Angel Insights Blog

By: Marianne Hudson, ACA Executive Director

I have the privilege of working with one of the hardest working boards of directors on the planet at the Angel Capital Association.  Members and friends may not realize how much time, effort and wisdom 18 people put into our association, but I see it every day in our programming, resources, financial planning, and much more.

ACA members should be aware of two important things that have happened in the last month with the ACA Board:

Updated Mission, Vision and Values

With the main goal of taking ACA to the next level with member value and resources to support you, we have embarked on a strategic planning process that should finish later in 2017.  We have approved a updated mission and vision, and also developed a brand new set of values that will guide ACA going forward:

• Mission Statement:  To fuel the success of the accredited angel investor community through advocacy, education and connection building. 

• Vision:  ACA is recognized as the trusted authority in angel investing.

• Values:
  • Learning/Curiosity – Recognize and promote best practices.
  • Integrity/Trust – Ensure transparency, trust and high ethical standards in all activities and relationships.
  • Strategic Leadership – Be a source of insightful, inspirational, and forward thinking leadership.
  • Collaboration – Provide collaboration, networking and syndication opportunities for the angel community.
  • Respect – Ensure honest, respectful relationships with all constituents, including investors, entrepreneurs, sponsors and others.
  • Diversity – Encourage diversity in people and cultures throughout the angel community.

Thanks particularly to four people who have led ACA’s “Strategic Planning Refresh” initiative – Tony Shipley, Linda Smith, Jim Connor and Mike Eckert.  The full Board and staff are fleshing out the path this committee set earlier this year.  You’ll see a growing new set of services, from education, best practices and data to new public policy efforts that protect the environment for your investing.

ACA Elects Strong New Board Leadership and Directors

On July 1, there will be a changing of the guard of the ACA Board as a new Chair and Vice Chair begin their terms and two new Directors join.  Linda Smith is the new Board Chair, following two years as Vice Chair, and a distinguished career in board leadership and public policy.  Tony Shipley, founder of the Queen City Angels and longtime active angel and entrepreneur, is ACA’s new Vice Chair.  Two new Directors bring new blood and ideas: Peter Adams heads Rocky Mountain Ventures/ RVC Angels in Denver with activities in all levels of the startup ecosystem, and Trish Costello CEO of Portfolia, a collaborative equity investing platform and CEO Emeritus of the Kauffman Fellows Program.  More information about each of these leaders is here. 

Thanks to outgoing ACA Chair Christopher Mirabile for all of his great work, as well as Jean Peters and Dick Reeves who each served on the ACA Board for six years.