The idea of an angel investing initiative at Emory University had been talked about for decades, but when Brian Cayce joined Goizueta Business School in 2022, he started taking steps to put action behind the idea.
Fast forward to 2025, and the Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation has a new program: Dooley’s Angels. The angel investing program is a separate entity, operating independently of both the university and Goizueta, but it’s an initiative that celebrates all things Emory.
“Dooley’s Angels, while supported by the business school, is really about Emory, for Emory, and by Emory,” says Cayce, managing director of the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CEI).
The program is currently in soft launch mode with the anticipation of fully launching for their first quarterly meeting in March 2026. Interested start-ups, students, and investors still have time to apply.
Supporting Emory Start-Ups
Dooley’s Angels supports qualified start-ups founded by Emory students, alumni, faculty, and staff, including Emory Healthcare. To be a qualified start-up, each founding team will need at least one-third of its members to be affiliated with Emory in any of the categories mentioned above and actively involved in the startup. These companies must also be incorporated and have a minimum viable product that’s gone through pilot testing. Start-ups can come from any industry.
“Although it’s not without its complications, most of the professionals in our Emory innovation ecosystem acknowledge that Dooley’s Angels is filling a gap for our students and our founders. There’s been broad support by all and a good-faith effort to build this out for our Emory community,” says Cayce.
As for the investors, they can be alumni or not, but they must be accredited investors if they want to make investments into the startups. Investor Members of Dooley’s Angels are given access to networking events, early-stage venture opportunities, and the chance to invest directly in these qualified start-ups.
“Being a graduate of Emory, I have an interest in helping the university promote and grow the entrepreneurial community in Atlanta,” says Sig Mosely 66Ox 68BBA, managing partner of Mosley Ventures and an individual with more than 35 years of active angel investing.
In addition to the qualified investors, Dooley’s Angels is also offering an Apprentice Membership—an exclusive educational opportunity—for alumni who are interested in one day becoming angel investors themselves. Both types of membership require an annual fee. These members have the opportunity to participate in all member activities, short of writing checks to the startups.
For Steve Greenfield 04EvMBA, participating in Dooley’s Angels was a “no-brainer.” Much like Mosely, Greenfield heard about the idea decades ago and was supportive from the start. After serving on the Goizueta alumni board for nine years and the Emory alumni board for seven years, Greenfield is excited to see the project finally take off.
“Dooley’s Angels will really differentiate Emory’s brand, help us engage a new segment of alumni, and help early-stage founders with capital,” says Greenfield. “We’ll also help Emory students get some first-hand exposure to early stage investing.”
Student Support
The students involved in Dooley’s Angels are fellows with the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and they’re doing more than simply pitching in: They’re running the show. These fellows have been the ones to get the initiative off the ground, including researching and installing the necessary software and programs. The fellows will also research prospective start-ups and present three or four to the membership each quarter for their consideration and possible investment.
“I see my role as bridging my professional experience in operations and strategy with the needs of emerging entrepreneurs from across the Emory ecosystem,” says Khayla Vickers 28MBA. “I enjoy helping founders think through questions of scalability, clarity of value proposition, and long-term sustainability.”
McCoy may be early in her MBA experience at Goizueta, but she’s already seeing real-world application of what she’s learning in her core courses through her time with Dooley’s Angels.
“The CEI and Dooley’s Angels represent exactly why I choose Goizueta,” says McCoy. “It’s a place where community, practical learning, principled leadership, and entrepreneurship come together. I’m excited to keep building, supporting founders, and making a meaningful impact within the school and beyond.”
Support Dooley’s Angels. Fill out an application to become an investor, pitch a qualified start-up, or learn about the student venture scouts.
