Welcome to She Invests, where you’ll hear from existing female angel investors, venture capitalists and fund managers on their investment thesis. From deal flow to exits, they will share the best practices that contribute to their success.
In this episode, Dr. Silvia Mah welcomes to the podcast entrepreneur, founder and fellow angel investor, Dr. Kay Olmstead. Dr. Kay is an angel investor who has a particular interest in investing in technology-based companies in biotech and clean tech. She looks for investment opportunities in socially responsible companies with technologies to make our world better by creating products to tackle tough problems. Dr. Kay is also an accomplished entrepreneur and is a co-founder and CEO of Nano PharmaSolutions. Throughout her thirty-two year career in the pharmaceutical industry she led the development efforts of five FDA-approved drugs and holds nineteen issued patents to date.
Today, Dr. Silvia speaks to Dr. Kay about her investment thesis, one that is rooted in impact investing and legacy building through philanthropic investment vehicles, such as Donor Advised Funds, or DAFs. Dr. Kay continues by discussing the importance of commercialization and provides general advice to aspiring entrepreneurs.
What We Covered
04:40 – Dr. Silvia Mah introduces today’s guest, Dr. Kay Olmstead who speaks to her investment thesis and the decision to pursue impact investing
16:44 – Dr. Kay talks about how her approach to investing has been influenced by her background as both an intrapreneur and entrepreneur
20:53 – Dr. Kay provides some poignant investment questions that are important to ask
24:03 – Dr. Kay comments on the importance of commercialization
29:33 – Dr. Kay speaks to the value of relationship building in investing
34:35 – Dr. Kay talks about her experience with San Diego Angel Conference
38:47 – Dr. Silvia recaps her interview with Dr. Kay
Welcome to She Invests, where you’ll hear from existing female angel investors, venture capitalists and fund managers on their investment thesis. From deal flow to exits, they will share the best practices that contribute to their success.
In this episode, Dr. Silvia Mah welcomes to the podcast experienced retirement plan consultant and entrepreneur, Rebecca Hourihan. Rebecca is the founder and CMO of 401(k) Marketing, a firm that helps retirement plan advisors market their expertise and build long-lasting brand awareness. The company was founded on the idea that retirement plan advisors are specialists and should promote their unique skill set. With over 15 years of retirement plan experience, Rebecca is skilled at developing clear paths that are simple for plan sponsors, advisors and participants to understand. She is committed to company growth, advisor development and collaborative improvement. Dr. Silvia and Rebecca discuss lessons Rebecca has learned from her involvement in the San Diego Angel Conference, tips for being a better public speaker and how she has transitioned into a leader in the financial planning and services industry.
What We Covered
04:19 – Dr. Silvia Mah introduces today’s guest, Rebecca Hourihan who speaks to her involvement in the San Diego Angel Conference, her background as a financial advisor and her entrepreneurial journey
15:45 – The community of SDAC and what Rebecca noticed about some of the founders from this past year
20:39 – Rebecca talks about how she prepares for presentations
22:27 – How Rebecca has grown throughout her journey as an angel investor and the importance of diversifying her investments
27:12 – Rebecca’s shares other projects she’s a part of
28:45 – Rebecca expounds on her investment thesis and her ‘why’
30:21 – Dr. Silvia shares her own specific investment thesis
34:04 – Rebecca talks about some trends she’s seen in the FinTech industry
35:53 – Rebecca discusses her financial savvy and provides best practices for living a frugal lifestyle
Welcome to She Invests, where you’ll hear from existing female angel investors, venture capitalists and fund managers on their investment thesis. From deal flow to exits, they will share the best practices that contribute to their success.
In this episode, Dr. Silvia Mah welcomes to the podcast ecosystem builder, investor and advisor, Caitlin Wege. Caitlin is a partner at MooDoos Investments, a private family-owned investment fund that invests in early-stage companies throughout North America. MooDoos is industry agnostic and invests in several industries including life sciences, manufacturing, and education technology. Caitlin is an experienced angel investor and fund manager that serves as Chairman of the board of multiple portfolio companies and President of the San Diego Chapter of Tech Coast Angels, the largest Angel network in the US. Dr. Silvia and Caitlin discuss the concept of finding your ‘why’ as an investor, Caitlin’s passion for fostering entrepreneurial and investor education, and how to create a wonderful network and community for investors locally as well as nationwide.
What We Covered
04:32 – Dr. Silvia Mah introduces today’s guest, Caitlin Wege who speaks to her entrepreneurial journey, her ‘why,’ and how she got involved in investing
08:45 – Caitlin speaks to the importance of addressing the wealth gap in America
12:24 – Caitlin discusses the dynamic of her family office and her role as President of the San Diego Chapter of Tech Coast Angels
18:40 – Caitlin shares her thoughts on the need to get more women involved in angel investing and the panel she worked to achieve this goal
27:08 – Caitlin identifies some specific female members of Tech Coast Angels who are doing amazing work
29:35 – Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
36:19 – Caitlin talks about overcoming the challenges of COVID-19 to emerge successful in 2020 and what excites her about 2021
41:31 – How Caitlin plans to amplify her ‘why’ in 2021
Welcome to She Invests, where you’ll hear from existing female angel investors, venture capitalists and fund managers on their investment thesis. From deal flow to exits, they will share the best practices that contribute to their success.
In this episode, Dr. Silvia Mah welcomes to the podcast former Director of Contracts at Qualcomm, Janet Carson. After retiring from Qualcomm in 2018, Janet turned her focus to making an impact in the community by serving with several community-based organizations and investing personal resources with numerous startup companies. As an angel investor, Janet identifies innovative solutions and technology-centric startup companies for investment opportunities.
Dr. Silvia and Janet talk about how Janet has diversified her portfolio through different types of investment opportunities, from Portfolia and San Diego Angel Conference to Founders First Capital Partners. They discuss the value of looking to others for industry-specific expertise throughout the due diligence process. Finally, they speak to Janet’s passion for investing in women-led and underrepresented startup organizations.
What We Covered
05:06 – Dr. Silvia Mah introduces today’s guest, Janet Carson who speaks to extensive business background, her involvement in San Diego Angel Conference and what she enjoyed most about SDAC
11:19 – How Janet’s experience has changed with a year under her belt at SDAC and speaks to the benefits of angel investing
15:14 – How SDAC has adjusted and pivoted amidst COVID-19
19:32 – Janet speaks to the site visits she’s excited to make once it’s safer to travel
23:02 – Janet opens up about her different investment approaches and how she’s leveraged the investment platform Portfolia
34:10 – Janet talks about her involvement with Kim Folsom and Founders First Capital Partners
Welcome to She Invests, where you’ll hear from existing female angel investors, venture capitalists and fund managers on their investment thesis. From deal flow to exits, they will share the best practices that contribute to their success.
In this episode, Dr. Silvia Mah welcomes to the podcast start-up consultant, entrepreneur and investor, Michelle Youngers. As a cross-functional Executive, Michelle brings over 30 years diverse experience in both financial and operational strategies to improve organizational effectiveness of early stage, high growth companies across multiple industries. Throughout her career, she has served as a Company Co-founder, President and CEO, and various roles as a trusted financial and operational partner to CEOs, leadership teams, Board of Directors and investors. She strongly believes in the equation vision plus execution equals success. Dr. Silvia and Michelle talk about Michelle’s investment thesis, factors Michelle looks for when assessing founders and how we can better empower female entrepreneurs.
What We Covered
04:26 – Dr. Silvia Mah introduces today’s guest, Michelle Youngers who speaks to her involvement in San Diego Angel Conference, how she assesses founders and what her investment thesis entails
13:13 – Michelle provides some examples of companies she has invested in that she is also incredibly excited about
16:02 – Michelle talks about diversification, the importance of having capital available for investment opportunities and the value of SDAC
21:44 – Dr. Silvia and Michelle talk about the Women of SDAC and areas where we can better promote more female entrepreneurs
This is an invaluable resource to me as an entrepeneur! Getting to peek into the heart and mind of investors is SO incredibly valuable to me. Thank you for bringing such a fantastic podcast to life!
