Dutchess County Angel Network (DCAN)

The Dutchess County Angel Network (DCAN) was established to encourage early-stage investing by bringing together businesses located in Dutchess County that are ready for investment and individuals who are interested in investing. These potential investors are referred to as “angels.”

  • DCAN Entrepreneur Program Summary(PDF, 356Kb)
  • DCAN Member Program Summary(PDF, 353Kb)

  • Dutchess County Angels – Stimulating Local Business Growth

    As any entrepreneur will tell you, a start-up is continually evolving in order to meet constantly changing needs and competitive threats in the marketplace. As part of its own evolution, NavAgility, a Poughkeepsie-based Web business, has moved from being self-funded by its three co-founders, to being funded by several different angel networks, including the Dutchess County Angel Network (DCAN).

    Used in an investment context, an angel investor is “an affluent individual who provides capital for a business start-up, usually in exchange for ownership equity.” Tony DiMarco, the President of NavAgility, LLC, founded the company after a twenty-year career at IBM Corporation. NavAgility has raised well over a million dollars from angel networks, which has helped the company accelerate the growth of its business.

    From his experience, DeMarco describes three kinds of angels. “Most angels have little interaction with the company and are happy with periodic progress reports, while others interact more regularly and often provide helpful business connections and ideas. A very small number of angels become consultative partners of the business.” DiMarco was fortunate to find one of these partners through his connection with DCAN. Larry Holfelder, CEO and Founder of BusinesSage Solutions , has not only became an angel investor in NavAgility but has become a highly valued partner.

    According to DiMarco, NavAgility’s new ventures include enablement of targeted advertising and marketing. The company also plans to offer the tool as an online community for companies and angel investors in the Dutchess County area. 

    For additional information, read a related Poughkeepsie Journal article or contact Tony ( adimarco@navAgility.com ) or Larry ( larry.holfelder@businessagesolutions.com ) directly.

    Contact DCAN


  • Melissa Mackey
    Dutchess County Economic Development Corporation
    3 Neptune Road
    Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
    (845) 463-5403
    melissa@dcedc.com