"Valerie provided valuable insight in the early days of one of my startup companies. Specifically, her guidance on establishing the company first through bootstrapping, building an early set of customers, and only then pursuing capital, was exactly the right approach. While it was maybe a bitter pill to swallow at the time, I now appreciate her approach to getting started, and it's something today I share with fellow entrepreneurs and students that I teach in entrepreneurial education programs."  - Chuck Sacco, President of Mobile Monday Mid-Atlantic

“Back in the day...before working with emerging growth companies was considered cool or sexy, there were a limited number of folks who believed that the future of our nation depended on the success of entrepreneurship. Valerie is one of those people...she works day in and day out to make sure that private investors and leaders of early-stage companies have the platform and the resources to come together...where would we be without her?”  - Andrew J. Sherman, Partner, M&A and Corporate Department, Jones Day

“Valerie is an extraordinary leader and visionary in the entrepreneurial sector. I have worked along side Valerie for over a dozen years on various entrepreneurial organizations and through her publication. She is driven, passionate about her work and enthusiastic about the success of companies. She has built the fabric of the mid-atlantic angel community with the Mid-Atlantic Angel Fair. Count on her to get the job done. I recommend her highly.” - David Freschman, President and CEO, Delaware Innovation Fund  

“Our tech start-up was seeking capital at the time and Valerie did an outstanding job helping us navigate the angel community in the mid-Atlantic region. Time and again she went out of her way to help. In addition, she helped in repositioning our core presentation. Throughout our efforts together she was a consummate professional.” -  Mark DeSantis, MobileFusion, Inc.

“When we think of "connectors" and key "nodes in the network" for early stage private equity here in the mid-Atlantic region,Valeie comes to mind first or second. I have enjoyed working with her on the Private Investors Forum and more recently as chair emeritus of the Angel Capital Association watching her public policy work for the angel movement.Her energy, insights, and good judgment keep me coming back to her over and over. We all need a Valerie in our ecosystem.”  -  John May, Owner, New Vantage Group, LLC

“Valerie Gaydos has a unique ability to determine the value of an early, seed-stage company needing funding. Not only is her acumen and experience highly sought, she has been amazingly helpful in supporting entrepreneurship education across the Mid-Atlantic. Valerie has paneled for the Charlottesville Venture Group's "Live Fire!" programs at Virginia Tech, William & Mary and the University of Richmond Robbin's School of Business. She is humorous, easy to work with and a resource for all things angel investing. Her ability and experience in lobbying Congress for small business funding is highly sought by those of us, including Valerie, on the Angel Capital Association's Legislative Committee that meets monthly across the country by conference call. Thanks for supporting the industry, the entrepreneurs, and cause of increasing education and funding of early and seed-stage companies.” - Letitia Green, Managing Partner/co-Founder, Virginia Active Angel Network