As a Black woman in tech, I was searching for a way to disrupt the perception of what tech superstars look like. When I discovered Pipeline Angels, I thought, “This organization gets it.” Pipeline Angels opened the door to a world I had no access to despite my success and credentials. Being embraced into a pivotal role in an industry that can be so unwelcoming for people who look like me or come from where I come from was so refreshing. This space needs #morevoices and I’m proud to support the mission.
—Lisha BellMember, Pipeline Angels
Senior Product Manager, Kohl’s
Being part of the first Atlanta cohort of Pipeline Angels opened many doors for me in the angel investing and entrepreneurship ecosystems. Pipeline Angels’ programs, resources, and network provided a vital foundation for success, awareness, and knowledge. The mission is real, the experiences are eye-opening, and the rewards are invaluable.
—Jennifer Callender Member, Pipeline Angels
Director, Business Technology and Strategy; Kaiser Permanente
Board Member, Minority Access to Capital
I always said, “Someday, I will be an angel investor,” while never taking the steps toward it. Pipeline Angels made that day a reality. I learned the ropes of angel investing while connecting with a community of successful, like-minded women. I am just getting started building my investment portfolio.
—Katheline ColemanMember, Pipeline Angels
Group Manager, Google Marketing Solutions; Google
A win-win for both locally based social entrepreneurs, as well as impact investors. There is an abundance of early-stage women-owned startups around the Bay that are making an impact both locally and internationally. Pipeline Angels is opening a new door for these early-stage startups to find a solid fit with like-minded women angels who can help bridge the funding gap while increasing impact.
—Tricia Compas-MarkmanPortfolio Company, Pipeline Angels
Founder & CEO, DayOne Response
Women social entrepreneurs are creating for-profit social-value ventures all across the world and continue to have a difficult time accessing capital to grow their businesses. As a DC-based social entrepreneur, I support the Pipeline Angels’ new program that will help address the funding gap in places outside NYC and Boston by training women to invest in social impact businesses in their cities and towns.
—Dahna GoldsteinPortfolio Company, Pipeline Angels
Founder, PhilanTech
The 2013 NYC Pipeline Angels’ passion for social change and commitment to learning about funding socially and environmentally responsible for-profit businesses will help diversify the impact investing ecosystem, as well as provide necessary capital for women social entrepreneurs.
—Bonny MoellenbrockWorkshop Speaker, Pipeline Angels
Executive Director, SJF Institute & Investors’ Circle
Pipeline Angels’ mission of empowering women to become angel investors fills an extraordinary gap in the marketplace. There are women starting companies, we’d like to see more, but there certainly are some. But, the notion of having a track devoted to encouraging women to help other women by being investors we thought was novel and that the time was right for it.
—Bill SchnoorConference Speaker, Pipeline Angels
Partner, Goodwin Procter LLP
Pipeline Angels was an immersive learning experience with workshop sessions from experts and seasoned angel investors, as well as a pitch summit with women and non-binary femme social entrepreneurs presenting their for-profit startups. I gained further practical knowledge by leading my group’s due diligence process. It was also an amazing opportunity to connect with and learn from a cohort of smart and influential women.
—Hema VeeraragavathathamMember, Pipeline Angels
Computer Scientist Lead, Adobe
I joined Pipeline Angels because I wanted to be proactive about closing the funding gap for women and non-binary femme entrepreneurs. Through my Pipeline Angels experience, I gained the knowledge, tools, and confidence to make my first investment; developed a valuable network of fellow angel investors; and tapped into a pipeline of future investment opportunities. Pipeline Angels represents what I care about–action, impact, equity, and change.
—Kristy WallaceMember, Pipeline Angels
CEO, Ellevate Network
I joined Pipeline Angels to participate in a forum where I could learn the ins and outs of angel investing from a variety of perspectives and actually put these learnings to the test by making a real investment in an early-stage company. The women in my cohort represent an incredibly diverse set of personal and career experiences, each bringing with them a unique perspective on what social enterprise means, what their individual investment strategy should look like, and what character traits are attractive to them in a founder. In addition, we bring different areas of domain expertise and negotiation styles to the table so it has been fascinating to learn what makes everyone tick and how to most effectively reach a consensus on a topic so personal as angel investing.
—Anna WilsonMember, Pipeline Angels
Director of Operations & Analytics, Music Industry; Pandora
Pipeline Angels not only introduced me to best practices in angel investing, it also taught me how to be smart about evaluating and choosing opportunities, as well as connected me with a vast network of social entrepreneurs and angel investors that keeps on giving. It’s an amazing feeling to feel empowered and supported, while positively impacting women- and non-binary femme-led social enterprises.
—Natasha BernessMember, Pipeline Angels
Global Cognitive Computing Leader, IBM iX
An invaluable experience. This program equips its participants with an essential angel investor toolkit while also providing access to a network of engaging philanthropists. I have gained savvy and insightful business partners, as well as lifelong friendships.
—Simone CastilloMember, Pipeline Angels
Office of the Vice Chair, Tax; KPMG, LLP (US)
Being a part of Pipeline Angels has been a continually rewarding experience. The obvious reward is learning about angel investing and becoming an investor. However, you get so much more than that. As a member of Pipeline Angels, I have gotten access to people and opportunities that have uniquely bolstered my professional development and personal support network.
—Asha S. CollinsMember, Pipeline Angels
VP, Clinical Trial Sourcing; McKesson
A fantastic experience and learning opportunity. The angel investing education was thorough, taught by top-notch business people in the industry and comprehensive. At the same time, I was able to fulfill my personal mission of socially conscious investing and met interesting women from various backgrounds. I cannot recommend this experience enough!
—Galia GichonMember, Pipeline Angels
Founder, Down-to-Earth Finance
It’s rare that you have the opportunity to connect with and advise extraordinary and accomplished women who are driven to explore new, innovative, and potentially lucrative opportunities. In this case, the women of Pipeline Angels bring their tenacity and drive to the process of learning how to angel invest. It’s an honor to share my experiences and insights with women who I have no doubt will use my advice to constructively evolve into angel investors.
—Lauren Maillian BiasMentor, Pipeline Angels
Founding Partner & Head of Operations, Gen Y Capital Partners
Prior to joining Pipeline Angels, I had invested in two startup companies, however, I didn’t understand the process well enough. Pipeline Angels gave me the knowledge and training I needed to critically assess startups for both financial potential and social impact, as well as appropriately calculate my risk and make informed decisions about where and how to strategically invest. Pipeline Angels also provided me with access to a network of entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, and attorneys, which gave me the resources, support, and confidence I needed to build my portfolio of angel investments. I now have just over 10% of my financial portfolio in angel investments, including in three women-owned startups.
—Lebone Chisara MosesMember, Pipeline Angels
Director, Fidelity Investments
I walked away from the conference and into the snowy abyss with a renewed excitement for the future of women in angel investing!
—Jordana SobeySpeaker, Pipeline Angels
Associate, Goodwin Procter LLP
Offers an opportunity you can’t find anyplace else—a safe forum to learn, ask questions, and share information. Others spend years in work experience or grad school to meet mentors of this caliber and gain this much knowledge.
—Jenn Viane RieseMember, Pipeline Angels
Founder, Modern Humanity Consulting
Pipeline Angels did so much more than teach me about angel investing. Through the program, I made my first investment, joined a network of some of the most amazing women across the country and am on my way to building my personal investment portfolio.
—Liz WhiteMember, Pipeline Angels
Board Member, Soko
