Sofia Fund

About Sofia Fund

We go beyond achieving parity for women entrepreneurs by releasing their tremendous financial opportunity.

The average woman-owned business makes 20% more revenue with 50% less investment than other companies. Imagine what the above-average can do.

Sofia Fund is interested in companies with:

Excellent, gender diverse, experienced management teams
Scalable business models focusing on B2B markets
No food opportunities, real estate investments, or consumer driven products
Well-defined, demonstrable business model with proof-of-concept revenues
Future exit that can be leveraged with Sofia’s network and resources
US Registered companies only

Companies should apply directly to Sofia Fund using the application link on this site We are currently investing from Sofia Angel Fund II

Deals are reviewed regularly by the screening committee and interest will be communicated Deal candidates will be asked to present to the Sofia Fund managing partners, followed by due diligence, if appropriate

Cathy Connett is CEO and managing partner of Sofia Fund, which invests in high-growth women-lead businesses She is also president and founder of CorConnections, which specializes in guiding businesses through new business initiatives, equity infusions, ownership transitions, and the building of alliances and partnerships Cathy’s clients have included Sage Electrochromics, North Star Photonics, Hot Shot Products, JJ Hill Library and Hermes Floral

Cathy is committed to making a difference by fostering the economic value created by small to medium-sized businesses Cathy has served as the director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of St Thomas and, for the last 19 years, helped initiate multiple programs to support the entrepreneurial community, including the Minnesota Seed Capital Network, Women to Women (W2W) investment group and the Sofia Angel Fund She has also served twice as a judge for the regional Ernst &Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards Cathy has served on a number of private company boards, including Smarte Carte, Hot Shot Products, Woodland Container Corporation and Vixar and non-profit boards including MDI, Minnesota Project Innovation and the Harvard Business School Alumni Association, where she chaired the board, which serves the 65,000-member international alumni community Cathy’s formal education includes an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Harvard Business School She has a diverse operational background in all functional areas, in union and non-union environments and in a wide range of B2B industries and marketplaces Her experience includes roles at large companies such as Procter & Gamble, Boise Cascade and 3M as well as within start-up and small private companies

Lisa Crump is founder of Cairn Ventures, a company focused on making early stage investments in high-growth potential companies in the Midwest She is also a managing partner of Sofia Fund, which invests in high-growth women-led businesses Lisa has more than 25 years of leadership experience in start-up and later-stage growth companies in the technology manufacturing sector She is co-founder of Stratasys, Inc (NASDAQ: SSYS), a high tech manufacturer of 3D printers used for rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing

Lisa is one of the company’s original directors, and was corporate officer and led marketing and European sales distribution when total revenues were $36 million A trailblazer in medical 3D modeling, she led a talented team to secure FDA approval for the first 3D printer used in a hospital setting in support of surgeons for enhanced patient outcomes Lisa served as board chair of MedModeler, LLC, a Stratasys spinoff for utilization of rapid prototyping technology with medical imaging modalities She began her business career as the executive responsible for distributor sales and marketing for SI Technologies, Inc , a semiconductor equipment and weigh-scale gauge manufacturer that grew to $35 million in revenue before being acquired Lisa holds a BA from Washington State University and earned an MS degree from Portland State University She completed the ISS-Certified Director Training Program at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and Wharton Business School Executive Education courses She has served as a director, investor or advisor to many companies and organizations She’s active in supporting community based non-profits, including High Tech Kids as a judge and sponsor for the engagement of youth in the sciences She supports entrepreneurs in the community, with a focus on helping change the trajectory for women in growth-oriented companies She’s active with Minnesota Venture Conference, WE* (westart mn) Initiative at the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship/University of Minnesota, MN Cup, Twin Cities Start-up Week and Pitch Fest Lisa is a founding member of Growing Women’s Capital and an active member of Gopher Angels and the national Angel Capital Association

Joy Lindsay is the president and co-founder of StarTec Investments, a private venture capital firm founded in 1998 focused on investing in high-tech companies based in the Midwest Joy is also a partner of Sofia Fund, which invests in high-growth women-lead businesses Joy is a member and past chair of the Minnesota High Tech Association board of directors, a member of the Advisory Board at the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Minnesota, The Advisory Board of the Office of Technology Commercialization at the University of Minnesota, and has served as secretary and vice president of the Minnesota Venture Capital Association

Joy is a judge for the Minnesota Cup business plan competition and serves on the planning committee for the annual Minnesota Venture and Finance Conference Joy takes an active role in StarTec’s portfolio companies, and routinely serves as a board director or board observer for a number of early stage companies including Apprise Technologies, Field Solutions, Restore Products, WindLogics, Kidizen, Pramata, Halo Innovation, and Iconoculture Joy served on the state of Minnesota’s Science and Technology Advisory Commission, was earlier appointed by former Governor Pawlenty to the 21st Century Tax Reform Commission, and was a member of the Twin Cities Advisory Council of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Prior to founding StarTec, Joy was a senior vice president in the Westlaw division of West Publishing (now Thomson Reuters) She started her career at West Publishing in software development, and held numerous leadership positions in IT, customer support, account management and sales After the sale of West Publishing to Thomson Reuters, Joy participated on a transition team of six executives to oversee the integration of two companies She has a B A in mathematics from Carleton College and an MBA from the University of Minnesota

Dee Thibodeau is the founder and CEO officer of Charter Solutions, a Women Business Entity (WBE) Certified Minnesota-based consulting firm focused on bringing fresh perspectives to tough business problems through a potent combination of business experience and technology expertise in the areas of analytics and professional services Charter Solutions is alliance partners with both Tableau and AWS and concentrates in the healthcare, financial and government areas across the United States Dee is also a partner of Sofia Fund, which invests in high-growth women-led businesses

Dee has led Charter Solutions in delivering sustained profitability and annual revenue growth while maintaining over 80 percent of clients in long-term customer relationships Her expertise and passion are focused on business process improvements that profoundly increase business quality and efficiency An experienced board member, entrepreneur, and investor in emerging companies, Dee has made companies successful by creating highly productive teams focused on strategic planning, customer relationships, sound business practices and innovative uses for new and existing technologies She has served in top executive positions in the technology and financial industries since 1986, when she served as president of the largest computer training facility in the Midwest She has been president of Arco Transcription and EDI Solutions, a translation software developer, where she negotiated its merger with St Paul Software and served as executive vice president thereafter Dee has a Bachelor of Science degree from the Minnesota State University, Mankato, and attended the Executive Management Development Program at University of St Thomas She currently serves on the M Health Board, and Chair of Patient Care and Quality, Minnesota High Tech Association and Women’s Health Leadership Trust Board She has served on a number of boards including M Health, BRAAS, Dri-Steem, Milestone Investments, The Credit Company, Microworx, Women Corporate Directors, Minnesota Visiting Nurse Association, among others

Deb Bauman, Brigid Bonner, Laura McCoolidge, Jeannine Rivet