By Frank Szivos, Angel Investor News Editor

Who: Andrew Hanson, Redwood Investment Management, LLC

Where: Stamford, CT

Experience:  Spent twenty years on Wall Street. Wealth of knowledge about different industries.  Has MBA from Northwestern and appreciates the value of marketing. On the Board of the Connecticut Venture Capital Group (www.cvg.org) and Chairman of the Judging Committee for the Crossroads Venture Fair—largest in the East. Does two deals a year and seriously kicks the tires on 10.

How: His father was part of a group that founded one of the 250 largest privately held firms in the US. His firm is built on managerial incentives—equity and profit sharing--beginning at the lowest possible level, and would like to do it again.

Tips for Entrepreneurs:   As an eclectic bunch, entrepreneurs have a mix of early stage breakthrough technologies with large markets and expansion stage companies with a proprietary product, branding, and the beginnings of national distribution. 

A few tips worth remembering:

A dollar from a customer is worth more than a dollar from an investor. 

No matter what you think, it always takes twice as long and costs twice as much.

You will spend ten times as much on marketing to get a technology to market than you will on research and development.

Tips for Investors:

You need to be prepared to invest in multiple rounds.

Entrepreneurs have big egos; don’t invest in narcissists.

Business sense and good connections are worth more than brilliance.

Contact: amhanson@optonline.net