1 / 19
First Angel Investor Meetup
Welcome to
Sengo
Closing the Wealth Gap in Private Market Assets Through Evidence-Based Solutions
Presented by Ila Corcoran, Founder & CEO
2 / 19
Introduction
Meet Ila Corcoran
Founder and CEO of Sengo, passionate about closing the wealth gap in private assets and democratizing access to capital for underrepresented founders.
Your turn! Let's hear from you. Share your background and what brings you to angel investing.
(We'll cap intros at ~10 minutes)
3 / 19
Today's Agenda
What We'll Cover
- Brief personal background & introduction of Ila Corcoran
- Optional sharing from attendees (10 minutes total)
- Initial vision and goals for this angel investor community
- Discussion on private markets and angel investing in 2025
- Data on funding gaps and investor returns
- Overview of the Sengo platform
- Preview of our live pitch event at end of month
- Q&A and community feedback
Let's build something great together.
4 / 19
Our Vision
Community Goals
- Create a supportive network of angel investors committed to founders
- Share knowledge, resources, and investment opportunities
- Build authentic relationships between funders and founders
- Democratize access to quality dealflow
- Learn together and grow as investors
Your feedback is welcome!
5 / 19
Meeting Cadence
What These Meetings Look Like
Two Monthly Gatherings
Education Session
Once per month, we gather to discuss angel investing topics, hear from industry experts, and build knowledge together as a community.
Live Pitch Event
Once per month, we host a live founder pitch where you can ask questions, practice due diligence, and consider investment opportunities.
Build expertise, access dealflow, and invest alongside a supportive community.
6 / 19
Mini Lesson
Angel Investing 101: Getting Started
- What is an angel investor? An individual who provides capital to early-stage startups, typically in exchange for equity
- Typical check sizes: $1K-$50K per investment (start small and scale)
- Portfolio approach: Plan to invest in 10-20+ companies to manage risk
- Time horizon: 7-10 years on average for exits
- Due diligence: Evaluate team, market size, product-market fit, traction
- Legal basics: SAFEs, convertible notes, and priced rounds
Remember: Only invest what you can afford to lose.
7 / 19
The Landscape
Private Markets in 2025
- Private assets now exceed public assets by trillions — projected to reach $23T+ by 2027
- 49 million Americans eligible to invest in private companies, yet fewer than 2% actually do
- 5.5 million businesses start annually, but less than 3% access venture funding
- Growing demand for accessible, ethical, community-driven investment pathways
Discussion: How do we democratize access?
8 / 19
Research Evidence
The $14 Trillion Wealth Gap
A Systematic Market Failure on Both Sides
For Founders: Despite representing 32% of the U.S. population and founding nearly half of all new businesses, Black and Latino founders receive only 4% of venture capital, while women-founded companies secured just 1-2.3% of VC funding in 2024.
For Investors: 49 million Americans are eligible to invest in private companies, yet fewer than 2% do — locked out of the fastest-growing asset class.
This dual exclusion creates a $14 trillion wealth gap and leaves billions in unrealized economic value on the table.
Sources: HBCU.VC (2025), Founders Forum Group (2025), Inc. Magazine (2024), Preqin (2023)
9 / 19
The Data
Black Founders: Q2 2025
0.42%
of total U.S. venture funding went to Black founders in Q2 2025
Source: HBCU.VC Q2 2025 Black Venture Funding Report
10 / 19
The Data
Women Founders: 2024
1%
of U.S. VC funding went to all-female founding teams — the lowest in 5 years
2.3%
of global VC funding ($6.7B of $289B) went to female-only teams
20.5%
of first financings went to women-led startups (down from 26.5% in 2020)
13
female-founded unicorns achieved in 2024 (record high, $300B+ valuation)
Sources: Inc. Magazine (2024), Founders Forum Group (2025), PitchBook Data
11 / 19
The Data
Latino Founders: 2021-2024
2.1%
of all venture funding went to Latino founders in 2021
<1%
of top 500 VC/PE deals in 2020 involved a Latino founder
2%
of venture capitalists are Latino/Latina (partner-level and general)
2x
growth in investment crowdfunding for Hispanic/Latinx founders (2023→2024)
Sources: WebSummit (Dr. Paul Judge), Crunchbase (2024), KingsCrowd (2025)
12 / 19
Missed Returns
The Cost of Bias: Returns Investors Are Missing
63%
better performance by companies with female founders vs. all-male teams (First Round Capital)
2.5x
Women generate 78¢ revenue per dollar raised vs. 31¢ for men (BCG/MassChallenge)
35%
higher ROI for women-led teams compared to all-male teams (Kauffman Foundation)
30%
performance advantage for ethnically diverse founding teams vs. all-white teams
Black & Latino unicorns: $24B raised → $125B valuation (5.2x return)
Sources: First Round Capital (2015), BCG (2018), Kauffman Foundation (2013), Harlem Capital (2024)
13 / 19
Root Causes
Systemic Barriers in Venture Capital
Who Makes the Decisions?
82.7% of decision-makers at U.S. VC firms with $50M+ AUM are male, while 17.3% are women.
Only 2% of VCs are Latino/Latina at the partner level.
This homogeneity creates structural barriers through:
- Pattern matching and affinity bias in investment decisions
- Closed networks limiting diverse founder access to capital
- Unconscious bias in due diligence and valuation processes
Sources: Founders Forum Group (2025), Carta Equity Report (2024)
14 / 19
The Solution
What is Sengo?
Building infrastructure for private market access.
- Education: Modular learning that prepares founders and funders to confidently navigate private markets
- Community: Digital hub where members discover, vote on, and invest in community-backed opportunities
- Tech-Enabled Advisory: Hands-on support for founders raising capital
- Events & Experiences: Culture x Capital events blending community, education, and dealflow
15 / 19
Our Impact
We had our launch party in March 2025 and since then...
$5M+ raised by founders at a 167X multiplier
9,400+ email subscribers • Featured in Forbes, NerdWallet, Nasdaq, Business Insider
16 / 19
For Funders
Using the Platform
- Access modular education that builds confidence navigating private market investments
- Join a digital community to discover, vote on, and discuss investment opportunities
- Review curated dealflow from vetted founders building impactful businesses
- Check out our events — from Fashion x Futures pop-ups to pitch sessions
- Connect with aligned investors for co-investment and learning
17 / 19
Live Pitch Event
Meet Cee Cee's Closet
End of the month - Live founder pitch!
Join us to hear from a founder building an impactful business with >$8.5M in lifetime sales. This is your chance to see our dealflow process in action.
A creator-driven brand with strong social media presence and proven traction
18 / 19
Join Us
Let's Build This Together
Join the movement to democratize access to capital
Questions? Ideas? Ready to get started?
Visit app.bysengo.com to enroll as an investor
Thank you for being here. Let's change the game together.
19 / 19
Sources
References & Data Sources
HBCU.VC — Q2 2025 Black Venture Funding Report
Founders Forum Group — Women in VC & Startup Funding: Statistics & Trends (2025)
Inc. Magazine — Women-Led Companies Attracted Just 1% of VC Funding in 2024
First Round Capital — 10 Year Project: Female Founders Perform 63% Better
BCG & MassChallenge — Why Women-Owned Startups Are a Better Bet (2018)
Kauffman Foundation — Women-Led Teams Show 35% Higher ROI (2013)
Harlem Capital — 1,338 Black & Latino Startups That Raised $1M+
Carta — Annual Equity Report 2024
Preqin — Private Markets Projected to Exceed $23 Trillion by 2027
