Angel Profile

Who: Paul Allen, founder of The Tribe of Angels

Where: San Francisco

What: The Tribe of Angels, a Jewish business network for entrepreneurs and angel investors.

Why: Working in marketing at a tech start-up in Silicon Valley, Allen received inquiries from many Jewish entrepreneurs about how to find funding. He has a Master’s Degree in Sociology and realized that all business occurs in a cultural context of shared values and language and wanted to tap into the natural affinity network of the Jewish community. He says: “Shared values and expectations are attributes that grease the wheels of business.”

How: A year ago, he formed The Tribe of Angels that has grown to 10,000 members who receive the group’s newsletter. It includes information on deal flow around the country, investment opportunities both in the U.S. and Israel and advises on investment inquiries. However, Allen stresses that The Tribe of Angels is not a broker dealer.

Tribe of Angels also offers Startup Showcases around the country for Jewish professionals. The next one is April 24 in Boston. For more information, visit www.tribeofangels.com. Through the Jewish business group, members can find a variety of online links, such as angel services, accounting, banks, brokerage firms, consultants, insurance information and engineering services.

Tips for Entrepreneurs: Allen recommends working backwards. Determine what values govern your company, where do you want to be in five years, what kind of impact and control do you want on your company. Once you answer these questions, then can help determine what kind of capital equity entrepreneurs want to pursue. Understand how different funding sources can impact your business. For example, angel investors might want to be actively involved in the companies in which they invest, while bank loan will give entrepreneurs more control over how the funding is used.

In addition, a does of humility goes a long way. Take stock of your company’s strengths and weaknesses and listen to helpful criticism. Seek a good mentor or consultant and listen. Find out what’s wrong with your business and fix it – you don’t get a second chance when you make a presentation for funding.

Contact: www.tribeofangels.com or paul@tribeofangels.com

 Back to: home    articles    top