Touched by an angel

Women control nearly half of the nation's wealth, but of about 225,000 angels -- wealthy people who invest on their own or in groups -- only 8 percent are women, said a report last month by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, Mo.

What women need are angels ... that is ... angel investors. Enter the Phenomenelle Angels -- Wisconsin's 14-angel investor group -- who plan to back 12 to 20 companies with $100,000 to $500,000 each.

Lorrie Keating Heinemann, secretary of the state Department of Financial Institutions, said female and minority entrepreneurs don't always get attention from male-only investor groups. "Realizing the potential and success of women-owned businesses is very important," she added.

"To me, it's an issue of opportunity. There are rising numbers of entrepreneurs who are women, black and Latino," said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. But he added, "At the end of the day, money is usually color- blind and gender-neutral. It should flow to where the best opportunities are."

Read the article "Angel Fund By And For Women" here.