WHY AWSM EXISTS
Using startups as a way to shift the status quo.
We believe design, digital, data and diversity are the superpowers of the 21st century that if expanded to more people, could produce extraordinary outcomes to help realize... A World Serving Many (AWSM).
100
million startups created each year
$137
billion invested by venture in 2019 in the US
90%
of all venture-backed startups fail
1.8%
# of venture-backed startups led by a Latinx founder (1.0% for Black founders)
No one succeeds alone. To help underrepresented founders close their skill gaps AWSM offers coaches, education and capital access to pre/seed-stage teams to help them move faster, smarter in identifying A Way to Startup Mastery (AWSM).
WHAT AWSM MEANS / FOR FOUNDERS
Counsel to escalate vs. merely accelerate.
Your success champions
As a community, AWSM curates a peer network with 1:many sessions to address needs as they arise and share strategies from serious founders succeeding against the odds.
Active accountability coaching
Helping high potential founders clear obstacles (from within and without) with day-to-day, week-to-week virtual sessions and tools to aid scaling.
The talent & capital access to scale
AWSM combines talent, concept and capital together through introductions to professionals and demos with angels, family offices and seed funds dedicated to dual-bottomline returns.
WHAT AWSM MEANS / FOR FUNDERS
Born to help grow & spread your angel wings.
Leveraging experience to realize value. The smartest founding teams know the benefit of support to address growth needs as they scale. With AWSM, Angels have an opportunity to learn how to de-risk opportunities leveraging their operational knowledge as an unlock to growth.
Build investor insight
Identify opportunities, assess potential and be additive to founders without the overwhelm. Be a great investment partner and learn how to protect yourself from downside risk (within reason).
Increased access to impact opportunities
As a curated network, AWSM brings together emerging tech investors eager to learn with high potential founders & teams serious about creating the next generation of world-class technology companies.
Quality introductions & capital access
AWSM combines potential, concept and capital together by offering introductions to and demos with progressive angels, family offices and seed funds dedicated to dual-bottomline returns.
Even the most brilliant of founder teams can use support to aid growth needs as they scale. On the end, there are increasingly more funders seeking impact-driven startups with meaningful ideas to support.
MEMBERSHIP = MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS
Linking driven 'pre-founders' with the product support, capital and resources to scale
AWSM (“awesome”) was created to work hands-on with impact-oriented pre-product founders but can help founders at later growth stages who are focused on solving big problems seeking a community to learn from and share with.
NO. AWSM is an “escalator”, offering underrepresented founders continuous functional support and access to capital networks without a request for equity. That said, we support accelerators as a coaching resource and can be most helpful after completing any core accelerator program.
AWSM works with industry SMEs & executives to source & validate potential venture concepts while also working with leading trade associations and academia to source pre-founders across various ESG industries (health, financial, climate, education).
Not quite. We create or co-create companies, represent a network of venture investors and are connectors to resources — all to help founders get access to capital (human & financial) in a faster, smarter, non-dilutive way.
WHAT AWSM STANDS FOR
Driven by four AWSM beliefs...
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