Hyde Park Angels Event Brings Globally-Known Experts to Chicago
Investors from across the country found standing-room-only availability at a Hyde Park Angels event designed to stimulate investment activity in the Chicago region. The Angel Excelerator conference, presented by the Hyde Park Angels and Excelerate Labs, a Chicago-based bootcamp for startups, attracted more than 120 people to the August 30 event.
Open to accredited investors only, and designed as an accelerated educational course, the conference featured guest speakers, and stimulated thoughtful conversation and debate. Investors left the conference prepared to analyze and potentially invest in one or more of the 10 companies presenting their business plans at the Excelerate Labs’ Demo Day held the next day at Chicago’s House of Blues.
Alan Patricof, founder of both the venture capital firm Greycroft and the mega-buyout firm Apax Partners, remarked on the high caliber of invited speakers before sharing his thesis that as the price of opening a business falls, both investors and entrepreneurs are recognizing a time of incredible opportunity. For Chicago in particular, Patricof identified that the angel capital business could become a serious force in championing entrepreneurship, and that success in Chicago would be determined by the mayor of the city, programs like Excelerate, and the commitment of angel investors.
Guest speaker David Cohen, founder of the Boulder, Colo.-based startup accelerator TechStars, identified the event and Excelerate, as “[proof of the] revival of entrepreneurship” in Chicago.
The keynote address was delivered by Brad Keywell, a successful Chicago serial entrepreneur whose accomplishments include the founding of MediaBank, Echo Global Logistics and Groupon. Bullish on Chicago, Brad is a founder of Lightbank, a Chicago-based fund which has invested $100 million in technology start-ups. He was joined by fellow entrepreneurs-turned-investors Bob Geras (LaSalle Investments), Tim Hoerr (Serra Ventures), and Brian Hand (Timelines). Drawing from their experience as both entrepreneurs and investors, these sessions provided insights into how entrepreneurs should assess and select investors and, from an investors’ perspective, how to best assess and select entrepreneurs.
Dave McClure (500 Startups), Bob Okabe (RPX Group and the Kauffman Foundation), and Wayne Boulais (Apex) added perspective on angel investing, how the sector developed and its probable future, and best practices for success.
David Cohen (TechStars) and Brad Feld (TechStars and Foundry Group) spoke about their first-hand experiences in launching entrepreneurial ecosystems in Boulder, Boston, and Seattle through the TechStars program. They believe Chicago is pointed in the right direction for entrepreneurial growth, but dependent on the angel community.
“Their key point,” said Ira Weiss, a director of The Hyde Park Angels, “…is this: As angels make investments, they encourage entrepreneurship in Chicago. As entrepreneurs come to Chicago, they attract really smart and creative people to form start-ups in the city. In this way, there are spillover effects. You can’t help but build some outstanding Chicago companies, but you really need angels.”
The Hyde Park Angels has made four investments in the last nine months and has grown from seven to more than 60 angels in the past few years. Hyde Park Angels, and the Angel Excelerator Conference, was supported through the generous sponsorship of Market Strategy Group, the Synergy Law Group, theRPX Group, US Trust, and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship at Chicago Booth.
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Angel Excelerator Talk Recordings
Title: Why I love angel and early stage investing – Brad Keywell
Duration: 00:18:31
Link: https://media.chicagobooth.edu/Mediasite6/Play/6ee8d51e3f2b4867918c28a6c93ac6a61d?catalog=439bfcc0-5b36-4bab-b630-98a1a62f7525
Title: How do angels earn their wings – Bob Okabe
Duration: 00:34:10
Link: https://media.chicagobooth.edu/Mediasite6/Play/f745e0dd638f4993b1e117c12d0c81a71d?catalog=439bfcc0-5b36-4bab-b630-98a1a62f7525
Title: Choosing winners: Key start up metrics – Dave McClure
Duration: 00:36:58
Link: https://media.chicagobooth.edu/Mediasite6/Play/98a71407b56f4cf085063e92d197f8f51d?catalog=439bfcc0-5b36-4bab-b630-98a1a62f7525
Title: Tools of the trade – Bob Gerras & Tim Hoerr
Duration: 00:32:10
Link: https://media.chicagobooth.edu/Mediasite6/Play/a8d1c7636f8e4126841120b0acfff6581d?catalog=439bfcc0-5b36-4bab-b630-98a1a62f7525
Title: Doing the Deal – Mock negotiation – Brian Hand & Wayne Boulais
Duration: 00:17:05
Link: https://media.chicagobooth.edu/Mediasite6/Play/b6b8665be9c9487daf16f5c850b852441d?catalog=439bfcc0-5b36-4bab-b630-98a1a62f7525
Title: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem – David Cohen & Brad Feld
Duration: 00:42:58
Link: https://media.chicagobooth.edu/Mediasite6/Play/0dc8ea10f7ef4afc989aebbf126914f81d?catalog=439bfcc0-5b36-4bab-b630-98a1a62f7525
Title: Alan Patricof
Duration: 00:40:11
Link: https://media.chicagobooth.edu/Mediasite6/Play/cde9769a006741cea4e1891fa18cb64f1d?catalog=439bfcc0-5b36-4bab-b630-98a1a62f7525