EP26: Life as the ”Owner of a Crowdfunded Island in Paradise” with guest, Marshall Mayer

Introducing

Marshall Mayer, is the NY based Founder and Co-Chairman, of IBG or “Island Buying Group, Inc.”. He is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, with a degree in History and Chinese.

Skills & Background

Mayer has more than 14 years of entrepreneurship, emerging markets business and finance experience, and has lived and worked in five countries on three continents, and done business in over a dozen more.

He was also founder and COO of a US and Philippines-based non-profit disaster response company, specialising in typhoon-resistant construction on remote islands. Mayer is a lifelong traveller and lover of new languages, of which he has studied six.

Now all of that is impressive unto itself however this is where things get really interesting.

A World’s First Endeavour

Mayer is co-founder of Let’s Buy an Island, a world’s first project of its kind which used crowdfunding to purchase an actual island.

In 2019, a group of investors lead by Marshall banded together to make the crowdfunded island purchase ($180,000 plus tax) of Coffee Caye, a 1.2- acre, uninhabited island off the coast of Belize.

Aside from the crowd funded purchase being unique, this project also represents an unusual nation-building project too with Coffee Caye being reconstituted as the “Principality of Islandia,” complete with its own national flag, anthem and government.

In fact, through a small donation, you too can become an official citizen of Islandia.

While Coffee Caye still remains under recognized laws, borders and restrictions of Belize, unofficially to some, it has become the world’s newest “micronation”.

Worldwide Media Coverage

To date, this venture and story has been covered and devoured by readers from major news outlets and publications, not limited to the likes of CNN, New York Magazine, Lonely Planet, Mirror and Telemundo amongst others.

Reasons to Listen

Marshall explains this crowdfunded island purchase in its entirety including the reasoning for this business venture, hopes and aspirations for the project moving forward, as well as what it all means to him on a personal level.

Not only that, Marshall accomplishes all of the above in a highly entertaining manner through the mixing in of story, humour and facts which will undoubtedly leave listeners in an island breezy relaxed state! 😉

For those who have ever dreamt about owning an island —and really, who hasn’t?!–this is an episode you will truly enjoy from start to finish.

Finally, you can connect with and follow Marshall here:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

 

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