Beyond Stanford - Why to Join In Regardless of Affiliation

Founders and investors want expedited deal flow and minimized risk. Both sides seek a mutual sense of credibility before finalizing a deal. They often also seek a mutual sense of camaraderie, shared network, and shared culture. They want to believe in each other, and getting along well helps. Encouraging these parts of the diligence process in turn encourages deal flow.

A shared affiliation with an institute of higher learning provides a productive bond between these two groups, achieving such encouragement. It was from this realization that Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs was first established and first gained its momentum. It seems worthwhile exploring the assumption that those with a shared alma mater have had overlapping formative experiences, are more likely to approach problems with similar strategies, or may view the market in question from similar perspectives. Most importantly, a shared network means mutual connections to business affiliates, strongly reducing the risk of future unreconcilable differences.

Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs has been able to leverage these qualities to encourage deal flow. Our parent organization, the Stanford Alumni Association, must enforce the rule that 90% of our members be Stanford affiliates, but that does not stop others from participating. As information becomes more widely available, and as technology reduces the impediments that distances used to impose, it is becoming increasingly possible for Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs to cast a wider net, including in its evaluation startups additional to those directly affiliated with Stanford.

Given this change, a major goal of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs TC has become to extend the community beyond Stanford affiliates. We are working to enable folks from across the entrepreneurial space to join our events and get to know us better. We encourage startups to send us their materials and request support, we encourage angels to explore the same deals we are exploring, and we encourage the general community to engage with us to help startups.