upside

Interview begins: 8:37
Debrief: 58:58

Nathan McDonald is the CEO and Managing Partner of Keiretsu Capital as well as the Chairman of the Keiretsu Forum Northwest.

Keiretsu Forum is a global investment community of accredited private equity angel investors, venture capitalists, and corporate/institutional investors. Keiretsu Forum is a worldwide network of capital, resources, and deal flow with 53 chapters on 4 continents. Keiretsu Forum members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities. Keiretsu Forum and Keiretsu Capital (the exclusive worldwide fund partner of Keiretsu Forum) are ranked as the most active venture investors in the USA. The Keiretsu community is also strengthened through its involvement in social and charitable activities.

Keiretsu Forum was founded in the San Francisco East Bay in California in 2000 by Randy Williams.

Key points:
- Keiretsu Forum's beginning 12:34
- There are no shortcuts to investing 14:26
- Angel investors on Keiretsu 15:37
- Due Diligence teams 19:04
- Timeline for entrepreneurs 21:35
- Competition for deal flow 23:36
- How chapters work? 29:03
- Downsides of an unengaged network 34:47
- Misconceptions of angel investing 38:28
- Angel groups in the time of COVID 47:43

Learn more about Keiretsu Forum: https://www.keiretsuforum.com/

Follow Nathan McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanmcdonald1/

Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm

This episode is sponsored by Enterprise Rising Conference.

This year, Enterprise Rising is October 20-21 and totally online. If you're an enterprise SaaS startup then this will be the best online event you could attend all year.

Get your tickets here and use promo code upside to save an additional 20%.


This episode is sponsored by Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, a full-service law firm known for assisting entrepreneurs across the Heartland.

Click here to learn more about Taft

This episode of upside is also sponsored by Ethos Wealth Management. Managing wealth with an eye toward the future demands vigilance and skill in today’s global economy. Over the years, Ethos Wealth Management has worked with clients and their other professional advisors – including attorneys and accountants – to create comprehensive wealth management plans designed to make the best use of their wealth today and help ensure its endurance for future generations.

They can do the same for you.

Visit upside.fm/ethos to learn more.


Want to share information about your company, or an opportunity with the upside audience?

Book a classified advertisement and your advertisement will be read in an upcoming episode of the show.

Classified ads are priced at $100, and are:
read by Jay and/or Eric on upside
linked from the show notes
linked from this website, upside.fm

Show Notes

Interview begins: 8:37
Debrief: 58:58

Nathan McDonald is the CEO and Managing Partner of Keiretsu Capital as well as the Chairman of the Keiretsu Forum Northwest.

Keiretsu Forum is a global investment community of accredited private equity angel investors, venture capitalists, and corporate/institutional investors. Keiretsu Forum is a worldwide network of capital, resources, and deal flow with 53 chapters on 4 continents. Keiretsu Forum members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities. Keiretsu Forum and Keiretsu Capital (the exclusive worldwide fund partner of Keiretsu Forum) are ranked as the most active venture investors in the USA. The Keiretsu community is also strengthened through its involvement in social and charitable activities.

Keiretsu Forum was founded in the San Francisco East Bay in California in 2000 by Randy Williams.

Key points: 
  • Keiretsu Forum's beginning 12:34
  • There are no shortcuts to investing 14:26
  • Angel investors on Keiretsu 15:37
  • Due Diligence teams 19:04
  • Timeline for entrepreneurs 21:35
  • Competition for deal flow 23:36
  • How chapters work? 29:03
  • Downsides of an unengaged network 34:47
  • Misconceptions of angel investing 38:28
  • Angel groups in the time of COVID 47:43
Learn more about Keiretsu Forum:  https://www.keiretsuforum.com/
Follow Nathan McDonald:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanmcdonald1/ 
Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm


This episode is sponsored by Enterprise Rising Conference.

This year, Enterprise Rising is October 20-21 and totally online. If you're an enterprise SaaS startup then this will be the best online event you could attend all year.

Get your tickets here and use promo code upside to save an additional 20%.

This episode is sponsored by Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, a full-service law firm known for assisting entrepreneurs across the Heartland.

Click here to learn more about Taft

This episode of upside is also sponsored by Ethos Wealth Management. Managing wealth with an eye toward the future demands vigilance and skill in today’s global economy. Over the years, Ethos Wealth Management has worked with clients and their other professional advisors – including attorneys and accountants – to create comprehensive wealth management plans designed to make the best use of their wealth today and help ensure its endurance for future generations.

They can do the same for you. 

Visit upside.fm/ethos to learn more.

Want to share information about your company, or an opportunity with the upside audience?

Book a classified advertisement and your advertisement will be read in an upcoming episode of the show.

Classified ads are priced at $100, and are:
  • read by Jay and/or Eric on upside
  • linked from the show notes
  • linked from this website, upside.fm

What is upside?

Named a top 27 business podcast by Fortune, upside examines startup investing outside of Silicon Valley.

Every Wednesday, we speak with an early stage founder. We interview them as if we are angel investors considering the company as an investment opportunity.

Each show has three segments:

1.) Intro: independent research of the company
2.) Interview: interview with the founder
3.) Debrief: breaking down the opportunity

Sometimes, we share Coffee Chats interviewing venture capitalists, community builders, and later-stage founders.

Subscribe and see why Business Insider called our podcast "Almost as Good as Getting an MBA."