Angel Insights Blog

By: Marianne Hudson, ACA Executive Director

Although ACA itself is only eleven years old, several of our current member angel groups trace their beginnings back much further than that. A total of nine groups have now been in existence for 20 years or more. Here is that honor roll and the founding year for each. Congratulations to all!

The latest to achieve that impressive 20-year mark is Sierra Angels of Incline Village, Nevada, the angel group from which our new Board Chair, Linda Smith, hails. I was honored to attend the group’s anniversary party yesterday, along with ACA Board members Jim Connor and Kevin Learned.  We look forward to helping more interested member groups celebrate their 20^th anniversaries and thank all of you for supporting new companies that create jobs and innovation.

Credit: Talbot Photography 

Linda presented group co-founder Bob Goff (seen above with a table of 91 people attending the anniversary celebration) with a proclamation citing their many achievements over the years:

• Whereas Sierra Angels was founded in 1997 due to the foresight and leadership of Bob and Donna Goff, and
• Whereas Sierra Angels was one of the first formal angel groups in North America investing in promising new companies, and
• Whereas Sierra Angels was groundbreaking in its decision to invite couples to join its group continuing to lead as an organization with a high percentage of women angels, and
• Whereas Sierra Angels initiated pro-active collaboration between angel groups and has been in the forefront of syndicating investment opportunities throughout the western United States, and
• Whereas Sierra Angels had the foresight to begin the Nevada Entrepreneur of the Year Awards program in 1999 and has been instrumental in nurturing successful entrepreneurs over its 20-year history including Governor’s Cup Business Plan winners, and
• Whereas Sierra Angels was a charter member of the Angel Capital Association when it was formed in 2004, and
• Whereas Bob Goff was recognized for his leadership by being the first recipient of the Hans Severiens    Award in 2005, and
• Whereas, Sierra Angels was at the forefront of working with universities, government organizations, and economic development leaders including UC Davis, University of Reno, Desert Research Institute, Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, and many others, and
• Whereas, Sierra Angels has provided talented individuals who have served on the Boards of the Angel Research Institute and the Angel Capital Association, and
• Whereas, Sierra Angels has continued to follow its motto of “Doing Good, Having Fun, and Making Money” for twenty successful years under the leadership of Bob and Donna Goff,

The Angel Capital Association hereby commends and recognizes the Sierra Angels and wishes the organization continued success and good fortune in the years ahead.

For more about that great Sierra Angels motto, read a Forbes column I wrote some time ago, called “How Angels Can Enjoy the Best Returns - Financial and Otherwise.”