By lowering the cost of development and opening up the global market, the internet triggered arguably one of the biggest changes in industry since industrialization. With easy access to learning resources, skills, and cloud-based tools, even the smallest businesses have the resources to challenge well-established competitors. The invention of crowdfunding has driven yet more change, introducing well-funded startups into the mix to increase competition. The result? The rise of the entrepreneur and a speed of innovation we’ve never seen before.

Which is exactly what America needs. With 4.7% of the workforce currently unemployed (that’s nearly 8 million people), our economic model clearly isn’t working. Employees stuck in menial, uninspiring jobs are not committed to organizational success. And organizations supported by people who aren’t passionate about their work fail, leading to fewer job opportunities and higher unemployment rates. We need businesses that inspire their workers; we need a workforce that is committed to their success. To do that, we need innovative startups.

Which crowdfunding is delivering in droves. During 2015, innovators worldwide raised over $1.6billion, and reward crowdfunding alone grew popularity by 20% in that year. For multiple industries (technology, design, and film remain the most successful) this represents a significant capital injection and a huge potential economic boost.

By providing founders, inventors, and entrepreneurs with access to seed capital, crowdfunding is creating thriving startups the world over. Built by passion and driven by belief, these startups are the type of employers we need, and will create meaningful, inspiring work for people all over the world.