Home › Blog › Luis Villalobos, Founder of Tech Coast Angels, Dead at 70

Blog Authors

Jay Turo

Dave Lavinsky

Most Popular
New Videos

"Business Plan
SHORT-CUT"

If you want to raise capital, then you need a professional business plan. This video shows you how to finish your business plan in 1 day.

CLICK HERE
to watch the video.

"The TRUTH About
Venture Capital"

Most entrepreneurs fail to raise venture capital because they make a really BIG mistake when approaching investors. And on the other hand, the entrepreneurs who get funding all have one thing in common. What makes the difference?

CLICK HERE
to watch the video.

"Brand NEW
Money Source?"

The Internet has created great opportunities for entrepreneurs. Most recently, a new online funding phenomenon allows you to quickly raise money to start your business.

CLICK HERE
to watch the video.

"Old-School Leadership
is DEAD"

"Barking orders" and other forms of intimidating followers to get things done just doesn't work any more. So how do you lead your company to success in the 21st century?

CLICK HERE
to watch the video.
Growthink Blog

Luis Villalobos, Founder of Tech Coast Angels, Dead at 70

Print Written by Jay Turo on Thursday, October 8, 2009
Categories:

Very, very sad news today that Luis Villalobos, Founder of the Tech Coast Angels and angel investor in 57 early-stage ventures, died suddenly yesterday at the age of 70.

I had the extremely good fortune to have Luis be one of the first clients of Growthink back in 1999. Luis hired us to do a lot of the "blocking and tackling" work in assembling a business plan for a fund/incubation concept - Gazelle Labs - that he and a number of the other principals of TCA had established. Truth be told, we should have paid Luis to work on the project. 
First of all, because even at that time, he had forgotten more about entrepreneurship and early-stage investing strategy than most of us will ever know. And because of his attention to detail and intellectual rigor, he set a standard and an expectation of work product that we have tried to carry through with here at Growthink in the last 10 years. Wisdom worth many, many, many times the fees we earned on the engagement.

I have fondly reflected on my experience of working with Luis over the years.  He embodied the best qualities of the American entrepreneur and angel investor - hard-headed and brutally realistic, challenging AND extremely giving of his time and energy in support of aspiring entrepreneurs.

He will be missed. May America produce more of his kind.

Share this article:


  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Facebook
  • Technorati
Richard Pawlowski says

It was quite a shock to hear of Luis passing. Indeed, he was an interesting entrepreneur who gladly took the time to listen and counsel others. Luis and I met to talk about franchising a new type of local-investor incubator several years ago. I was just getting ready to contact him again too, for his thoughts on the revised incubator strategy when I got this news from Growthink. A big loss for other entrepreneurs in So Cal.
Posted at 4:23 pm
Thomas Hicks - Comerica Bank says

May he rest in peace!
Posted at 6:32 pm