Do you ever wish you’d had the opportunity to invest in a company like Netflix or Facebook when they were just a fledgling startup? In the most simple terms, investment platform Republic was created to just that. The platform democratizes fundraising so that anyone can access investment opportunities in the startup ecosystem. The company has quickly built a name for itself — even though it is not even five years old. Republic co-founder and CEO Ken Nguyen started the company after the SEC enacted legislation in May 2016 enabling non-accredited investors to put some cash into early-stage companies. Since then, Republic has taken the lead in the equity crowdfunding space, making it easy for almost anyone to invest as little as $10 in a business. The good news — especially for unseasoned investors — is that they heavily vet startups before promoting them on the platform. They say that fewer than 3 percent of companies that apply pass their due diligence. Even though Ken started the company to meet a contemporary need, he’s looking to the future. His optimism and desire to bring investment opportunities to more than the 1 percent came through loud and clear in his interview at the WGN studios.