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 1 pm, Wednesday 7/23/25.

We will end registrations at 1 pm, so our Experts can plan their Thursday schedules.

STEPS

1. Review our roster of Experts, below.
2. To schedule an appointment with a specific Expert, click the link below his/her name.
3. Make individual appointments w/ the Experts you need – just ONE – or, up to a max of FIVE.
4. For each appointment, you’ll receive an email & a calendar invitation – w/ a built-in Zoom link.
5. On Thursday July 24th: At the time of each appointment, click on your Zoom link to meet w/ your selected Expert

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

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?

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.

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Ryan.

Lauren D. Konrai-Mori | Porter Wright
Intellectual Property Law

Great Questions for Lauren:

How do I protect my brand for my business?
What types of intellectual property protection is there and how do they help me?
Are business names or fictitious business names and trademarks the same?
How do I register for a trademark?
How can intellectual property be licensed?

Lauren Konrai-Mori is an associate in Porter Wright‘s Intellectual Property Practice Group and focuses her practice on trademark prosecution and enforcement. She manages trademark portfolios domestically and internationally. She has prosecuted numerous U.S. trademark applications while also managing U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board cancellation and opposition proceedings and requests for reconsideration.

Additionally, Lauren has significant experience in investigation of suspected infringements and drafting demand letters and takedown notices. Her practice also involves aspects of data privacy and reviewing and revising contracts related to intellectual property and technology. She also assists with intellectual property aspects of corporate transactions.

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Lauren.

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

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?

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.

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Lora.

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

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?

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.

Click here schedule 30 minutes with Brian.

Susan Fortner | BPR International
Public Relations & Marketing

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?

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.

Click here schedule 30 minutes with Susan.

Mackenzie Dolacki | Wynhouse: An Innovation Firm
Healthcare Innovation & Solutions

Great Questions for Mackenzie:

How can I tell if my business idea solves a real problem or is just a “nice to have”?
What’s the best way to test or validate a concept before investing in a full build?
How do I prioritize product features when my team has limited time and budget?
What are effective strategies for getting buy-in from hospital or health system stakeholders?
How can I position my startup for partnership with healthcare organizations or innovation teams?

Mackenzie Dolacki is a Healthcare Innovation and Solutions Specialist with a clinical background in nursing. She supports early-stage ventures and healthcare organizations in validating ideas, navigating hospital systems, and bringing digital products to market.

She serves as a Healthcare Investment Advisor for Hickory Reserve Capital and an Engagement Lead for JumpStart Health Tech Accelerator projects. At WynHouse: An Innovation Firm, Mackenzie partners with hospital systems to improve operations and lead commercialization efforts for solutions emerging from internal innovation and venture teams.

Mackenzie brings a practical, relationship-driven approach to complex challenges, especially for founders new to healthcare or navigating their first enterprise partnerships. Mackenzie is passionate about helping mission-driven teams align their ideas with real-world needs and scale them with clarity and confidence.

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Mackenzie

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

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?

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, automotive, aviation, agtech and sports.

Click here to schedule 30 minutes with Tushar.

If you register and then don’t show up for your appointment, your time slot will go unfilled, preventing other business owners from the opportunity to access advice from our Experts.