Angels of Southwest Louisiana is open to any sector that has growth potential. We are a Non-Profit Corporation involved in entrepreneurship educational development and economic diversification.
Ronald McGinley
Name of Angel Group / VC Fund: Angels of Southwest Louisiana
Location: Lake Charles, Louisiana
Website: www.angelsofswla.org
Managing Director: Ron McGinley
This article is part of our Investor Spotlight Series featuring Angel Networks / Funds and VC Funds. We hope these spotlights will inform and inspire the entrepreneur concerning funding options and opportunities.
There are numerous operating models being pursued by angel networks / funds and VC funds. How does yours work? How does it differentiate you?
The Angels of Southwest Louisiana is a Non-Profit Corporation involved in Entrepreneurship educational development and economic diversity within Southwest Louisiana. We are dedicated to fostering Entrepreneurship and encouraging Innovation to provide quality early stage investment opportunities for our Network of Accredited Investors.
In what industries and sectors do you invest? Are there specific industries, sectors or types of opportunities in which you don’t invest?
Angels of Southwest Louisiana is open to any sector that has growth potential. We look for opportunities that contribute to economic development and diversification.
Does your organization have any geographic preferences upon which you build your portfolio?
What key attributes do you look for when selecting companies for investment?
- Management Team
- Good Understanding of Competitive Environment
- Realistic Target Market Development
Generally, our Angel Group members will ask:
- Does the Plan address an important problem or opportunity?
- Is the Plan offering a good solution?
- Does the Plan present solutions better than competition, or technology that will change the game?
- Has progress been made toward addressing and mitigating risks?
- Does the Plan offer reasonable risk-adjusted return to the Angel investors?
At what stage(s) of the startups’ development do you prefer to invest?
We prefer startup and early stage ventures.
Tell us more about your team. Do you work with companies beyond the provision of funding? If so, how do you support them?
ASL provides advice and guidance from the screening process forward. If there is ongoing involvement, coaching and mentoring. We are not a managed fund, but a group of like-minded members who make individual decisions to invest in early-stage companies that present their plan to the Angel Group. Our purpose is to:
- Provide positive impact to the economy of Southwest Louisiana by supporting innovation that will create unique products and services.
- Support early-stage businesses with financing, connections, market knowledge, and advisory services.
- Learn from our members and entrepreneurs while earning a fair return for member investors.
6 Startup Lessons Learned from Previous Mistakes
Are there key startups which serve as examples of the types of investment that you like to pursue? What specifically differentiates them?
- Local Beta Testing
- Facilitated Monitoring
- Realistic Progress Reporting
What trends in the startup world are you most excited about?
New Federal Legislation favorable to Angel Investors (HALO ACT)
What else would you like to share?
The past five years have produced good progress in development of Angel Groups in Louisiana.
Are you familiar with other Angel Groups or VC Funds that you believe should be highlighted? If so, we would like to hear from you. Tell us about them, sharing your comments below!
Pam Goforth
Pam Goforth is Research Manager for FundingSage, which provides valuable information, tools and resources to entrepreneurs seeking to start, grow and fund a business.
