An Angel's Perspective: Aimee Schuster

Hi 👋 Welcome to the Angel Insights newsletter from VITALIZE.

Each month, we feature angel investor interviews to give you unique perspectives, tips, and strategies on early stage angel investing. Share with a friend who may want to subscribe and learn about angel deals. ✨

This edition features Aimee Schuster, an angel investor for almost two years. Her investment focus is on businesses that serve communities or needs currently overlooked.

How did you become an angel investor?

Well, in early 2022 a number of accomplished and amazing women got together for a dinner in Chicago and said, “there are not enough women in angel investing, and we need to change that.” So they compiled a list of ~50 women who might be interested, and held a first event in August 2022.

I was lucky enough to be invited to that event.

Since that time, I’ve written five angel checks. I’ve read, learned, grown and embraced a community I knew nothing about for so many years. Why did it take until I was 43 years old to write my first check? Because women are not on enough cap tables. Because women are not on enough boards. Because women are not in enough c-suites. Because…because…because. But we are changing that!

What type of deals do you like to do?

This sounds so cliché but I love when people have ideas to serve communities/needs that are currently ignored. My two favorite deals so far are:

1. Untoxicated = for people with highly sensitive skin care who have been ignored by the traditional skincare brands; and

2. Joe & Bella = adaptive apparel for older adults or those with disabilities

Though my day-to-day life is as a fractional CMO for B2B orgs, I also love investing in the B2C space.

What is your favorite thing about being an angel investor?

Angel investing is a 3x investment:

1. Supporting great ideas from often underrepresented founders that historically only get (by some estimates) <3% of private investment dollars

2. Investing in these folks is a chance for them to create wealth that will be reinvested in the startup economy

3. As the investor, I have the chance to create more wealth and fund more startups

What is one lesson you've learned as an angel?

Its not as hard or complicated as people think.

Any advice you would give to a new angel investor?

Women are often more likely to want to "donate" to a cause rather than "invest" in a company. We are trained to max our 401k and then donate to charities that align with our values. Angel investing allows you to invest in causes/ideas/people WHILE also increasing wealth. Yes, it is risky, but don't let that scare you. Meet other women who are doing it, ask questions read books (i.e., David Rose: Angel Investing). Make your Angel investing a diversified portfolio and plan for the long term.

What do you think the future of angel investing will look like?

A lot more small checks through organizations like Josephine Collective. We're getting more women into the space in more comfortable ways.

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Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ve been inspired today! 🙂

Peace, love, and angel checks,
GaleforceVC