individual angel investors.

Specifically, we analyzed 2000 individual angel investors and looked at Investor Mosaic factors such as an investor’s stage of entry, past exits, network centrality, and brand, among other things, in order to understand who the top angels really are.

The top-ranked angels included well-known names such as Naval Ravikant, Ashton Kutcher, Tim Ferriss, and David Tisch as well as some lesser-known names as you will see below.  As always, the data in this brief all comes from CB Insights.

The analysis is broken down as follows:

• Which angels have the best network?
• Which angels have the highest investment follow-on rate?
• The Top 20 Rankings
• What sectors & industries are the top angels focused on?
• Where are top angel investors investing – geographically?

Top Angels in Investment

Infrastructure repair is an important part of an economy.  Laura Tyson writes about why.  Infrastructure

The question of “Who is Minding the Gap?” is particularly timely and relevant to our national science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) higher education reform efforts because the retention and persistence of an ever increasing number of women in STEM at the baccalaureate level is heavily dependent upon the number of women faculty represented at all professorial levels in STEM fields. Recent literature supports this notion and suggests that a critical mass of women faculty in postsecondary STEM education is necessary to adequately support the needs of women undergraduate students. In fact, Bettinger and Long (2005) have shown that one of the greatest influences on and determinants of success in STEM disciplines for women students is access to same-gender role models. Additionally, O’Neill (2002) reports that same-gender and same-race mentoring often involves stronger psychosocial support that may yield better career outcomes.   Who is Minding the Gap

Apparently for employees who are neither at the top nor the bottom of the food chain, a LinkedIn entry and resume is the answer to making good connections for work. Linked In for Employers and Employees

Key findings include:

Small firms report rising costs, including financing costs, as key growth challenge in 2013

• Two in three firms experienced increasing costs of running their business and a quarter said it was their biggest growth challenge

• Two in five firms reported increasing financing costs

• The number of firms reporting being priced out of credit markets increased to 5 percent in 2013 from 3 percent in 2012

40 percent of firms applied for credit in 2013 – not a significant change from 2012

• Lines of credit and business loans continue to be the most sought after credit products with 70 percent and 52 percent of applicants seeking each product respectively

• While 39 percent of applicants sought credit to cover day-to-day operations, 30 percent sought credit to expand their business or make capital investments – a significant increase from a year ago

Firms continue to report small credit needs and high application costs

• Most applicants sought relative small loans: 90 percent sought under $1 million and 51 percent under $100,000

• Applying for credit is time consuming – on average firms spent 33 hours applying for credit, contacted three financial institutions, and submitted three credit applications

Overall approval rates remained constant from a year ago; credit market continues to be favorable for profitable and experienced firms

• 58 percent of applicants received at least some of the credit they applied for in 2013 – not a significant change from 2012

• 37 percent of credit applicants were profitable, down from 44 percent in 2012; however, 76 percent had credit experience, up from 69 percent

• Experienced and profitable firms typically sought larger loan amounts, had higher approval rates, and faced unchanged or decreasing financing costs

Credit demand will remain strong in 2014

• 37 percent of firms plan to apply for credit in 2014 and 17 percent have not made a decision

• Applicant pool likely to increase: fewer firms reported having sufficient financing and being debt averse in 2013

• More than half of unsuccessful applicants and non-applicants report interest in exploring new financing types and contacting new lenders

About the Small Business Credit Survey

The Small Business Credit Survey (SBCS) is a semi-annual survey of establishments conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Outreach Team, reporting information about business performance, financing needs and choices, and borrowing experiences. Responses to the SBCS provide insight into the dynamics behind aggregate lending trends and shed light on noteworthy segments of the small business credit market (as reported by borrowers). The SBCS captures the perspectives of businesses with fewer than 500 employees in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Results are weighted to reflect the full population of small businesses in the four states of coverage.

The State Council, China’s cabinet, has decided to exempt 45 more items from central government approval to reduce intervention in the economy.
In a statement released Tuesday, the cabinet noted most of these items, either removed or devolved to lower levels, concern investment, employment and innovation. They include the verification of small companies for tax relief, approval of PhD research funds in higher education institutes and the approval of Web domain registration service providers.

Fewer approvals by the central government will give more power to local governments and freedom to enterprises, which is believed to stimulate vitality and creativity in the market and society.
The central government has cut or delegated to lower governments nearly 400 administrative approval items since the new leadership took office in March last year.
In Tuesday’s decision, the cabinet also canceled official certifications for 11 professions, covering a wide range of fields including international commerce, taxation, asset evaluation and land registration.

The statement said the move aims to lower the thresholds for employment, create a sound environment for talent development and further stimulate people’s passion for starting up businesses.

This collection of speeches by eloquent women can inspire, direct and comfort you, depending on your need.

Some surprises: Amelia Earhart

Profound and stirring as have been accomplishments in the remoter fields of pure research, it is in the home that the applications of scientific achievement have perhaps been most far-reaching, and it is through changing conditions there that women have become the greatest beneficiaries in the modern scheme….Although women as yet have not taken full advantage of its use and benefits, air travel is available to them as to men. As so often happens in introducing the new or changing the old, public acceptance depends peculiarly upon women’s friendly attitude. In aviation, they are arbiters of whether or not their families shall fly, and as such, are a potent influence. And lastly, there is a place within the industry itself, for women who work.

Brene Brown on vunerability:

“In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen, really seen. And you know how I feel about vulnerability. I hate vulnerability. And so I thought, this is my chance to beat it back with my measuring stick. I’m going in, I’m going to figure this stuff out, I’m going to spend a year, I’m going to totally deconstruct shame, I’m going to understand how vulnerability works, and I’m going to outsmart it.”

And many more.

Norton A. Schwartz and John K. Hurley write: The recent creation of a new international development bank by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – the so-called BRICS – is just the latest challenge to America’s global leadership. But, from an international business perspective, the United States remains in a strong position.

Perhaps the best indication of America’s enduring stature is the dollar’s dominance in international financial transactions. Last year’s Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index based on a survey of more than 300 executives from 28 countries, showed that, for the first time since the Iraq War began in 2003, foreign investors view the US as the world’s most attractive destination for future investment.

The ability to project power internationally begins at home. And, despite its historically slow economic recovery, there is plenty of reason for optimism in the US. Business in US is Strong 

You hear a lot about how women are underrepresented in fields like math and science, but the food world is also suffering from a staggering lack of ladies. Recently, the James Beard Foundation and the restaurant Vermillion hosted a panel discussion to address how few women there are in culinary leadership positions—and how the industry can better foster the advancement of women. Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation, shared some pretty sobering information—namely that only seven percent of the people in leadership positions in the industry are women, even though more than 50 percent of culinary students are female.  Tips from the Top