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Yasine Armstrong, the incoming president of the startup investment nonprofit New Mexico Angels, said she wants to continue the work of her predecessor, Drew Tulchin, who is departing after six years.

Chief among that work is mentorship, she said. As technology startups blossom in New Mexico, Armstrong said, many founders who are trying to bring new products to market struggle to grow their companies.

鈥淏ecause oftentimes technologists are focused on this amazing technology,鈥� Armstrong said. 鈥淏ut then the question is always right, 鈥楤ut who needs that to help them solve a giant problem?鈥欌��

Armstrong has 20 years of business development experience. She was most recently the communications director for Homewise, a nonprofit that helps people achieve homeownership. Previously, she was a development director at Chaves County CASA, and is a co-founder and chief operating officer of Babypage, an online platform and app where parents can track their children鈥檚 milestones.

鈥淚 really am an entrepreneur at heart,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I started my career in venture. And one of the most exciting things is to talk to entrepreneurs who are changing the world. So I鈥檓 really excited to be back with the Angels.鈥�

Tulchin entered the New Mexico Angels 鈥� which has injected more than $40 million into roughly 75 portfolio companies over the past two decades 鈥� during the COVID-19 pandemic. He recalls it as a dreary time for the startup scene.

鈥淭here was very little happening within the New Mexico angels as a community 鈥� within the ecosystem 鈥� and there weren鈥檛 that many companies that had high profiles,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd now there鈥檚 quite a lot of local companies that are doing a lot of good things.鈥�

Both Tulchin and Armstrong said the New Mexico State Investment Council鈥檚 investing has injected energy into the startup ecosystem as national venture capital investors and firms look to the state.

鈥淭he amount of money the SIC is investing, I think that鈥檚 really exciting,鈥� Armstrong said.

But Armstrong, who takes the reins this week, also said the state is attracting more talent because it is naturally friendly for entrepreneurs.

鈥淚 think that word is out鈥� about New Mexico, she said. 鈥淎nd so more people want to be here with their companies. And not only just starting their companies here, but actually growing their companies here.鈥�

The leadership transition also coincides with the organization announcing four new board members. They are: Martha Hargrove Leeder, director of capital formation at Springdale Ventures; Steve Dichter, a strategic consultant and adviser; Lique Coolen, vice president for research and interim provost at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; and Andrew Schulz, co-founder & chief growth officer at Rest, formerly NoiseAware.

Justin Horwath covers tech and energy for the Journal. He can be reached at jhorwath@abqjournal.com.