The Council

Big news! Thrilled to expand The Council Capital’s partnership with Rachel Tsui, PhD's well-earned promotion. Here's how she made it a no brainer: ?? Established herself as a top thought partner on healthcare deals, having provided expert input on our investments in Trially and Aster ?? Showed early commitment to The Council and our thesis centered on essential industries by diving in as an active member of The Council Angels and early LP in Fund I ??? Tangibly helped our portfolio founders grow their companies – e.g. connecting one of them with their founding data engineer ?? Has been through multiple key stages of growth that our portfolio founders will face, taking on a critical leadership role as Komodo Health grew from Series B to Series F ?? Brings customer success and operational prowess to our firm and our portfolio founders, having built and led a CS team of 35+ at Komodo Beyond all of this, something I and other GPs talk about offline is that we are running small businesses. And inside of a small business, it's critical that you like the people you work with. And I really like working with Rachel. Read more about Rachel and her big move below! ????

Excited to share that I will be joining Amber Illig at The Council! I’ve been fortunate enough to collaborate with and learn from Amber over the past couple of years and so when we had discussed what joining the partnership might look like, it was a just a matter of when. Over the years, I’ve found that I thrive best when there are fun challenges to problem solve, and great people to solve them with - and working with Amber to build out an early stage firm definitely fits the bill. I can’t wait to dig in on all of the things - from the firm operations to supporting a portfolio founder to finding the next deal for us to invest in! If you are building in healthcare (or other essential industries), please reach out!

I'm so thrilled that The Council was selected to join 20 top venture firms for StartupNWA's VC Immersion project this May. Can't wait to see all that Northwest Arkansas has to offer while meeting new founders, in fellowship with GPs I respect. Let's go!! Thanks Serafina Lalany for pulling this together ??

?? Exciting News at The Council! We’re thrilled to announce that Rachel Tsui, PhD has been promoted to Healthcare Partner at The Council Fund! ?? Rachel first joined The Council as an angel investor, co-investor, and diligence partner two years ago, and last year, she became a Venture Partner, making an immediate impact on our healthcare investments. With her deep operational expertise—including scaling customer success from $1M to $40M at Komodo Health—Rachel has already been a game-changer for our portfolio companies. Healthcare has always been a cornerstone of our investment thesis, with 20% of our portfolio in healthtech and breakout successes like Daybreak Health, Rezilient Health, and a stealth healthtech company that recently closed an oversubscribed seed round. As Partner, Rachel will take on an expanded leadership role in shaping our healthcare investment strategy and supporting founders as they scale. With her operator-first mindset, deep expertise in healthcare data, and relentless support for early-stage founders,we’re confident that Rachel will help us continue identifying and backing the next generation of healthcare disruptors. Join us in congratulating Rachel on this well-deserved promotion! #VentureCapital #HealthTech #TheCouncil #FounderSupport #HealthcareInnovation

Surprise surprise, we’re launching a podcast! Details coming soon. See what episode 1 was like behind the scenes ??

Most angel investors never get to see the types of deals we share. Ours do. At The Council Angels, our 200+ member community invests alongside The Council Fund, gaining access to VC-level opportunities from Pre-seed to Series B—a rare advantage for individual investors. We back category-defining startups across healthcare, AI, B2B SaaS, and more. In 2024, we closed 5 community-backed SPV deals, and 2025 is already off to a strong start with our first SPV deal closing in record time into a fast-moving AI company’s Series A. But it’s not just about access—our angels also bring expertise, networks, and strategic insights that make them a welcome addition to any cap table. Founders recognize the value of having our community on board, and that’s what sets us apart. This is more than just investing—it’s about being part of a highly curated group of experienced operators and industry leaders who support the next generation of transformational startups. If you’re looking to invest in high-growth startups alongside an engaged and strategic community, this is the final chance to apply for our Spring 2025 cohort and access to our future SPV opportunities! Link to apply in comments section ??

?? Last Call! ?? Product Managers, your skills in understanding markets and building products make you ideal angel investors. But where do you start? Join us TOMORROW at 9 AM PT for an exclusive webinar with Rohini Pandhi (@Mercury, The Council Angels, ex-Square & Coinbase), where she’ll break down how to turn your PM skills into smart investing decisions. What You’ll Learn: ? How PM skills translate into strong angel investments ? A real behind-the-scenes look at an investment decision ? Practical steps to start investing—& how The Council Angels can help ?? TOMORROW, February 27 | 9 AM PT | Virtual Spots are filling fast—don’t miss out! RSVP link in comments.? Know a PM who should be there? Tag them below! ??

?? Product Managers, have you ever thought about angel investing? Your ability to understand markets, identify opportunities, and build great products makes you a natural angel investor—but how do you get started? Join us for an exclusive live webinar featuring Rohini Pandhi, Head of Expansion at Mercury, investor at The Council Angels, and former product leader at Square & Coinbase. Rohini has successfully transitioned from building products to investing in them, and she’s ready to share her insights with you! What You’ll Learn: ? How PM skills translate into smart investing ? A behind-the-scenes look at an angel investment decision ? Actionable steps to get started & how The Council Angels can help ?? When? - February 27 @ 10 AM PT ?? Virtual Event – Join from anywhere! Interested in attending? - The RSVP link is in the comments! Tag a PM friend who should be in this session! ?? #AngelInvesting #ProductManagement #Startups #VentureCapital #PMtoInvestor #TheCouncilAngels?

Incredible team to join! Finance managers, check this out ??

Last week, our LPs and portfolio founders in SF came together to celebrate a stealth milestone for our firm. There’s truly nothing like seeing our community come together in one space! ??? We also got to hear from Cecilia Ziniti, founder of GC AI on her transition from serial operator to founder. ??? Her company was one of the fastest in our portfolio to hit *true* product market fit. ??The growth right out of the gate has been tremendous! ??No doubt a lot of things came together to make this possible. But her experience as a founding lawyer on Amazon Alexa, VP of Legal at Cruise, and General Counsel at Replit (in full startup mode wearing multiple hats) allowed her to leapfrog some mental gymnastics that first time founders face as a rite of passage. We love backing founders who pull unique insights from their past and execute fast with credibility and confidence. Congrats Cecilia and thank you for sharing your journey with us! And thank you to all of our wonderful founders and LPs who give us the right to build and reasons to celebrate at The Council.