Social Media Week

Joy Schoffler, Principal of Leverage PR, is a nationally recognized author and speaker in the emerging Crowdfunding industry. Within Leverage, Joy oversees day to day operations and directs strategy for all Leverage PR accounts.

Prior to launching Leverage PR, Joy consulted to and worked with a number of growth phase firms including serving as Director of Acquisitions for the two-time Inc. Award winning investment firm, The PPA Group. Companies Joy has worked with have been acquired, raised large amounts of capital, secured Fortune 500 accounts (from start-up phase) and have experienced tremendous growth through creative messaging and dynamic traditional and new media strategies.

Joy regularly writes for several outlets including: Entrepreneur.com, Social Media Monthly, MO.com and The Glass Heel. Due to her unique insights, she has also been featured in Inc., Forbes, CNBC and several other industry blogs and publications. She has been a featured speaker or panelist for a number of events and conferences including Crowdfunding BootCamp, Startup America, Kingonomics, SV Crowdfund, Execsense and the Crowdfunding Professional Association’s annual conference. She has additionally run a number of high profile events including: Crowdfund Texas, The Crowdfunding BootCamp and most recently, managed communications efforts for a Crowdfunding summit in Washington DC titled “The State of Equity-Based Crowdfunding” that included a press conference held at the National Press Club, a luncheon on Capitol Hill, a White House meeting and a meeting with SEC officials responsible for Titles II & III of the JOBS Act.

Outside of the private sector, Joy served as a Finance Officer for six years in the US Army Reserves and three years as a Public Relations Officer for the Texas State Guard. Her service included a year on active duty for Operation Iraqi Freedom where she led a 16-man team of finance soldiers and interned at the Pentagon. Joy sits on the board for Athletes for Change-an organization of NFL players dedicated to helping foster kids. Joy also sits on the Executive board of the Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA), helping create messaging and form strategic relationships that will enhance CfPA’s overall mission. Joy additionally serves as an Ad-Hoc committee member for the Crowdfund Intermediary Regulatory Advocates (CfIRA), the main lobbying organization for the Crowdfunding industry that works directly with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and other affected governmental and quasi-governmental entities to help establish industry standards and best practices.