Listen in to this virtual panel on early-stage investing with She's Independent, Bigfoot Capital, Denver Angels, and Rockies Venture Club, plus a few more CO-based angels:

Check out our our Early Stage Investing Series and Investment Club! 

Key takeaways from the panel discussion:

• Assess your personal financial situation! Are you in a position to expose yourself to alternative assets? If not, and if interested in this, execute a plan to get there from accreditation to financial literacy and confidence.

• Expect High Risk, But Not High Return - Only invest what you can comfortably afford to lose as these are high risk investments that are very different from public market investing. You may lose all of your money so think about doing it if you’re interested in the experience. If you do invest, make sure to spread your capital across investments. 

• Take Your Time and Find Ecosystems - If you’re new to early stage investing, we recommend plugging into whatever community may exist in your city (e.g., angel groups, accelerator programs, co-working spots, alumni groups, etc.) Have conversations and hear pitches but don’t rush to write a check. Take some time to learn and build relationships with individuals that have experience investing as well as with founders that interest you.

• Write checks when you’re ready -  As with most things, practice is better than study. You need to write checks to actually be an angel investor and get a sense for how it works and if it’s for you.

Action Items to take: 

• JUST START! (learning or investing)

• Check out our Growth-Tech Investing Series and Investment Club!

• Surround yourself with this community and find mentors. There are no dumb questions!

• Some book recs; Venture Deals, Secrets of Sand Hill Road, Halloway Guide on angel investing

• Sign up for blogs and email lists to stay informed (Our panelist Brian from Bigfoot has a blog, for instance; more great resources suggested here)

• Build your own diligence checklist. Be disciplined and consistent!

• Attend pitch events & demo days (there are a lot of vc funds and early-stage investors in CO), take down notes around why you should/should not invest to develop your process

• Volunteer with an angel group (analyst, marketing, operations, generalist, etc) - Seed Angel Forum

• Set goals & celebrate the small wins

• Get involved with Denver Angels (refer companies to the group, join as an accredited investor, participate through CU Denver/Boulder internships, check back for roles to join their team)

• Join RVC for their next Women's Investor Network (WIN) conversation!

• Looking to level up your confidence around authority, alignment, or mindset? 

• Join She’s Independent office hours for ongoing mentorship and support from digging into thoughts around your company raise to leveling up your compensation package with your employer; we offer this support alongside courses and workshops that offer a more immersive learning experience --- all of which can be sponsored by your workplace.

Looking for more?

She's Independent offers courses and workshops alongside mentorship to bridge the gap to leadership roles.

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