Mary McDougall

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the death of our dear

colleague, Astia Advisor and friend, Mary McDougall. Mary died on August 31 from Multiple System Atrophy, an atypical form of Parkinson's Disease. We will miss her thoughtful leadership and sharp wit. She was an exceptional woman who was an influential, generous leader who shared her talents and time with women entrepreneurs who followed in her own path.  

 

Mary’s success stood for itself. Mary was one of the first women to receive an Engineering degree from Dartmouth College. She went on to be a serial entrepreneur, driving four successful exits and participating in ten acquisitions. She was a leader in both public companies and early stage ventures with innovation and software technology at the core.

 

Mary first joined the Astia community in 2012 as an Astia Advisor, lending her time and talents alongside her career. Astia Advisors anchor the community that is Astia, and are an integral component of our investment activity. Mary stood out in a community of thousands. 

 

In April 2018, we were fortunate to have Mary join the Astia team. Mary led the efforts behind the development and implementation of Astia Connect, our proprietary investment platform that has enabled Astia to scale its impact to thousands of startups each year. Her attention to the needs of the entrepreneurs was central to our success on and off the platform. She never lost her entrepreneurial edge. Week in, week out, Mary was the fiercest of advocates for the women leaders we touched. 

 

Mary’s personal updates shared with our team always included travel, where she had been or where she would be exploring next, or, more frequently, her grandchildren which she doted on and they quite clearly brought her so much joy. Our hearts are with her husband Don.

 

Rest in peace Mary.

 

         Charitable contributions in memory of Mary, which would bring her joy, should be to either Power Over Parkinson’s in Monterey, where Mary loved to exercise and box to fight the disease, or to The Brain Support Network to support her interest in brain research.

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