Angel Invest Boston

Angel-scale biotech is hot! Learn More Psychiatrist and founder Jacqueline Olds on her startup and her mission to fight loneliness in America. Words of wisdom and lots of laughs in this interview that could actually make your life better. Brought to you by: Purdue University entrpreneurship, and Peter Fasse, patent attorney at Fish & Richardson   Highlights:   Sal Daher Introduces, Jacqueline Olds, M.D., Psychiatrist and Founder Jacqueline and Her Husband, Founded GoodLux Technologies to Help Treat Depression without Drugs They Created a Device and an App to Help People with Bright Light Therapy “We thought this would be a wearable that would remind people that there was a way to treat their depression without using “ Sal Used the GoodLux Sunsprite to Help His Newborn Grandson Sleep Through the Night “The people who lived in places with an abundance of sun sometimes got seasonal depression, because they couldn't stand going outside in the summer, and they were inside like moles.” Overcoming Loneliness, Practical Strategies for Finding Connection “...a huge percentage of our patients were lonely but they were all embarrassed to admit it, and were thinking that they were the only ones who felt lonely and left out...” Marriage in Motion: “...what lasting marriages look like.” The Lonely American: Why Americans in Particular Experience so Much Social Isolation “There's that undercurrent of American culture that essentially says you're going to be okay if you're on your own...” “Fewer people are getting married and fewer people are living with other people and everybody acts like that's a reasonable thing to do...when it's bad for your health mentally and physiologically.” “Part of the reason psychotherapy can be helpful, is that you bring out these secrets that you felt terrible about and they sound positively measly when you talk them over with an actual human being...” Americans Are Confiding in Fewer and Fewer People Opportunities for Human Interaction Are Disappearing Due to Technology and Other Factors The Down Side of Interacting with People Only When You Feel Like It “To live in an environment where you have so many ties means you have very few choices...” The Thickly Connected Social Environment of Sal’s Home Town in Brazil Social Life of Grad Students in Boston in the Mid-1960s The Town of Roseto and Its Notable Cardiac Health and Longevity Outcomes The Secret of Longevity Was the Close Social Bonds of the Community The Down Side of Close-Knit Communities The Paradox of Choice: How Too Many Options Keep Us from Deciding “...COVID has given us all a chance to reset and try to achieve balance in a new way because we were forced to calm down and give up some of our favorite enjoyments like going to restaurants or going to plays or going to concerts.” Psychiatrist Jacqueline Olds’ Suggestion for Connecting Younger People Working Remotely “Lots of slightly anxious, lonely, depressed people decide, "I don't want anyone to know how needy I feel, so I'm just going to take my light down.’” The Value of Witnesses in Marriage “...making sure those three o'clock thoughts are just that, nonsense. At eight o'clock in the morning, with coffee in front of you, just, "It's nothing. It was just a nightmare."” Love, Shopping & Cocaine “When a college student comes in and they're looking all miserable and cold and unhappy with their studies, and then they find somebody that they're starting to fall in love with and suddenly they're full of smiles. You can just see the dopamine practically showing on their face.” Parting Thoughts from Jacqueline Olds, M.D., the Wise Psychiatrist

The Promise of Angel-Scale Biotech: Learn More The miracle-working CEO of portfolio company Finetune Learning is back to tell us about the latest developments in applying artificial intelligence in educational assessments. We also got into remote work and explored how to support younger workers in creating professional networks while working remotely. Sponsored by: Purdue University entrepreneurship Peter Fasse, patent attorney at Fish & Richardson Highlights: Sal Daher Expresses Gratitude for His Sponsors: Purdue University Entrepreneurship and Peter Fasse, Patent Attorney at Fish & Richardson Sal Daher Introduces Steve Shapiro the Miracle-Working CEO of Finetune Learning Finetune Learning Uses Technology to Support the Creation of Great Educational Assessments Version 1.0 of Finetune Made It Easier to Grade Essays Consistently – A 2X Improvement Finetune Version 2.0 Is More B2B – It Is Assisting in the Effective Creation Content for Educational Assessment Making Assessment Writers 10X More Effective “The other product that we have that scans the text, then classifies and tags it, does it in two orders of magnitudes more than a team of humans. Let's throw away the 2X to 10X and start saying 100x, 200x.” “...we never said this is something that replaces a human. We believe that strongly. We always say this is something that's going to augment humans who are really good at this.” Pre-Trained Systems Will Revolutionize Adaptive Learning “In most cases, we're not a full solution. We are either a widget or an intel inside a larger solution with a large partner that's a multi-billion-dollar” "I went into this because I actually hated school and you're throwing me back into a classroom....” Old-Time Adaptive Learning “That missing 10%, they have to be trained and they're not there because the teaching methods don't fit their learning style.” “...there's a ton of Gen Z and Millennial founders out there that are starting to create companies in education technology...” Unexpected Source of Talent for Cybersecurity Finetune Driven to Remote Work Before the Pandemic Due to the Difficulty of Competing for Talent with Amazon and Google in Kendall Square Lessons on Managing a Remote Workforce – Learned from GitLab The Right Approach to Company Culture How a Founder Learned to Get Along with Her Co-Founder How Younger Workers Are Disadvantaged by Remote Work How to Help Younger Workers Build Social Networks? A Question for Jacqueline Olds, M.D. How Do We Reskill Angel Investors to Help Build Life Science Startups? A Happy Outcome from Zoom School Steve Shapiro’s Parting Thoughts Topics: edtech, management, robotics / AI, software

The Promise of Angel-Scale Biotech: Learn More SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles) are democratizing startup investing. In this interview with Jeremy Neilson, founder of Assure.co, we discussed how founders and angels can benefit from these increasingly economical platforms and what they mean for the future. Highlights: Sal Daher Introduces Jeremy Neilson Co-Founder of Assure.co Sal and Jeremy Met at an Event Held by Jason Calacanis in 2019 “...the engine of a large number of groups that do angel investing.” Use Cases for SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles) It Used to Be Very Pricey to Set Up and SPV – No Longer A Way for Angels to Increase the Diversity of their Portfolio co Is helping Democratize Investing in Private Assets co Focuses on Accredited Investors – Does Not Do Equity Crowdfunding The Founding Story of Assure.co “...AngelList called my co-founder, Katie, and I and said, "Can you guys figure out how to do funds in bulk?"” Sal Daher Advises People Not to Make the Mistake He Made in Creating His Own SPVs – A Lot of Work! “He's the pope of angel investing podcasts. I'm just a cardinal, or perhaps a bishop.” Biotech Too Is Being Democratized “...we're seeing in the ecosystem is a very large shift away from thinking strictly financial.” “No longer is it a very small niche of uberwealthy or venture funds, now it's the entire ecosystem of accredited investors now have the opportunity to participate.” io and Curesology “We have seen clients come and say, "I want to donate my carry to a good cause."” “Carta, AngelList, Assure.co were those three that got started all together back about eight, nine years ago.” Cheaper SPVs Are Helping to Give Access to More Diverse Founders by Broadening the Reach of Investors Sal Compares Two Robotic Glove Startups Three Decades Apart to Demonstrate How Much the Startup Ecosystem Has Developed “Her life is going to be so much easier in starting that company than it was for Chrissy Glover’s starting Imago Rehab [today] and way, way easier than Beth Marcus’ starting EXOS back in the early '90s.” “Assure.co is helping to lower the dead weight of a startup rocket that's trying to reach escape velocity.” Wisdom from Waseem Daher of Pilot.com on Angels & Cap Tables SPV Pricing at Assure.co co Powers Jason’s Syndicates, EquityZen and Forge Among Many Sponsored by Purdue University entrepreneurship and Peter Fasse, patent attorney at Fish & Richardson Topics: discovering entrepreneurship, fin tech, angel investing strategies

The Opportunitites in Angel-Scale Biotech: https://syndicate.angelinvestboston.com/en-us/the-surge-of-opportunities-in-angel-scale-biotech The dynamic duo of founder Adam Martel and super angel Christopher Mirabile are back on the podcast to report on the sale of Gravyty and to discuss Adam’s new startup, Givzey. Highlights: Gravyty Created a New Category How COVID Affected Gravyty Merging Gravyty and Graduway Sal Compares the Gravyty Exit and the Mavrck Exit Selling a Startup to a Private Equity Firm Adam Martel Talks About his New Startup, Givzey “Because we're experts in data, we've seen if you make a gift to your alma mater for the last 20 years, odds are that you're going to make a gift in the 21st year.” “...the ability to understand the market and to understand the timing of the market; is the market ready for this, has been shown to be a very important predictor of success in ventures.” Sal Daher Shifts the Conversation to the Life Sciences “...you don't meet many academics who aren't pretty sharp. When you think about it, many of them are really quite good at project management.” Being Coachable Is Essential for First-Time Academic Founders “...Michael Jordan wasn't coachable, but I think he would tell you that he heard everything people said.” AceUp, the Executive Coaching Platform Purdue University Entrepreneurship and Peter Fasse, Patent Attorney at Fish & Richardson Sponsor the Podcast Hilltop Biosciences and Founder Amanda Drobnis QSM Diagnostics Kalion: Bioengineering Microorganisms to Produce Valuable Compounds KnipBio – Another Use for Microorganisms Piction Health – AI for Skin Topics: product, exits, biotech

Why Sal Is Bullish on Biotech: Click Here Adam de Sola Pool, a highly successful pioneer in green tech investing in the 1990s, now sees huge opportunities in blue tech.  Don’t miss this fascinating tour of ocean technologies conducted by an engaging investor/guide. Sponsored by Purdue University entrepreneurship and Peter Fasse, patent attorney at Fish & Richardson Highlights: Sal Daher Welcomes Back Fellow Angel Investor Adam Pool “...he finds the kind of opportunities [in ocean tech] today that he saw in cleantech back in the 1990s.” The Surge in Aquaculture Creates Massive Opportunities for Investors, including Angel Investors Adam Pool Recently Invested in BioFeyn Which Is Making the Feeding of Farmed Fish More Efficient “...we're transforming the food part of the $3 trillion business that is the ocean economy.” Sal Sees Parallels Between the Explosion of Opportunities in Biotech and in Blue Tech. Cool: Seatrec and its Ocean-going Electric Charging Stations Cool: Making Fish Food Out of Mealworms and Black Soldier Fly Larvae Cool: Ocean Rainforest Produces Kelp Used to Control Bovine Flatulence Cool: Reel Data Uses Facial Recognition for Salmon. IKYN! Interested Angel Investors Can Contact Blue Angels https://sea-ahead.com/blue-angels Cool: Oyster Tracker Offers Digital Tracking of Oysters from the Sea Bed to the Dinner Plate Cool: Fish in Fashion – You Won’t Believe This! “I'm so glad that I violated my format and went blue instead of bio.” Many Exits in Blue Tech Interesting Companies Protecting the Oceans but also Creating Work Opportunities for Displaced Workers Several VC Funds Being Raised – Investable by Angels Sal Daher Sees Adam de Sola Pool as a Visionary Who Is Also Practical Topics: product, exits, portfolio, venture capital

Why Sal Is Bullish on Biotech VeraMorph has a new way to deliver insoluble drugs by mouth. Founder Doug Godfrin, PhD elucidates the promise of accessing the 85% of drugs that are not soluble. Does VeraMorph pass Sal Daher’s screen for angel-scale biotech? Listen and find out. Sponsors: Purdue University entrepreneurship and Peter Fasse, patent attorney at Fish and Richardson Highlights: Sal Daher, CFA Introduces Doug Godfrin, PhD, Founder of VeraMorph A New Way to Deliver Drugs Orally How VeraMorph Gets Around the Solubility Problem VeraMorph’s Approach Is Janus-like: Shelf Stable but Available Where Needed The Decade of Biotech & VeraMorph AltrixBio: Gastric Bypass Surgery in a Pill Sal Daher’s Biotech Screen: Strong Patents “VeraMorph actually owns the patents outright for this platform technology.” “We've really taken a totally different perspective with this class of material by focusing on immediate release via oral delivery...” Sal Daher’s Biotech Screen: Capable Academic Founder Sal Daher’s Biotech Screen: Is it Angel-Scale? US$1 Million Will Get VeraMorph to Production for Pre-Clinical Trials “...chances of reaching that next set of milestones is 90% or above.” Doug Godfrin Is Collaborating with Colin Minchom, PhD, a Veteran of Drug Development US$ 2 to 3 million More Will Take VeraMorph to Clinical Stage, Doug Predicts Sal and Doug Look at the Odds of Getting to Clinical Stage Sal Daher’s Biotech Screen: Do Strategics Care? Sal Daher’s Biotech Screen: Platform Technology? Sponsors Purdue University and Peter Fasse Are Founder-Friendly The Upside of Failure in Biotech This guy calls me up, "Saleh, let's get together at Darwin's in Cambridge. I want to talk to you about a new company." Doug Godfrin’s Parting Thoughts Topics: biotech

Click to Learn About Opportunities in Angel-Scale Biotech Diane Stokes, founder and angel investor, is back to update us on her startups. This inspiring triathlete has great ideas for startups who want to scale. Highlights: Sal Daher Welcomes Back Iron Woman Diane Stokes, Founder & Angel This Interview Picks Up Where the Prior Interview Left Off – Back to Wyebot How Wyebot Weathered COVID Diane Stokes and Colleagues Formed a Firm to Help Startups Grow Squadle – Promising Startup in Which Diane Stokes and Sal Daher Invested Dermal Photonics – Diane Stokes Is Trying Their Product Dermal Photonics Is Championed by Super Angel Jeff Arnold Who Has Been on the Podcast Sal Daher’s Standing Question: How to Get More Angels to Do Biotech “He discovered that VCs are not doing the small-scale biotech anymore. By small scale is a company that could sell for $200 million.” “They all want to have the next Moderna.” “One of the things is, is it manufacturable? How do you get to scale on your manufacturing, if it's not even at that stage yet?” Diane Stokes Believes Angels Have to Be Shown the Possibilities of the Biotechnology Beyond the First use Case “The resource we have an abundance of, are brilliant academics with no business experience, but with tremendous motivation.” “If you get a physician that is open to having somebody work with them and know what they don't know in that, it can be very successful and I think this is similar.” “Being able to understand the state of where your organization is, what help you need, where to spend that newly acquired funding that you received.” Diane Stokes Plans to Do a 2000-mile Bike Ride to Fight ALS Topics: management, angel investing strategies, biotech, pivot

Join Sal's Syndicate: https://syndicate.angelinvestboston.com/en-us/the-surge-of-opportunities-in-angel-scale-biotech Artificial intelligence guru Gil Syswerda is back to talk about angel investing and to give practical advice to founders. We closed with entertaining stories from Gil’s career. Highlights: AI Guru Gil Syswerda Is Back to with Tips for Angels & Founders Why Founders Should Value Their Time at $10 per Minute “...I stopped driving...I take an Uber or Lyft because it's not worth my time to be in a car... An Uber is way cheaper than $10 a minute.” Advice to Founders: Find a Co-Founder with Critical Skills You Lack Advice to Founders: “You need to be in the trenches, along with everybody else.” “One thing you make a must-read is an article by Paul Graham. It's called Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule.” “...The Hard Truth About Innovative Cultures, Gary Pisano just nails it, when he talks about how to create an innovative culture...” “...get an executive assistant as soon as you can.” “...you just cannot function at 100% if you don't get enough sleep.” Exercise Is Essential: Intense Outdoor Exercise at Sunrise; plus do Bouts Like Taking the Stairs “It's actually quite difficult for most people to make money as an angel investor.” “...I believe that Jeff Arnold probably does pretty well on his investments but he has pretty grounded knowledge in the biotech space and he has a methodology for evaluating companies.” How to Make Money in Biotech with Jeff Arnold Frank Ferguson Was a Spectacularly Successful Investor (Bose and Curriculum Associates) by Focusing on a Few Investments Intensely Practical Dreamer with Frank Ferguson Howard Stevenson Got Warren-Buffett-like Returns on His Angel Portfolio [Wealth & Families with Howard Stevenson] Sal Daher and His Biotech Screen for Angel Investing “These people [academic founders] have tremendous skills. If we can help them turn those skills in the direction of something useful, I think they can create a lot of value.” VistaPath Bio Using Off-the-Shelf Machine Vision to Create Value in Pathology Gil Syswerda Stories The HP Interview or Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Third Grade Growing Fish at BBN Labs The Interview at Lawrence Livermore Research Laboratory Gödel, Escher, Bach & All That The AI Researcher and the Daughter of the Soviet Scientist Simulating Professor Paul Scott How to Have a Board without a Board Gil Syswerda’s Perception of Where AI Is Today Gil Syswerda Highlights People Who Were Influential in His Success Topics: co-founders, angel investing strategies, management

Why Sal's Bullish on Angel-Scale Biotech: Learn More Sponsored by Purdue University entrepreneurship and peter Fasse, patent attorney at Fish & Richardson Founder Matt Breen of Rahoo Baby is back to update us on the progress of the company and on their new product, Walk Block. This startup is building a brand around helping parents support the cognitive development of their babies. Highlights: Sal Daher Introduces Matt Breen, Co-founder of Rahoo Baby “...scarcity of information that parents should have about how to positively impact their child's early development...” “...only about 6% of families actually tap into that knowledge that we [therapists]” “...oftentimes, it really isn't rocket science. It's stuff that can really easily be implemented into a parent's daily routine in terms of how they interact and play with their” Many Developmental Delays Can Be Remedied with Simple Interventions that Do Not Entail Onerous Visits to the Hospital Rahoo Baby’s First Product Is a Baby Lounger that Reduces Reflux and Increases Tummy Time – Funded by a Kickstarter Campaign “Very little marketing spend is required to attract customers, which is a huge advantage for our startup.” Walking Independently Drives Cognitive Development – Second Product “Walk Blocks” Promotes Walking Rahoo Baby Is Creating Content to Help Parents Based on Each of the First Twelve Months of the Baby’s Life A Shout Out to Angel Investor & Listener Mark Bissel Who Connected Us Martin Aboitiz Made Himself an Expert in Electronic Health Records – 80 Million EHRs in His Company’s Data Lake Sal Daher Pitches Purdue Entrepreneurship & Peter Fasse, Patent Attorney at Fish & Richardson Matt & Erica Have No Model for Entrepreneurship in Their Families Another Reason to Join Sal Daher’s Syndicate List Topics: co-founders, raising money, selling, product

When Semyon Dukach’s family came to America as refugees from the Soviet Union, they had a hundred dollars to their name. Semyon is now one of Boston’s most consequential VCs. Along the way he founded a couple of startups himself and made some remarkable angel investments that put him in a position to be helping founders with money and time. He has a knack for encouraging founders during the tough times. He’s done some fascinating stuff, like being a member of MIT’s fabled blackjack team, more recently he headed up Techstars in Boston. Then he raised a venture fund, One Way Ventures, focused on working with immigrant founders. Don’t miss this inspiring interview. Topics covered include: Sal’s Announcement of the Angel Invest Boston Syndicate Sal’s Intro of Semyon Dukach Semyon Dukach Bio The Moment Semyon Dukach Figured Out What He wanted to Do in Life Semyon Dukach’s Immigrant Story One of Semyon Dukach’s Adventures on MIT’s Fabled Blackjack Team The Satisfaction of Helping Out Customers in Significant Ways Semyon Dukach’s Tremendous Pivot Story Semyon Dukach’s First Angel Investment Some of Semyon Dukach’s Favorite Startups – Wanderu, Quanergy & Lovepop Cards Semyon Dukach’s Leadership at Techstars Boston Semyon Dukach’s Advice to Startups Applying to Techstars Why Are Immigrants So Over-Represented Among Founders How One Way Ventures Came About About Eveline Buchatskiv, Semyon’s Partner in One Way Ventures Semyon Dukach’s Advice to Angels & Founders Topics: venture capital, angel investing strategies, Techstars, focus, co-founders, founding story, exits, pivot