The New Mexico Angels have named veteran investor and entrepreneur Drew Tulchin as its new president, the group announced Wednesday.
Tulchin, 50, brings 25 years of professional experience in building startups, supporting entrepreneurs and creating innovation ecosystems in New Mexico and other states, said NM Angels board chair Sherman McCorkle.
Former Angels president John Chavez stepped down last spring to pursue other opportunities, paving the way for new leadership.
“Drew is the third president to take the reins since the NM Angels’ inception 20 years ago,” McCorkle said. “He’s a seasoned, successful investor and entrepreneur.”
The Angels unite individual investors to pool their resources, providing seed and early-stage capital to startup companies. They’ve played a prominent role in New Mexico since incorporating in 2000, particularly after the 2008-2009 recession, when most institutional venture investment dried up. The Angels helped fill a void in seed and early-stage capital for local startups in the post-recession years.
Now, with so many businesses suffering in the global pandemic, Tulchin wants the Angels to play a similar role going forward.
“The Angels represent a collective effort by local people to build up local companies, and with COVID-19, it’s even clearer now how much we need to work together to make a difference,” Tulchin told the Journal. “We need group efforts to overcome the pandemic, make our economy work, and help our local startups be successful.”
A North Carolina native, Tulchin relocated to New Mexico about 12 years ago to unite with his then-future wife, a long-time resident of Santa Fe. The couple recently celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary there.
Tulchin has invested in a number of local startups, including artist collaborative Meow Wolf, interactive digital entertainment company Electric Playhouse, sustainable green construction firm B.Public Prefab, and Parting Stone, which turns cremated remains into memorial stones for loved ones. He’s now helping Albuquerque-based Build with Robots to raise capital.
He’s also an avid volunteer, providing guidance and mentoring to dozens of existing and aspiring entrepreneurs and promoting economic development through local organizations, including membership on WESST’s board and on Acoma Pueblo’s Business Advisory Council.
Tulchin earned an MBA from the University of Washington and an undergraduate degree in history and international relations from Washington University. He’s worked in public, private and philanthropic activities in 50 countries, and is fluent in Spanish and French.
The NM Angels went on hiatus after the coronavirus broke out last spring. But with Tulchin at the helm, it’s now reinitiating activities online.
“The NM Angels are open for business again,” Tulchin said. “If people have startup efforts, we can work with them to help make it successful.”
