Beyond Corporate Walls: Nancy Hayes on Angel Investing and Redefining Underestimated Founders Ep. 68

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Nancy Hayes, who shares her remarkable transition from a high-level corporate executive at IBM into a leading angel investor and advocate for women entrepreneurs. Throughout her non-linear career, Nancy has successfully navigated multiple sectors, pivoting from corporate leadership to impactful nonprofit work, and later serving as the dean of a business college. These diverse experiences laid the groundwork for her current mission: demystifying the complex worlds of venture capital and angel investing for women and underestimated founders, helping them confidently structure and communicate their investment stories on a global stage. The conversation explores the specific systemic hurdles female founders encounter when pitching businesses to traditional investors who may not fully grasp female-focused market segments. Drawing from her recent international speaking engagements in Egypt and Taiwan, Nancy emphasizes the importance of building diverse networks, cultivating a bias toward action, and overcoming the confidence trap of waiting to be perfectly prepared. Beyond the mechanics of fundraising, she shares a holistic philosophy on wealth creation, urging listeners to measure success not just by financial metrics, but through the vital lenses of purpose, personal health, and community impact. About Nancy: Nancy Hayes has been an active angel investor since 2014. She also serves as a mentor to entrepreneurs with a focus on women in the space. Nancy is a frequent guest speaker, panelist, judge at pitch events, and presenter to entrepreneur groups. She also conducts education sessions for women who are considering becoming angel/venture investors. Nancy was a senior executive of the IBM Corporation and then served as CEO of two social services nonprofit organizations. She later was the Dean of the College of Business at San Francisco State University for 6 years and then was Vice President of Finance/CFO of San Francisco State. In 2013, Nancy co-founded a rewards-based crowdfunding site for women with small businesses and later served as a Managing Director of the Golden Seeds angel group Silicon Valley chapter. Nancy has an MBA from the University of Chicago and lives in San Francisco. Connect with Nancy: www.linkedin.com/in/nancyhayes2 🌐 Wealthing Club: www.wealthing.club