Meet 1-on-1 With the Experts You Need
100% VIRTUAL Format

Innovate New Albany created Expert 😎 Office Hours to make it easy for business owners & aspiring entrepreneurs to get the answers they need.

Please set all your appointments by 12 Noon, 04/16/25.

We will end registrations at Noon, so our Experts can plan their Thursday schedules.

STEPS

1. Review our roster of Experts, below
2. Click on the link below the Expert’s name to schedule an appointment
3. Make individual appointments w/ the experts you need – just ONE – or, up to a maximum of FIVE
4. You’ll receive an email & a calendar invitation – w/ a Zoom link for each appointment
5. Thurs April 17: at time of each appointment, click on Zoom link to meet w/ your selected Expert

NOTES

1. For most of you, a personal computer will be the best means to access your Expert meetings via Zoom; no need to download software

2. Questions? Email Neil Collins at “neil@InnovateNewAlbany.org”

Schedule up to five 30-minute meeting(s) below:

Ryan Steele | Porter Wright
Startup & Emerging Business Law

At Porter Wright, Ryan Steele helps early stage entrepreneurs choose optimal business structures and complete the documentation needed to establish their business foundation, grow and expand, and ultimately exit on their own favorable terms.

Ryan also handles corporate contractual matters to bring mergers, acquisitions, financing, startup operations, and other general business transactions to fruition. Combining business operations knowledge with legal acumen, Ryan efficiently executes complex business contracts so that rapidly growing companies, business owners and early stage entrepreneurs can cost-effectively achieve their growth goals.

Ryan also brings great business savvy to his client relationships. Having managed an office of over 100 people, Ryan can apply his first-hand knowledge of everyday business functions including project management, employee management, and independent contracting, providing practical counsel to fast-growing entities so they can overcome challenges and achieve their business goals.

Great Questions for Ryan:

• Incorporating Your New Business – What forms are possible and the pros/cons of each
• Capital Tables – How to structure company ownership to ensure achieving my long term goals?
• Business Operating Agreements – What are these and when does my business need one?
• Liability – How do I protect myself and my business?
• Written Contracts – When and why should my business use them?
• Regulation & Red Tape – What docs must I file to comply with laws/rules for my industry?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Ryan.

Jordan Campbell | Huntington National Bank
Funding Businesses thru SBA Programs

Jordan began her career at Huntington in 2016 as a relationship banker at the German Village, OH branch. She then moved into business banking as a treasury management advisor, supporting the Central and Southern, OH branches.

In 2019 she joined the Dedicated Business Relationship Manager team and managed a portfolio of 200 business banking clients in the Cincinnati area. She transitioned to a Business Development Officer in Central, OH working to find new business banking clients to bring to Huntington Bank and most recently has become an SBA Product Specialist focusing on SBA lending for Central, OH business owners.

Great questions for Jordan:

• SBA Loan Options: What types of SBA loans are available, and how can I determine which one is the best fit for my business?
• Eligibility Requirements: What are the key qualifications for obtaining an SBA loan, and how can I determine if my business meets them?
• Business Expansion: How can SBA financing help with growing my business, such as acquiring new equipment, opening a second location, or purchasing inventory?
• Preparing a Strong Application: What are the most common mistakes business owners make when applying for SBA loans, and how can I avoid them?
• Understanding Loan Terms: How do SBA loan terms compare to traditional loans, and what should I consider when evaluating repayment terms?
• Improving Financial Position: What steps can I take to strengthen my financial position and increase my chances of getting approved for an SBA loan?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Jordan.

Arthi Rathi | Book + Street
Financial Modeling, Cash Flow, Pricing Model, & Equity Compensation

Arthi Rathi is a CFO at Book+Street, a financial services firm working with startup businesses in Ohio and the Midwest. A CPA by background, Arthi climbed the ladder in Big 4 consulting and at a Fortune 25 company and has over 15 years of financial, operational and management experience. She is a strategic problem solver delivering financial value through a deep understanding of business and collaboration.

Arthi enjoys helping clients weave their stories through numbers to help business partners craft new ventures, grow businesses and showcase their value. Through her work, she has gained advanced skills in technical accounting, revenue recognition, deal modeling, and strategic finance. She loves working with startups because it allows her to solve problems creatively by rolling up her sleeves, diving into data and learning through cross-functional teamwork.

Great questions for Arthi:

• What is my Burn rate and how long will my cash last and what do I need to raise?
• How do I develop a revenue forecast? How do I determine ARR. What are the key financial metrics to analyze my business
• What type of financial information do potential investors expect when considering an investment?
• Do I need to give my employees equity? How do I set up my cap table and model scenarios for equity considerations?
• Economics to consider for pricing my service / product

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Arthi.

Brett Rosenstein | Build Accounting
Accounting and Taxes for Startups

With 15 years of experience in the accounting industry, Brett is a highly skilled Certified Public Accountant dedicated to helping tech startups and SaaS businesses navigate the complexities of accounting and taxes.

Brett previously worked for Plante and Moran, a large public accounting firm in downtown Columbus. Having the entrepreneur “bug”, Brett started Build Accounting in 2019. Over the years, Build Accounting has grown to a team of five and today provides tax filing, accounting, and advisory services for tech startups and SaaS business. Build Accounting’s mission is to make the accounting and tax process as easy, simple, and headache-free for founders as possible. Build uses cloud-based accounting systems and current technologies to help founders understand their numbers and make informed decisions that will benefit their company.

During the day, Brett can be found working out of the Innovate New Albany offices. While, in his free time he enjoys running, spending time with his wife and daughter, and trying new pizza places around Columbus. Between 2011 and 2013, he tried 100+ pizza places in the Columbus area.

Great questions for Brett:

• What is the best entity structure for my business?
• What are the tax compliance requirements that I should be aware of?
• What are the bare minimum OR best practice accounting and tax requirements I should be taking to ensure I stay out of trouble with the IRS.
• How can I ensure I am picking up all available deductions for my business?
• What else should I know about that I may not be thinking about when it comes to the accounting and taxes for my business?

Click here schedule 30 minutes with Brett.

Tushar Kulkarni | Big Kitty Labs
Software Solutions to Meet Your Needs

Tushar has over 25 years of experience managing small to large-scale projects & teams
& delivering innovative tech solutions. Tushar founded Big Kitty Labs to pursue his passion for innovative tech solutions and bringing them to different domains. Under Tushar’s
leadership, Big Kitty Labs has successfully designed & delivered 200+ software systems in domains ranging from the government sector, healthcare, education, automative, aviation, agtech and sports.

Great questions for Tushar:

• What were the initial challenges one faces when starting their tech company, and how can one overcome them?
• How does one validate their tech idea or solution in the market before diving into development?
• What were the key steps that one can take to build a talented and cohesive tech team
• What strategies can one employ to market and promote your tech product or solution
• Can you share any lessons learned or mistakes made during the early stages of your tech venture?
• How does one navigate the competitive landscape and differentiate your tech product from existing solutions?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Tushar.

Brian Thomas | Impact-Social
Go-to-Market Strategy & Execution

For the past 12 years, Brian has implemented go-to-market strategies for small businesses and startups. He has assisted small businesses across numerous sectors in identifying, developing, and implementing growth strategies. From local beverage distribution, to international commodity markets, and IoT to Web3, businesses have used these go-to-market systems to find success or pivot into a welcoming niche. Whether it’s growing a social media page to 1 million followers, building a local customer base to 50+ customers, or reaching into international markets to diversify importers, the fundamentals of market-fit, sales, and marketing are the foundation for any business to grow. At Impact Social, our business is to accelerate your business.

Great questions for Brian:

• Who will buy my product or service?
• How do I price my product or service?
• What is the most effective distribution channel to reach my market?
• How do I sell my product or service?
• Why have my sales plateaued?
• What systems do I put into place to grow my business?

Click here schedule 30 minutes with Brian.

Matt Cynkar | Rev1 Ventures
Resources for High Growth Startups

Matt Cynkar serves as Managing Director at Rev1 Ventures. In that role, Matt leads the team that serves as the first touch point for the more than 700 entrepreneurs who reach out to Rev1 each year. That team connects entrepreneurs quickly with the startup resources available within Rev1 and throughout Ohio’s startup communities.

Matt manages exploratory meetings between qualified entrepreneurs and the Rev1 team members. Matt ensures seamless handoffs for entrepreneurs between their early contact with Rev1 and the next steps on their journey, which may be Rev1’s Customer Learning Lab, client engagement planning, or referrals to other support organizations or programs.

Before joining Rev1, Matt played key roles in Market Research and Customer Insights at Alliance Data and Bath & Body Works. Matt is a graduate of Miami University.

Great questions for Matt:

• I have an idea for a high-growth startup; can Rev1 help me determine if it’s
  worth pursuing?
• I’ve launched a startup; can Rev1 help me get funding to grow it?
• What other resources does Rev1 offer to help entrepreneurs?
• How does an entrepreneur get started with Rev1?
• I see that Rev1 works in corporate innovation; how can I learn more?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Matt.

Kevin Hammond | Ohio SBDC
Business Management Advice

Kevin Hammond has been a business management consultant for 13 years, mostly focused on small businesses and start-ups. Kevin has been on the SBDC team for almost ten years as a consultant. Prior to consulting, Kevin was in financial services at Chase Manhattan. Kevin has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Ohio Dominican University and an MBA from Capital University.

The Ohio SBDC is part of America’s SBDC national network comprised of over 1000 Centers across the U.S. including 28 in Ohio. The Ohio SBDC Network provides one-on-one advising, by Certified Business Advisors, at no cost and conduct no or low cost business training.

Great questions for Kevin:

• I have a business idea. What is my next step?
• How do I market my services and products?
• How can I take my business to the next level?
• How and where can I get money for my business?
• How do I keep track of my financial records and assure I’m tax compliant?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Kevin.

Please note: If you register and then don’t attend, your time slot will go unfilled, potentially preventing other business owners from accessing the expert advice they need. If you can’t keep your appointment, please email Neil Collins at info@InnovateNewAlbany.org .