North Texas Angel Network

  NTAN members were out in full force at last week's Launch Demo Day 2025 hosted by SMU Cox School of Business and SMU Cox - William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership. It was the culmination of its first cohort – helping 11 companies refine their ideas and business plans over a 12-week accelerator program.   We began with opening remarks from Megha Tolia and Nirav Tolia (co-founding directors of the Spears Institute), followed by pitches from founders in the first cohort. We concluded with the inaugural Pioneer Award and a fireside chat with Amber Venz Box and Baxter Box (co-founders of LTK).   NTAN members serving as mentors for cohort companies included: ◾ Trey Bowles (for Jay Rajkumar with SynChronos Health+Style) ◾ Ichan Stall (for Theresa Shigemura with Pet Well Solutions) ◾ James Wang (for Bethany Gaddy with Ellie Life & Legacy)   Also, in attendance were NTAN’s ED Jeff Murphy and NTAN members Savio Chacko, Contessa Hoskin, MBA, PMP, Carlos Martinez, Roberto Palomo Cea, and Rodney J Thomas III.   #NTAN #AngelInvesting #PonyUp #Entrepreneurship

Monday Motivation!💡 "I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” — Thomas Jefferson Effort compounds—start strong on Monday and build momentum. #Realization  #Northtexasangelnetwork #2025

Tossing it back a few weeks ago to our NTAN Breakfast during Dallas Startup Week! A big thank you to Saville CPAs & Advisors for hosting us. We kicked off the morning with opening remarks from Jeff Murphy and were inspired by our featured speaker Romy Antoine from One Stop Wellness, Inc. It was a great opportunity for our members to connect, share insights, and continue fueling innovation in North Texas’ startup community. Special thanks to Joe Fang Headshots for the photos! #DallasStartupWeek #NorthTexasAngelNetwork #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #AngelInvesting

Welcome Our New Sponsor — Joe Fang Headshots! Joe Fang Headshots is a premier provider of professional headshot photography, helping individuals and teams put their best face forward. Known for his ability to create images that capture both professionalism and personality, Joe Fang, CEO of the company, specializes in headshots that make a lasting impression — whether for corporate profiles, personal branding, or creative portfolios. His mission aligns with our commitment to empowering professionals and business owners across Texas with the tools, confidence, and presence they need to succeed. We’re proud to have Joe Fang Headshots on board as we connect, educate, and elevate the community. #JoeFangHeadshots #ProfessionalBranding #HeadshotPhotography #TexasBusiness #FirstImpressionsMatter #PersonalBrand

Monday Motivation!💡 “Whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, you’re right.” — Henry Ford #Realization  #Northtexasangelnetwork #2025

Monday Motivation!💡 “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James Every Monday move you make contributes to something bigger. #Realization  #Northtexasangelnetwork #2025

NTAN members joined the DallasMeetup after party for DFW Startup Week sponsored by Capital One hosted by The DEC Network last evening. Ichan Stall and James Wang, who are also Executive Advisors for DallasMeetup, attended alongside fellow members Savio Chacko, Binu Thayamkery, and Adi Prakash. Hosted by Carson Gibbons Founder & CEO of DallasMeetup the event brought together a jam-packed excited audience of over 1200 entrepreneurs, investors, and community leaders for an evening of networking, making meaningful connections, new friendships and incredible conversations. It was also great to reconnect with Vijay Harpavat a former NTAN member, and be part of the vibrant discussions that continue to strengthen the North Texas startup ecosystem. #NTAN #DallasMeetup #DFWStartupWeek #AngelInvesting #StartupCommunity #NorthTexasInnovation #NorthTexas #DFW

What a great day yesterday at the DFW Startup Week sponsored by Capital One hosted by The DEC Network! NTAN members Savio Chacko & James Wang participated in two very engaging panel sessions. Savio shared his experiences in the Startup Funding: Current Trends of VC Investment session and James shared his perspectives in in the Healthcare: DFW Healthcare Investment Landscape session. Both tracks were filled with tremendous energy, curiosity, thoughtful questions and insightful feedback. NTAN Co-Chairman, Ichan Stall, kicked off The Future of Venture Forum Summit: Alternative Capital Solutions session with a short intro about who we are, what we do, and how we’re helping build the early-stage ecosystem here in North Texas. He also shared that we are actively looking for more accredited investors to join our growing network of engaged angel investors. This set the stage for an insightful and dynamic panel featuring: 🎤 Ichan Stall 🎤 Savio Chacko 🎤 James Wang 🎤 Mike Wilkes 🎤 Kevin Vela 🎤 David Evans 🎤 Hubert Zajicek, MD, MBA 🎤 JR Garcia 🎤 Greg Howison 🎤 Annabel Morgan 🎤 Tyler Brock 🎤 Ryan Brown 🎤 Mav Shafi 🎤 Troy Billett Huge thanks to these incredible panelists for sharing their expertise and perspectives yesterday! #NTAN #AngelInvesting #DFWStartupWeek #StartupFunding #VentureCapital #FutureOfVentureForum #NorthTexasInnovation #AlternativeCapital #EarlyStageInvesting #AngelInvesting

Celebrating Mentorship and Legacy! This past Wednesday, we were proud to witness a powerful moment in the NTAN community — Brandon Ward mentee of NTAN member Ichan Stall, was honored with the Mentor Legacy Award. This recognition celebrates not only Brandon’s leadership and dedication, but also the lasting impact of strong mentorship in shaping the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. Congratulations to both Brandon and Ichan for embodying the spirit of growth, guidance, and giving back! #NTAN #MentorshipMatters #LegacyAward #StartupDFW #Innovation #NorthTexasLeadership #AngelInvesting

NTAN members were busy today at Dallas Startup Week! We kicked off the day with Jeff Murphy and Savio Chacko as featured speakers at the UTD DSW event, sharing key insights with founders about fundraising strategies. Huge thanks to the amazing crowd for the thoughtful questions and vibrant discussion! Special shoutout to our UTD host, Steve Guengerich for making it all happen. Later, Jeff Murphy and Ichan Stall joined Isaac C. on the Catalyst Podcast, where they dove deep into Angel Investing and how NTAN is supporting early-stage innovation across North Texas. Don’t miss out — join us tomorrow at DSW for the Future of Venture forum and the Fundraising Track! #DSW25 #NTAN #AngelInvesting #StartupFunding #DallasStartupWeek #VentureCapital #NorthTexasInnovation #Entrepreneurship #FundraisingTips