Angel Academy Session 2 puts two founder-turned-investors on stage: Neal Bloom and Ashok Kamal. Both built companies, stumbled through first exits, and eventually landed on the investor side of the table. The conversation covers what actually changes when you go from pitching to writing checks — how to evaluate founders when there's nothing but a prototype, why saying no fast is a form of respect, and what most first-time angels get wrong about time horizons and portfolio construction. It's a candid, unscripted look at the operator lens that shapes how both of them deploy capital.
Key Topics
Neal's founder-to-investor arc: aerospace to startups to fund manager
Ashok's path from recycled-backpack startup to NuFund
Why saying no quickly is the most respectful thing an investor can do
Being helpful versus intrusive as a post-investment supporter
First-check misconceptions: what new angels get wrong
Jockey versus horse — evaluating founders when traction is thin
NuFund's annual fund model and top-quartile performance
How to think about projections at the earliest stages
Links & Resources
San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC): https://sdac.sdsu.edu
NuFund Venture Group: https://nufund.com
SDSU ZIP Launchpad: https://ziplaunchpad.sdsu.edu
Rising Tide Partners: https://risingtidepartners.co
Connect on LinkedIn
Neal Bloom: linkedin.com/in/nealbbloom
Ashok Kamal: linkedin.com/in/ashokkamal
