Friday Oct 6 | 9:00-12:00PM 

Meet 1-on-1 w/ 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, Thursday 10/5/23.

We will end registrations at Noon, so our Experts can plan their Friday 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 SIX
4. You’ll receive an email & a calendar invitation – w/ a Zoom link for each appointment
5. Fri Oct 5: 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 six 30-minute meeting(s) below:

Sara Risch | Rev1 Ventures
Venture Development

As Managing Director, Venture Development, Sara Risch guides spinout projects from Rev1 Ventures’ research partner institutions through Rev1’s customer, product, and market validation process. Sara provides extensive guidance to multiple high-growth, high-potential companies, remaining deeply involved for extended periods.

Sara has extensive experience in commercializing innovation—from analyzing complex technologies to determine the market potential to working directly with innovators to advance their projects from laboratory to seed-stage funding. She is an expert in developing commercialization roadmaps, matching technologies to appropriate academic exit strategies, and then assembling the right team to make that happen.

Sara earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from The Ohio State University and her BS degree in Biology from Kent State University.

Great questions for Sara:

• How do I estimate my product’s market potential?
• How can I move my project from the lab to seed stage funding?
• Can Rev1 help me create a product commercialization Roadmap?
• Can Rev1 help me find talent to build out my startup team?
• What other services does Rev1 offer to startup founders?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Sara.

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.

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.

Scott Longnecker | Huntington National Bank
Loans & Banking Services for Startups & Small Businesses

Scott Longnecker has over 20 years of experience in the finance and banking industry. His role as a Business Development Officer Sr has allowed him to develop a deep understanding of his client’s financial situations and to come up with solutions to help business customers like you reach your financial goals. Scott helps clients walk through the steps on how to obtain commercial loans, real estate loans, lines of credit, Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, and more.

Great questions for Scott:

• What can I do about kinks in the supply chain?
• What’s going on with the labor market?
• What should I be doing to keep my good people?
• How can I find the right clients and suppliers right now?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Scott.

Lora Brown | Bookkeeping Simplified By Lora
Bookkeeper/Quickbooks Online Pro

Lora Brown has over 25 years experience with QuickBooks and Bookkeeping. She offers professional bookkeeping services anywhere in the United States. Her company is called Bookkeeping Simplified By Lora. She is also a QuickBooks Online Pro Advisor. Lora has a Bachelor of Science from Ohio University.

Bookkeeping Simplified By Lora’s mission is to partner with small business owners and take the stress off of their company by taking care of the financial aspects so they can focus on what is most important – growing their business! Building relationships with clients is extremely important in this industry. She will always have your financial health up to date and accurate.

Great questions for Lora:

• I don’t have time to keep track of my expenses; can you get/keep them organized?
• What range of services does a Bookkeeper provide?
• What’s the best QuickBooks Online (QBO) Subscription for my business?
• What great new features have been added to QBO?
• Can I convert my QuickBooks Desktop version to QBO?
• How do I manually upload bank transactions to QBO if the bank connection is not working?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Lora.

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.

Jen Meek | Book + Street
HR and Talent Solutions

Jennifer is a result-driven executive, guiding leaders in laying the foundational work of their talent strategy. Going beyond the everyday Human Resources issues, she aligns people strategy with the overall goals and objectives of an organization. This intentional and authentic approach leads to identifying areas where an organization can continue to develop and thrive.

Her vast experience in the talent solutions arena also makes her a sought out subject matter expert. She is knowledgeable in C Suite issues that impact workplace culture, team dynamics, and internal communications strategies. A dedicated and passionate leader, Jennifer can provide personalized service, create meaningful and lasting relationships, and achieve profitable results.

Prior to Book+Street, Jen has 25 years of senior leadership experience, she served as Vice President of HR for a multibillion-dollar private equity-owned company in the oil and gas industry, with 1500 employees in 22 countries. Additionally, Jen was the President, CEO, and member of the Board of Directors of an HR consulting organization for 12 years.

Jen’s undergraduate degree is in Marketing from Bowling Green State University, and her Master’s in Business Administration is from Miami University of Ohio. She has served on many boards over the years and is currently a member of the Board of Advisors for Modern Ice Equipment and Supply.

Great Questions for Jen:

• How do you build and sustain a conscious culture?
• What are strategies that you can deploy to attract, recruit and retain top talent?
• What are the keys to leading executive team communication?
• How can you effectively and efficiently hold your team accountable?
• Learn effective ways to articulate mission, vision and values for your company.

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Jen.

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?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Satish.

Brad Griffith | Buckeye Innovation
Web Strategy & Engineering

Brad Griffith is President of Buckeye Innovation, the web strategy and engineering agency he started in 2009. Prior to starting Buckeye Innovation, 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?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Brad.

Ron Savoia | Stratus Innovations Group, LLC
IT Consulting, Azure PaaS Application Development

Ron Savoia has over 30 years of experience in IT consulting, starting with his first engagement with CompuServe in 1993 to help with their migration to WindowsNT and SQL Server for their new Email platform. He used this experience to join Microsoft’s new Enterprise Consulting Team, Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS), where he worked Nationwide, Limited and JPMC (BankOne at the time), and eventually running MCS’ Central Region Financial Services practice. He spent the last 3 years in MCS incubating the professional services needed to deploy the Microsoft offering that eventually became Office 365 and Azure.

Ron continued the focus on Cloud Services when he founded Stratus Innovations Group in 2010, working with local and global organizations to help develop their Cloud strategies, including Nationwide Childrens Hospital and Cardinal Health. Stratus Innovations Group now has a global reach of reach of working with Enterprise and Mid-Market companies in deploying Cloud Services for their IT infrastructure and line-of-business applications, including Ceridian, MKS/Spectra-Physics, Hexagon, PowerGrid Services, OrthopedicONE, BroadStreet Partners, and The Energy Cooperative.

Stratus Innovations Group’s vision is to become a software platform startup, where they recently released IT-Gig.com, which is a platform specifically for IT Service Providers.

Great questions for Ron:

• What is the best way to get your first IT services customer?
• Why do customers utilize IT contractors vs using FTEs?
• Is it possible to have an IT contracting side-job while having a full-time job?
• What is the difference between Azure and AWS from a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) applications, and why would you use one over the other?
• How do you differentiate the IT services you provide vs the many other providers in the market?
• How do you scale/grow a sole proprietor IT Services organization?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Ron.

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.

Rachel Scott | Buckeye Innovation
UX Design

Rachel has been a multidisciplinary designer for the past 21 years. She’s Senior UX Designer at Buckeye Innovation where she specializes in web and mobile app design, product design, user interface, and competitive and UX audits. Before Rachel worked at Buckeye she contracted with digital agencies to help build B2B and B2C web products and SaaS platforms for clients in the fintech, edtech, and healthcare tech industries.

Great questions for Rachel:

• What is the value proposition of UX design?
• What role does UX design play in a website or app build or refresh?
• What are the strategies used in UX design to pinpoint and address business and user goals?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Rachel.

Manny Larcher | Stopwatch Creative
Growth Marketing & Branding

Manny Larcher is a first-generation American born in Columbus, Ohio, both of his parents are from St. Lucia. He serves as a Deal Flow associate with JumpStart Ventures, which combines capital, services, and connections to help entrepreneurs grow, researchers commercialize, and corporations innovate. As the co-founder and CEO of Stopwatch Creative, a boutique marketing/tech firm incubating platforms like CollaborateandElevate.com, which connects hundreds of businesses of all sizes with opportunities, Manny leads vision and growth.

Great questions for Manny:

• How can I maximize the efforts of my team?
• Are my marketing efforts really creating the action I want?
• Am I using the best and current tech stack or strategies for growth?

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Manny.

Susan Fortner | BPR International
Public Relations & Marketing

Susan Fortner has 20+ years of experience in public relations and marketing. Her firm BPR International 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?

Click here schedule 30 minutes with Susan.

Ed Porter | Blue Chip CRO
Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success

Ed Porter began his professional management career in 2001 and has since led teams from 5 to over 1,000 people with responsibilities for sales, customer experience, and marketing functions. Ed has worked for service, software, and distribution companies learning the foundations of delivering a powerful customer experience while driving value and effectiveness in the sales and development channels. He has participated, facilitated and chaired several executive groups centered on sales management, contact center management, and technology innovation. Ed has been a keynote speaker and guest speaker focused on several key sales strategies and customer management programs. He has been an investor and advisor to startups and will continue supporting startups in these capacities.

Ed is passionate about leadership and volunteers throughout several non-profit organizations supporting the advancement of leaders. Ed has helped re-launch the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (AA-ISP) Columbus Chapter in 2015 and has served as the chapter President since, growing the chapter to over 150 attendees. He helped launch the Cincinnati/Dayton chapter in 2019 as well as assists with programming and recruitment for events. Ed has also taken an active role as a mentor for #GirlsClub, an organization focused on the advancement and development of women sales leaders. He has mentored three wonderful women, two of which are now mentors in the program.

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Ed.

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 .