Today we’d like to introduce you to Judie Stillman.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Judie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
A social impact entrepreneur in the fin/tech sector? I would never have guessed my career path would lead me here. Starting out as a writer/producer at a local TV station in Eugene, OR, I thought I would stick with a career in broadcasting. Along the way was a decades-long career in entertainment marketing; creating branding and marketing campaigns; producing on-air promos for hundreds of shows including Entertainment Tonight, Arsenio Hall, The Simpsons, and more; directing a network on-air promo department; and running my own boutique production company.
Great fun. Great people. Great experience. But what I really wanted to do was change the world.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I was eager to use the marketing and production skills I’d gained to make an impact. I could see that nonprofits and the healthcare sector were way behind the curve in video storytelling. But making a mid-career leap from one industry to another proved to be frustratingly blocked. Like all industries, it would take time to build a network, earn trust, win over clients.
While I researched and pitched potential clients, I also took on a few pro-bono projects. Through the volunteer platform www.catchafire.org, I was connected to a project for Coin Up. They were looking for a storytelling consultant to help with the launch of their mobile donation app. I was immediately intrigued with the concept of an app that could round up digital spare change and automatically donate it to the charity I chose. When I met Leena Patidar, Coin Up CEO and Co-founder, we found we had so much in common, including our mutual passion for creating scalable impact for the causes we care about. Within a few months, I became part of the Coin Up team. Four years later, I’m completely immersed in the missions and causes of some of the most inspiring nonprofits on the planet. As marketing lead at Coin Up, I draw upon all of my branding, production and business experience and am constantly learning and growing with our amazing team.
If you’re thinking of making a leap to a new industry, find an opportunity to volunteer!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Coin Up App – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Coin Up was the first donation app approved by Apple due to our transparency, best practices, and sustainable business model. Coin Up has official partnerships with over 350 qualified nonprofits and counting! It is such an honor to work with these charities. They are stepping up more than ever during the pandemic to provide food, housing, healthcare, education, and so much more to communities that are desperately in need. And since Coin Up is based on small incremental donations, it means giving is manageable for just about everyone. When we all give a little bit every day, we really can change the world.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
As a startup, we’re always evolving and growing. With more users signing up every day and new nonprofits registering each month, it feels like we’re building a movement. In the coming year, we’re excited about hosting fun, interactive virtual events to bring our community together and to harness the power of small change even more.
Pricing:
- Coin Up App is free to download for Apple or Android, or sign up online. https://webapp.coinupapp.com/
- Nonprofits that qualify can register with Coin Up for free.
- To pay for use of the platform, donor reporting, payment processing, marketing tools and support, donor impact statements and tax donation receipts, a flat 15% fee is collected from funds raised through the app.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.coinupapp.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coinupapp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Icoinup
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoinUpApp
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbQRrUdmrPnYw3oF1WrBdHQ

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