The Diligent Observer Podcast

Juan “Sebastian” Garzon serves as the Executive Director of Alamo Angels, the largest angel network in Texas. In his role, he facilitates access to capital via angel investing to companies across the U.S. and Latin America. Through his strategic guidance, Alamo Angels has invested in over 50 companies to date.

Sebastian's exceptional acumen and dedication have been recognized by industry peers and publications alike. His notable accolades include being named to the prestigious Texas Top 100 for 2024, as well as being recognized as a recipient of "40 Under 40" in Corpus Christi. Moreover, his commitment to continuous growth and excellence led him to complete the rigorous VC Unlocked program, a collaborative initiative between Stanford University and 500 Global, designed to empower emerging venture capital leaders from around the world with cutting-edge insights and strategies.

Beyond his career in investment, Sebastian is also the visionary behind Passport2Fluency, a company aimed at empowering individuals to enhance their Spanish language skills. Through Passport2Fluency, he embodies his passion for education and cultural exchange, making a tangible impact on the lives of countless learners seeking linguistic proficiency and global connectivity.

During our conversation, he discusses: 

• The importance of curating high-quality companies and connecting with the right investors
• Growing Alamo Angels and their focus on Latin American startups
• Cultural differences between U.S. and Latin American business interactions
• Leveraging community-driven approaches and simplifying the investment process
• The role of strategic partnerships and cultural intelligence in building trust
• Integration with Velocity Texas and shared resource benefits
• Creating a sense of community and facilitating organic learning through events
• Expanding investment opportunities in South Texas and cross-border activities
• Long-term potential of startup activity and nearshoring trends

Connect with Sebastian:

LinkedIn | Instagram

Stuff We Reference  

• Disney
• Stanford VC Unlocked 
• South Coast Angel Network

Want more? 

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• Check out the entire show library and follow via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

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

Brook Stroud is a Senior Principal at Alumni Ventures, where he applies his passion for early-stage investing, drawing from his experience as both an entrepreneur and investor. He founded and successfully exited two consumer startups: La Matera, a fashion brand, and Somerset, a beverage company.

Prior to Alumni Ventures, Brook worked at Brand Foundry Ventures, focusing on early-stage investments, due diligence, and portfolio management. He also gained valuable fintech experience at Funding Circle during its expansion phase leading up to its IPO.

Brook earned a BA in History from the University of Richmond and an MBA in Finance from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business, where he was awarded the McCombs Entrepreneur Summer Fellowship. He is particularly passionate about working with bold founders, leveraging his entrepreneurial and investing background to focus on founder psychology, early-stage data inefficiencies, and identifying high growth opportunities across various sectors.

During our conversation, he discusses: 

• The evolution of entry barriers in software and the advent of AI.
• Brook’s entrepreneurial journey and learnings from running a fashion brand and a beverage company.
• The significance of founder-market fit and having a deep passion for a space.
• Strategies for evaluating consumer retail and SaaS investment opportunities.
• The importance of diversification in angel investing to manage risk.
• Navigating the noise in SaaS investments amidst technological advancements.
• The role of resourcefulness in angel investing when direct access to founders is limited.

Connect with Brook

LinkedIn

Stuff We Reference

• Nike
• Alex Stroud
• Ralph Lauren
• Ralph Lauren RRL Brand 
• Texas A&M University
• Funding Circle
• London Stock Exchange
• University of Texas
• Rockstar Energy
• Monster Energy
• LaCroix

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.

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

Patrick Farrell founded Potomac Angel Capital in early 2022 to bring like-minded angel investors together in the D.C. area to invest in mission-driven, early-stage entrepreneurs for mutual financial benefit, lasting impact, and meaningful relationship. As the Executive Director, Patrick is intimately involved in sourcing deals, hosting events, leading diligence, and serving as a trusted advisor to investors/portfolio companies. In late 2023, he moved to Austin, TX to expand PAC and plant a second angel network as part of a vision to enable flourishing entrepreneurial ecosystems in cities across the U.S.

Prior to PAC, as part of the founding executive team at Nehemiah Security, Patrick was responsible for evaluating acquisition and funding opportunities to grow and eventually exit the business. Patrick was also responsible for Operations at Nehemiah, where he functioned as an executive leader in legal, recruiting, compliance, security, procurement, and cross departmental projects.

Patrick is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a double major in Human & Organizational Development and Economics, where he attended on a full-tuition Dean’s Academic Scholarship.

During our conversation, he discusses: 

• The benefits of investing together versus investing alone
• Challenges in running and operating angel networks
• The importance of the founder's spiritual and emotional health
• Evaluating founders based on specific traits such as openness and boldness
• Starting PAC and the expansion to Austin
• Emphasis on relationships and community within the investment process
• Balancing impact with potential profitability in investments
• Navigating the macroeconomic factors affecting early-stage investments
• Lessons learned and the potential pitfalls in sticking to core values

Connect with Patrick

LinkedIn | Website

Stuff We Reference 

• Semester at Sea
• Manaus Brazil
• DEET
• Please Assist Me
• Stephanie Cummings
• Rashad Cummings
• Principles by Ray Dalio
• Grant Van Cleve
• Tech Coast Angels
• South by Southwest
• CTAN

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.

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

Phil Jung is a Partner at Sovereign’s Capital where he invests in Seed and Series A stage technology companies led by faith-driven entrepreneurs across the U.S. and Southeast Asia. He was previously the CFO and CPO at Mindoula, a healthtech company that serves populations with complex behavioral health, medical, and social challenges. Prior, he was with the Maryland Venture Fund, Foundation Capital, and TDF Ventures, leading investments in early and growth stage technology companies. He began his career at KPMG’s Risk Consulting practice in Silicon Valley and co-founded the Jeremy Lin Foundation, a non-profit whose mission is to serve at-risk youth through education and leadership development in underserved communities.

During our conversation, Phil discusses: 

• His career transition from KPMG to Sovereign’s Capital
• The role of mentorship and relationship-building in venture capital
• Reflecting on the influence of his musical background on his professional life
• The importance of a supportive investor-founders relationship
• Sovereign’s Capital’s mission
• Examples of impactful investments like Grab and Preveta
• Phil's tips on transitioning from consulting to VC
•  Insights into Sovereign’s early stage venture funding strategy

Connect with Phil

LinkedIn

Stuff We Reference  

• Georgetown University
• Heny Kaestner
• Luke Roush
• Bandwidth
• Grab
• Anthony Tan
• Ambassadors Impact Network
• Potomac Angel Capital
• Harvard Business School
• NASDAQ
• Preveta

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.

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

Dr. John Criscione is a professor of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University who trains medical device engineers while simultaneously inventing, testing, and commercializing medical technologies. Dr. Criscione has been serving in this capacity for over 20 years and also serves as the CTO for CorInnova, a biomedical technology company focused on addressing Acute Heart Failure. 

During our conversation, he discusses: 

* The importance of disagreement for innovation

* Translating inventions into marketable products

* The challenges of new technologies and indications in medical devices

* The pivotal role of angel investors in technology development

* Navigating the 'valley of death' in medical technology commercialization

* The specific difficulties of pediatric medical devices

* Partnering for commercialization versus solo invention

* The role and impact of the Southwest Pediatric Device Consortium

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. 

What We Cover:

* 00:00 The Nature of Innovation 

* 04:08 John’s Journey into Biomedical Engineering 

* 06:09 Challenges in Medical Technology 

* 10:47 The Valley of Death in Medical Innovation 

* 13:57 Funding and Investment Challenges 

* 15:12 CorInnova's Inception and Early Years 

* 20:51 The Double Whammy of New Technologies 

* 25:59 The Role of Angel Investors 

* 28:33 The Burdens of Innovation 

* 35:52 Challenges in Pediatric Medical Devices 

* 40:20 Key Questions for Pediatric Device Investment

Connect with Dr. Criscione:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-criscione-6a56833/

* Website: https://engineering.tamu.edu/biomedical/index.html

* Website: https://swpdc.org/

* Website: https://www.corinnova.com/

Connect with Andrew

* Newsletter: https://thediligentobserver.substack.com

* X: https://twitter.com/AKazlow

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkazlow/

* Book: https://angelops.pitchfact.com/

* Website: https://pitchfact.com/

Stu

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.

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

Dr. Margaret Bacheler is the Director of Educational Initiatives for the Angel Capital Association, where she oversees the Ann and Bill Payne ACA Angel University program. Dr. Bacheler is passionate about inclusive economic development, facilitating opportunities for multigenerational wealth creation, and diversifying the ranks of angel investors and the founders they support. She has also been awarded a National Science Foundation grant to elevate Early Stage Investing in the Deep Tech Space. She holds an Ed.d in Educational Leadership from Widener University, an MBA from Saint Joseph’s University, and a BA in World Politics from Hamilton College, where she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. She is an active angel investor with angel investments in angel funds designed to support female founders.

During our conversation, she discusses: 

* Her journey into angel investing, sparked by a women's investing conference. 

* The importance of due diligence in mitigating investment risks. 

* Key factors to evaluate in founders and startups.

* The broad scope and diversity of angel investment opportunities, from deep tech to clean tech to women's health.

* Common misconceptions and learning challenges faced by new angel investors.

* Strategies for potentially successful angel investments, and the importance of a diversified portfolio.

* The growing educational tools and resources available for angel investors.

Connect with Margaret & the ACA

LinkedIn | Website | Angel University Schedule | AngelBox Toolkit

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.

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

Matt Bell was born and raised in the UK, has lived on 4 continents, worked in, or visited, over 50 countries, and now calls Houston, Texas, home. His career journey has taken him from field operations to company leadership and corporate venture capital, from startup to growth stage, and on to strategy consulting, marketing, and angel investing.

As co-founder of MessageUp and Strategic Piece, Matt works with B2B companies to make messaging and content more effective without overburdening their teams. This reflects his belief that content marketing has become mission-critical and will differentiate successful B2B companies from the rest in an increasingly digital-first world.

As Vice President of the Imperial College Foundation, he helps enable tax-efficient giving from US-based alumni and friends that supports ground-breaking research and the highest quality education at Imperial College. 

During our conversation, he discusses: 

• The concept and challenges of content marketing for early-stage B2B companies
• The importance of brand awareness and building a consistent audience early
• The pitfalls of poorly executed marketing strategies
• Aligning corporate and marketing objectives to measure effectiveness
• The impact of AI on content creation and the need for authenticity
• Key considerations for investors evaluating a startup's marketing strategy
• The evolution of the CMO role and strategic marketing importance
• The future trends in marketing and buyer behavior

Connect with Matt Bell

Get access to expert coaching from Matt with the B2B Marketing Tune Up, an online cohort for B2B business leaders

LinkedIn | Website | Newsletter | Books | Voice Acting

Stuff We Reference

• GeoDynamics
• HAN 
• Owl Spark at Rice University
• Red Labs University of Houston
• Rice Business Plan Competition
• To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink

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.

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

Marshall Smith is a seasoned WealthTech investor and corporate development leader with over 18 years of experience in WealthTech, Fintech and SaaS. He is the Managing Director of First Rate Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of First Rate Inc, the global leader in data aggregation, performance, and reporting solutions for over 500 Wealth Managers, Family Offices and Asset Managers across five continents.

Marshall leads the strategy and execution of minority investments in early-stage WealthTech startups, as well as majority acquisitions of successful WealthTech platforms globally. He also co-founded and serves on the advisory board of WealthTech Strategy Partners, a boutique advisory firm that helps early-stage WealthTechs. Additionally, he is a co-founder, board director, and accelerator selection committee member of The Founders Arena, a unique and first-of-its-kind go-to-market accelerator for WealthTech companies. 

Marshall holds the CIPM credential from the CFA Institute and has published multiple white papers on risk management and performance measurement. He is passionate about fostering innovation, collaboration, and impact in the WealthTech ecosystem.

Marshall lives in Southlake, Texas with his Wife Shannon and four kids. They are involved in Business as Mission, Adoption and Foster Care Ministry and serving their local church.

During our conversation, he discusses: 

• The definition of WealthTech and its relation to FinTech
• The importance of progressive product market fit
• Key factors for evaluating investment opportunities in WealthTech
• Hiring talent worldwide
• Importance of angel investors adding strategic value beyond capital
• Navigating sales cycles and target markets within WealthTech

Connect with Marshall

LinkedIn | X

Stuff We Reference

• First Rate Ventures
• WealthTech Strategy Partners
• Bloomberg Terminal
• Wall Street Journal
• Fispoke
• First Rate Fispoke Press Release
• Owl ESG

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.

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

 John Jeffers brings 32 years of energy industry expertise spanning leadership roles at ExxonMobil, Schlumberger, and Southwestern Energy to our conversation. Since 2020, he has channeled his extensive corporate experience into angel investing, startup mentorship, and co-founding Revolution Turbine Technologies, focusing on waste energy recovery and natural gas decarbonization solutions. 

During our conversation, he discusses: 

• His transition from working in oil and gas to angel investing
• The role of subsidies and unit economics in clean energy
• The potential of waste heat recovery technologies
• The future of hydrogen as a fuel and potential methods of production
• Strategies for evaluating investment opportunities in clean energy
• The significance of understanding both customer needs and operational integration when evaluating a new technology
• The necessity for adaptability and strategic pivots 

Connect with John
LinkedIn | Website

Stuff We Reference

• ExxonMobil
• Schlumberger
• Southwestern Energy
• SWAN Impact Network
• Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator
• Dartmouth College
• Rice University
• SMU Cox School of Business
• PitchBook
• Inflation Reduction Act
• Imperium Technologies
• Greentown Labs Houston
• Skyven Technologies
• Kanin Energy
• Janice Tran
• Rice Energy Tech Venture Forum
• Koloma
• Breakthrough Energy Ventures

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.

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

Geoffrey Cheng is the Investment Manager for Comcast SportsTech. Before working at Comcast SportsTech, he was lucky enough to work alongside entrepreneurs and management teams from seed stage to growth stage. He's been one of the first employees at a startup, worked at a media investment advisory firm (where he worked on deals impacting over $750M in total assets), and spent time with dozens of startups as investor, advisor, and ad-hoc fundraising guru.

During our conversation, he discusses: 

• The transition from computational biology to investment management
• Building key partnerships and strategy at Comcast SportsTech
• The essence of impact in his career approach
• Differentiating factors in sports and media investments
• Importance of establishing key partnerships in the sports industry
• Current trends like the intersection of gaming and sports
• Advice for angel investors in sports-related deals
• The cultural influence of sports and media

Connect with Geoffrey

LinkedIn | Website 

Stuff We Reference

• Triller
• Tiktok
• Comcast
• Premier League
• PGA Tour
• NASCAR
• University of Notre Dame
• NFL
• NBA
• FIFA
• Salesforce
• Ryan Reynolds buys Wrexham
• Ferguson | Michael Brown
• Azure
• Amazon
• Arsenal
• Chelsea
• Sky
• Peacock
• Call of Duty
• Fortnite
• Roblox

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.

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