The Dot Experiment, L.L.C. & Dot Org

I come bearing exciting news! The Dot Experiment is now officially a Limited Liability Company (LLC)! This has all been a learning experience for me since I have no background in business (and no profitability plans for The Dot Experiment, more on that later). But I wanted to LLC The Dot Experiment to inspire confidence in future patrons, more on this later as well.

Creating an LLC allows for a few things to happen:

• A bank account now exists in The Dot Experiment's name, allowing for its funds to remain separate from my own.
• A product store will soon be set up, tied to this account.
• The Dot Experiment now has a mailing address and (shared) office space.
• A monthly subscription, established under the Dot Org brand. More on this... right now.

Dot Org

I'm extremely excited about this. Dot Org is, in one word, a collective. In a few more words, it's a subscription-based community whose members vote on where their contributions go while also meeting periodically to hang out and/or volunteer.

In the Charlotte-Douglas Airport, Mayor Vi Lyles proudly proclaims that Charlotte is "our big city with a small town feel." This was my first introduction to Charlotte, and as I've lived here I've seen this to be true time and time again. My hope is that an organization like Dot Org can help preserve Charlotte's small town feel as the city continues to grow at a blistering pace.

More details and specifics are on the Dot Org page.

LLC vs. 501(c)(3)

As much as I would have loved to make The Dot Experiment (and by extension, Dot Org) a nonprofit, I have one major concern:

501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. (Source)

The vast majority of what I do with The Dot Experiment is apolitical, but until I can afford a legal team, I feel better bringing everything under the for-profit umbrella. One day, once Dot Org has grown to the point that it's justifiable, I'd really like to split it off into its own nonprofit.

The Dot Experiment will be run like a nonprofit in several different ways.

• At the end of each calendar year I'll share a financial breakdown in the name of transparency.
• Any income will go toward the company, not me (it might be a while until any of this is profitable, and even then my pay will be $0).
• Board members (a.k.a. Dot Org contributors) will be included in organizational decision making.

If you would like to be a part of this experiment, Connect!