Have a great idea or design but not the money to launch it into production? That is where Kickstarter comes in. It offers a platform where designers and visionaries alike can present their business ideas and prototypes to to the world. For each Kickstarter campaign posted viewers of that campaign have the opportunity to pledge money to back the idea. In exchange for their monetary pledge backers can receive an array of goodies including, but not necessarily limited to, the actual product they are backing. It’s a fascinating idea and one The new York Times recently covered in some depth here. I totally recommend the read. Shown: Paula Patterson, with her Kickstarter financed, V-luxe iPad stand.

Photo by Tony Cenicola for The New York Times.