Episode 38: "Practice Your Thesis Until It’s Muscle Memory" | Stella Foundation Chairwoman Dr. Silvia Mah on Activating University Ecosystems, The Three C's of Capital, and Creating Proud Investment Portfolios

Insights from the Chairwoman of Stella Foundation and founding member of Stella Angels who has invested in 160+ women-led startups and co-managed six consecutive San Diego Angel Conference funds totaling millions in early-stage capital

Today's episode explores three ideas that caught my attention:   

1. Creativity is the gateway to better investing - Silvia's classroom exercises aren't just for students. Her approach to opening minds through creative prompts parallels exactly how angels need to spot outliers that don't fit conventional patterns.
2. Relationships endure beyond failure - Her experience supporting founders through bankruptcy reminded me how the most valuable connections aren't defined by financial returns but by integrity during difficult moments. 
3. Muscle memory in pitching your thesis - Just as Silvia has her students pitch daily to build confidence, angels need the same repetitive practice to clarify and refine what truly matters in their investment approach.

I explore these ideas and more with Dr. Silvia Mah, Director of Innovation at Biola University and Chairwoman of Stella Foundation. She brings a rare combination of scientific rigor and investment acumen as both a biochemistry PhD and seasoned angel investor who's backed over 160 startups with diverse founding teams. She bridges academic entrepreneurship with practical investment strategies while pioneering gender lens investing through multiple funds and angel groups. Her perspective is particularly valuable for understanding how university ecosystems can better connect with angel investors to create sustainable startup growth channels. 

During our conversation, Silvia shares: 

• A "Three Cs of Capital" framework that helps angels understand their full value beyond just writing checks: financial capital, experiential capital, and network capital. 
• A practical AI implementation technique for angel groups that transforms entrepreneur information into streamlined due diligence memos and project plans for volunteer teams. 
• The "Angel Conference" model that universities are adopting nationwide to activate alumni networks, educate new angels, and fund campus-connected startups through mini-funds.

Connect with Silvia 

LinkedIn

Stuff We Reference

• Ilya Strebulaev
• John Harbison
• Next Wave

Know someone who would enjoy this episode? Share it with them!

P.S. Your feedback is important to me. Also, it tells the algorithms to pay more attention, which helps me out a lot. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the "like" button or leave a comment with your thoughts.

Want more?

• Get essential angel intel straight to your inbox every week with The Diligent Observer Newsletter.
• Check out the entire show library and follow via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Connect with Andrew

LinkedIn | X | Angel Ops E-Book

All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.