Finance/Insurance: MONIQUE S. ADAMS

Born out of recommendations from a group seeking to make Hampton Roads less dependent on federal defense spending, 757 Angels matches a network of more than 100 business and community leaders in the Hampton Roads region with Virginia-based entrepreneurs who need funding and mentoring to develop their early-stage companies.

So far, the group’s investors have injected more than $90 million into budding businesses, according to Adams, who has served as executive director of 757 Angels since its 2015 launch.

Additionally, Adams serves as managing director of 757 Collab, which oversees 757 Angels, as well as 757 Accelerate, a startup accelerator program, and 757 Startup Studios, a coworking space in Norfolk where selected entrepreneurs can set up offices for no cost and receive mentoring aid.

A former finance executive at predecessor banks of Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, Adams sits on the boards of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority, Reinvent Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Biomedical Research Consortium.

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