“Global stewardship is the highest responsibility we have….” 

 

Susan Preston is a world-recognized expert in angel financing and angel organizations. After many years of providing sage advice on E8’s Advisory Council, Susan returned home from the Bay Area to the Pacific Northwest and joined our Board in early 2014.

​

In 2015, Susan was awarded the prestigious Hans Severiens Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Angel Investing by the Angel Capital Association (ACA).  In 2014 Susan received the Small Business Person of the Year award from the Small Business Council of America and the Senator Cantwell Women of Valor award.

Today, Sue chairs the Angel Resource Institute and Women First Enterprise (ARI)

​

Susan, along with Lars Johansson and Jeff Canin, manages the Element 8 Fund launched in 2015.

​

Susan Preston is also the Manager of the Seattle Angel Fund and a General Partner for the CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund, an angel fund is focused on seed/start-up stage investments in clean energy technology.

​

At the University of Washington, Sue holds the Burke Endowed Fellow for Entrepreneurship. 

 

She has spent most of her career in senior management positions in public and private companies, from general counsel to CEO. She has also been a partner in two national law-firms and is a patent attorney.

​

Susan is the author of numerous articles, white papers and books on angel financing including Angel Financing for Entrepreneurs, Early-stage Funding for Long-Term Success (Wiley 2007). She has been and continues to be a national and international consultant and speaker on economic development, angel and venture financing for numerous countries and NGOs including the EU, OECD, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Industry Canada and EBAN.

​

“Global stewardship is the highest responsibility we have to ourselves and generations to come. Just as we respect and care for our family members, friends, and co-workers, we should have the same attitude about our planet. I know that each investment makes a very small difference, but it’s always a positive difference. Element 8 is a group of like-minded people who understand and believe in global stewardship. It’s a great feeling to spend time with all the members and learn from and be inspired by them every day.”