Most founders don't fail for lack of effort.
They fail for lack of access.
Investment consideration, strategic review, and direct advisory—different pathways to work with Erika Aquino, depending on where you are in your journey.
Erika Aquino is an investor, operator, and strategic advisor with two decades across fintech, hospitality, F&B, financial services, communications, marketing, and education. She has backed 27+ companies globally as an angel investor and LP. She has delivered a TEDx talk, spoken on the stages of South Summit Brazil and SXSW, and has been recognized by Tatler Philippines as a Front & Female Honoree.
Expertise
How to Work with Erika
Whether you’re exploring investor fit, pressure-testing your pitch, or ready for hands-on strategic partnership, there’s a clear path forward:
01.
Founder Screening
No Fee
For founders seeking investment alignment
Submit the Initial Founder Screening Form to determine fit with Erika’s portfolio focus—wellness, education, sustainability, and future of work. There is no guaranteed meeting or funding. If your company advances, our team will reach out to schedule the next step.
02.
Pitch Deck Evaluation with Erika’s Chiefs of Staff
Investment starts at: $149 (30 min) / $249 (60 min)
Strategic, high-level feedback from Erika’s internal screening committee
Strategic, investor-lens feedback from Erika's Chiefs of Staff—the same team and framework we use to evaluate deal flow. Our team brings combined experience across finance, venture, operations, marketing, editorial strategy, publishing, and building companies from zero to one.
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30 or 60 min video call scheduled within 5–7 business days of payment
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Focused diagnostic with positioning and narrative refinements
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Strength and gap analysis with actionable recommendations
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Feedback using Erika's internal evaluation framework
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Written post-call summary within 3-5 business days (60-min tier)
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Select founders may receive a warm introduction to Erika
03.
Work with Erika Directly
Investment starts at: $400
Direct, investor-level insight
The most consequential gap for underrepresented founders isn't idea quality or work ethic. It's access to the right capital networks, to a trusted strategic partner with institutional credibility, and to someone who will tell you the truth before a term sheet makes it irreversible.
Start with a Conversation
Single Session | Starts at $400
For founders who want direct, investor-level input on a specific question: pitch positioning, investor readiness, or whether the full advisory program is the right fit.
Advisory Program
Application Only | 3-Month Minimum Engagement
A structured strategic advisory engagement for early-stage founders building in wellness, F&B, sustainability, education, or future of work. Erika works directly with a small number of founders at a time. Applications are reviewed by her team, and accepted founders are onboarded into a 3-month program tailored to where they are in their raise.
Tier 1 — Strategic Retainer $3,500/month ·
3-month minimum
Monthly strategy sessions, structured asynchronous access, fundraising and positioning guidance, and network introductions when earned.
Tier 2 — Priority Access Retainer $5,000/month ·
3-month minimum
Everything in Tier 1 with priority access, a 24-hour response window, and no cap on asynchronous issues. Designed for founders in active fundraising or at a critical inflection point.
Full program details, deliverables, and engagement terms are shared with accepted founders.
Note: No guaranteed investment from Erika herself.