Please make your appointments by 7 pm on Thu 8/12/21. We will end registrations then, so our Experts can plan their Friday schedules.

STEPS

1. Review our roster of Experts, below
2. Click on the MAKE APPOINTMENTS NOW link, below
3. Make individual appointments w/ the experts you need – just ONE – or, up to a maximum of SIX
4. You’ll receive an email & a calendar invitation – w/ a Zoom link (or call-in phone #) for each appointment
5. Fri August 13: at time of each appointment, click on Zoom link or call phone #, 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 six 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?

Schedule 30 minutes with Ryan using the form below.

Liane Rousseau | Porter Wright
Law – Trademarks & Other Intellectual Property

Liane focuses her practice on all aspects of intellectual property. Her experience across a wide range of industries allows her to provide her clients with comprehensive services that protect their products, services and intellectual assets.

Liane has extensive litigation experience in federal courts and with the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. She routinely provides advice to clients concerning brand protection, trademark registration, licensing agreements and trademark, trade dress and copyright enforcement and defense.

With a background in privacy and data security, Liane has deep knowledge in litigation, records management and privacy policies. She also understands the operations and governance of intellectual property as it relates to entrepreneurships and startups.

Great Topics for Liane:

• Trademarks, Copyrights, & Patents
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Protection of a Business’s Intellectual Property
• Advertising Law: Can My Competitors Really Say “That”?

Schedule 30 minutes with Liane using the form below.

Miglena Kotevski | Huntington National Bank
Financing for Early Stage Businesses

Miglena Kotevski is a Program Manager for Huntington National Bank’s Lift Local Business Program, as part of the bank’s community plan commitment. Participants in Lift Local Business include women, veterans, and racially and ethnically diverse business owners.

Miglena has over 14 years of experience in banking (all with Huntington), 13 of them working with business clients of different industries and revenue size. She loves assisting Huntington clients with starting their own businesses, growing existing businesses, and going through all stages of a business lifecycle. She works closely with the Huntington Retail banking offices in New Albany, Gahanna, and the surrounding areas.

Great questions for Miglena:

• How should I finance the launch of a start-up or a new small business?
• What kind of financing can I obtain to grow my business?
• What are the basic requirements to buy a building? Or to purchase an existing business?
• What kind of bank accounts does Huntington offer on the business banking side?
• How can a bank help a business run its day-to-day operations effectively & efficiently?

Schedule 30 minutes with Miglena using the form below.

Sara Becker | New Albany CPA Co.
Business Tax Consulting and Preparation

Sara L. Becker, CPA is the President of The New Albany CPA Co. Her experience from Big 4 firms to Fortune 500 companies gives her unique insight into providing optimal tax solutions for business owners. Her focus is providing personalized strategies that leverage savings while also enhancing compliance protection, as available.

Specialties include business planning and comprehensive real estate tax solutions. Services are flat-fee based and include monthly packages that complete the accounting cycle from the business’ bookkeeping to the final individual tax return preparation. A free initial consultation is included. The New Albany CPA Co. is a Preferred Vendor of the Columbus Board of Realtors and an approved wholesale partner of Intuit.

Great questions for Sara:

• What is the most advantageous legal entity for my business?
• How can I utilize tax safe harbors available for (specific areas of) audit protection?
• Who should own the vehicle: the business or the owner?
• Am I filing with the right tax jurisdictions and agencies?

Schedule 30 minutes with Sara using the form below.

Brad Griffith | Buckeye Interactive
Web Strategy & Engineering

Brad Griffith is President of Buckeye Interactive, the web strategy and engineering agency he started in 2009. Prior to starting Buckeye Interactive, Brad spent several years consulting and developing web applications in-house for a variety of companies including JPMorgan Chase, QUALCOMM, and the Go Big Network. Brad earned his Masters in Business Administration after completing his Bachelor’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering with honors, both at The Ohio State University.

He has more than 20 years of web development experience and has worked from coast to coast with small and large companies, educational institutions, non-profit organizations and government agencies to build innovative web solutions.

Great questions for Brad:

• What is the best way to get my website started?
• How do I start planning an application for my business?
• How can I improve my site for better SEO?
• What different ways can I start building my company’s brand?
• How can I refresh or redesign my website?

Schedule 30 minutes with Brad using the form below.

Satish Albert | E2 Infosystems
Custom Software & App Development

Satish Albert is Founder & CEO of E2 Infosystems. Satish offers a unique combination of experiences: enterprise software development and practical entrepreneurial a, the latter gained while bootstrapping and then selling his own successful SaaS startup. Satish has an advanced degree in computer science and deep experience leading development teams at premier tech companies including: AT&T, Lucent Technologies (Bell Labs), and Docomo Intertouch.

Satish launched E2 Infosystems to help emerging and scaling companies by engineering software solutions that meet their unique needs.

E2 Infosystems has developed software and mobile applications serving:

• SaaS startups
• Healthcare & Assisted Living businesses
• Travel, Manufacturing and Enterprise Legacy Systems

Great questions for Satish:

• How do I turn my idea into a software product or application?
• What factors influence the price of software or app development?
• What are the latest trends or best practices in software/nas/content/live/innovatena development?
• How can I make sure my software or app is built to grow as my business grows?
• What’s a realistic timeline & what milestones can I expect when developing my products?

Schedule 30 minutes with Satish using the form below.

Susan Fortner | Bowers PR
Public Relations & Marketing

Susan Fortner has 20+ years of experience in public relations and marketing. Her firm Bowers PR manages accounts throughout the country specializing in health care, talent, banking, and packaged and soft goods. In addition the firm is recognized as a broker/partner with QVC, HSN, and Evine shopping networks.

Fortner has won awards and sits on the accreditation board to advance candidates in the Accreditation in Public Relations process. In 2013 Susan received special honors for her work in crisis management.

Great questions for Susan:

• How can I promote my company on a limited budget?
• How do I set Marketing & PR budgets that are sufficient to drive results?
• What simple steps can I take to improve my social media visibility rapidly?
• Which charities, like-minded businesses, and complementary companies should I partner with?
• How do I create and execute events that will differentiate my business in a crowded market?
• How can I get my products featured on shopping channels like QVC and HSN?

Schedule 30 minutes with Susan using the form below.

Tim Roe | Rev1 Ventures
Resources for High-Growth Startups

As a Rev1, Tim focuses on advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence solutions, and other fields of innovation. With a passion for helping startups navigate the path from idea to entering the market, he works with entrepreneurs to build the right team and successfully create an investable business model to accelerate growth.

Tim brings prior experience in finance, sales, and operations plus his long-term interest in entrepreneurship from previous positions in business development and consulting. He has seen first-hand how challenging it is to bring a product to market and works to deliver practical know-how to Rev1’s portfolio companies.

Tim earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Cheesesteaks and soft pretzels will always hold a special place in his heart

Great questions for Tim:

• What is Rev1 Ventures?
• What types of companies typically fit with Rev1’s model?
• How does Rev1 help entrepreneurs build companies?
• Can Rev1 help me secure funding to grow my startup?

Schedule 30 minutes with Tim using the form below.

Manny Larcher | Stopwatch Creative
Growth Marketing & Branding

Manny Larcher is the CEO of Stopwatch Creative and Founder of Collaborate and Elevate. He is a first-generation American who enjoys helping others find purpose in their work and is passionate about solving the challenges businesses face around growth. 

Stopwatch Creative, a boutique marketing agency, with a portfolio including numerous industries from Start-Ups to highly respected brands and high profile individuals. A full-service agency with the clear goal of driving a positive return on investment for clients, Stopwatch Creative assists their clients in numerous ways website/nas/content/live/innovatena development, brand development and growth, storytelling, digital advertising, social media, and more. Manny was recently recognized as one of the Top 20 Young Professionals in Columbus by CityPulse.

Great questions for Manny:

• Am I using best design practices to provide a great user experience and engagement?
• How can I generate more sales?
• How can I maximize the results of advertising efforts with my analytics?
• Is my website or my marketing generating good results?

Schedule 30 minutes with Manny using the form below.

Arthi Rathi | Book+Street
Cash Flow Forecasting & Financial Modeling

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:

• How do I know if I’ll have enough money to pay my bills/payroll next week/month/quarter/year?
• How do I develop a revenue forecast?
• What type of financial information do potential investors expect when considering an investment?
• Do I need to give my employees equity?

Schedule 30 minutes with Arthi using the form below.

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?

Schedule 30 minutes with Kevin using the form below.

Michael Butler | Footprint Capital
Business Exit Advice & Planning

Michael Butler is Senior Director for Columbus based Footprint Capital. Footprint is a boutique investment banking firm that specializes in advising owners of businesses in the exit process.

Michael formerly worked as a certified public accountant in both the audit and consulting practices, a Chief Financial Officer with a manufacturing and distribution company, a senior officer of a Fortune 100 company and a partner in a venture capital firm. These experiences have given him a broad perspective on various industries. He is also a Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CMAA).

Great questions for Michael:

• How should I be preparing to sell my business?
• What are the possible exit options for my business?
• What is the value of having an advisor help me sell my company?
• What are the steps of a sale process and how long does it take?

Schedule 30 minutes with Michael using the form below.

Heather Ferguson | QRT Consulting Group, LLC
Quality Compliance Medical Device Businesses

Heather is a people and results-focused leader with broad experience in the medical device and nutrition quality, regulatory, and manufacturing operations.

Skilled in leadership, quality operations management, regulatory compliance, supply chain logistics, and program management. She has worked for large and small companies and supported their growth and development. Heather will work with you to understand your business and provide customized solutions.

Great questions for Heather:

• I am unsure if my innovation is a medical device – how do I know?
• I have an innovation in the medical device space, what do I do next?
• I am not sure how to determine if a manufacturer is capable of making my product to the required standards – how do I know?

Schedule 30 minutes with Heather using the form below.

Neil Drobny | Independent Consultant
Environmental Responsibility for Business

Neil’s professional expertise, gained over 50 years as a consultant and academic leader, encompasses environmental sustainability and social responsibility with an emphases on business strategies and practices.

Prior to launching his academic career Neil was executive director of two small recycling organizations — The Association of Ohio Recyclers and the Waste Not Center. Earlier in his career Neil founded and served as CEO of a regional environmental consulting firm. In recognition of work performed for one client his firm received a national award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. Additionally, Neil worked at Battelle where he contributed to development of one of the first formal environmental impacts assessment tools. Prior to joining Battelle he was an officer in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps where he held a research assignment and developed solutions for environmental matters associated with Naval operations; he received a patent for that work.

Great questions for Neil:

• What is the business case for my company to adopt a sustainability agenda?
• Where in my company should sustainability leadership be positioned?
• Will my employees need special training if we decide to become a sustainable company?
• Is there a checklist of requirements that must be met to claim a company is sustainable?
• What is the cost burden that I should anticipate from building sustainability into my company’s products and services?

Schedule 30 minutes with Neil using the form below.