Navigating Angel Investment with Sandy Wollman

Sandy is the Co-Founder/Managing Director for the Westchester Angels, board member of the Angel Capital Association and leads the ACA’s National Syndication efforts. Sandy’s career started with 3M as a Product Development Engineer for Hook and Loop Fasteners (Velcro).  While at 3M, he was awarded a patent for a woven fastener with superior tensile strength and reduced raw materials costs by over 25%. After, Sandy joined Carna Mills, a large textile converting company, in Manhattan’s notoriously challenging garment center. Sandy built the Indian Fabric division to one of the largest in the country. As garment producers started to source their own fabrics, Carna Mills and many other textile converters were forced out of business by the changing landscape.

Recreating himself, Sandy became a fee only Financial Planner and was an active member of the Financial Planning Association in Westchester. After leaving that industry a few years later, Sandy formed and self-funded The Small Business Advisory Alliance, a 501(C) 3 to help local small business owners. While running the SBAA, Sandy started running into startups that had scalable business models that were suitable for Angel Investing. Having researched the thriving angel space in NYC and learning there was no angel group in Westchester County, Sandy started The Westchester Angels with his partner Jeff Loehr.

Lastly, Sandy is an accomplished distance athlete having competed 3 Ironman Triathlons, The Swim Around Manhattan and was the 470th individual to swim the English Channel.

Kevin Blevins is the Portfolio Development Executive for SMB and Startup Companies and manages the Siemens Digital Industries Software Startup Program. He works with the Siemens sales organizations as well as Siemens Partners to engage and evangelize the Siemens Startup Program in the Americas. Kevin has spent more than 35 years in the Engineering and Manufacturing software industry. Prior to this he spent seven years in the automotive design industry. Kevin has been with Siemens for 33 years. During this time, he has held positions in Technical Support, Technical Sales Support Leadership, Sales Director for the Automotive Region, Partner Sales Executive, and his current position. Kevin has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI.

Established in 2015, Westchester Angels is a cohort of strategic investors and bold business leaders from across the Tri-State region. We share a passion for fueling the area’s most promising start-ups and setting them on a path of growth and success. But our interest in companies goes beyond just venture capital — we work closely with and mentor the entrepreneurs we invest in. Our members are also passionate about learning new things, building community, and having fun right here in Westchester. You can learn more about Westchester Angels here.