NYA Member Spotlight - Cindy Cook
Cindy Cook has been a member of New York Angels for 2.5 years. She is an active investor who recently lead a deal with AllStar Gaming and joined their board of directors. We sat down with Cindy to discuss her previous work experience, the influence it has on her current investment decisions, and the benefits to her, as an Angel investor, and the entrepreneurs in which she invests, of joining a professional Angel group like NYA.
What did you do before you were an investors and how has that experience shaped your own investment thesis?
Before becoming an angel investor I was a CMO and GM. My career has been focused on leveraging technology to transform consumer experiences in entertainment, educational publishing and healthcare. At Vivendi Games I led strategy and marketing. I helped launch World of Warcraft, the largest subscription based game that redefined the online player experience. I established and led divisions for mobile and casual games. I also ran marketing for PC and console launches including Scarface, Prototype, 50 Cent, F.E.A.R., Half Life 2, Crash, Spryo and Ice Age. I was part of the team that launched the first commercial digital music service at Universal Music Group. I led marketing at Cengage Learning, helping launch their digital platform, MindTap. I headed marketing for Elsevier’s healthcare and education businesses. Early in career, I worked at Pepsi and Seagram. Along the way, I headed strategy and marketing at 2 start-ups in media and edtech. My investment thesis in each of the sectors is informed by my previous work experience. I largely invest in areas that I have experience in.
What can founders expect from the Angel investor/founder relationship?
Founders can expect a lot of support from Angels. I am actively involved with many of the founders in whose companies I’ve made investments. I work with the founders and their teams to help grow the business. As I’ve spent my career leading marketing organizations I am able to weigh in and provide advice regarding overall strategy and go-to-market plans.
What’s the benefit to YOU, as an investor, of collaborating with other Angels on investments?
One of the best things about New York Angels is the incredible depth of members’ experience. It is super helpful to be able to leverage industry expertise when doing diligence on a company. I find that I always learn something from these discussions with other members. Also, I find members are extremely helpful in providing their prospective, even if they are not interested in the deal.
Have you ever lead a deal? If so, can you speak about your experience? What can a founder do to help facilitate a final investment decision?
I’ve lead a number of deals, two of which resulted in significant funding for the entrepreneur. As a deal lead it’s important to be a good communicator with the entrepreneur as well as the interested members. As a lead you get to know the entrepreneurs better and therefore can lead discussions that are more informative. As the process moves forward it’s critical that members’ interest is continuously gauged. If there is insufficient interest it’s important to stop the process so as not to waste the founder’s time. For deals with strong interest, it is essential to keep the process moving with urgency. Founders can help facilitate the process by being responsive to questions and open to input.
What do you think your strength is as an investor and member of the New York Angels?
My strength as an investor is leveraging my experience and being a good listener. I bring a very strong consumer/customer perspective. I look at things through a customer lens and then determine if I believe there is a sufficiently large addressable market.
