Raising Angel Capital the Right Way

​Most founders wants to raise capital, but few truly understand how angels think. At the earliest stages, investors aren’t just betting on numbers; they’re betting on you, your vision, and your ability to turn strategy into traction.

​In this workshop, Aaron Favreau, Executive Director at Spark Angels, will demystify the early-stage fundraising process and show you what it really takes to attract and close pre-seed and seed-stage investment. You’ll learn how to:

• ​Understand the mindset of angels and early VCs and what drives their decisions

• ​Build a strategic fundraising toolkit that connects your story, your numbers, and your growth plan

• ​Communicate your business model and milestones in a way that builds investor confidence

• ​Align your capital raise with the next stage of your company’s growth

​Aaron will also share insights from both sides of the table...what makes a deal compelling, where founders go wrong, and how to build long-term relationships with the right investors. You’ll walk away with a clearer strategy for your raise, plus the tools and language to engage angels with confidence.

​About Aaron Favreau
Aaron Favreau is the Executive Director of Spark Angels and Executive Director of Venture Madness, two cornerstone organizations fueling Arizona’s early-stage innovation ecosystem. Through these roles, he helps connect high-potential founders with the investors, resources, and community support they need to scale.

​Before leading Spark Angels and Venture Madness, Aaron served as Director of Venture Investing at AZ Venture Capital, where he helped deploy capital into some of the Southwest’s most promising startups. His career spans venture capital, public service, and strategic advisory work—including leadership roles in the Office of the Governor of Arizona and at Camelback Strategy Group—giving him a deep understanding of how policy, capital, and entrepreneurship intersect.