Don Bora

The Josephine Collective is a women-led group of angel investors co-investing small amounts (as little as $1,000 per deal) in early-stage startups across the United States. We help make angel investing accessible for all, but we are especially focused on helping women and people of color diversify their strategies and ease into a part of the investment world that can generate incredible returns. We do this by using a unique structure that allows us to invest in high potential startups with the lowest possible fee structure. For Investors Unlike an angel syndicate or venture fund, investors do not give the Josephine Collective funding to invest. Instead, we meet founders, learn about their visions, their market opportunities, their guiding principles and present them to our group of investors who individually decide whether they want to participate in an investment. When there is enough interest to meet the minimum check size, we make an investment in the startup, coming on as a single line on the cap table. This allows the Josephine Collective to: Access hot deals that individual investors may not be able to reach on their own. Protects founders from having too many investors on their cap tables (which creates both legal and financial burdens on both sides). Keep our operating costs very low, as we do not have to spend thousands on special purpose vehicles for each deal. Join our Angel Group For Founders We are a group of at least 51% women investors and people of color, bringing unique personal, professional, and funding perspectives to each deal we consider. For founders who care about representation on their cap tables, we are an excellent partner. But we’re more than just money. Many of our angels are founders, seasoned startup employees, service providers, and industry veterans with deep domain expertise to help connect you with the mentorship, talent, and potential customers you need to grow.

Code Platoon helps Veterans, active duty Servicemembers, and military spouses transition into the civilian workforce by providing technical training and career placement. Our training programs are designed specifically for members of the military community. They feature immersive curriculums combined with career preparation and coaching, professional networking, and opportunities for paid apprenticeships after graduation. Since Code Platoon launched in 2016, we have graduated more than 200 students into new careers in software engineering. More than 80% of our graduates are employed within six months of completion. Our graduates are more than simply employed; they have a median salary of $72,000 within six months of graduation. After 24 months, their median salary is $96,000. GI BILL® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA). MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EDUCATION BENEFITS OFFERED BY VA ARE AVAILABLE AT THE OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT WEBSITE AT WWW.BENEFITS.VA.GOV/GIBILL Code Platoon is approved by the Division of Private Business and Vocational Schools of the Illinois Board of Higher Education. https://linktr.ee/codeplatoon

The Josephine Collective is a women-led group of angel investors co-investing small amounts (as little as $1,000 per deal) in early-stage startups across the United States. We help make angel investing accessible for all, but we are especially focused on helping women and people of color diversify their strategies and ease into a part of the investment world that can generate incredible returns. We do this by using a unique structure that allows us to invest in high potential startups with the lowest possible fee structure. For Investors Unlike an angel syndicate or venture fund, investors do not give the Josephine Collective funding to invest. Instead, we meet founders, learn about their visions, their market opportunities, their guiding principles and present them to our group of investors who individually decide whether they want to participate in an investment. When there is enough interest to meet the minimum check size, we make an investment in the startup, coming on as a single line on the cap table. This allows the Josephine Collective to: Access hot deals that individual investors may not be able to reach on their own. Protects founders from having too many investors on their cap tables (which creates both legal and financial burdens on both sides). Keep our operating costs very low, as we do not have to spend thousands on special purpose vehicles for each deal. Join our Angel Group For Founders We are a group of at least 51% women investors and people of color, bringing unique personal, professional, and funding perspectives to each deal we consider. For founders who care about representation on their cap tables, we are an excellent partner. But we’re more than just money. Many of our angels are founders, seasoned startup employees, service providers, and industry veterans with deep domain expertise to help connect you with the mentorship, talent, and potential customers you need to grow.

Candor is the way voices are heard without bias or exclusion, empowering everyone to express great ideas.

Code Platoon helps Veterans, active duty Servicemembers, and military spouses transition into the civilian workforce by providing technical training and career placement. Our training programs are designed specifically for members of the military community. They feature immersive curriculums combined with career preparation and coaching, professional networking, and opportunities for paid apprenticeships after graduation. Since Code Platoon launched in 2016, we have graduated more than 200 students into new careers in software engineering. More than 80% of our graduates are employed within six months of completion. Our graduates are more than simply employed; they have a median salary of $72,000 within six months of graduation. After 24 months, their median salary is $96,000. GI BILL® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA). MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EDUCATION BENEFITS OFFERED BY VA ARE AVAILABLE AT THE OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT WEBSITE AT WWW.BENEFITS.VA.GOV/GIBILL Code Platoon is approved by the Division of Private Business and Vocational Schools of the Illinois Board of Higher Education. https://linktr.ee/codeplatoon

Building software is never a straight line—that’s why we’re here. Led by tech and design experts Don Bora & Steve Polacek, Eight Bit Studios helps non-technical Founders turn ideas into market-ready apps. From Fractional CTO advising to Flutter-powered development, we simplify the journey with fixed monthly pricing and AI-driven efficiency. Get to market faster, smarter, and with a solid foundation for growth.