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Investor Connect Podcast


Investor Connect is for investors interested in learning more about investing in startup and growth stage companies. Experienced investors share their experiences and advice with those who are considering an investment into startups and growth companies. It includes a podcast series of interviews with investors to inform others about the process of funding startups as well as a resource list and a discussion board.  

Topics include sourcing, analyzing, and researching companies. Other topics include valuations, terms Sheets, board of directors, board of advisors, due diligence, syndicates, venture capital, angels, angel networks, family offices, crowdfunding, exits, and more.

Investor Connect is a community program. We welcome your suggestions for speakers and topics which you can send to us through the Contact page. No registration is required to use the resources.  Discussion boards are available to post and answer questions about startups and growth company investing through which registration is required.

Investor Connect is a program under the Texas Open Angel Network which is a 501(c3) non-profit dedicated to the education around startup funding.

Disclaimer: Hall T. Martin is the Director of Investor Connect which is dedicated to the education of investors for early stage funding. All opinions expressed by Hall and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of Investor Connect. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Sep 30, 2020

In this episode, Hall welcomes Doug Smith, CEO and Lead Investor at Hawthorne Funds.

Hawthorne Funds is a Houston-based private equity firm that couples Doug Smith’s funds with those of other investors to purchase, subdivide and sell large rural tracts of land in Texas. Their unique approach to adding value during the holding and disposition process gives them a competitive advantage that generates outsized returns for our investors.

Doug was previously a software developer for ExxonMobil, and he has gone on to buy and sell over 100 houses. More recently, he has bought and sold over 3,000 acres of rural Texas land from within Hawthorne Funds and his other business entities. Apart from his real estate investments, he serves as founder and partner of REI Network, which regularly lands on the lists of Inc. 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies and Best Places to Work. He was recently named to Houston's 40 Under 40 list and became bilingual after spending a year living in Spain and Chile. Doug received a B.B.A. in M.I.S. from Texas Tech University, finishing as the highest-ranking graduate.

Doug tells Hall what excites him right now in the real-estate sector, and he advises investors in the space. He explains how COVID-19 has affected the industry and the changes he sees coming up.

You can visit Hawthorne Funds at www.hawthornefunds.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/hawthorne-funds-jds-holdings/.

Doug can be contacted via email at doug@hawthornefunds.com