Managing Director, Elizabeth Kraus
Elizabeth Kraus is a Boulder entrepreneur and angel investor, and co-founder of the Impact Angel Group, a group of investors equally dedicated to making a difference and realizing a return. Prior to founding the Impact Angel Group, Kraus ran her own startups, myUsearch.com and Take it OUT! Fitness, and now spends most of her time convincing smart people that investing for social and environmental impact isn’t just “feel good” investing, but is “real” investing. She is an active angel investor, member of the Boulder Angels and Rockies Venture Club, and has made 19 investments since becoming an angel investor in 2011. She is a startup mentor and advisor, and has been very active in the state and national effort to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem and mobilize angel investors.
Operations Director, Colleen Kazemi
Colleen is a Denver native who began her startup career working for Netscape in Silicon Valley where her passion for startups was ignited. Colleen is a people person who is skilled at identifying, engaging and connecting “potential”. As an active member and influencer of the digital and entrepreneurial community in Denver and beyond, Colleen has committed herself to building upon her experience as an operational and digital expert – driving and guiding great ideas. Colleen strongly believes in supporting new business ventures and as a result has actively participated as a startup mentor to consult startups on their most pressing challenges regarding overall positioning, financing or any other issues they are struggling with in their quest to obtain critical funding. Colleen’s connections with both influential investors and leaders within the local and global digital and startup community paired with her operations experience make her a powerful asset to our team.
Impact Angel Group Fund Committee Member, Stephen J. Szapor, Jr.
Stephen provides strategic planning and financial and marketing consulting services to a variety of emerging companies through his firm, Prospect Growth Partners. In addition, he is Vice Chairman and Co-Founder of Innovation Capital, LLC providing investment banking services to the leisure, entertainment and hospitality industries. Prior to this, Stephen was a Managing Partner of The Innovation Group and also spent 16 years in the hospitality and casino industries acting in such capacities as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for several public companies. Beginning his career with Arthur Andersen & Co., he completed numerous auditing and consulting engagements before joining Merrill Lynch & Co. as a Senior Investment Analyst. Stephen has also served as Chairman of the Colorado Tourism Office Board, as a member of the Colorado Wine Development Board, and as a guest lecturer at Cornell University, Villanova University and the University of Denver.
Our Members, Mentors and Advisors
It takes an angel investor village to vet and support promising early stage startups. The Impact Angel Group has a core membership base of serial entrepreneurs, former fund managers, and successful entrepreneurs and C-level executives in the industries in which we invest. Our members often take an active role in the due diligence process and in supporting their investments. Beyond our official membership, we have a strong group of mentors and advisors who have committed to supporting our investors and the entrepreneurs we work with. Additionally, we have built relationships with nearly 100 national and 75 local active angel investors beyond our membership to collaborate and syndicate with.