The Angel Investment Group of Westchester New York
We exist to support entrepreneurship in the Westchester Area. If you are interested in investing or serious about raising money for your company then lets talk. We are passionate about investing and raising money, growing companies, and having some fun along the way.
About Us
The Westchester Angels is an Angel investor group whose mission is to provide financial and strategic partnerships to entrepreneurs in the New York area. Our interest in companies goes beyond venture capital. We work with, and mentor, the companies we invest in. We meet as a group then work together on due diligence. Our investors make individual decisions to invest, but we often invest as a group.
What brings us together is that we enjoy building businesses, seeing them succeed, and are committed to helping new and innovative companies prosper.
We are also serious about education: we become better investors by learning from each other and studying the art of Angel investing. Join our next course cohort starting soon, learn more about how to become an angel investor here.
We hold our meetings at KOI coworking: 169 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10606.
And after the meetings, we have a drink together downstairs at the Hudson Grill.
How To Pitch
Our Investments
News Room
How Can You Secure and Protect Your Ideas from Investors?
Can angel investors steal your idea? They probably can. But most are not investing in order to steal ideas. Still, there are some things you can do to protect your ideas from investors and everyone else.
7 Signs It’s Time to Approach Angel Investors
Approaching angel investors for seed funding is a critical stage in a company’s development. It is unlikely that you have enough funds to be able to start a company solely off your personal savings or even the combined savings of you and any business partners. Here you will learn about the telltale signs that it is time to approach angel investors. What are the signs that it is time to approach angel investors? There are 7 signs that it is time to approach angel investors:
Can an Angel Investor Sue You?
Can an angel investor sue you? Whether an angel investor can sue depends on the investment. A straight investment in equity makes a lawsuit difficult; there may be more risk of a suit with loan or note investments, especially if the terms are vague. But it is unusual: investors want a return from a company, not a lawsuit.
Do You Have An Entrepreneurial Mindset?
One of the critical factors of success in business and as an entrepreneur is mindset. Creating a business requires that you can imagine yourself creating a business, that you see yourself as a business owner, that you understand and can tackle the challenges of...
How to define the exit strategy for your startup
Most entrepreneurs struggle with defining their exit strategy and presenting a clear one in their pitch. The reason seems to sit in the difference between how entrepreneurs and investors view a business. The exit strategy is your plan for creating such a great...
3 Quick Ways To Turn Off Angel Investors
Much advice is given hopeful entrepreneurs about how to pitch angel investors, but the truth is that what not to do can be as important as what you should do. I interviewed Sandy Wollman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Westchester Angels. He is also the star...
Our Members
Membership is by invitation on an annual basis. Members pay a nominal fee to participate. Individual members are not allowed to solicit business and the expectation is that they are serious about making investments.
We ask members to help with company selection, governance and group management. A sense of humor and a constructive mindset are required. While we are serious about investing in, and growing companies, life is too short to take anything too seriously.
You must also be an accredited investor per the SEC definition.
Investors
Recent Investments
Upcoming Events
Westchester Angels Investor Meeting
Westchester Angels Networking Get Together
| Date | Westchester Angels Investor Meeting | Westchester Angels Networking Get Together |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, 02/19 | 5:45pm-7:45pm | 7:45pm-9pm |
| Thur, 04/23 | 5:45pm-7:45pm | 7:45pm-9pm |
| Wed, 06/17 | 5:45pm-7:45pm | 7:45pm-9pm |
| Wed, 09/16 | 5:45pm-7:45pm | 7:45pm-9pm |
| Thur, 11/5 | 5:45pm-7:45pm | 7:45pm-9pm |
| Wed, 12/16 | 5:45pm-7:45pm | 7:45pm-9pm |
Upcoming Screenings
| Date | Westchester Angels Investor Screening |
|---|---|
| Wed, 02/05 | 9 am-12pm |
| Mon, 04/09 | 9 am-12pm |
| Wed, 06/3 | 9 am-12pm |
| Wed, 09/2 | 9 am-12pm |
| Thur, 10/22 | 9 am-12pm |
| Thur, 12/9 | 9 am-12pm |
Entrepreneurs
If you are selected, you will be given 8 minutes to present to our investors, followed by an 8 minute Q/A session. Interested investors will engage you directly after the meeting in order to conduct due diligence, negotiate terms, and potentially invest. Presenting does not guarantee funding. Decisions to fund are made by individual investors based on their view of the company, the team, and the future.
Please download the Westchester Angels PitchGyde to help you prepare a great pitch.
The Process
1. Application
3. Investor Meeting
2. Pre-Screening
4. Due Diligence
Our Partners
News Room
Join Sandy and his fellow Sharks; Alan Brody, Nick Adams and Ramit Arora as start-ups pitch to advance to the next round. The show features both compelling and some not-so-compelling start-ups and takes many fun twists and turns along the way.
Sunday’s Thru Nov. 25th @8:30 PM (ET) On Zee TV USA
Who We Are
Sandy Wollman
Co-Founder and Managing Director
Sandy Wollman is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of the Westchester Angels. He is also on the Executive Committee for the Veridian Member’s Fund and member of the ARC Angels and has reviewed well over 1000 pitches in the past year. He knows what works and what doesn’t!
Sandy is starring in ”Break Through the Crowd” a new TV show which features startups pitching to investors to get to the next round where the winner receives a large crowdfunding prize. The show combines elements of Shark Tank and The Apprentice and is being televised on Zee Tv in the USA, Canada and the Caribbean.
In addition Sandy created and leads the New York Area Angel Group Leaders Initiative which brings the Directors of the largest Angel Groups in the Tri-State Area together to share deal flow. Being intimately involved in his community Sandy serves on the Westchester County Task force for innovation and created a non-profit to help small business owners succeed.
He is an accomplished distance athlete having competed 3 Ironman Triathlons, The Swim Around Manhattan and was the 470th individual to successfully swim the English Channel.
Jeff Loehr
Co-Founder and Director
Jeff Loehr, Founder and CEO of Engage and expert strategist, marketer and story teller. He has seen hundreds of pitches, thousands of stories and countless marketing programs – he knows what engages and what doesn’t. He developed Engage’s BrandStory framework and leads BrandStory workshops for marketers – he is on a mission to never see another lousy pitch again.
Michael Wieser Esq.
Director
As a co-owner, frequent investor, legal counsel, sponsor and a member of the screening committee of the Westchester Angels, Michael is active in providing deal flow and assisting with due diligence services to the Members.
In addition, Michael is a go-to resource and service provider in the tri-state entrepreneur and emerging company community. Michael counsels emerging companies and startups throughout all phases of growth, as well as the angel investors that fund and acquire them.
For entrepreneurs and emerging companies, Michael collaborates and works with founders from the spark of their idea to the successful growth and scaling of their companies. He provides outside general counsel and advisory board services that help companies create the proper legal and business foundation to make them investor-ready.
Michael is different than any other business attorney as he practices law with a business person’s mindset. A serial entrepreneur having founded 6 startups himself with successful exits, there is nothing that Michael hasn’t experienced as either a lawyer or a business owner.
Finally, Michael is an educator as an adjunct professor for entrepreneurship at Westchester Community College, leads legal workshops for the WEDC organization and teaches business and legal workshops at NYC tech coding schools. He is a frequent lecturer and panelist on business and law panels at conferences and a judge at pitch events.
Scott C. Nevins
Director of Membership
Scott C. Nevins is one of the Senior Investment Advisors of Bernstein Private Wealth Management where he provides asset allocation and wealth planning advice to individuals, families, endowments and foundations, and entrepreneurs. Scott is one of his client’s trusted advisors.
Scott is involved with all financial aspects of his clients including retirement planning, multi-generational wealth transfer planning, and the sale of a business. The culture of Bernstein is a culture of honesty, ethics and where the client always comes first.
