Doing It For Themselves Woman investors are changing business.
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Woman investing is booming. Just look at angel investing.
From New York to Seattle to Los Angeles, high-net-worth womenare creating both informal and formal networks, and often thebeneficiaries of this financial muscle-flexing are womanentrepreneurs.
"I have people e-mailing and calling me from around thecountry asking how they can start [angel investment networks] intheir communities," says Kay Koplovitz, founder of the USANetworks cable channel and currently CEO of Working Woman Network.She is helping women start angel funds in major cities.
In Los Angeles, a fund created by Koplovitz and formerCalifornia Treasurer Kathleen Brown is in the formative stages.Women in Chicago and Dallas are also exploring the possibilities.Below are some other woman angel networks:
- Seraph Capital Forum(www.seraphcapital.com),founded by Sue Preston in Kirkland, Washington, is a group of about80 accredited angel investors in the Pacific Northwest, who look toprovide first- and second-stage funding. Non-woman-owned companiesmay apply.
- Women First Capital Fund(www.womenfirstcapital.com),managed by founders Susan P. Strommer and Stephanie Loiacono,invests in firms with women serving in senior executive capacities,and those with products and services aimed at women or girls. Itprimarily targets companies in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, and offers $250,000 to $2million per company.
- WomenAngels.net (www.womenangels.net) is a $6million Washington, DC, fund that invests approximately $300,000 to$750,000 per deal primarily in Maryland, Washington, DC, andVirginia.
Contact Sources
- National Women's Business Council, www.nwbc.gov;
- Working Woman Network, www.workingwoman.com.
