Alicia Robb is an angel investor who has brought together women to teach them about investing and taking that first step to invest.
What’s your story?
I live and work in Boulder, Colorado after living in the Bay Area north of San Francisco for 12 years. I am the founder and CEO of Next Wave Ventures, an early stage venture firm that provides financial and technical assistance to early stage firms.
What is your involvement with Investment?
I’m an angel investor and a fund manager. My current fund is the Next Wave Impact Fund, which brought together 99 women into a learning by doing fund in order to drive diversity in angel investing.
How did that come about?
Research from a book I co-wrote with Susan Coleman showed that women and minorities don’t invest because they aren’t asked, don’t know about it, don’t know other angels, don’t know how, don’t see deal flow, and/or are risk averse to making that first large investment. The learning by doing fund addresses all of those barriers.
What are some of the key things you have learnt about Investing?
Invest in what you know and are passionate about. It’s an illiquid and risk asset class, so create a diversified portfolio.
What mistakes do you see less experienced investors making?
Investing in the first company they see, making just one or two investments and then waiting, investing in industries they don’t know.
What mistakes do you see Entrepreneurs making?
Not asking for enough money, raising funds at valuations that are too high, underestimating time to growth and exit.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Be true to yourself.
What advice would you give to those seeking funding?
Don’t give up. You will here 99 nos before you get to a yes.
Who inspires you?
Wow. so many people! Suzanne Biegel, Erika Karp, Devin Patrick, Elizabeth Warren, Corey Booker.
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
That our universe is about 14 billion years old and we can track our history from about 400,000 years after the big bang.
What business book do you recommend the most?
Venture Deals by Feld and Mendelson. Angel investing by David Rose.
Shameless plug for your business/organisation:
We are driving diversity in angel investing and the the entrepreneurial ecosystem and creating a global network of investors and entrepreneurs.
How can people connect with you?
www.nextwaveimpact.com
Social Media profiles?
@nextwavenetwork on twitter and facebook/nextwavenetwork
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This article is part of the World Business Angel Forum media partnership with AsianEntrepreneur.org
If you would like more information about WBAF, please contact Callum Laing WBAF High Commissioner for Singapore. [email protected]
