Diligent Observer - Episode 33: "Angel Investing Isn't a Trending Topic" | Marcia Dawood on Angel Investment Cycles, Using Philanthropic Capital for For-Profit Ventures, and Making Fundraising Easier
Insights from an award-winning author and podcast host whose advocacy work is reshaping how angels invest and entrepreneurs access capital across ecosystems
Today's episode explores three ideas that caught my attention:
Clarity is kindness - Marcia highlighted how the most requested entrepreneur feedback is for angels to simply say "no" faster.
Angel investing is still a mystery for many - It struck me how Marcia still encounters people unaware they can participate in angel investing. There exists a massive pool of "latent” angels.
The golden gut - 30 years of industry experience can serve as a very effective "BS detector." Angel groups with diverse expertise can perform fantastic due diligence.
I explore these ideas and more with Marcia Dawood, Host of the Angel Next Door Podcast.
Marcia is a veteran angel and the Chair Emeritus of the Angel Capital Association. She is also a partner with Mindshift Capital and author of the award-winning book "Do Good While Doing Well." Her work advocating for entrepreneurship in DC and leading the Growing Women's Capital syndication initiative exemplifies her commitment to making early-stage investing more accessible and effective for both investors and founders.
During our conversation, Marcia shares:
Insights on angel investing during market downturns that help investors avoid making reactionary decisions based on public market volatility.
Her approach to podcast content strategy that shows how thoughtfully organized episodes can better educate both investors and entrepreneurs on complex investment concepts.
The story behind her award-winning book "Do Good While Doing Well" that offers a roadmap to avoid common mistakes she made as a new angel investor.
Listen here!