Proppz

In our current social network experience, we come to connect, celebrate and collaborate with people, but we also endure controversy, conflict, and chaos. Many of the current social network platforms create negative feedback loops that exacerbate social harm.

The Ads revenue model is the main source of income for many social platforms to convert more viewers into more profits. Over time, social platforms have slanted toward focusing on more content of outrage and tribalism to activate users emotions and increase watch time. This slant has shaped the evolution of social network spaces where users experience cyberbullying, depression, anxiety, negative body image, spreading of misinformation, and right-wing extremism. Ad revenue models have left both individuals and businesses in unfulfilling relationships with the current digital marketplace. Many users experience increasing cost and investment, while engagement and revenue idle or decline over time.

Proppz is a social platform that Promotes Positive People and normalizes community development activity everywhere. Proppz will accomplish this by replacing the ads revenue model and its negative social feedback loops, with a rewards model to drive reward learning and develop healthier communities.

The target populations are individuals, businesses and nonprofits. Popular social platforms currently provide low quality experiences for each of these users segment. But users still endure these experiences because social platforms still offer greater opportunity for what each user values. Proppz identifies the values of each user segment - experience, customers, and impact - and converts the activities of the other user segments into their preferred value currency. Proppz is designed to give all users more of what they value through a better user experience.

Individuals - Social Content Creators; Social Content Consumers - value a better experience. 

Businesses - Name Brands; Local Businesses - value more customers. 

Nonprofits - Nonprofits who use volunteers - value bigger impact. 

1a. Proppz growth strategy will target high profile celebrities, influencers and athletes who value social impact through their proven track record. Proppz will recruit them to join the platform and bring their audiences to create a bigger impact for their chosen social causes. The Creator’s Cut will appeal to influencers and creators who can leverage more social capital and profit from their content when they move their audience to Proppz. Creators will invite users to get +subscriptions to their exclusive content for an even better experience. Users will purchase +subscriptions to support their favorite creator, while also adding 4 other creators to their Top 5.

1b. Proppz will build relationships with name brands through their ongoing relationship with established Influencers (i.e. LeBron and Nike, Tabitha Brown and Target) to promote the advantages of the business subscription. Proppz provides all businesses better product placement compared to their higher costing digital ad campaigns with low click through rates. Businesses will prefer Proppz lower cost subscriptions to sell their products and services.

2. As the platform continues to scale, Proppz will offer nonprofit subscriptions which provide nonprofits with volunteers in exchange for building users’ social capital. Proppz administrator tools and incentives will help nonprofits recruit, engage, retain, and better organize more volunteers.

3. As Proppz approaches 1 million users, businesses will bid for the first regional Naming Rights to 50,000 Propper Awards given to some of the most influential users in Year 1.

Lawrence Clinkscale: Throughout his career, Mr. Clinkscale has efficiently and effectively developed community spaces as a designer, speaker, performer, teacher, community organizer, and librarian. His career began in the field of architecture, where he specialized in graphic design and 3D animations. He dedicated much of his out of office time to mentoring and volunteering in his local community. In 2008, his career in building design shifted to a purpose driven career designing community systems. The problem he began to identify was a disparity in the number of people contributing to the needs of their communities. In 2010, he realized his mission and started a consulting company for community development. The mission was - and still is - to empower our community through organizing, educating and motivating each member to make their own individual contributions to collective efforts. Over the years, Mr. Clinkscale has developed systems in his own classrooms, programs and neighborhoods that consistently infuse positive reinforcement programming to get more people to make positive contributions. Proppz is the continuation of this work on a national level with designs to scale globally. This model has been thoroughly researched, tested and refined to produce positive global impact.

There are many instances throughout my professional career where I implemented positive feedback loops into programming. My work as a mentor, teacher, performance poet, musician, photographer, designer, and librarian have given me great insight into working with people to accomplish many different objectives. Each of the programs I have been a part of has centered around building healthy relationships between myself, team members and the community we serve. Over the last 10+ years I have been researching customer segments, analyzing the marketplace, and testing the rewards model to develop the optimal platform for positive global impact.

First Digital Model:

The first digital version of Proppz was created in 2012. It was a community development campaign headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. We created a Facebook page called #PromotePositivity to establish a presence on social media. In 2013, The #PromotePostivity page reached over 1,000 followers, and we started the Good People Award as an incentive to increase positive activities and content. In this early iteration, we learned that although the award was a good motivator, it was not central to building the momentum and reaching our larger impact goals. While we did grow our digital presence and audience, our positive focus was only a drop in the ocean of content and topics of the main Facebook platform. Promoting Positive People would need to become the main topic to produce scalable social impact that could shift culture throughout communities everywhere.

Rewards Models:

(2012-Present) Library services: implementation of standards policies and procedures; developing systemwide children, teen and adult programming

(2019) Library Branch Manager: trained staff on facilitating recreational and educational programs to establish strong relationships; increased program participation by over 300%; decreased branch incident reports by 48%.

(2010-2014) Cleveland Mentoring Committee; Projects Manager: created youth development curriculum; trained new mentors for each program; recruited presenters for adult workshops; developed ongoing relationships with local businesses

(2010-2012) Nueva Luz Urban Resource Center; Youth Development Consultant: developed curriculum and training materials for youth service workers; lead facilitator for programs

Proppz' long term strategy of global impact and sustainability aligns with the core values of Solve. We believe that Solve can help Proppz raise capital and support to reach global impact. Proppz is a black owned company that is working to expand our network to individuals and organizations that have the capacity, expertise and compassion to join Proppz in shifting our culture to normalize promoting positive people.

Proppz falls under the general category of a social network, but we differentiate ourselves from the popular social network brands in the construction of our business model. Current well established brands are driven by the ads revenue model which in recent years has proven more and more unstable and problematic. The ads model has become a accelerant for negative environments where users experience cyberbullying, depression, anxiety, negative body image, spreading of misinformation, and right-wing extremism. 

Proppz rewards model creates enough value to establish a sustainable subscription revenue model with positive feedback looks to compete with and overtake the current well-established brands. Proppz offers social network users a community that focuses on connecting, collaborating and celebrating while diminishing the controversy, conflict and chaos cause by the ads model used by others. Because our model promotes and elevates positive people, users receive unrivaled benefits through relationships, resources and rewards.  

Proppz does not need to constantly bombard people with ads about products or services to remain profitable. Proppz will prove that better experiences and quality products are self promoting, offer greater profit margins and are more sustainable. The success of Proppz rewards model could influence other businesses to move away from the ads model. Proppz is a solution that moves beyond focusing on shareholders to the greater community of stakeholders. Proppz aims to be the catalyst in the implementation of positive driven systems to shape the future of the digital marketplace impacting communities all over the globe. 

In the next year:

Launch Proppz with the endorsement of LeBron James and other celebrities, influencers and activists. 

Shifting our culture to focus more on positivity and positive people. 

More People making more contributions in their communities. 

Volunteering with nonprofits becoming a normalized social activity

Promoting Positive People becoming the #1 topic on social media

In the next 5 years:

Community impact all over the US that expands globally. 

Proppz becoming the most popular social platform.

Building infrastructure for underserved communities all over the globe. 

Identifying Propper innovators and providing them with funding and support to accelerate their impact. 

Funding community service positions with local organizations and filling them with Propper influencers. 

Proppz goals will be achieved through network effects. Proppz will continue to gain more value as more people join the platform. Proppz unique engagement tools prioritize positive social commentary. Users will modify their content to lean more positive to engage more users. This environment will create more people making more positive contributions. Proppz will continue to develop ways to support, celebrate, reward and promote positive people. 

Proppz has two ways of measuring impact. 

A. Proppz point system

The biggest and most comprehensive indicator will be through user content and engagement on Proppz platform. Users post and share content with other users. Whenever a user sees positive content, they hit the Proppz button (in the middle) to Promote Positive People. The left and a right button are used for general engagement, buttons that are similar to what users have been accustomed to on other social platforms. But users quickly learn that getting and giving Proppz offers more social recognition and commercial rewards.

B. Nonprofit partnerships

Proppz formally organizes user contributions through the nonprofits who have both identified community challenges and actively work to develop solutions. Proppz sends Nonprofits more people, support, and tools to achieve the goal of Bigger, positive measurable impact. 

1. Proppz verified. which offers individuals elevated social status for volunteering at nonprofit events. 

2. Individuals who attend Nonprofit events become eligible to win the Propper award ($500)

Proppz also gives Nonprofits Administrator tools to receive and manage this influx of volunteers

3. The Permissions tool allows nonprofits to assign rolls for any users in their network. For example a user that has the Modify Permission can give permissions to other users, create modify and delete events, post content, and check in users at events. Nonprofits can deputize individuals into groups with tasks and improve event organizational efficiency, marketing, and ultimately Impact. 

Because Events are featured and shared on Proppz they become more social. Users invite friends, take pictures, post, and get more Proppz. Nonprofits get more exposure. Organized community engagement becomes a social norm and Proppz organizes individuals, businesses and nonprofits to make a Bigger Impact.

people + contributions = impact

Presently in many of our communities we have a smaller group of people making contributions toward positive impact. In many places the contributions are not enough to tremendously improve these environments and our neighborhoods.

Proppz theory is simple: More People + More Contributions = Global Impact. 

Proppz is designed to organize, educate and motive People so that these inputs (people and contributions) will grow exponentially. Proppz knows that any additional contributions that people make will benefit the whole. The benefits that people get from their positive contributions will help to normalize these inputs to change our default social behaviors to effect neighborhoods, communities, cities, and countries reaching global impact. 

This above image is an illustration of the Proppz effect on local communities. The left image shows the current state of many communities with little aid and resources. There are mixed feelings about the environments safety and connection between the people that use and live in these places. It can feel very uncomfortable and unwelcoming when people do not have healthy relationship with others around them. The right image is the Proppz effect in the same community. Proppz organizes, educates, and motivates the people who use and live in these places to find ways to make contributions toward the development of their own communities. Proppz is the platform that can inspire more people to contribute on both micro and macro levels to reach global impact. 

Proppz is a photo and video sharing social networking service. The app will allow users to post and share content with other users on the platform. The app has additional features such as geolocation for events check-in, and fintech for rewards and payments.

I am a Black Man who is an advocate, and supporter of women and other groups who are underrepresented, marginalized and exploited in different spaces. My experiences have unfortunately allowed me to see first hand what exclusion feels like. Fortunately, I have have been able to take away from those experience better ways to be inclusive in the systems that I design and the communities that I am a part of.

In my professional practice my success has always incorporated diversity, equity and inclusion. I have been adept at identifying friction that causes factions, and finding ways to develop compromise and respectful disagreement. Both are necessary and strengthen the group dynamic so that individuals continue to benefit and find value in their part in the whole.  Through continuing to understanding the importance of equity and diversity, I have found much success in the many environments where I have served.

Proppz system is designed to diminish systematic oppression because user merit does not focus on abusive language, bullying, extremism, or standards of beauty i.e. skin color like other social platforms. Proppz system is designed to promote the  'content of their character' - The solution submitted in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s I have a dream speech. 

Proppz is also developing a new internal corporate model to address administrative oppression, and produce a healthier organizational culture were all employees feel valued, supported and enjoy more life within their work/life balance. 

Proppz is a free platform to the majority of individuals and offers subscriptions for users to unlock more benefits, businesses to attract more customers, and nonprofits to have greater impact.

User Subscriptions provide individuals with a better entertainment experience giving them access to exclusive content from their favorite content creators. Exclusive content creators have the opportunity to grow their revenue by growing their audience. Unlike other platforms, exclusive content creators' revenue growth is consistent with their audience growth. 

+Subscription ($3)

C+Subscription ($7)

C++Subscription ($10)

Business Subscriptions provide Businesses with better product placement and brand equity to attract more customers. 

General 6 months ($500) / 1Yr. ($900)

Business 6 months ($700) / 1Yr. ($1100)

Premium 6 months ($900) / 1Yr. ($1500)

Nonprofit Subscriptions provide Nonprofits with tools to organize their community events and incentives to attract more volunteers. 

6 months ($500) / 1Yr. ($900)

Regional Propper Award Naming Rights provide Business with premium Brand placement to promote community development and be linked to some of the most positive influencers.  

3 months ($500K)

Proppz short term goal is to reach 50 million users in the first year. Our growth strategy will target high profile celebrities, influencers and athletes who value social impact through their proven track record. Proppz will recruit them to join the platform and bring their audiences to create a bigger impact for their chosen social causes. The Creator’s Cut will appeal to influencers and creators who can leverage more social capital and profit from their content when they move their audience to Proppz. Creators will offer users +subscriptions to exclusive content for an even better experience. Users will purchase +subscriptions to support their favorite creator, while also adding 4 other creators to their Top 5.

Proppz strategy is built around providing users with a better experience and more rewards. Proppz needs to maintain user confidence in the quality of the experience to be sustainable. Our target benchmark is to reach 33% of all users purchasing +subscriptions in year one. As more users join, network effects will create more value, the capital cost will become fixed, and profit margins will increase. This will allow Proppz to add more products and tools to increase our value. In the image below you can see the projected exponential growth from year 1 (50 million users) to year 2 (60 million users). This difference shows how reaching a critical mass of users and establishing user confidence will make Proppz financially stable. 

Proppz will maintain financial sustainability based on (1) network effects to produce high quality experiences, and (2) good stewardship of our resources. Both of these factors are big differentiators in comparison to other Big Tech companies. And article by Clare Duffy states, "In recent months, higher interest rates, inflation and recession fears causing a pullback in advertising and consumer spending have all weighed on tech companies’ profits and share prices." Digital Advertising is becoming less reliable for many major tech companies whose main source of revenue is detached from their most valuable asset - the customers. Proppz commitment to creating a high quality experience for its customers directly informs the design and sustainability of its financial model. 

1. Throughout my career in community development I have developed positive network effects. In 2019, I was a manager of a neighborhood library that had a very chaotic and confrontational environment. It had the highest number of incident reports to public safety in a system of 26 branches. Through organizing programming, educating staff on positive reinforcement techniques, and incentivizing library users to participate more in programming, we were able to change the culture in the library. That year we decreased incident reporting by 50% and increased program participation by 300%. The Branch was taken off of the high alert watch by our public safety department, and we created a safer and much more inclusive environment and experience for library users. This is one of many example of network effects where organizing educating and motivating users creates a better, high quality experience for all users. Proppz is built on this same formula, were more users make more contributions to positively impact the whole. 

2. I have always practiced good stewardship of my resources, both personal and professional. A main concept in good financial management is living within your means. It is a concept that I have infused into the design of Proppz, which effect the high quality experience on the platform and help determine its main revenue stream. As the founder of Proppz, I have placed stewardship as one of the main pillars of Proppz strategic plan. As the company continues to grow, I have implemented protocols to ensure that Proppz stays committed to its mission; empowering communities through organizing, educating and motivating each member to make their own individual contributions to collective efforts. 

These two elements are key to the financial stability that has made me successful throughout my personal life and professional career. Proppz is made of the successes I've had and the lessons I've learned, and scales up to impact our larger global community.