Pipeline Fellowship’s angel investing bootcamp for women expands to Atlanta, Austin, LA, Miami and Seattle.
By Pipeline Fellowship
Pipeline Fellowship, an angel investing bootcamp for women, has opened a call for applications for its fall 2014 inaugural programs in Atlanta, Austin, Miami, Los Angeles and Seattle, as well as its third Bay Area program.
Candidates are encouraged to apply by Monday, June 2, 2014.
Pipeline Fellowship has committed to changing the face of angel investing and creating capital for women social entrepreneur at the local level. As Pipeline Fellowship Founder & CEO Natalia Oberti Noguera says, “Entrepreneurs are everywhere — capital isn’t.”
Pipeline Fellowship’s expansion into Atlanta, Austin, Miami, Los Angeles and Seattle comes after successful programs in San Francisco, New York City and Boston. Since its April 2011 launch, Pipeline Fellowship’s angel investing bootcamp has trained over 80 women, who have committed more than $400,000 in investment. Additionally, Pipeline Fellowship alumnae have continued to invest in startups, joined later stage angel networks, and created their own angel groups, unleashing capital beyond the Pipeline Fellowship investment commitment.
“We’re expanding Pipeline Fellowship’s angel investing bootcamp for women after receiving many inquiries from local women — both entrepreneurs looking for capital and individuals interested in learning about angel investing,” said Pipeline Fellowship Founder & CEO Natalia Oberti Noguera.
“Pipeline Fellows learn a tremendous amount during the program and their contribution to women-led for-profit social ventures is invaluable,” remarked Lauren Gropper, Pipeline Fellowship investee and CEO of Repurpose, a Los Angeles-based company that provides high quality, innovative bioplastic cups to businesses and consumers. “As a company that secured funding from Pipeline Fellows, I feel lucky to be part of a wonderful network of women eager to help, share, collaborate, and genuinely support my business.”
Pipeline Fellowship is thrilled to have the support of local influencers.
“Closing the access to angel funding by and for minorities and women in Atlanta is the final piece in the evolution of our city’s startup ecosystem,” asserted Rodney Sampson, Founder of Opportunity Hub / UP / VENTURES and Executive in Charge of Diversity & Inclusion of One Three Media (Mark Burnett and Hearst Corporation’s joint media and production venture.) “To this end, Opportunity Hub is pleased to host Pipeline Fellowship in its Atlanta co-working space. Pipeline complements our #BlackAngels’ mission to create more angels of color in an effort to increase the less than one percent of venture capital going to black-owned companies. Natalia, you are welcome in our great city!”
“Pipeline Fellowship plays a pivotal role in supporting and cultivating the funding ecosystem for women entrepreneurs,” underscored Natalie Madeira Cofield, CEO of Austin Black Chamber and Founder of Walker’s Legacy. “As Austin continues to rise as a center for innovation and entrepreneurship, Pipeline Fellowship’s presence will help increase access to capital for local women-owned startups.”
“We are very glad to have Pipeline Fellowship in Miami,” added Jocelyn Cortez Young, President of 85 Broads Miami and CEO of Minerva Capital Group. “We look forward to collaborating with Natalia and her team in identifying aspiring angel investors through our 85 Broads network and in developing the local funding ecosystem for women entrepreneurs.”
“As an angel investor for more than sixteen years, I fully support and am encouraged by Pipeline’s launch in Seattle,” added Susan Preston, General Partner of CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund and Seattle-based Pipeline Fellowship mentor. “Companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and Boeing have created a great pool of potential angel investors and I believe in Pipeline Fellowship’s ability to engage more women in the investing community.”
Pipeline Fellowship trains women to become angel investors through education, mentoring and practice:
- Education: Pipeline Fellows, angels-in-training, will attend workshops on topics ranging from due diligence, valuation, portfolio strategies and measuring impact. Sessions are led by experts, including experienced angel investors, entrepreneurs and impact investing professionals.
- Mentoring: Pipeline Fellows are matched with seasoned angel investors who share best practices and lessons learned.
- Practice: Pipeline Fellows learn by doing at the Pipeline Fellowship Pitch Summit, a signature event, where women entrepreneurs present their businesses for a chance to secure funding from the angels-in-training in exchange for equity. There’s skin in the game, as each Pipeline Fellow commits to invest a minimum of $5,000 in the same woman entrepreneur selected by the group at the end of the program.
Pipeline Fellowship’s three criteria are meeting one of the accredited investor definitions in the U.S. (i.e., $200,000 in income or $300,000 joint income with spouse for the past two years, or $1 million net worth), an interest in group learning model, and a passion for social entrepreneurship.
