Erika & Colin Angle, Our Giving Day Challengers
This year, Endicott College was challenged by Board of Trustees member, Erika Angle, and her husband, Colin, to come together for Giving Day, a 24-hour fundraising event, on Wednesday, March 6. For every Giving Day gift made, Erika and Colin have pledged to add $25. If our goal of 1,000 donors is reached, that is an additional $25,000 to benefit the College.
“The Giving Day challenge is a natural fit for us,” says Erika. “We want to help grow and spread the entrepreneurial spirit that guides and motivates the College—from the students, all the way up to the leadership team. Initiatives like Giving Day are extremely important because the funding is used in so many beneficial ways—scholarships, academic programs, athletics, student resources, and much more—all critical components to what allows the College to be the beautiful, entrepreneurial place that it is.”
Erika says that she and Colin are inspired by the College’s tight-knit family environment and its constant desire to improve and stay ahead of the game. “There isn’t a sense of complacency at Endicott. Trends are monitored and programs are updated to ensure that students have the opportunities that they are looking for.”
Erika and Colin, who have been integral parts of the Endicott community since 2012, have permanent footprints on campus through the Colin & Erika Angle Center for Entrepreneurship—created to teach, coach, and inspire students to pursue innovation and creativity. Erika says that the Center is a perfect match because the College is very much entrepreneurial and is constantly evolving its academic model to stay competitive.
The list of accomplishments between the husband-and-wife duo is impressive, to say the least. Though Erika and Colin are both Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates and skilled entrepreneurs, their professional achievements have been accomplished separately. Between the two, they have founded three highly-successful, globally-recognized companies. Erika founded Science from Scientists in 2002, an award-winning science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) nonprofit that brings scientists into elementary and middle school classrooms to teach curriculum-relevant, hands-on science. From Science from Scientists, she moved on and started Ixcela: The Internal Fitness™ Company which is focused on gut health and wellness. She’s currently the chief executive officer. Colin is chairman of the board, chief executive officer, and co-founder of iRobot, the leading global consumer robot company that empower people to do more both inside and outside of the home.
Erika’s advice for those who want to pursue entrepreneurship? “It’s not easy—but it’s well worth it. I always joke that it’s going to take three times longer, cost three times more, and probably be three times more painful than you think it will. But, at the end of the day, you get to watch something that you believe in, grow and thrive and impact people in a positive way.”
Help us make the Angles proud and make your Giving Day gift today. Your participation will help to unlock these extra funds for the College, and will help us make Endicott's first ever Giving Day the incredible success we know it can be.