Startup Investing from the Inside Out (Palo Alto)
Inside the Angel Mind: How Early-Stage Investors Evaluate, Decide, and Support.
👀 What’s It About?
What goes on in an angel investor’s mind? How do founders win that crucial first check? Join us for a candid evening with active investors and founders as they share real tactics, red flags, and lessons from the early fundraising journey.
Whether you’re raising your first round or exploring angel investing, this event offers clarity, connections, and insights from Silicon Valley.
💬 Who Should Attend?
Startup founders raising pre-seed or seed capital
Angel investors or those looking to become one
Venture community members, operators, and ecosystem builders
🤝 Event Organizers
Sustainable Impact Capital (SIC)
An angel investment community of over 150 entrepreneurs and investors, focused on six key sectors: healthcare, AIoT, agri-tech, circular economy, financial inclusion and agentic AI
An investment network formed by entrepreneurs from various fields, focus on the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and search for potential startups that can solve these problems
Startup Island TAIWAN - SV Hub
Showcases the ambition and capabilities of Taiwan’s startup ecosystem on the global stage
Highlights Taiwan startups’ commitment to contributing to international innovation communities
Positions Taiwan as both a global destination for entrepreneurship and a launchpad for international expansion
🌎 Co-Organizers
Peichun Chiang | Representative of SIC Silicon Valley
Peichun Chiang has supported numerous VC-backed startups from inception to IPO, gaining deep insights into the challenges of scaling. She is passionate about helping founders accelerate their journey and bring their visions to life more effectively.
Angela Chen | Representative of SIC Silicon Valley
A serial entrepreneur with a proven track record, and an active angel investor focused on innovation and impact.
🗣️ Speakers
Investors
Gulia IR | Moderator
Gulia Ismagilova, MBA, is a serial entrepreneur and product strategy leader, advising early-stage startups on product, GTM, business models, and fundraising at Nucleate Bio (Bay Area) and Y&Archer (South Korea). She has founded three ventures: Persist AI (biotech/automation), SVDT.Club (executive education with Stanford GSB), and IGPG (design agency). Her work spans the USA, Europe, Russia, and APAC.
David Wu | Acorn Pacific Ventures Partner
David is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur with cross-border experience across Silicon Valley, Taiwan, and Asia. A Carnegie Mellon graduate, he has led global tech firms, achieved multiple startup exits, and is recognized as a Top 100 Global Chinese Influencer in innovation and investment.
Sabrina Paseman | Omni Ventures Founding General Partner
Sabrina Paseman is a founding GP at Omni Ventures, focused on manufacturing tech. A multi-time founder and former Apple product designer, she has shipped millions of devices and now invests in technologies that eliminate tedious and dangerous work, championing bold ideas with empathy and conviction.
Founders
Kevin Hsieh | MirWork Founder
Founder of MirWork, a talent intelligence platform using AI to connect candidates and employers. Previously led product at Meta Reality Labs and Cognoa, with experience building across AI, health tech, and consumer hardware.
Eric Lay | Virio Founder
Eric is a former pro gamer and the founder of Virio.ai, the AI marketer for Vertical SaaS. They work with the largest b2b creators (1M+ followers) and orgs like a16z, & Hubspot to create content that actually drives pipeline.
Agenda
5:00–5:30 PM | Check-In & Networking
Arrive early to meet fellow founders, investors, and community members. Light refreshments will be served.
5:30–5:45 PM | Opening Remarks
A warm welcome from our host, a quick overview of the event, and speaker introductions.
5:45–6:45 PM | Founders & Investors Panel Discussion
Theme: "Angel Investing Unlocked: Founder Realities & Investor Perspectives"
Capital, Decisions, and Growth—How Founders Raise and How Investors Evaluate & Support Early-Stage Startups
6:45–7:15 PM | Founders & Investors Q&A Session
Unfiltered, unscripted, and open for all questions—ask founders and angels anything about early-stage investing.
7:15–8:00 PM | Open Networking
Wrap up the evening with open networking — meet the speakers, connect with other attendees, and keep the conversations going.
📝 RSVP Now — Space is Limited!
Admission is free with registration required, and light refreshments will be provided! Join us to get a clearer view of what it takes to build — or back — the next big thing.
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This event does not involve the promotion of any investment products or guarantees of returns. For knowledge sharing and experience exchange purposes only