‘Angel’ Networks Take Wing in Entrepreneurial Circles

Suddenly, Orange County is getting serious about helping entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground floor. The formation of “angel” networks, groups of experienced business people who invest in and mentor young companies, has become a hot activity.

The latest effort is the Tech Coast Advisory Group, an organization of about 50 local executives, academics, venture capitalists, attorneys and others who will offer their expertise to new businesses. It includes venture capitalist Ken Deemer; Mike Kucha, the former chief executive of Iomega Corp.; Robert Ronstadt, who heads Pepperdine University’s entrepreneurial program; and patent attorney Sam Stone. The program is administered through the Orange County Business Council.

Unlike most angel groups, the Tech Coast Advisory Group won’t invest any funds in start-ups, said Wallace Walrod, director of the business council’s strategic initiative resource center. But members are offering their time and expertise, often for no charge.

It follows the recent formation of the CEO Emeritus Club and the Tech Coast Angels, two Orange County-based groups that will give money and management advice to fledgling firms.