Angel Squad Wall of Love

I wish I had known about Angel Squad five years ago. I would have made 10x fewer mistakes and learnt 10x more as a budding angel investor. I’ve been part of Hustle Fund’s Angel Squad for just over two months, and all I can say is wow. The amount of detail, intention, and effort that’s gone into building the community is incredible. Hustle Fund has built an exceptional experience for its members - from 1:1 onboarding with a long-time Squad member to educational content, high-quality deal flow, and curated opportunities to connect with investors around the world. Angel Squad is all about enablement, access, and setting investors up for success, whether you're starting or have years of experience. Having been part of multiple syndicates over the years, what sets Angel Squad apart is its culture of transparency, learning, and sharing. There are no secrets - just open, honest conversations about what worked, what didn’t, and why. One of the standout benefits of being a Squad member is the connections. Brian, the GM of Angel Squad, puts in serious effort every month to ensure members get the chance to connect 1:1 with fellow investors, often within the same time zone. I also appreciate the regular workshops, presentations and masterclasses hosted by the team on topics such as Hustle Fund’s investment approach, founder pitches, and post-mortems on deals that didn’t work out. The deals syndicated by the team are accessible, high-quality, and often already backed by Hustle Fund, which means members benefit from the team's early diligence and relationship-building efforts. If you're curious about venture capital or startup investing, I highly recommend signing up for their one-month trial. Dive in, meet people, and most importantly, learn. The collective knowledge, deal-flow access, and problem-solving power within Hustle Fund and the 2,000+ Angel Squad community are massive.

At the center of Angel Squad is a welcoming group of fellow angel investors curious to learn and engage. Brian and his team have built an exemplary model that combines education, collaboration and investing. The communication is transparent, valuable and consistent. The opportunities to engage and connect are boundless. I'm looking forward to being part of the squad for years to come.

Angel Squad is a unique angel investor community. It's been a great way to get exposure to the startup investor mindset, connect with pre-vetted early-stage startups, and find opportunities to add value to founders.

For the fault of nobody other than myself, I assumed Angel Squad existed solely to help me more deeply understand the world of startups and angel investing - but how wrong I was and how much more it has been. The privilege of meeting exceptionally skilled and generous humans is far and gone the greatest benefit of Angel Squad. It’s rarely just a passing meeting, but instead every interaction is an opportunity to build long-term, mutually beneficial and sincere relationships. Throughout my normal day-to-day, Angel Squad is the leading topic of conversation (other than my darling daughters). Joining was a decision I do not regret and strongly recommend for others.

I joined Angel Squad because I love their hippocorn mascot. Where else can you find that? Joking aside, their hippocorn actually reflects who they are as VCs and angels, showcasing their ability to source deals and have fun while building not just a VC firm with a community, but also helping to shape a whole startup ecosystem. There is a lot more to learn from Brian and everyone at Hustle Fund, so I decided to become a lifetime member and made my first investment during the first month of joining.

Angel Squad gave me access to dealflow that was vetted by a VC versus other angel syndicates that are usually getting pitched from the network/word of mouth. It felt like a better use of my time to look at deals that's already been qualified by a professional. Although, I have to say - while I joined for the dealflow, I stayed for the community. Really feels like an open door policy with the team and other angels in the squad - you can ask any question, nothing is silly, and someone is always willing to help.

As a member of Angel Squad, I'm immersed in a community that fosters continual learning, growth, and the sharing of knowledge. This environment empowers us to innovate and contribute towards making the world a better place, one step at a time. Simon Sinek's quote, "Innovation is not born from the dream, innovation is born from the struggle," resonates deeply with the ethos of the Hustle Fund, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and overcoming challenges as catalysts for meaningful innovation!

Angel Squad connected me with wonderful, like-minded professionals, enriching my journey as an angel investor. It's a supportive, engaged community, full of insights and opportunities I wouldn't find elsewhere.

I am so grateful to be part of the Angel Squad community! From demystifying angel investing foundations to the wealth of knowledge shared by fellow entrepreneurs, leaders and operators in this space and beyond is pure gold! This is one of the most engaging communities out there. They are truly democratizing access to wealth and knowledge. Nothing beats their community and the wonderful humans you get to meet with folks looking to help one another. Angel Squad really takes the no a--hole policy seriously!

I'm loving Angel Squad. Been awesome to invest in a number of amazing companies and I’ve been meeting great people. Worth the $$ 20x. Keep up the awesome work.

The team have built something truly differentiated and are helping to democratise knowledge via real practical advice.

Angel Squad is just awesome. One of the coolest things about it is the amazing community it brings together. Seriously, I've met some of the most open, kind, helpful and driven people through Angel Squad. And it's not just about making friends, it's about learning too. The resources and teaching they offer on VC, startups and angel investing are top-notch. Plus, being part of Angel Squad means getting access to some promising and interesting startups and making small check investments that could potentially pay off big time. The community is global, and there is a local community focus too. I love how we meet up for Angel Squad sponsored happy hours regularly, and even when I'm traveling, I can always reach out to fellow squad members for a meetup wherever I go. And let's not forget all the sweet investing and job opportunities that get posted within the group. Angel Squad has definitely been a game-changer for me, building out my network with amazing people and opening doors I didn't even know existed in the startup and VC world.

Thank you for creating this community and pulling back the curtain on the angel investing process (and having more than a bit of fun along the way). Pumped to be along for the journey with this group.

About 18 months ago, Brian Nichols, introduced me to one of the most dynamic, intriguing, and thought provoking communities I have ever been a part of. Angel Squad (its team and its fellow members) have fostered growth in my perspective in business and the world that I would have never thought possible.

Growing up in Silicon Valley, I always had a passion for startups, but after a decade in big tech I wasn’t sure how to make the pivot into investing. Angel Squad became the perfect platform—teaching me the fundamentals of angel investing while giving me the opportunities and community to put it into practice. Since joining, I’ve made several angel investments, started advising founders, and built real friendships with an incredible group of peers. The live sessions and resources make learning seamless, and the community itself is one of a kind - supportive, sharp, and genuinely fun to be part of. Outside of investing, I’m usually chasing down great coffee or planning my next trip.

I've attended a number of angel programs, but nothing is like Angel Squad. The community, learning, and investment opportunities are all incredible.

What a fun, conversation filled evening it was! Hustle Fund's Angel Squad had the holiday party last night in San Francisco. Made new friends. Met some familiar faces. Was I really meeting strangers? It almost felt like friends meeting each other after a long time. Thanks to Brian Nichols Elizabeth Yin, Eric Bahn and team for building such a wonderful community. Happy Holidays! P.S. I usually take better pictures I promise. P.P.S. Only exception is when I was 5ft away from Chris Martin at a Cold Play concert and took an absolutely horrendous photos 😏

My favorite aspect of Angel Squad is its community. It's a gathering of genuine and professional individuals from various domains, providing a rich, diverse environment for learning and collaboration. Angel Squad has significantly contributed to my learnings as an angel investor by offering insights into the science & art of evaluating companies and making a few investment decisions. If I were to describe Angel Squad’s community to a prospective member, it's a place where you're not just networking but actively learning from what is going on in the industry and from domains you're not familiar with. The quarterly local events are also excellent to connect with angels in your area! One key achievement through my Angel Squad membership is the exposure to early-stage startups and the knowledge I've gained.

From the beginning it was obvious to me that you all had built something special here. And I’ve certainly benefited from the excellent deal flow! I’m grateful to be a part of the Squad and looking forward to many years to come.

Angel Squad has been an incredibly warm and welcoming environment for me to push outside of my comfort zone. No matter where you are in your journey, you'll find value.

As a medical professional, angel investing is very foreign, so it's so helpful to learn directly from a venture fund and then to invest alongside them.

Hippocorns are real, and so are communities of good humans. I'm excited to be a part of a community of incredible human beings at Hustle Fund. Angel investing and the venture capital world often feel out of reach and exclusive to the ultra-wealthy who know the right people. Information gets passed along to people who look and sound the same, when it has the power to amplify the work of people who are moving mountains and working to better our world. Hustle Fund is playing a role in changing the narrative. In the Angel Squad, anyone can learn, anyone can invest (~1k checks), and anyone can be an investor. (Plus, Hustle Fund has a hippocorn as their mascot. That's pretty iconic.) How much can we accomplish together if we put more money in the hands of founders who are truly changing the world, building incredible businesses, and are all-around good humans? I put "become an angel investor" on my list of goals in 2019 knowing it would happen at the right time and the right place. The right place is here on the Hustle Fund Angel Squad. And... it's all thanks to an email about hippocorns. Hustle Fund is making big things happen for early-stage startups. I'm thankful to find my place in this community and continue to help early-stage startup founders in new ways.

It all started with a tweet (do we still call it that now that it's X?) from Elizabeth Yin, General Partner at Hustle Fund about a panel back in March 2023 on angel investing with some of her fellow VC buddies -- Amber Illig and Julia Lipton of Awesome People Ventures. These amazing boss ladies started the spark that ignited my own angel investing fire that ultimately led me to joining Hustle Fund's Angel Squad as a lifer in September 2023 and writing/sending my first small check this month. The onboarding materials (videos, taxonomies, best practices, etc) that Brian Nichols, Eric Bahn, Shiyan K., and Elizabeth have put together along with a no a-hole community they've fostered offer newbies like myself everything you need to know to get started, and it's way cheaper than a MBA course or the full program at any elite universities. They even offer a trial subscription, good for 30 days. So yeah, I found my squad. My peeps. A community of like-minded angels who are both investors and founders, or soon to founders themselves (like me, one day). I can't wait to meet and learn from those who came before (Angel Squad 1-11, I see you) and those who will join later (Angel Squad 13+). Here's to "the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently... because they change things, they push the human race forward" and they [angels and founders] can look like anyone. Let's disrupt the heck out of the VC world and the next generation, together!

One of the other challenges historically was that product didn't always translate well into the Venture scene. I think Angel Squad enabled a lot of people with deep product backgrounds and understanding to really take part in this key community. Product managers will also take a different approach - we will look at the product and consider whether or not the offering will actually get to PMF or have the ability to grow into something large. And analysis of user experience and other elements are things a PM will look at that won't always be the case for others. That's why i think product as a key for due diligence and VC is critical. And it's also why it's awesome to be in the squad!

Love the education and networking with Angel Squad. Have been meeting like minded people. Love it!

I have always dreamed of joining a VC or an Angel Community because as an Entrepreneur myself, I've experienced the hassle of building startups from finding co-founders who share the same mindset, knowledge on building a company, networking with investors, and fundraising, mentorships to build a killer product and so many other things. One day I participated in Brian Nichols's session on Angel Investing by Hustle Fund. Angel Squad - an Angel Investing community that helps great companies from Hustle Fund's pipeline raise funds and how an Angel could participate in the round with just $1k. Throughout my journey with Angel Squad: >> I have over 100 angel investor connections >> Over 50 great deals that have around $50k-$500k ARR and I connected them with VCs in my network >> I Met with the above 10 Angels through Squd Pals so far and we have become friends ever since. We now share deal flows, discuss investment opportunities, network with other VCs and investors >> Deal assessment framework that helped me with screening, interviewing, and doing due diligence and decision-making power of any investment >> Lunch Break with Eric Bahn, Shiyan K., and our very own Elizabeth Yin >> Shark Tank Pitch, Live Pitch, IRL meetup opportunities from all across the word >> SPVs participation with just a $1k-$25k checks If you want to break into VC or Angel investing and want to build your own portfolio, want to have top-quality deals and the aforementioned benefits but have no idea how to start, I'd highly recommend you to join Hustle Fund's Angel Squad. Here's how to join in for FREE - bit.ly/3OlnQ8E Feel free to DM me if you need any help.

I don’t know how it’s possible to have such a perfect “good humans” filter, but @HustleFundVC figured it out :) Love being a part of this community. If you’re early in your angel investing journey and want to invest alongside amazing humans, def apply!

Finding your SQUAD brings you closer to becoming who you're destined to be. A SQUAD exists to stretch the group in ways they couldn't have imagined and provide support when needed. Most often, they share your beliefs and compliment who you are. And...one thing holds true: you are all heading in the same direction. Together! This year, I've been fortunate to be in programs that helped me find "my people"...Female Founders who support each other and share in the highs and lows of startup life. Now, I am excited to join a new SQUAD where I can contribute differently to the lives and businesses of female founders. From the beginning, I felt good about joining since my initial conversation with Brian Nichols. However, my meeting with Dimple Kochikar and Nalina Murthy during yesterday's kick-off for SQUAD 12 (Woot🎉 Woot🎉) confirmed I was in the right place. I'm looking forward to LEARNing about angel investing, INVESTing alongside Hustle Fund, and NETWORKing with the fantastic people in the SQUAD. Like everything else, getting to the destination will take some time. But the journey will be well worth it, and I can't wait to share it with you. If you're interested in investing in founders and joining a community open to democratizing information about angel investing, check out Angel Squad: lnkd.in/gY3pFCu8. And, if you want to get an insider's opinion of Angel Squad, message me.  #femalefounders #angelinvesting #squad #startuplife #womenentrepreneurs

Couple of themes that emerged out of numerous conversations I have had with founders and aspiring founders specially in the women’s health space are difficulty raising capital and access to investors (even more difficult during the pre-seed stage). I am so glad I attended one of Brian Nichols Nichol’s events on angel investing! Hustle Fund and Angel Squad are redefining investing and entrepreneurship. Whether you are a founder looking to raise funds and meet community of like minded individuals, operator or a believer in supporting the early stage companies you are passionate about by angel investing with as little as $1K, I highly recommend you consider joining Angel Squad. If you want to kickoff your investing journey, build your own portfolio and get access to top quality deals, here is the FREE Angel Investing Starter Kit - bit.ly/3OlnQ8E DM me if you want to learn more!

Angel Squad Meetup - NY Tech Week Wrapping up this week: I have said it before and I’ll say it again, folks at Angel Squad, Hustle Fund know how to build community! No ego, no silly questions - just rolling up our sleeves and learning from each other. Come for the network, stay for the friends. Thank you Brian Nichols for creating this community! Thank you Conner Roach, Clik for the pictures.

If you have ever wondered what it's like to Angel invest, I can't recommend this group higher, the vibes are so positive, everyone in the community is sharing and learning together, and if a community can embody a growth mindset, this one does. Attend here or ask me any question you'd like, I'm happy to answer.

Founders, this is very true...and exactly why I love what Eric Bahn, Elizabeth Yin and Shiyan K. at the Hustle Fund and Brian Nichols are doing with the Angel Squad. They are creating a high quality community of like-minded investors who are supporting founders and start ups. #founders #startups #supportingstartups #likeminded #people #highquality #community #angelinvestors

One of things I’m learning most while going through Angel Squad is that the framework for success for angels and founders are the same - most likely because we were once or are builders ourselves. Being open, transparent, and available to your Angel community and building extensive networks of the right people, ensures you get in front of the right deals at the right time. It’s also very fun to just help founders because you believe in them. Learning a lot about myself and refining my thesis over the past month has me even more excited about what’s to come. I wanted to start investing because I wanted to understand capital from all sides of the spectrum, a little nudge from one of the Foresight (Techstars 23’) angels (thanks Spectra 😉), and honestly it just felt like a natural career progression. I have the means to do so, so why wait. I’m realizing now, the payoff is becoming a better person and founder. Forever grateful ❤️ Cc: Hustle Fund, Brian Nichols

I used to think I needed a boatload of money, all the right connections, and a successful exit in order to angel invest. But then I found Hustle Fund / Angel Squad. Brian Nichols and the team are democratizing angel investing, creating a safe community where you can ask “stupid questions,” acquire a ton of legit investing knowledge, and write powerful $1k checks vs. hefty $25k checks. For me, angel investing is helping be the change I want to see in the world and supporting founders who are out there doing it. I’ve discovered that operators (like me and you) often make the best angel investors, because we deeply care and have valuable guidance. If you want to start building your portfolio, have access to high-quality deals in categories you are passionate about, but have no idea where to start then check out Hustle Fund. And message me if you want to learn more. 😁

Brian runs one of the best Angel Investing Groups out there - highly recommend getting his guide to get started yourself. I've learned a lot both about investing and also about other businesses and product and growth strategies from Angel Squad and from the practices that Brian has helped to put in place. I highly recommend checking this content out!

About 8 months ago, I joined Hustle Fund Angel Squad to learn about angel investing and build my community (and as an added bonus also help out with marketing). The best thing about it by far has been the people. They practice what they preach: absolutely no a-holes allowed. If you've ever thought even just a little bit about early stage investing, I highly recommend you check it out!

Welcome to the 11th Cohort of Hustle Fund Angel Squad. My experience so far confirms you don't have to be ultra wealthy to be an Angel Investor. Hustle Fund has democratized investing with Angel Squad. You don't have to do it alone. There is so much value in doing it as part of a community. You get to learn from others and Network as well.

Communities are hard. The incentives to participate are often blurry, and change over time, but when you find a great community, something magical happens. The value you get in return incredibly outweighs the energy you contribute. I've had the pleasure of being a part of many communities over the years, and am super excited about this one I've been leaning into the past few months. Angel Squad is led by the incredible Brian Nichols and follows the mission of Hustle Fund as executed by Elizabeth Yin, Eric Bahn, and their entire team. If you're interested in breaking the barrier to startup investing, which is NOT reserved for the ultra-wealthy (it's not even just for $1M+ net worth investors), and learn how to do it, invest $1,000 checks, and be part of an incredible no-asshole community--here's your sign. Let me know if you want to check out the squad. Oh, and if you're a founder--I think all founders should be angels and take a portfolio approach of innovation using their knowledge, expertise, and network.

I’m really happy to have come across Hustle Fund. Like I mentioned to Brian, the HF team has really showed what it means to be super savvy, smart AND kind and thoughtful.

It has been said that your network is your net worth. I could not agree more. It is even more true for angel investing. The Angel Squad has made it their mission to democratize angel investing by demystifying what it is, and how to go about the investments. Their educational component is top notch. But what has impressed me the most in my short time with the Hustle Fund Angel Squad, is the quality of the community they are building. The value that Angel Squad has provided to me has more than exceeded what I paid. I would not be kidding when I say I have 10x'ed my ROI (perhaps even more). I would love to chat with anyone interested (or even just curious) about this opportunity. Feel free to DM me for more information. #investing #investments #opportunity #community #quality #highquality #network #building #networth #angelinvesting #angelsquad #roi

I am so impressed with the caliber of the people I’ve met through Angel Squad. I haven’t been able to participate in many of the events, but I’ve watched a few of the recordings, and they’ve been super insightful. Everybody is just so kind and I can’t wait to go to my first meet up in a couple of weeks. You’ve built a really amazing program!

Recently joined the Hustle Fund Angel Squad. Community, speakers and content are top-notch. Still have a lot of catching up to-do, but this does seem like a great option to take a peek at how things are done from the VC side. Feel free to reach out if you got questions about it! #venturecapital #angelinvesting #startups

I'm blown away by all the high-quality content and possibilities the squad will bring in future. Having a life membership is a no brainer for me.

Joining Hustle Fund made my day.

I joined Angel Squad 😇a few months ago and it has been a great experience so far. I get to see deal flow that I otherwise wouldn’t, but more importantly, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and learn from some great people, who just happen to be really smart and generous with their time. If you are interested in learning more about angel investing, seeing new deal flow or networking in the angel investing community, message me with your email and I’d be glad to send you more info. As they like to say at Hustle Fund: “What happens if everything goes right?” #angelsquad #angelinvesting #accesstocapital

You all lead with the upmost empathy and integrity in everything you all do and I really appreciate it. 

I recently joined Hustle Fund's Angel Squad and I have to say, I am SOOO stoked to be a part of this dynamic, high energy, yet analytical, thoughtful and intentional group of investors/educators. Yes, I said educators, because other than their stated "no A**holes" policy, their ethos mandates that they educate their squad members with what they have learned and has made them successful investors. Not only is the Angel Squad about investing, but they're creating a community of like-minded investors. I've already made multiple connections and learned a TON. AND, investing in Angel Squad's deals can start at as little as $1000, meaning a low barrier to entry. I'm sharing this for anyone in my network who have similar ambitions to be an angel investor. If you have any questions about Angel Squad, feel free to reach out. #community #energy #connections #investing #educators

After 6 + years admiring Elizabeth Yin at Hustle Fund and 4 years nodding along to almost all of Brian Nichols’ posts, I finally joined the Angel Squad community as an Angel investor. As a big supporter of #founders through fundraising and traction coaching to get from 0 to 1, I’m excited to expand my Angel investments over the next few years with this community.

The team has put together something special with the Angel Squad.

I am so glad that I joined, and I’ve been learning so much. I know the team works so hard to pull together the content, speakers, meet ups, as well as all of the resources/tools! I feel so fortunate to be a part of this community. 

Thank y’all SO much for creating such an amazing, supportive, and fun angel community.

We have enjoyed our experience with Angel Squad and the wonderful community of people that you've built that we wanted to make it a permanent thing.

Thank you for creating Angel Squad that helped me jump into the realm of private investments with a crew of amazing no a-holes. I legitimately sense a feeling of belonging in our community and I am always amazed at the overwhelming generosity of knowledge and kindness. I am humbled and grateful beyond words.

It’s been such a fantastic experience thus far with the entire team being so welcoming. Thank you all for making this membership possible. I look forward to continuing to learn and invest alongside you all. 

I'm less than a month into @HustleFundVC's Angel Squad and the biggest surprise has been the world-class deal flow. Wrote my first check less than 48hrs ago and already writing my second.

Join the squad - i've been a part of Angel Squad for ~9 months, and can't say enough good things about the community and their collective approach to investing. @HustleFundVC #hustlefund #angelsquad

Hey friends. Angel Squad is the BEST investment I've made during my pseudo-sabbatical. I am learning so much and it's a tribe with my vibe. 💛 Check it out (and tell them I sent you!).

Hustle Fund has been fantastic so far -- so keep up the amazing work. 

Loving Angel Squad - so much value, super interesting...i could go on and on. Great to see the squad continue to grow and evolve, really exciting.

I love being part of the wonderful community your team has built.

I love Hustle Squad - learning a ton and the access to the INCREDIBLY quality deals/companies is amazing. Kudos all around!

I've only had access for a day but diving into the content on the community has already been so valuable.

The effort and experience in Angel Squad since I joined has been outstanding.

This experience has been a real blessing, and fun to-boot. Thanks for all your hard work and I’m looking forward to many more years. 

Angel Squad aka MY CREW🥰 I've learned about angel investing, awesome investment opps & much more from this tribe of high caliber professionals who are also..wait for it..really kind people! If you want investment experts (@dunkhippo33 @haleymbryant @b_nicks11) by your side..👇

The deal access is incredible. I feel very undersold at the start knowing what I’ve seen recently ;) 

I'd highly recommend Angel Squad. Angel Squad gives you the opportunity to: 1️⃣ Learn the approach that the Hustle Fund team developed from reviewing 40k+ deals 2️⃣ Invest as little as $1k after seeing live pitches from top Hustle Fund portfolio companies 3️⃣ Network with other members at events and get matched 1:1 based on shared interests I personally love the welcoming community, the insights I’m gaining from the resource library and events, and the curated network of aspiring and current investors. On top of this, Angel Squad has been featured in The New York Times and Crunchbase. If you want a community that seeks to make angel investing more accessible, then you should join Angel Squad.

I’m a firm believer that you find your people as you move thru your life. I’m so grateful that I found Angel Squad. I had always been interested in VC and learning more. It can be intimidating when you’re deciding to jump in. Everyone I have interacted with at AS have been top notch human beings. I have learned so much sitting thru pitch meetings, interacting with founders. It feels good to have the avenue to find cool causes/problems that need solutions and support people doing the work. That wouldn’t be possible without Angel Squad. I know it’s a privilege to be apart of this community!