Social Enterprise Trains Women Philanthropists in Angel Investing

The Pipeline Fellowship, founded by Natalia Oberti Noguera, is a unique social enterprise with a mission to train women philanthropists to become angel investors. It provides education, mentoring and practical experience to women with a proven track record of performance in social entrepreneurship.

Women who receive the Pipeline Fellowship commit to invest in a for-profit social enterprise that must be headed by a woman. At the end of the training program, the Fellows give this commitment in exchange for equity and a board seat. The Pipeline Fellowship describes its mission as diversifying of the investor pool and connecting women social entrepreneurs with investors.

The Fellowship has recently announced its NYC Pipeline Fellowship class of 2012. The class will include 20 women from diverse sectors such as finance, real estate, media, consulting and non-profit organizations. The program will commence on February 10 with a conference on angel investing. The program will also include a number of work sessions and social networking events for the fellows.

The Pipeline Fellowship also invites woman-led for-profit social enterprises that are keen to make a presentation at one of its Pitch Summit Series. To become eligible for this opportunity, the social enterprise must at least be co-founded and co-owned by a woman, must have a for-profit legal structure, and must demonstrate a social and/or environmental mission.

To become eligible for the Pipeline Fellowship, three key criteria laid out are that the candidate must meet one of the accredited investor definitions, demonstrate an interest in the group learning model and a passion for social change and/or philanthropy. A majority of Fellows chosen have no prior experience in angel investing. Candidates are driven by the three key parts of the program, which include education, mentoring and practice.

The Pipeline Fellows gain an advantage from the diversity of each participating individual. Fellows range in a wide age band from twenties to sixties, and come from diverse professional backgrounds. Fellows in the past have included a private dental practitioner, a small business owner, a tech worker, a consultant, an art dealer, and even a stay at home mom.

Sources:

BetaBeat
Pipeline Fellowship

Photo Credit: Marinela