But you may be wondering, “How will this work?” Well, the key lies in bringing together the essential players in this virtuous cycle of value creation: the startups, the investors, and the advisors. 

In this article, we will focus on the role and motivations for PGAN ‘angel ‘investor participation in this new program.

In the past, angel investors were typically high-net-worth individuals who provided initial seed money to early-stage startups in exchange for equity and the expectation of future capital appreciation. However, with the advent of the SEC’s crowdfunding regulations and the availability of online investment platforms, it is now possible for anyone to invest in unlisted companies that align with their investment goals. And the investment may be as little as $100. 

Although ‘angel’ investing is higher risk than investing in stocks and bonds, and angel investors must carefully evaluate potential investments, there are many benefits to ‘angel’ investing. 

Let’s look at some of the rewards of ‘angel’ investing :

• Getting in on the ground floor of a potentially high-growth company.
• Diversifying an investment portfolio by including a higher-risk, higher-potential asset class.
• Supporting startups that have a product/service that aligns with investor’s values and beliefs.
• The personal satisfaction that comes from helping to grow a small business.

For me, ‘angel’ investing is an opportunity to learn about new technologies and business models that may radically change our future. And what could be more exciting than that?

Over the next 2-3 months, the PGAN Catapult program, in collaboration with our investment platform provider, will launch several online capital-raise campaigns for the startups that participated in the ‘2023 Entrepreneur Stars’ program. Interested PGAN ‘angel’ investors will have the opportunity to discover, evaluate, and easily invest in PGAN-led startups via our investment partner’s online platform. 

If you are interested  in investing in Catapult Program startups, or just interested in what opportunities are available, then please follow this link and answer a few brief questions.

‘Angel investors’, get ready, get set, and let’s go!

Going beyond her own career journey, Carol shares relevant advice on the mindset shift needed to ascend into senior executive roles. This is the first in a series with P&G Alumni Coaching where leading Alumni will dive deep into relevant topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in your career and life through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their free first coaching session at coaching.pgalums.com 

You’ll enjoy this candid coaching conversation with Carol on not just the big mindset shift needed for executive growth, but also how to get clear on what we want, take ownership of your career, build self-awareness, and go beyond the buzzwords of building an authentic personal brand.

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The “Leaders Under 40 to Watch” Committee, the P&G Alumni Network Conference Committee, and the P&G Alumni Network Board extend their sincere congratulations!   

Procter & Gamble is renowned for hiring high-caliber talent. So, it is not surprising that a subset of P&G alumni go on to create exciting new startups. 

However, building a winning startup is hard and more than half of startups fail. What are the primary causes of these failures? Two recurring reasons are access to funding and the lack of industry and/or operational experience. The new Catapult program aims to address both challenges.

Through the new program, an annual cohort of twenty-five alumni-led startups will be selected for participation in pre-funding clinics geared towards mastering the prerequisites for fundraising success. At the end of the clinic, each startup will have an in-depth understanding of what is required to attract and engage potential investors.

Moreover, the top three startups in the yearly cohort will receive additional hands-on support with pitch deck preparation, business plan assessment, financial modeling, risk evaluation, and other topics that potential investors focus on. At the end of the process, the startups will launch their first fundraising campaign. 

However, successfully raising capital is by no means the end of the startup’s journey. In our next two articles, we will reveal how the PGAN experts and PGAN investors fit into this shared value-creation journey. 

Stay tuned.

Ben Chapman – Cooperative for Education Grant Champion

Cooperative for Education grant champion, Ben Chapman, explains why he championed a grant: “CoEd has had tremendous success over the past 25 years in accomplishing its mission by focusing on breaking the cycle of poverty in Guatemala through education. These are children who often are the only ones in the history of their families who have graduated from high school or even the 6th grade, changing the trajectory for their entire family.”

The $20,000 grant from the P&G Alumni Foundation has helped people like Diego. Rarely do you see someone get the opportunity to return home and give back to the community that raised them, but Diego, at age 28, is doing just that! During his studies at Hacienda María, Diego took advantage of the textbooks and computers provided by Cooperative for Education (CoEd). Today, Diego teaches technology classes in the same Computer Center where he once studied!

Steve Baggott – Breakthrough Cincinnati Grant Champion

Steve Baggott utilizes his 32 years of P&G expertise to support Breakthrough Cincinnati, an agency that energizes underrepresented aspirational students to enter college with confidence. BTC is dedicated to addressing the academic gap experienced by underrepresented local students that, when coupled with the system’s educational inequities, can limit their opportunities for college and prosperity. BTC is transforming the community to advance education, equity, and economic mobility.

The $15,000 Alumni Foundation grant has helped people like Bijin: “Breakthrough is such a positive bubble. It’s such a positive environment where everyone has a growth mindset and the belief that we can be better. I still feel the impact of Breakthrough every day when I’m here at college.”