Convert Marketing founder Justin Richard‘s recent crowd-funding campaign raised $150,000 in 17 hours for Maluna, a company that makes a special portable cooler.   

Then, the digital marketing company based at Impact Hub Santa Barbara more than doubled the original goal set for the Maluna Kickstarter campaign by raising $378,282 with four days left.  

Richard is an entrepreneur with advice for others.  

“Anyone who wants to follow their dream should join the Impact Hub,” he said. “Everyone’s competitive, but nobody beats anyone down. Something’s always buzzing. Being around other entrepreneurs rubs off.“ 

The Convert Marketing founder has drummed up at least 1,779 backers who pledged various amounts of money for the coolers and accessories. As measured in quarts, Maluna has three sizes of coolers available in 40, 50 and 70 quarts. Product delivery is scheduled to begin as early as May 2017. 

Richard works with other crowd–funding companies along with Maluna founder Scott Hoyt. He started working with Hoyt in September 2016. “When I first met Scott, it was him and a prototype,” Richard said. “We took it to a whole other level.”   

Richard took Hoyt‘s prototype, created a “funnel strategy” and on Jan. 15, 2017, ran Maluna’s first advertisement on a Facebook page. “We created a company,” he said. 

By using Facebook, which Hoyt used daily, to “create engagement,” people began buying multiple coolers through Kickstarter. However, for Richard and Hoyt, that wasn’t enough. 

“Don’t take a break — keep going,” Richard advised when using crowd–funding campaigns. His work was so effective, he said, Maluna cooler buyers began having meet-ups to sit around and drink beer. Many are huge fans of Hoyt, Richard said. 

As for  Impact Hub, Richard said he enjoys coming to work.   

“This place is awesome — I love this place,” he said. “I think I like every single person I have met here.“  

As many members and visitors of Impact Hub describe it, the place is a unique community of entrepreneurs, mentors and investors. 

“You get access to all levels of people who are entrepreneurs,” Richard said. “You meet people just starting just out of college and top-level investors.” 

Richard said sometimes members get good surprises. 

“I’m not looking for an investor,” he said. “But I had lunch with someone I met at Impact Hub who wanted to invest.“