If you wanted to write a book about Angel Investing, you could do worse than start with Al Schneider. He’s made over 100 angel investments in 46 companies since co-founding Pasadena Angels in 2000, where he took turns as Vice Chairman and Chairman for nearly a decade. But he’s also been a member since 2000 and a past president of Tech Coast Angels/L.A., and a member since 2015 of New Dominion Angels in Northern Virginia.

During the 2000’s, his angel investments have run the gamut, both in industry and outcome. So far, just 11 of his companies have failed, and 10 have had positive exits. But the majority, 25 in total, are still operating, working towards that next milestone and, hopefully, a great exit. He’s been a board member or adviser for countless entrepreneurs in the process, and he’s developed a reputation for creativity in structuring and negotiating deals that can bridge valuation and other differences. He’s the guy you call in when the standard structures aren’t going to work.

He’s NOT the guy (anymore) you call when you have to do due diligence on a mining operation in Central America. That’s because he’s been there and done that. Back in the 1990s, he was helping a friend who was in the business of financing private mining companies. There was one in Costa Rica that looked promising. Al flew to San Jose, rented a four-wheel drive late in the afternoon, and proceeded to head northwest on the Pan American Highway. You know how directions can seem reasonable until you get close?

“Exit the Highway and proceed 30 kilometers on poorly marked roads through the jungle, then turn right at a dirt road with a gate across it.” Well, that’s fine until you get into the jungle and pass lots of dirt crossroads with gates in all states of disrepair. It’s worse when it gets dark. And worse still when its starts pouring down rain. Nevertheless, Al exited the main road as planned, but nearly sunk up to the axles in mud several times at flooded lowlands. Alone on the jungle road, Al spotted a light in the distance ahead. It was 9:30 at night. There was one more flooded low-lying area to cross. Without a lot of options, he sped down the road and through the water towards the light where he found his friend with a solitary flashlight. The next day they explored mining tunnels with the owner in the remote Costa Rican jungle. It made for a great story for his friends, but Al hasn’t gone back for any more jungle mine diligence adventures.

How did Al get involved analyzing a mining financing in the first place? He started working as a kid in his father’s corner store, and then worked for a grocery wholesaler in high school. Perhaps motivated by the belief that his future wasn’t in fruits and vegetables, he earned a scholarship to Harvard where he studied social science under his mentor David Riesman, then stayed for grad school to pursue a PhD in Sociology before switching to business school across the river. After earning his MBA at HBS, Al moved to the Washington area to work in commercial real estate at a large REIT that both purchased and financed real estate projects nationwide.

Entrepreneurship beckoned, so Al joined with a Virginia developer to form The Canterbury Group to develop real estate. In the 1980’s, they started with apartments and condominiums, then progressed to motels and senior living facilities. When his senior partner retired, in the 1990’s Al joined an HBS classmate building psychiatric hospitals. From there, with other partners, he shifted his investment focus to information technology and telecom in the D.C. area before deciding that there were better opportunities in technology investments on the West Coast.

In 1998, the timing was right for a move to La Canada, and by 2000 Al had teamed with DuWayne Peterson to bring together the early investors that formed Pasadena Angels. DuWayne became the Angels first Chairman and Al its Vice Chairman. Al’s breadth of experience and understanding of entrepreneurship made angel investing a natural—which helps explain his work with three angel groups and investment in 46 startups in the 2000’s.

Al’s business interests are broad, so his angel investment portfolio is quite diverse, but there’s definitely a bias today towards healthcare and medical devices, both in investing and philanthropy. Al and his wife Cathy Heron have devoted themselves to supporting research in thyroid cancer and in HPV-related cervical, neck and other cancers at Medstar/Georgetown Hospital and Johns Hopkins. They’ve also focused time and money to protecting religious freedom and civil liberties. The couple now shuttles between homes in Manhattan Beach, CA and the Washington, D.C. area, and stays close to their adult children and four grandchildren in Phoenix, AZ and Northern Virginia.