Minneapolis angel investment firm expanding to KC, names McCoolidge managing partner
July 9, 2019 | Startland News Staff
A former leader of the Mid-America Angels fund could be the secret to establishing Minneapolis-based Sofia Fund as a new investment resource for women-led companies within Kansas City, said Cathy Connett.
“The Midwest continues to be a hub of startup activity,’ said Connett, Sofia Fund CEO. “Extending our footprint to Kansas City gives us access to an active investment community that attracts entrepreneurs from throughout the world, particularly female founders.”
Laura McCoolidge joined Sofia Fund as its Kansas City-based managing partner June 1, Connett said, after having served in a similar role for Mid-America Angels for more than a year, ending in March. McCoolidge is one of five managing partners for Sofia Fund.
Sofia Fund “invests in and grows exceptional women-led companies to maximize returns for investors by bringing its portfolio companies successfully to profitable exits,” according to the firm. Its investment team has invested more than $10 million in 50 companies.
Click here to learn more about the kinds of companies sought for Sofia Fund’s portfolio.
McCoolidge is a newly appointed Kauffman Fellow, as well as the former executive director of Nebraska Angels, a member of the Angel Capital Association (ACA), a mentor for Pipeline, and serves as a board director for NE Enterprises LLC, an organization created to evaluate early stage and international investment opportunities for the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Featured Business

2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
New Black & Veatch accelerator bent on changing the world, powered by LaunchKC
A new accelerator powered by LaunchKC is Black & Veatch’s attempt to “create the world that we want,” said Hyleme George, director of the freshly announced IgniteX CleanTech program. “It’s a world that we want to invest in to accelerate the adoption of sustainable infrastructure,” George continued. “What that means is a world where there’s…
Blockchain KC event aims to put Kansas City on the map for crypto thought leadership
Kansas City is running low on blockchain-fueled innovation, said Shekhar Gupta. “I want to see Kansas City as one of the top places where people think about blockchain,” said Gupta, chief technology officer of Overland Park-based SaaS firm Asuun, and organizer of the inaugural Blockchain KC conference. “I have a big map on my wall…
‘Heartbreaking but empowering’: Nipsey Hussle’s life, death inspire entrepreneurs to action
The Marathon will continue, Wesley Hamilton said, echoing tens of thousands of mourners now pledging to keep alive the transcendent entrepreneurial spirit of rapper-turned-community leader Nipsey Hussle. Hamilton, founder and executive director of the KC-based nonprofit The Disabled But Not Really Foundation, was among a dozen or more Kansas City entrepreneurs in Los Angeles Thursday…
Inmate to business founder: Determination, Incorporated adds partner with lived experience
Determination, Incorporated’s new partner in compassion places a new lens on the impact the prison-to-founder non-profit could have, said Kyle Smith. “I’ve gotten this non-profit this far, but I can’t do it alone,” said Smith, founder of Determination, Incorporated, which uses entrepreneurship to curate new opportunities for formerly incarcerated people, on the addition of his…
