E114 Erika Aquino AQUINO GLOBAL VENTURES LLC

About this episode

Erika Aquino discusses her journey in angel investing, focusing on supporting women and minority-owned startups while emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence and community in investment decisions.

In this episode of Female VC Lab, host Barbara Bickham welcomes Erika Aquino, angel investor and head of m Squad, a global investment group based in Singapore with deep roots in the Philippines. Erika shares her unique journey into investing, starting with her father's legacy in tech entrepreneurship and evolving into her own path focused on impact and community. Erika dives into her investment thesis, which centers on supporting women and minority-owned startups in sustainability, wellness, the future of work, and education—plus adjacent sectors like biotech and agriculture. She discusses her passion for early-stage investments and highlights the critical role that founder EQ (emotional intelligence) plays in her decision-making process. The conversation also explores how AI is transforming research, due diligence, and even founder discovery, while acknowledging the ongoing need for human connection in investment decisions. Erika also touches on her interest in food sovereignty, driven by her experiences in the disaster-prone Philippines, and how that shapes her perspective on the global supply chain. Tune in to hear Erika’s insights on the future of angel investing, the…

People in this episode

Host: Barbara Bickham

Guest: Erika Aquino

Topics covered

• angel investing
• impact investing
• women and minority-owned startups
• emotional intelligence
• technology in investment
• food sovereignty
• community-driven investments

Keywords

• angel investor
• impact
• sustainability
• wellness
• education
• biotech
• agriculture
• due diligence
• founder discovery
• global supply chain

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AQUINO GLOBAL VENTURES LLC, m Squad, AI

Places: Singapore, Philippines

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