Zach Brandon, director of the Wisconsin Angel Network, has been named vice chair of the national Angel Capital Association’s public policy committee.
He will volunteer to coordinate a national public policy campaign that drives additional early stage investing across the country.
Wisconsin’s investor tax credits, implemented in 2005, will be touted as a national model of successful development, promotion and leveraging of early stage investment. The credits, including a 25 percent credit in the first year of an investment, have encouraged a huge increase in early stage investments by both individual angels and angel groups.
Wisconsin’s program has helped raise $186 million of qualified investments for 138 companies so far. Combined, those companies who leveraged angel investments employed 1,112 people in 2011, at an average salary of $76,500, according to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
The Wisconsin Angel Network was founded in 2004 by the Wisconsin Technology Council to encourage economic development. It represents about 24 networks and funds, and offers resources to both early stage investors and entrepreneurs.
The Angel Capital Association serves as a trade organization for private and group angel investors that target high growth, early stage companies.
