Ari Burshell

Sonoran Founders Fund is a seed stage fund that empowers underserved tech entrepreneurs in the Sonoran Desert region. The fund is led by CEO, Romi Dhillon and partners Dan Burns, Cathy Eckstein and Kevin Groman. The team’s investment into tech startups has a rich history, starting in 2015 when Romi conducted a statewide startup study and then founded the first dedicated seed investment fund in the states history, the Arizona Founders Fund (AzFF). The Sonoran Founders Fund partners were all part of the team that successfully managed AzFF to become the most active Arizona venture fund in 2020.

Canyon Angels is a sophisticated angel investment group founded in 2015 by entrepreneur and investor Timothy Kelley. Through strategic partnerships and top tier deal flow, Canyon Angels has grown to over 60 investors since its founding. Seated in the heart of Arizona economic activity, Canyon Angels has been able to help fund approximately 30 different ventures totaling over $3 million in investments from our members. The primary goal of Canyon Angels is to fund highly scalable startups that allow accredited investors to diversity their portfolios. The group serves as a filtering mechanism to find desirable investment opportunities locally in Arizona and globally. Canyon Angels is positioned in a unique place in Phoenix right off of Camelback Rd, on the campus of Grand Canyon University. This placement presents a unique opportunity because Canyon Angels relationship with GCU means that undergraduate students have the ability to be educated in deal analysis and venture financing. We do this through a 1 credit class, in partnership with GCU, to allow students to perform due diligence analysis on vetted companies guided by our investors. Our students then are allowed to present their findings to our investor group at our monthly meetings. This opportunity gives students an unparalleled hands on learning experience in the investment world unlike anything else in the nation.

Arizona Tech Investors (ATI) was founded in 2007 by Arizona-based investors committed to supporting the capital needs of early stage, high growth technology driven companies within Arizona and neighboring states.

Sonoran Founders Fund is a seed stage fund that empowers underserved tech entrepreneurs in the Sonoran Desert region. The fund is led by CEO, Romi Dhillon and partners Dan Burns, Cathy Eckstein and Kevin Groman. The team’s investment into tech startups has a rich history, starting in 2015 when Romi conducted a statewide startup study and then founded the first dedicated seed investment fund in the states history, the Arizona Founders Fund (AzFF). The Sonoran Founders Fund partners were all part of the team that successfully managed AzFF to become the most active Arizona venture fund in 2020.

Canyon Angels is a sophisticated angel investment group founded in 2015 by entrepreneur and investor Timothy Kelley. Through strategic partnerships and top tier deal flow, Canyon Angels has grown to over 60 investors since its founding. Seated in the heart of Arizona economic activity, Canyon Angels has been able to help fund approximately 30 different ventures totaling over $3 million in investments from our members. The primary goal of Canyon Angels is to fund highly scalable startups that allow accredited investors to diversity their portfolios. The group serves as a filtering mechanism to find desirable investment opportunities locally in Arizona and globally. Canyon Angels is positioned in a unique place in Phoenix right off of Camelback Rd, on the campus of Grand Canyon University. This placement presents a unique opportunity because Canyon Angels relationship with GCU means that undergraduate students have the ability to be educated in deal analysis and venture financing. We do this through a 1 credit class, in partnership with GCU, to allow students to perform due diligence analysis on vetted companies guided by our investors. Our students then are allowed to present their findings to our investor group at our monthly meetings. This opportunity gives students an unparalleled hands on learning experience in the investment world unlike anything else in the nation.

Arizona Tech Investors (ATI) was founded in 2007 by Arizona-based investors committed to supporting the capital needs of early stage, high growth technology driven companies within Arizona and neighboring states.