In an interview with Benzinga, CrowdStreet’s Shawna Wright-Smith and Tore Steen discussed how their platform strives to democratize commercial real estate endeavors through crowdfunding. About CrowdStreet Founded in 2012, founders Steen and Darren Powderly took advantage of regulatory maturation. Title II of the Jobs Act signed by President Barack Obama improved access to commercial real estate opportunities, allowing investors, through platforms like CrowdStreet, to crowdfund commercial real estate projects, removing the need for private offerings.