A Student’s Experience: From Venture Atlanta to AngelCon ATL
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During my time at The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, I have had the amazing opportunity to be part of TiE Atlanta Angels as a student fellow. It has been a great experience working with them for the past few months, diving headfirst into the world of early-stage startups, learning the ropes of due diligence, and expanding my professional network. We helped create a mini fund for AngelCon ATL, a collaboration between TiE Atlanta Angels and Venture Atlanta, hosted at Emory University’s The Hatchery on November 1, 2023. Let me share some of the insights about the work we have been doing.
My journey started with my very first visit to the annual Venture Atlanta conference in Midtown Atlanta. I got a sneak peek into the world of entrepreneurship and venture capital through panel discussions, pitch sessions, and even a keynote by Robert Herjavec, well-known for his role on the TV show “Shark Tank.” At the conference, I had the chance to meet with CEOs from various startups, learn about their businesses, and do some initial outreach to see if they were a fit for the TiE Atlanta Angels portfolio. This led to shortlisting about 25 promising companies, setting the stage for the next phase of our project.
Out of those 25 companies, my fellow peers, Prestin Lawrence 24EvMBA, Penelope Gallardo 25BBA, and Shyam Patel 24MBA, started reaching out to gauge interest and gather data for due diligence. We put those companies through TiE Atlanta Angels’ screening criteria and collected information such as pitch decks and financial statements. Our team then began our analyses, building spreadsheets and consolidating information to see which companies looked most promising. With the guidance of the TiE Atlanta Angels team, we narrowed it down to the final five companies that would get the chance to pitch at AngelCon ATL, competing for a piece of a $500,000 investment fund.
At the big event, all five companies delivered their pitches and answered questions, and now it is up to the judges to make their decisions. Our team is getting ready to do the last bit of due diligence to figure out how to allocate the funds. I would share more if I could, but that’s confidential for now. However, let me tell you, this experience has given me a whole new perspective on how financial capital moves from venture capitalists and angel funds to support new startups. A big shout-out to our mentors, Dr. Paul Lopez, JP James, and Goizueta’s own, Sid Mookerji and Sig Mosley. A special thanks to Brian Cayce, who’s been the driving force behind our rapid progress and growth.
The Goizueta Business School’s Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CEI) is the host and sponsor for AngelCon ATL. CEI has provided student apprentices to support and grow the relationship among the business school and TiE Atlanta Angels by offering due diligence and investment analysis support in the selection process of these exciting startups.
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