Wallet Max Planet Positive Podcast with Investor Denise McQuaid

Join Bhuva Shakti, Founder & CEO at Wallet Max, as she speaks with female investors looking to leverage inclusion and impact without compromising growth of investments.

​This month her guest is Denise McQuaid, a Co-Founder and Director of Investor Relations at AwakenAngels, the first and only women-led angel investment syndicate in the island of Ireland.

​About Denise McQuaid:
​​​Denise McQuaid is a Co-Founder and Director of Investor Relations at AwakenAngels, the first and only women-led (not women-only) angel investment syndicate in the island of Ireland, dedicated to supporting and investing in women-led start-ups based in Ireland. Denise is a seasoned professional with global experience spanning Europe, Asia, and the US. She specializes in facilitating the growth of early-stage technology organizations by leveraging her expertise in venture capital, micro funds, angel investment, and syndication processes. As the Co-Founder of AwakenHub & AwakenAngels, Denise has cultivated a dynamic community of women founders and angel investors in Ireland and Irish diaspora communities, fostering collaboration and empowerment. Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, Denise serves as a mentor at Imperial Venture Mentoring Service, a Growth Advisor at Cranfield School of Management, and an Advisory Board Member at UK British Angels Association.

​AwakenAngels mission is to democratize and transform the landscape of women-led entrepreneurship and investment across the country. AwakenHub is a key partner in the EU Commission's Women TechEU cascade funding programme. This groundbreaking initiative is dedicated to empowering women-led deep tech startups across Europe with €12 million in equity-free grants.

​About Wallet Max: 

​​​Wallet Max expands fundraising for growth-stage startups in sustainability and climate fintech sectors, and connects them with an inclusive community.

​​About Bhuva Shakti:

​​Bhuva Shakti (she/her) is the visionary founder and CEO driving sustainable innovation at Wallet Max, a global community of executive women and venture capital investors with a mission to expand fundraising access for high-growth sustainable startups. With an MBA from Columbia University in New York and as a senior executive director on Wall Street for three decades, Bhuva has managed diverse financial portfolios and launched several digital transformation products for investment banks, capital markets, and payment networks.

​​Bhuva’s leadership and risk governance oversight, during the global financial crisis and the pandemic, was pivotal for the success of regulatory compliance and mergers acquisitions at the world's top banks and credit rating institutions. Bhuva is a board director and fractional C-Suite advisor for social impact businesses, and a keynote speaker advancing economic inclusion and climate-fintech partnerships.

​​Bhuva is the USA country director for World Business Angels Investment Forum and the Chief Ethics & Culture Officer for Women in AI worldwide. She leads the fundraising strategy and product operations for market expansion and manages investor relations throughout the diligence and investment. Bhuva is the founder of Bhuva’s Impact Global that provides board advisory services and enterprise risk management for public and private corporations.