Vid: Want to Buy Stock in Your Corner Bistro? The Government Opens Venture Capital Markets to the Masses

Part four in a four-part series on the sharing economy.

In 2008, the online platform, Indiegogo, created a new way for entrepreneurs, artists, and charities to raise funds for their passion projects known as "crowdfunding." In exchange for donating money to a project, users generally receive a "perk," like a t-shirt or a coffee mug. In 2009, Kickstarter got into the game, and today new ventures get

launched everyday thanks to the significant capital raised through these websites.

But what if instead of free DVDs and tounge scrapers for your pet new companies could offer their funders an equity stake in the business itself?