We are bringing together leading angel investors to offer practical and valuable insight for tech founders raising early stage capital and fellow angels. The panel will cover investment strategies, what angels seek in a startup, deal structures, opportunities, and more.
William Podd is the Executive Director of Landmark Angels (a national, private angel group), President & CEO of Landmark Capital (a boutique advisory and consulting firm founded in 1993 and based in Greenwich, CT), and President of the Landmark Family Office (an investment alliance of prominent US and international Family Offices).
Prior to founding Landmark Capital, Bill completed more than $3 billion in financings as a corporate finance banker and lawyer at major law firms in NYC and at Lehman Brothers where he specialized in both municipal and corporate finance.
He also served as president of an early stage enterprise software company whose technology was developed at The Draper Laboratory at M.I.T. Bill is a frequent speaker and panelist on family office, private equity and venture capital topics.
A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of The University of Notre Dame, he received his J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Damoder Reddy is an Angel Investor with a passion for fostering innovation and driving startup growth and had the privilege of investing in and advising numerous promising ventures. With a proven track record of identifying market trends and disruptive technologies, he is committed to supporting visionary entrepreneurs and helping them realize their full potential. Leveraging his extensive network and industry expertise, He provides strategic guidance, mentorship, and access to capital to fuel the success of early-stage companies.
Solomon Asad is a Venture for America Fellow and investor at TEDCO with a proven track record of accelerating the success of early-stage technology companies. By providing funding, sharing resources, and facilitating connections, Solomon has played a pivotal role in developing a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Solomon actively supports a range of forward-thinking teams, including GoAhead Ventures, LvlUp Ventures, Sandy Spring Climate Partners (SSCP), and Forward Deployed VC.
His prior leadership experience at DGrid Energy as the Director of Corporate Development and Business Strategy spearheaded commercialization efforts for the startup venture across multiple regions, including the US, Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, demonstrating his global outlook and understanding of diverse markets.
Solomon's background in impact investment and clean energy technology development makes him a unique and valuable asset for business professionals who are looking to align their investments with their values.
He earned his BA in Economics with a minor in Sustainability from the University of Maryland, College Park, and his passion for sustainable development is reflected in his work, which is driven by a desire to create positive change and have a lasting impact on the world.
Amy McCawley CEO/Co-Founder of FaktorZ, Inc. Professional Services and a Managed Platform Company.
Having been a serial entrepreneur and investor in both design/construction and tech for years, Amy invested in and have taken a position with a startup tech company as the CEO. After working the business development end for both her own companies and several tech startups, it was time to make some new career moves and help launch a PaaS company that is new and exciting.
She have handed the reigns of both The Livable Home and Lusso Interior Design over to a hard working hand picked team. While she always have an interest in both, it is really exciting to be part of FaktorZ and be a part of the team to make it grow and become successful.
Angel investors are individuals who finance a company or firms in the form of convertible debt or equity in return for the promise of a future financial return.
Angel Investors take a company’s evaluation into consideration to decide the percentage of ownership they take. They are then paid back in relation to the ownership they have in the company they invested in.
Angel Investors usually inquire about a company’s business idea, what big problem does it solve, what is unique about the company, market opportunities, competitors, key members, relevant experience of the core team and so on.
Silent investors are individuals who invest in a company without being part of any of the business activities. They don’t make decisions or attend meetings.
There are many ways to attract angel investors. You need to network a lot and send out your business idea out there loud. One of the best ways to find and meet investors is to join a startup accelerator or a startup ecosystem.
Angel Investors rely on multiple of things to find a suitable startup to invest in. They find startups through personal networks, startup pitch competitions, events, demo days, and certain platforms that allow them to find startups of their interest.
Find angel investors of your niche, show them your business idea, state accurate numbers pertaining to your business and convince them to invest in your company. Another way to find angel investors is to join a startup ecosystem.