeed?
A MicroNeed is a need that can be fulfilled by a single individual
carrying a single bag or box of physical goods.
One person, fulfilling one need, one bag or box at a time.

3. The Old Model
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The incumbent systems in place for the logistics of global trade-- for
both commerce, disaster relief or outright philanthropy-- are built on
decades, even centuries old paradigms.
The institutional idiosyncrasies of customs, brokers, shippers,
governments and a variety of well-meaning agencies are mostly
antiquated... frequently cumbersome... and almost always inefficient.
Today, it is relatively easy, though quite expensive to move a 40-foot
shipping container from one part of the earth to another.
But it is not so easy to deal with geo-political, socio-economic and
customs-related barriers of moving large volumes of goods
This model requires institution-to-institution coordination.
NGOs
Relief Orgs
CSR Programs
Governments
Customs
Shippers

4. The MicroNeeds Model
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microNEEDS “crowdsources” the curation of needs, the fulfillment of
those needs, and the delivery of those needs around the world, or
around the corner.
By focusing on the sourcing, provision and delivery of bite-sized needs-human-to-human-- around the corner or across the world, MicroNeeds
is able to build a modern, social-media-centric logistics engine that
transcends most customs, logistics and other institutional hurdles.
And MicroNeeds has a built-in marketing dynamic: our couriers-- called
"missioneers"-- are in constant contact with their social graph, with
whom they are communicating while documenting their microNEEDS
journey.

5. Crowdsourcing the Curation of Needs
Knowing There Is a Specific Need Out There Is 90% of the Battle
Locally and globally, MicroNeeds relies on a “trust network” of friends, family, NGO
workers, philanthro-travelers, church workers, news organizations and like-minded
individuals to populate the needs database.
Authenticated MicroNeeds platform members will authenticate
new users to ensure credibility of needs.
MicroNeeds adds layers of authentication & reputation management as it grows.

6. Crowdsourcing the Provision of Solutions
The “stuff” to solve a need is frequently already available-in a storage closet, warehouse, or store.
The “Haves” simply need a mechanism-- a platform-- to easily and quickly
get what they have, or what they can acquire, to the “Have-Nots”

7. Crowdsourcing the Movement of Goods for Social Good
A Few Hundred Individuals Can Carry
The Equivalent of a 40foot Shipping Container To Anywhere On The Planet
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... without having to deal with docks, customs, brokers and governments.

8. Who Will Use MicroNeeds?
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There are millions of “locals” simply willing to help their kids’ teachers,
local shelters, and families less fortunate than themselves.
There are millions of motivated and self-selecting (and self-vetting)
"philanthro-travelers" champing at the bit to activate to make a tangible
difference in bettering the world and its developing peoples.
Many are already traveling, and are keen to put more meaning into their
travels.
Some are willing to make it the core purpose of their travels-- carrying
badly needed medical, educational, water purification or civic
improvement tools materials and supplies to their destinations-- from
water filtration systems to mosquito nets to surgical gloves to books to
clothing, or even expertise.
It gives them purpose and satisfaction far beyond a spit-in-the-ocean
donation to a mega relief organization. These are people who will know
exactly the difference they have made.

9. Revenue Model
MicroNeeds believes a solid revenue model ensures the organization does not become
dependent on philanthropic giving. We have architected and market researched what we
believe will be reliable sources of revenue.
Affiliate Marketing Revenue: MicroNeeds is developing its platform such that “providers” will be able to purchase
needed goods directly through the platform, acting as an “affiliate” for regional and national retailers like Target.com,
Walmart.com, REI.com and other specialty ecommerce companies. This will provide members the option to buy sewing
machines, tents, educational supplies, blankets, etc. directly from those retailers at a discount, and when they do opt to buy the
solution through the MicroNeeds platform, MicroNeeds will receive a percentage of sales from enabling the transaction,
typically ranging from 5% to 20% of the purchase, depending on the retailer, their margins, and the negotiated structure of that
retailer’s affiliate marketing program.
Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) Programs: MicroNeeds has architected a measurement and reporting
system to capture individual member and collective member activity that occurs on the platform. This enables us to produce
valuable reports for companies who wish to track and promote the collective impact of their employees’s Microneeds social
actions and align that data with their CSR goals and other corporate initiatives. Many companies match dollar for dollar what
their employees contribute philanthropically in cash. MicroNeeds early meetings with major companies with active CSR
programs indicate those companies are willing to provide a monetary match for their employees “provision” and “delivery”
efforts on a pay-for-performance basis. That is, they won’t have to donate or invest up front, but instead will contribute to
MicroNeeds for actual, measured and reported employee impact.
Travel & Shipping: MicroNeeds will develop corporate partnerships with airline carrier companies to provide a
percentage of revenue for individuals traveling to deliver MicroNeeds. Additional revenue will similarly come from shipping
companies who embed themselves on the platform to enable those delivers not able to hand-deliver solutions to instead
subsidize the delivery via shipping as an alternate way to deliver the solution to the ground. A portion of the underwriting from
MicroNeeds members will go to operations, and the other portion will go to paying the pre-negotiated, discounted shipping rate
for the package.

10. Corporate Social Responsibility
✓ microNEEDS is also designed to turbo-charge
employee-centric Corporate Social Responsibility
programs.
✓ Fulfilling microNEEDS provide a clear path for
employees to do measurable good, and a
mechanism for CSR managers to track and reward
their employee’s efforts.

11. The Future
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microNEEDS will expand from this core mission to enable those not able to
travel to do similar good to those who can travel.
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Phase II will empower anyone to contribute funds to move-- through shipping
or missioneer courier-- a specific package of goods to fulfill a specific need
somewhere in the world, providing total transparency and targeted reward to
the donee as to the good they have enabled.
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In Phase III will move beyond the small-package focus of microNEEDS,
extending our services into the realm of the movement of larger transactions.
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What we learn from microNEEDS will inform the social, collaborative,
crowdsourcing and logistical aspects of future iterations of the MicroNeeds
platform
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We will offer more advanced services needed to facilitate the movement of
larger equipment, bigger shipments of food and medical supplies, and services
to help those who are "expert in need" or "possessors of solution," and who
are both novices in global trade, accomplish what is only possible with
specialized knowledge and institutional clout.

12. The Platform
Recording Needs
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• Curation
• Marketing
• Provision
• Delivery
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Simple, easy adding of a need for physical goods
(not money)
For early Beta, “authenticity” will be handled
through invite-only relationships-- friends vouching
for the reliability of friends.
We are building in robust referral and reputation
management to assure authenticity of needs as the
platform grows.

13. The Platform
“Marketing” Needs
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First-level easy opt-in to “Like” a Need-- essentially
an endorsement of the worthiness of that need by a
member that gets fed with superficial information
on the Need to their social graph (Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn, etc)
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Member can step-up to “Share” a Need-- a more
explicit act of “marketing” that need to their social
graph in the context of finding someone to Provide
a Solution and/or Deliver the Solution
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Any member who Likes or Shares is automatically
selected to the Need Team for that particular Need.
• Curation
• Marketing
• Provision
• Delivery

14. The Platform
Providing a Solution
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Intrinsic encouragement for one or multiple members
to find and source a solution for that need.
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Owned by the member, bought by the member or
gathered by the collective Need Team.
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Initially, the MicroNeeds platform focuses on the
facilitation, communication and documentation of the
process, leaving specific logistics to the self-selecting
Need Team to sort out
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Then iteratively add more robust logistical tools.
• Curation
• Marketing
• Provision
• Delivery

15. The Platform
Delivering Needs
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• Curation
• Marketing
• Provision
• Delivery
FOCUS on hand-carrying needs-- one member will
volunteer to carry the Provisioned Solution to the
Need destination
• Around the corner, or across the world
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Who are the missioneers?
• Philanthropic minded international journalists
and business people
• Families on holiday looking to put a bit of
meaning into their respite (especially for their
kids)
• Philanthro-travelers: travelers already seeking
ways to integrate with their destination culture.
• NGO workers headed to the Need Destination

16. Screenshot: Needs Feed
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App-Like Interface
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Open/Stow Search and
Filtering of Need Feed
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Logistics
Works equally well via web browser and
mobile browser
By type, geography, friends and more
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At-A-Glance Need
Information, Progress and
Status
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Promotional Area to
showcase testimonials and
needs fulfillment
documentation.
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Fully gamified to harness
intrinsic user motivations, and
employ extrinsic rewards
where appropriate

17. Screenshot: Need View -- Details
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Includes Description and Context-the Situation within which the Need
arose
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Location can be publicly specific; or
generalized to province or country
and specifics released only to
Deliverer
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Always providing other “paths” for
member to discover new
opportunities to connect and help.

18. Screenshot: Need View -- Thread
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Perpetual MULTI-MEDIA
THREAD of metacommunication around the
sourcing and fulfillment of
the Need

19. Screenshot: Need View -- Provision
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Separate communication
thread around the PROVISION
of a solution for the need
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Meta-activity is reported in overall Thread,
but specific conversation is convened here

20. Screenshot: Need View -- Delivery
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Separate communication
thread around the DELIVERY of
the provided solution
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Again, meta-activity is reported in overall
Thread, but specific conversation is
convened here
Always encouraging and
rewarding multi-media
documentation of the need
curation, provision and
delivery.

21. Screenshot: Member View - Delivered Solutions to Needs

22. Screenshot: “Need Team” View

23. For more information
Courtney Klein
Jim Banister
Yarrow Kraner
(480) 628-2300
(435) 901-3001
(406) 579-2759