Sublime

whom I have met through New York Angels, the group I founded more than 10 years ago that is currently the most active angel organization in the United States. These angels aren't high-profile entrepreneurs or business rock stars. They are financial professionals, lawyers, real estate developers, art collectors, retired corporate executives and, yes

I teach at business schools, attend startup community events, and host small gatherings of young entrepreneurs. By serving as a mentor at accelerators such as Columbia's Greenhouse, Yale's Entrepreneurial Institute, DreamIT Ventures, and Founders Institute, and as a speaker/participant at events organized by groups such as Sandbox Network, StartupG

Improving Fund-raising Materials 3 Fund-raising Process 12 Due Diligence Research 3 Deal Flow Sourcing 3 Meetings/Calls with Potential Investors 1 Work with Portfolio Companies 2 Networking/Professional Development 3

Finding a lead is one of the most frustrating challenges for a startup entrepreneur—but it is also one of the most important.

ROBERT F. SMITH Founder and CEO, Vista Equity Partners; Philanthropist

Most are somewhere in between, focusing primarily on early-stage, high-growth companies with scalable business models. These are typically Internet-enabled, or consumer products or medical devices. Finally,