New business hosts video challenge fundraisers

A Windsor entrepreneur has created a uniquely new company that seeks to help charities and non-profit organizations host special challenges.

Starting this year, Excideo will allow organizations to host “challenges” in order to raise money. This website was founded by Thanos Zikantas, the current owner of Sofos Restaurant on Tecumseh Road in Windsor.

Zikantas said one of the biggest challenges charities have is trying to find new ways to raise money.

“You can only sell so many chocolate bars and raffle tickets,” said Zikantas.

How does Excideo work? A charity creates a challenge, records themselves performing it and then shares it on social media platforms.

Viewers have the option to upload themselves doing the challenge or donate  to the charity directly.

“It’s the marriage between fundraising campaigns and video challenges,” said Zikantas’ business partner, Bruce Puffer. “The world has gone mad for challenges on social media and yet there is no way for charities to take advantage of that.”

The executive director at the Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association, Luciana Rosu-Sieza, recently created a challenge with Excideo for the #BeYourSelfie Campaign. The challenge is to be blindfolded and to apply make-up to someone else, in a move to show that beauty comes from within.

“We know that there’s so much focus on exterior appearance, especially with social media,” says Rosu-Sieza. “It feels like there’s more pressure. People are editing and filtering, so this really fit with us with our ideas of beauty, because beauty comes from within.”

Rosu-Sieza said it was great working with Zikantas on BANA’s challenge.

“Honestly it was fantastic,” said Rosu-Sieza. “They’re highly motivated individuals. He put his whole effort into it.”

You can make your own challenge at www.excideo.com.