Wharton Angel Network

Founder and Managing Director Marty Secada oversees the network's operations, with Chair Deb Bardhan and Co-Head Dave Levy leading deal screening and syndication. A rotating committee of sector-specialist alumni evaluates opportunities before they are presented to the full membership. Final investment decisions rest with individual members, who commit capital on a deal-by-deal basis.

The network operates as a deal-by-deal syndicate, not a pooled fund. Members review vetted opportunities and choose whether to participate in each round individually. This structure means the network carries no reported AUM and deployment varies with member appetite and market conditions.

Deal flow originates through the membership's professional networks and the Wharton Club of New York's programming. The network's leaders screen opportunities by drawing on the alumni base's density of operators, founders, and investors across venture-backed industries, particularly in the New York metro area.

Both networks were founded by Marty Secada and share overlapping governance through the Wharton Club of New York's infrastructure. The Wharton Angel Network syndicates capital from individual alumni, while the Ivy Family Office Network targets single-family offices for peer-to-peer co-investment. The two channels give portfolio companies access to both angel checks and institutional family-office capital.

The network typically participates as a syndicate member alongside lead investors, though individual members may pursue board observer or director roles independently. The group does not operate a dedicated lead-investor program — its value proposition is the curated access and brand leverage of the Wharton alumni network rather than active operational involvement.