The Southwest Angel Network (SWAN) is pleased to announce the creation of a North Texas chapter of our organization. This chapter will provide local support for impact investors located in the Dallas and Ft. Worth metropolis. This exciting new development will be in collaboration with Social Venture Partners Dallas (SVP Dallas). SVP Dallas, founded over 20 years ago, has over 200 partners in the Dallas area and provides pro-bono consulting to non-profits and social enterprises throughout the metroplex. SVP Dallas has also made impact investments in early stage companies and wants to expand their activities around impact investing in the Metroplex.
Heather Gilker is the founding Executive Director of the North Texas branch, and has joined SWAN’s Board of Directors. Heather is also a partner at SVP Dallas and currently oversees its Portfolio Review Committee. Heather is excited for SWAN and SVP Dallas to work together to build a more robust impact investment ecosystem specifically in Dallas/Ft. Worth and Texas more broadly.
Bob Bridge, the founder of SWAN shared, “SWAN is excited to have SVP Dallas and Heather join in our network’s work of investing in those young companies who are striving to address serious societal and environmental challenges. And while SWAN currently has angel investors from across the country including Dallas, this is the first time we have made a focused effort to expand our well-proven operating model into a specific location outside of Austin”.
The collaboration with SVP Dallas will enable SWAN to join SVP Dallas’ current robust network which includes its incredible group of dedicated partners, foundations and other DFW organizations. SVP Dallas Partners will have an opportunity to join SWAN as part of their SVP Dallas membership at an expanded level of membership which will roll-out over the next few months. “This collaboration with SWAN is just one of the initiatives that SVP Dallas is undertaking to provide the opportunity for its partners and ecosystem to gain greater access to impact investment opportunities”, according to Tony Fleo, Executive Director of SVP Dallas.