Our Team
Here for you on the first mile of your startup journey.
Aaron Stachel
Partner
Denver, CO
Denver, CO
- Lives in Denver with wife and four young kids
- Came to Colorado with the Army and never left
- On weekends can be found on his skis or mountain bike
- Grew up on a small island in the Detroit River
Aaron helped launch FirstMile Ventures with Bill in 2014 and became a partner in the firm's second fund. As he met more and more founders struggling to navigate the gap between angels and Series A, it became clear that Colorado needed more seed capital. Filling that gap became FirstMile's initial strategy, and he's stayed focused on being a founder's first partner ever since.
He’s led numerous investments spanning Healthtech, Logistics, Fintech, Commerce, and Robotics. He knows the next big opportunity won't look like the last, and is always on the lookout for founding teams that have unique insights about big markets.
He spent 10 years as an Army officer and helicopter pilot, leading teams in a number of challenging environments including two overseas deployments. The lessons on leadership, teamwork, and execution have greatly influenced his thoughts on management and investing.
After the Army, Aaron pursued his MBA with a clear pull toward startups — spending time as an intern at a tech incubator and as a part-time employee at a venture-backed company along the way. He went on to work in strategic finance at Newmont Mining, focused on M&A and mineral agreement negotiations.
Aaron grew up in Michigan before studying economics at West Point. After graduation, he attended flight school in Alabama and moved to Korea for his first assignment before making his way to Colorado. He received his MBA with a concentration in Finance from the Daniels College at the University of Denver. He lives in Denver with his wife and four kids.
He’s led numerous investments spanning Healthtech, Logistics, Fintech, Commerce, and Robotics. He knows the next big opportunity won't look like the last, and is always on the lookout for founding teams that have unique insights about big markets.
He spent 10 years as an Army officer and helicopter pilot, leading teams in a number of challenging environments including two overseas deployments. The lessons on leadership, teamwork, and execution have greatly influenced his thoughts on management and investing.
After the Army, Aaron pursued his MBA with a clear pull toward startups — spending time as an intern at a tech incubator and as a part-time employee at a venture-backed company along the way. He went on to work in strategic finance at Newmont Mining, focused on M&A and mineral agreement negotiations.
Aaron grew up in Michigan before studying economics at West Point. After graduation, he attended flight school in Alabama and moved to Korea for his first assignment before making his way to Colorado. He received his MBA with a concentration in Finance from the Daniels College at the University of Denver. He lives in Denver with his wife and four kids.
