Booking Lane on your show? Everything you need for a pre‑IPO and angel investing episode is here.
Bios, a read-aloud intro, talking points, questions, headshots and links. Copy what you need or download the whole kit in one click.
Lane Kawaoka, PE
Lane explains how accredited investors get access to private companies before they go public, and why the infrastructure behind AI may matter more than the headline names.
Lane started in real estate, buying single-family rentals in 2009 and then moving into multifamily syndications, where his investor community has taken part in $2.1B of acquisitions. As more companies chose to stay private for longer, more of their growth started happening before ordinary investors could buy a share. That pushed Lane to widen his focus to pre-IPO and angel investing. He joined Hawaii Angels and now spends much of his time on the infrastructure, energy and compute companies behind AI, with an engineer's eye on fees, structures and lockups.
Buy the picks and shovels, read the fee stack, and plan to wait.
Pick a length and copy it.
Every block has a Copy button. Kawaoka is pronounced kah-wah-OH-kah. He goes by Lane.
Lane Kawaoka, PE is a licensed engineer, angel investor and founder of The Wealth Elevator, an investor community that has raised $230M+ from investors. He helps accredited investors understand pre-IPO and private company investing without the hype.
Lane Kawaoka, PE is a licensed engineer turned investor and the founder of The Wealth Elevator. After taking part in $2.1B of real estate acquisitions and raising $230M+ from investors, he now focuses on pre-IPO and angel investing, with an eye on the companies that supply the AI buildout. He is a member of Hawaii Angels and the author of two Amazon bestsellers.
Lane Kawaoka, PE spent 12 years as a licensed Professional Engineer before building The Wealth Elevator, an investor community that has taken part in $2.1B of real estate acquisitions and raised $230M+ from investors. As more of the growth in the economy moved into private companies, Lane widened his focus to pre-IPO and angel investing. He is a member of Hawaii Angels and favors the infrastructure, energy and compute companies behind AI over the most-hyped names. He hosts The Wealth Elevator podcast, has written two Amazon bestsellers, and lives in Honolulu.
Lane Kawaoka spent 12 years as a licensed Professional Engineer while building a rental portfolio on the side. Through The Wealth Elevator he went on to take part in $2.1B of real estate acquisitions across 65+ projects and raise $230M+ from investors.
His focus has widened as more growth has moved into private markets. Companies now stay private far longer, so much of their growth can happen before ordinary investors can buy a share. Lane studies how accredited investors get direct access to those companies, and he favors the "picks and shovels" of AI, such as infrastructure, energy and compute, over chasing the most-hyped names. He brings an engineer's skepticism to thin financials, layered fees and long lockups. He is a member of Hawaii Angels, the author of The Wealth Elevator and Simple Passive Cashflow, and lives in Honolulu.
"My guest today is Lane Kawaoka. He's a licensed engineer, an angel investor, and the founder of The Wealth Elevator, an investor community that has raised over two hundred thirty million dollars from investors. These days he spends his time on the private side of the market: pre-IPO companies and the businesses behind the AI boom. Lane, welcome to the show."
"Lane Kawaoka is an engineer, angel investor and founder of The Wealth Elevator. Today he's here to talk about how investors get into companies before they go public."
What Lane can go deep on.
- Why companies stay private longer, and what public-market investors miss as a result
- The retail path vs direct access: SPVs, secondaries and fund structures
- AI "picks and shovels": infrastructure, energy and compute vs the app layer
- How an engineer evaluates a private company when the numbers are thin
- Fees, carry and layered SPVs: what to ask before you sign
- Liquidity: lockups, secondary sales and planning for a long hold
- What an angel group pitch meeting teaches you about founders
- How investors think about sizing private company positions in a net worth
- Why are so many great companies staying private longer?
- How does an accredited investor actually get into a pre-IPO company?
- What's an SPV, and what are the hidden costs?
- Why focus on picks and shovels instead of the big AI names?
- What red flags make you pass on a private deal?
- How do you think about getting your money back out?
- What have you learned sitting in angel pitch meetings?
- How do you think about sizing pre-IPO positions inside a portfolio?
More for long-form shows
- Primary vs secondary shares, and why the share class matters
- Valuation marks vs real prices: why a "markup" is not a return
- Concentration risk: one great company vs a basket of private positions
- How energy demand from data centers links AI investing to the energy sector
- Why post-exit founders are often the first to look at private company investing
- What happens at IPO: lockups, distributions and tax planning with a CPA
- Pre-IPO inside a wider plan that includes real estate, energy and cash reserves
- You were an engineer for 12 years. How does that shape how you judge a startup?
- What's the difference between buying primary shares and buying on the secondary market?
- How do you know whether a valuation is real?
- What does a layered SPV look like, and why should investors care?
- How long should someone expect to wait for liquidity?
- You came from real estate. What surprised you most about private company investing?
- What question should every investor ask before wiring money into a private deal?
- Most overrated thing in AI right now?
- Best book on money that isn't your own?
- One trait you look for in a founder?
- What's something you believed about investing at 25 that you no longer believe?
Lane keeps every episode educational. He does not name companies he has invested in, specific SPVs or offerings, valuations or returns, and he doesn't predict IPO dates or prices.
Pick an angle.
How Investors Get Into Companies Before They Go Public
SPVs, secondaries and funds explained for accredited investors
The Picks and Shovels of AI
Why infrastructure, energy and compute may matter more than the headline names
What Your Pre-IPO Deal Is Really Costing You
Fees, carry and layered SPVs
An Engineer Walks Into an Angel Group
What pitch meetings teach you about founders and risk
From Real Estate to Private Companies
Why a real estate investor widened his focus to private markets
Private Markets Are Where the Growth Went
Why companies stay private longer and what it means for investors
Free copies of the book for your listeners.
Want to give your community something extra? We'll send a complimentary physical copy of The Wealth Elevator, the bestselling, Pencraft Award-winning book, to anyone on your list who asks. It's a plain-English educational resource on passive investing, tax strategy and long-term wealth building, and the gift comes from you.
As a thank-you to our community, Lane Kawaoka is giving away free physical copies of his bestselling, Pencraft Award-winning book, The Wealth Elevator, an educational guide to passive investing, tax strategy and long-term wealth building. Request your copy here: https://forms.gle/5G8BigBJqXoCbDXw8
Headshots, logo and the full kit.
Links, ready to paste.
Website: https://thewealthelevator.com Pre-IPO: https://thewealthelevator.com/home/guides/pre-ipo/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D39GNY84 Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wealth-elevator/id1118795347 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheWealthElevator LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thewealthelevator/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewealthelevator/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthElevator/
Booking and contact.
- Book a recordingteam@thewealthelevator.com
- Subject linePODCAST
- Phone808-215-5531
Lane records remotely from Honolulu and is set up for audio and video interviews. He's glad to share the episode with his audience once it's live.
Logistics, answered up front.
Does Lane record in person?
Remote recordings only. Lane is based in Honolulu, so please note your time zone when you email.
How long does Lane need?
Most interviews run 30 to 60 minutes. Shorter formats are fine.
Will Lane promote the episode?
Yes. Send the live link and the team will share it.
Will Lane name specific companies or pitch an investment?
No. Episodes are educational. Lane talks about how pre-IPO investing works, not about specific companies or offerings.
Can Lane cover topics beyond pre-IPO?
Yes. He also speaks on oil and gas as a tax strategy (see thewealthelevator.com/oilspeaker), real estate syndications and tax strategy for high earners.
Grab the kit, send an email, and you're set.
Questions about topics or scheduling? Email team@thewealthelevator.com with PODCAST in the subject line.