Xandra Laskowski is a startup consultant, angel investor, and startup advisor. She offers unique expertise from her 25 years of diverse entrepreneurial experience with large multinational tech companies as well as start-ups.
As a startup consultant,angel investor and advisor, she works directly with entrepreneurs to develop their startup roadmap and help them identify the most critical next steps for the business. She helps and educated them to understand the early stage business aspects and offers an advisory framework to build and support the startup roadmap.She helps them with their business, strategic and revenue plans, company messaging and key connections.
In this episode, Xandra shares her wonderful insights into angel investing and how her ecosystem continuously grow, continuously educated other angel investor and continuously build their membership. She also shares how grit and determination help get funding.
What We Covered
02:14 – Xandra walks us through how she started in the startup ecosystem.
04:11 – How do she advocate for an angel investor to be a board member in their portfolio company?
05:55 – How important is a board seat role for check and balance of a company?
07:37 – Define smart money.
17:21 – Why does having grit and determination an advantage for startups to close funding deals?
19:36 – How can an angel investor know what event or conference to go to for them to be exposed in the ecosystem?
22:06 – What is your innovation ecosystem and how to you chose the industry you will venture in?
24:56 – What is your investment thesis?
26:12 – How long is your due diligence process before qualifying startups?
27:51 – Why is it important to have a lead investor other than yourself?
35:00 – Importance of active networking and connections to be able to pitch your business and get funding from investors
Angela Lee is an educator and entrepreneur with a passion for education.
She is the Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of Academic Integration at Columbia Business School and an Adjunct Assistant Professor teaching Strategy and Leadership courses. She teaches Strategic Problem Solving, Entrepreneurial Thinking and Executive Communication at Columbia Business School, NYU, and General Assembly.
She is the founder of 37 Angels, which is an angel investment network and training bootcamp for women investors. In this episode,Angela shares the 4P’s that she consider before venturing in any angel investment. She also talks about the importance of immersion in the ecosystem before starting any investment ventures.
What We Covered
02:14 – Angela shares why she started 37 Angels.
03:30 – What are the characteristics that defines a female angel investor?How do they invest compared to old players in the market?
04:35 – How do we keep the partnership with the startup entrepreneurs transparent and successful?
08:08 – How do you require entrepreneur to do monthly update regarding the flow of the business startup?
09:10 – Angela shares some of the successful investment stories of 37 Angels members.
10:30 – How does 37 Angels choose and qualify the start ups that they will be helping?
11:30 – What are the advice that you can share to first time angel investors before they make their first venture?
14:39 – What is your personal investment thesis?
15:51 – What are the red flags that you consider that makes you not venture in a company?
16:58 – What opportunities do you see in the emerging market for angel investment in the next years?
20:10 – Advice on how other angel investor can do their valuation process
21:28 – Advice on how we can make the ecosystem better
22:56 – What advantages do you see in the university setting that an angel investor can look into,in terms of getting new talent and idea?
Ellen Chang is an experienced defense innovation professional working in areas from aerospace to informatics. She has over 25 years of experience in strategy, business and product development, and systems engineering in the technology and aerospace industries.
She used to work in the Navy, then eventually left at her mid-career to pursue a business degree and later joined JP Morgan where she was part of the client management team during the exciting dot.com period where she was able to explore and facilitate investment in start-ups.
In 2002, she joined Northrop Grumman but left in 2015 then co-founded Lightspeed Innovations, which is an accelerator for startup and early stage companies in the technology field in aerospace, addressing New Space, unmanned/Robotics, autonomy, big data/analytics and cyber security.
She is also chair of the Wharton Alumni Angel Network Southern California Chapter. They fosters an entrepreneurial community backed by the strength of the Penn and Wharton alumni network. They help members and entrepreneurs develop,build relationships around investment opportunities, learn about angel investing and discover the tools needed to become a better investor and also connect with exceptional mentors.
In this episode, Ellen shares how an angel investor look into the opportunities technology related investments. She will also give an insight on the red flags to consider in venturing to tech companies.
What We Covered
03:00 – Ellen walks us through how she got from a very technical career to where she is today imparting her wisdom onto entrepreneur as an angel investor.
04:00 – How does Lightspeed Innovation work as a business accelerator?
04:57 – Ellen shares that Lightspeed Innovators helps aerospace start ups using commercial technologies and make the start up cost lower down to a no longer a $50 million cost.
06:47 – Do you think by going to accelerators, angels become more open to looking to start up cycles through the help of an accelerator?
07:53 – What are the other success factors you’ve seen over the years, with Lightspeed as an accelerator?
09:21 – How did mentors helped and been part of your success as a woman in the technology field and as an angel investor?
11:21 – How does Wharton Alumni Angels start?
12:59 – How do Angel investor provide connection to those start-ups in the local community to meet larger communities?
13:25 – When I see a company strapping a little bit more but possibly able to exit without doing many venture rounds I am kinda happy because I am less diluted and possibly make out better. It’s those trade offs that one has to think about.”
14:10 – What types of companies are beats the traditional startup setup?
16:54 – How do you select, connect and qualify the startup that you will invest in?
18:21 – How do Light Speed Innovation select the astropreneurs startup they will help?
19:05 – How much time do you spend managing your investment companies?
20:47 – What is it about your investment theses that you feel strongly about?
22:00 – Ellen shares the red flags she considers that makes you not invest in a business.
24:50 – Any advice you can give to start-ups as an angel investor in the technology space, going after NIH: SBIR and STTR grants first before going angel route option?
32:37 – Sylvia shares that as an angel investor it is important to know your industry pipeline.
35:03 – Tell us something about Wharton Alumni Angel Network.What are the benefits and added pros of being a member?
38:14 – Who are Angel Syndication Network? What do they do?
Suzanne Andrews is an angel investor, a global connector, and author of the book, “Impact with Wings”.She calls herself a ecosystem builder. Suzanne speaks and writes about women’s innovations in practices that are creating business culture where all people can pursue their dreams and thrive. Previously, as the director of the Anita Borg Institute, she supported the techwomen program, bringing the technical woman from the Middle East and North Africa to The United States for partnerships with Silicon Valley Women.From these experience, she learned the power and opportunity and her dream to women's global network of investors and entrepreneurs. In this episode. Suzanne shares ways to be able to build your own ecosystem better and what it means for a female angel investor to pursue and bringing all of one's resources to create the future.
What We Covered
02:15 – Suzanne shares her inspiration in writing the book “ Impact with Wings.” with her co-authors
03:46 – She tells why women should consider venturing into angel investing.
04:51 – The journey she and her co-authors took on their Pipeline Angels Bootcamp that inspires them to write a book.
06:33 – How many ladies are associated with Wingpact?
08:59– How can an angel help advance the entrepreneur once they made the investment?
09:52– Once the investment has been made, Are women bringing different women investor bringing different things to the table than male investors?
10:05– As an angel investor, what do we bring to the entrepreneur that enables that entrepreneur to be successful?
11:07– What are the Wingpact core values?Why are they important to angel investors?
12:46– How does angel investing impact the communities and global economy?
16:44– Has women angel investor changed the equation with regards to investment field?
19:01– What can an angel investor do to build her ecosystem?
21:29 –Why do you invest?
22:15 – There is a missed opportunity for women to actually wheel their capital powerfully.
23:07 – What does working in the tech industry like Apple and Anita Borg means to you?
25:15 – How did you overcome the Imposter Syndrome?
26:41 – Does writing helps you be more confident?
27:28 – Investing in consumer space.
27:46 – Impact with Wings book is a collaboration of stories and perspective of different women when it comes to investing.
28:16 – How angel investing fits in an overall portfolio.
28:57 –Suzannes talks about her co-authors participation on the book.
30:29– Reach out to women to use their financial power with higher impact.
31:50– How do being in a rising tide fund group help you be an investor and a good investor?
33:49– Local group collaboration inspirations
33:55–Sylvia shares how she and Suzanne met.
36:34–What is your favorite angel investing resource?
Amy Chang is the CEO of Delta Nutrassentials, a consumer health supplement company and an active Angel Investor with a corporate, financial, and entrepreneurial background. She previously worked at AMN Healthcare for 14 years and also at Mitchell Madison Group as a Strategy Manager. Amy is also involved in various angel groups and despite her demanding schedule still finds time to give back to her community. She’s involved in homeless ministries at The Rock Church in Point Loma and has also served as a foster youth mentor and a foster parent.
We talked about why she became an Angel Investor, the importance of networking, how budding entrepreneurs can get involved with Angel Investors and much, much more.
What We Covered
02:24 – Her decision to leave AMN Healthcare after 14 years
03:25 – Why she decided to become an Angel Investor
05:44 – What convinced her to make her first investment
08:48 – The skills she learned as a Strategist in the corporate world that helped her with angel investing
12:42 – The types of investments Amy feels the most comfortable with and the “catalyst moment”
14:57 – Angel Investors as catalysts for the next movement
17:22 – Her involvement in the Angel Groups, Keiretsu Forum & Wharton Alumni Angel Network (WAAN) and the importance of networking
20:36 – How entrepreneurs can best get involved with Angel Investors
22:13 – Tips for entrepreneurs who want to pitch to a group of investors
23:54 – The story of a founder she has recently invested in and why she invested in her
27:18 – How she met the founder of Jewel Toned
32:44 – The benefits of good communication between investor and founder
36:26 – How she became involved with Delta Nutrassentials
39:25 – Her future investment plans and the importance of supporting small businesses, founders, and entrepreneurs
41:41 – Starting a relationship as a mentor to opening up capital as an investor
44:02 – The mentors who have helped shaped Amy’s career
47:39 – Her favorite Angel lnvesting resource
48:39 – The person who had a major influence in her career
49:51 – What comes to mind when she hears the word, ‘abundance’
Alicia Robb is an author, academic and Founder and CEO of Nextwave. She discusses why creating a “learning by doing” fund was important to her. Why it’s important to selectively mentor, and the importance connecting companies to subsequent funders. She lists her top female VCs and highlights the importance of diversity. All in all, a great conversation with an inspiring leader of the female VC community.
What We Covered
02:20 – Alicia’s story of how she became a VC
05:44 – How the mentors really help with investment decisions
06:50 – What was the biggest red flag those early investors had?
07:30 – The benefit of a group of investors
08:40 – What the existing investors received out of being a mentor
10:30 – Silvia ask about Alicia’s portfolio.
12:35 – What are Alicia’s thoughts on mentoring a large portfolio
14:15 – Connecting companies to subsequent funders
16:00 – Why it’s important to =clearly define “impact investing”
17:10 – What is the current mix of women and men in the pilot funds?
19:00 – Impact investing is still relatively young.
22:25 – Alicia’s passion with emerging markets
26:05 – Defining Homophily
28:00 – Alicia talks about diversity struggles
29:30 – Estimates of female angel investor percentages
30:50 – What other companies have helped Alicia along the way?
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!
