Understanding your startup tax strategy from the very beginning is crucial for success! Book your 1:1 appointment today with startup tax planning expert, Matan Shmuel, to learn how you can put your best foot forward. Email hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org to book your slot today! Matan Shmuel is the founder and Managing Partner of Shmuel Law Group, a boutique tax and corporate law firm specializing in servicing startups from formation through sale, and all of the growth spurts in between. Matan blends his years of experience at both a Big 4 Accounting firm and a National Law Firm with his client focused, on-the-ground strategic advisory approach at Shmuel Law Group. Matan has represented strategic acquirers, private equity firms, and family offices in the placement of debt and equity into Philadelphia-area startups for most of his career. Through this lens, Matan advises startups on Day One strategy to set his clients up for the most effective exit. Matan holds a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law and an L.L.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. Matan has taught courses at Rutgers School of Law, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, and Georgetown University Law Center. Matan also serves on advisory boards and steering committees of several area nonprofit organizations. Matan specializes in the following fields: ·      Formation Advice (Entity Selection) ·      Restricted Equity Agreements ·      Private Capital Investment (Angel, Seed, and Venture Debt/Equity/Combination) ·      Federal and State Tax Planning and Analysis ·      Founder’s Tax Planning and Advice ·      Inbound (Foreign) Investment into US Entities If any of the following questions resonate with you, book your slot today by emailing hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org with your preferred slot! 1. Do I need a Delaware C-Corp to be attractive to Private Equity investors? 2. How do I give stock or ownership interests to key employees without losing control of my company? 3. I am planning to crowdsource investors or find investors outside my family and friends group. Is there a better/best way to do this? 4. A foreign person/company is interested in being my angel investor. What do I need to be concerned about for tax and compliance purposes? 5. I’m going to be pre-revenue, and generate year-over-year losses, including through my planned exit. Is there a better way to set up my company to take advantage of those losses?

Scott Keeley is a patent agent. A patent agent does everything a patent attorney does except argue in court. People come to Scott to handle everything between themselves and the US Patent and Trademark Office — filing patent applications; navigating the fee structure and USPTO rules; and filing international patent applications. Keeley DeAngelo LLP has been in the business since 2009 and is able advise on all aspects of the patent process. They also advise on product design (they have backgrounds in industrial design), manufacturing and licensing. Their workshops include Patenting 101, Licensing 101, and “How Do I Know It’s Patentable?” If any of the following questions resonate with you, be sure to book your appointment today by emailing hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org with your preferred time slot! How do I know it’s patentable? What are the fees and time-frames involved in applying for a patent? How do I overcome the prior art? How/where do I get this invention manufactured? Should I license my intellectual property? Office Hours appointment times: 3:00-3:20pm: FULL 3:20-3:40pm: (Open) 3:40-4:00pm: (Open)

Please note, this is a Hybrid session meaning you can join us in-person or virtually! This is a monthly conversation that explores topics of science, technology, and society. By following the trail of each other's questions, we will build on a topic. This month we will consider how conventional time impacts culture and shapes everyday life. Some potential avenues of discussion are pandemic time, the impact of technology on time, how the standardization of time drives behavior. 

Please note, this is a Hybrid session meaning you can join us in-person or virtually! Join us for our first OnRamp workshop session in our 8-week series that focuses on Problem Identification, Customer Discovery and Validation. So you want to start a business, but what's next? In this session Benjamin Pietrzyk shares the importance of understanding key business assumptions as a roadmap that helps entrepreneurs understand the value of marrying the problem and dating the solution as a success method of problem based entrepreneurship.

Please note, this is a Hybrid session meaning you can join us in-person or virtually! This talk looks closer at the current trends in FinTech to understand how we got to the financial system we have today. We’ll highlight new technologies and current events that are foreshadowing where the industry is heading next and introduce you to the University of Pennsylvania’s FinTech Boot Camp. FinTech refers to the financial services industry that has been disrupted by technological innovation, and aims to compete with traditional financial methods in order to improve activities and inefficiencies in finance. Rapid advancements in technology have bolstered the ability for smaller companies to innovate and disrupt many traditional financial domains like payments, money markets, and insurance.   Big data, mobile infrastructure, cloud computing, and blockchain technologies are now all widely available to incumbents and new entrants within the financial services industry. FinTech’s disruption has created technological demand and a need for skilled technical workers, largely similar to that of the IT industry.   In light of the rapid growth of the FinTech industry, Penn created the non-credit Boot Camp to provide professionals with the opportunity to learn how these new concepts are being leveraged within financial fields from financial planning to hedge funds, as well as best practices for using these skills to add value to an organization. Penn’s FinTech Boot Camp takes a multidisciplinary approach to finance, fundamental programming, data analysis, along with modern tools in cryptocurrency and blockchain.    The intensive Penn FinTech Boot Camps runs for 6 months with live online classes meeting two nights a week from 6:30 – 9:30 pm and Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm. Students have access to tutoring though out the program and Career Services for 3 months following completion. Three group projects are completed during the Boot Camp, providing participants with practical technical skills and a portfolio of work to share with employers. https://bootcamp.sas.upenn.edu/fintech/

Please note, this is a Hybrid session meaning you can join us in-person or virtually! FinTech is a rapidly growing industry. New innovations and technologies are being developed in all types of financial services to adapt to our digital world, especially during the pandemic. These emerging technologies are subject to heavy regulation in order to maintain the integrity and stability of the financial system. So, how can FinTech regulation drive innovation? Join us for a panel discussion with 4 experts in the field: Jasmin Sethi, CEO and Founder of Sethi Clarity Advisers Jon Beschen, Investment Director, IT Investment Group at Ben Franklin Technology Partners Graham McConnell, CEO and co-founder of Nth Round Moderated by Sarah Hammer, Managing Director of the Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Please note, this is a Hybrid session meaning you can join us in-person or virtually! When most people think of branding they think of a logo, a color scheme, and the design of your business card. But branding is so much more than that; branding helps you figure out what makes your business worth buying from.  This presentation explains how the right messaging can give your business a leg up against the competition, why knowing your audience is one of the most valuable assets you have, and how to use content more strategically to leverage all of it in the marketplace.

Please note, this is a Hybrid session meaning you can join us in-person or virtually! Join Aron Starosta and Eamon Gallagher for a roundtable discussion where you can get immediate, actionable feedback on your start up idea, your pitch, or your presentation. Attendees also have the opportunity to share feedback with the presenters. This is a regular meetup group with a fun, informal environment. Grab a cold beverage and participation is highly encouraged! Part of what makes Startup Roundtable such a valuable resource are all the attendees who provide feedback and insight. If your pitch isn’t ready yet or you just want to observe, come by anyway and take part in the discussion! Ready to pitch and receive feedback? Sign up here: https://vencafphl.typeform.com/to/uEr6bkTt. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Scott Keeley is a patent agent. A patent agent does everything a patent attorney does except argue in court. People come to Scott to handle everything between themselves and the US Patent and Trademark Office — filing patent applications; navigating the fee structure and USPTO rules; and filing international patent applications. Keeley DeAngelo LLP has been in the business since 2009 and is able advise on all aspects of the patent process. They also advise on product design (they have backgrounds in industrial design), manufacturing and licensing. Their workshops include Patenting 101, Licensing 101, and “How Do I Know It’s Patentable?” If any of the following questions resonate with you, be sure to book your appointment today by emailing hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org with your preferred time slot! How do I know it’s patentable? What are the fees and time-frames involved in applying for a patent? How do I overcome the prior art? How/where do I get this invention manufactured? Should I license my intellectual property? Office Hours appointment times: 3:00-3:20pm: (Open) 3:20-3:40pm: (Open) 3:40-4:00pm: (Open)

Got questions about Sales and Marketing? Now's your chance to consult with an expert! Book a 1:1 appointment by emailing hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org with your preferred time slot. Walk ins are welcome as scheduling permits. Anthony Cafagna runs a revenue advisory consulting firm specializing in early-stage companies operating in the Medtech space. His career began in a startup sector wearing many hats with an organization that placed sudden cardiac arrest programs and implemented AEDs into corporations across the U.S. From there, had the opportunity to join a large medical device organization with a focus on Lower Extremity (Foot & Ankle), where he was one of the top performers annually from 2015-2020. During COVID, he changed paths to focus on Risk Management to help complex mid-size organizations mitigate risks to give choice and control to key decision makers. Anthony's focus to craft and guide founders to successfully make revenue generating decisions and "gameplans" that can be followed and executed.  If any of the following questions resonate with you, be sure you book your slot today by emailing hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org with your preferred slot! Is your offering or product messaging clear and concise to prospects and investors?  Who is my primary target? Do my marketing materials and plan correlate at this intersection? Should I have a sales "playbook" to help onboard, train and retain talent? Appointments available: 3:00-3:20pm: Open 3:20-3:40pm: Open 3:40-4:00pm: Open

Please note, this is a Hybrid session meaning you can join in-person or virtually. Join Aron Starosta and Eamon Gallagher for a roundtable discussion where you can get immediate, actionable feedback on your start up idea, your pitch, or your presentation. Attendees also have the opportunity to share feedback with the presenters. This is a regular meetup group with a fun, informal environment. Grab a cold beverage and participation is highly encouraged! Part of what makes Startup Roundtable such a valuable resource are all the attendees who provide feedback and insight. If your pitch isn’t ready yet or you just want to observe, come by anyway and take part in the discussion! Ready to pitch and receive feedback? Sign up here: https://vencafphl.typeform.com/to/uEr6bkTt. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Cybersecurity is a critical component for all businesses, including startups and SMBs. Many business leaders are not aware of and do not understand the implications of data breaches or vulnerabilities, much less technologies and security controls to keep their businesses safe from cyber threats. To assist startup and SMB business leaders, I offer complimentary office time each month to discuss cybersecurity topics. Typical discussions include security concepts to help entrepreneurs and SMBs protect their small businesses from cyber threats, strategies for developing and implementing a cyber plan, data security, 3rd party risk, compliance, and employee training. Ayanna Haskins specializes in managing information security with more than 20 years of assessing current security measures and mitigating future attacks against an organization’s devices, network, and data. She began her professional career as a consultant at SAP and Deloitte leading global ERP implementations and the required infrastructure and governance. She then transitioned to information security – specializing in managing the various strategic and tactical requirements of organizational security.   To book your office hour appointment, please email hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org to confirm which time slot you would like to schedule.   Office Hour Appointment Times for Cybersecurity: 3:00-3:20pm (Open) 3:20-3:40pm (Open) 3:40-4:00pm (Open)

Scott Keeley is a patent agent. A patent agent does everything a patent attorney does except argue in court. People come to Scott to handle everything between themselves and the US Patent and Trademark Office — filing patent applications; navigating the fee structure and USPTO rules; and filing international patent applications. Keeley DeAngelo LLP has been in the business since 2009 and is able advise on all aspects of the patent process. They also advise on product design (they have backgrounds in industrial design), manufacturing and licensing. Their workshops include Patenting 101, Licensing 101, and “How Do I Know It’s Patentable?” If any of the following questions resonate with you, be sure to book your appointment today by emailing hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org with your preferred time slot! How do I know it’s patentable? What are the fees and time-frames involved in applying for a patent? How do I overcome the prior art? How/where do I get this invention manufactured? Should I license my intellectual property? Office Hours appointment times: 3:00-3:20pm: (Open) 3:20-3:40pm: (Open) 3:40-4:00pm: (Open)

Please note, this is a Hybrid session meaning you can join us in-person or virtually!   Is there a way to collaborate with students for investigating possible futures, defining the preferable ones, and then working toward them?   In this session, you will learn about the unique art-based research approach used in the conceptualization and hear from the students about their experience working alongside scientists and artists to explore important biotechnological trends. We are also excited to discuss the potential of BioDesign, a fast-growing movement of scientists, artists, and designers that integrates organic processes and materials into design. After the speakers introduce their projects, we will open the floor for a live Q&A session.   Aula Future is an interdisciplinary research and academic organization with the mission of growing the next generation of these innovative creators. Harnessing speculative design and art-thinking methods, we imagine new technologies, brainstorm solutions, and design for future scenarios.   Aula, in collaboration with FirstHand at the Science Center and 12 students from Robeson High School, demonstrated that combining art, design, and biotechnology can generate exciting social-impact concepts and prototypes, all based in extensive research. This process provides students with an educational opportunity unlike most others.   The students submitted their projects to the BioDesign Challenge, an education program and competition usually taking place at the MoMA in New York.

Please note, this is a Hybrid session meaning you can join in-person or virtually. Join Aron Starosta and Eamon Gallagher for a roundtable discussion where you can get immediate, actionable feedback on your start up idea, your pitch, or your presentation. Attendees also have the opportunity to share feedback with the presenters. This is a regular meetup group with a fun, informal environment. Grab a cold beverage and participation is highly encouraged! Part of what makes Startup Roundtable such a valuable resource are all the attendees who provide feedback and insight. If your pitch isn’t ready yet or you just want to observe, come by anyway and take part in the discussion! Ready to pitch and receive feedback? Sign up here: https://vencafphl.typeform.com/to/uEr6bkTt. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Got questions about Sales and Marketing? Now’s your chance to consult with an expert! Book a 1:1 appointment by emailing hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org with your preferred time slot. Walk ins are welcome as scheduling permits.   Anthony Cafagna runs a revenue advisory consulting firm specializing in early-stage companies operating in the Medtech space. His career began in a startup sector wearing many hats with an organization that placed sudden cardiac arrest programs and implemented AEDs into corporations across the U.S. From there, had the opportunity to join a large medical device organization with a focus on Lower Extremity (Foot & Ankle), where he was one of the top performers annually from 2015-2020. During COVID, he changed paths to focus on Risk Management to help complex mid-size organizations mitigate risks to give choice and control to key decision makers. Anthony’s focus to craft and guide founders to successfully make revenue generating decisions and “gameplans” that can be followed and executed.    If any of the following questions resonate with you, be sure you book your slot today by emailing hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org with your preferred slot!   Is your offering or product messaging clear and concise to prospects and investors?  Who is my primary target? Do my marketing materials and plan correlate at this intersection? Should I have a sales “playbook” to help onboard, train and retain talent? Appointments available: 3:00-3:20pm: Open 3:20-3:40pm: Open 3:40-4:00pm: Open

Scott Keeley is a patent agent. A patent agent does everything a patent attorney does except argue in court. People come to Scott to handle everything between themselves and the US Patent and Trademark Office — filing patent applications; navigating the fee structure and USPTO rules; and filing international patent applications. Keeley DeAngelo LLP has been in the business since 2009 and is able advise on all aspects of the patent process. They also advise on product design (they have backgrounds in industrial design), manufacturing and licensing. Their workshops include Patenting 101, Licensing 101, and “How Do I Know It’s Patentable?” If any of the following questions resonate with you, be sure to book your appointment today by emailing hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org with your preferred time slot! How do I know it’s patentable? What are the fees and time-frames involved in applying for a patent? How do I overcome the prior art? How/where do I get this invention manufactured? Should I license my intellectual property? Office Hours appointment times: 3:00-3:20pm: (Open) 3:20-3:40pm: (Open) 3:40-4:00pm: (Open)

“How can I make my resume even better?” is a question we often ask ourselves. In this workshop, we will answer these questions. Are you looking for feedback on your resume? Do you want to learn some tips and tricks to make it stand out?   Join us as we dive into the best practices and ways to make your resume stand out. We will cover the dos and don’ts. We will also dedicate time to provide insight on how to build a strong and creative design portfolio.

Please note, this is a Hybrid session meaning you can join in-person or virtually.   Join Aron Starosta and Eamon Gallagher for a roundtable discussion where you can get immediate, actionable feedback on your start up idea, your pitch, or your presentation. Attendees also have the opportunity to share feedback with the presenters. This is a regular meetup group with a fun, informal environment. Grab a cold beverage and participation is highly encouraged! Part of what makes Startup Roundtable such a valuable resource are all the attendees who provide feedback and insight. If your pitch isn’t ready yet or you just want to observe, come by anyway and take part in the discussion! Ready to pitch and receive feedback? Sign up here: https://vencafphl.typeform.com/to/uEr6bkTt. Looking forward to seeing you there!  

Scott Keeley is a patent agent. A patent agent does everything a patent attorney does except argue in court. People come to Scott to handle everything between themselves and the US Patent and Trademark Office — filing patent applications; navigating the fee structure and USPTO rules; and filing international patent applications. Keeley DeAngelo LLP has been in the business since 2009 and is able advise on all aspects of the patent process. They also advise on product design (they have backgrounds in industrial design), manufacturing and licensing. Their workshops include Patenting 101, Licensing 101, and “How Do I Know It’s Patentable?” If any of the following questions resonate with you, be sure to book your appointment today by emailing hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org with your preferred time slot! How do I know it’s patentable? What are the fees and time-frames involved in applying for a patent? How do I overcome the prior art? How/where do I get this invention manufactured? Should I license my intellectual property? Office Hours appointment times: 3:00-3:20pm: (Open) 3:20-3:40pm: (Open) 3:40-4:00pm: (Open)

Carolyn Hochstadter runs her own boutique law firm, specializing in business and bankruptcy law with a niche in the Digital Health space. The firm helps clients explore, develop and launch start-ups, fundraise, hire talent and operate their companies for lifestyle or exit purposes. Carolyn will be hosting this one-on-one legal counseling meeting that will provide innovators, entrepreneurs, fundraisers, investors and stakeholders with legal advice covering basic start-up steps, as well as specific responses to legal questions affecting their particular company or investment. If any of the following questions resonate with you, be sure to book your appointment today by emailing hello@venturecafephiladelphia.org with your preferred time slot! Do you have questions about what legal steps to take in launching your start-up? Do you need help navigating the tax benefits of an LLC versus a Corporation? Is your core IP being created and protected to raise maximum legal barriers? Do you need help with the terms of fundraising and exit strategies? Have you decided whether to hire gig workers or employees as your talent base? Office Hour Appointment Times for Legal Advice for Entrepreneurs: 3:00-3:20pm: (Open) 3:20-3:40pm: (Open) 3:40-4:00pm: (Open)

Please note, this is a Hybrid session meaning you can join in-person or virtually.   Join Aron Starosta and Eamon Gallagher for a roundtable discussion where you can get immediate, actionable feedback on your start up idea, your pitch, or your presentation. Attendees also have the opportunity to share feedback with the presenters. This is a regular meetup group with a fun, informal environment. Grab a cold beverage and participation is highly encouraged! Part of what makes Startup Roundtable such a valuable resource are all the attendees who provide feedback and insight. If your pitch isn’t ready yet or you just want to observe, come by anyway and take part in the discussion! Ready to pitch and receive feedback? Sign up here: https://vencafphl.typeform.com/to/uEr6bkTt. Looking forward to seeing you there!  

Please note, this is a Hybrid session meaning you can join us in-person or virtually via Zoom using the button above! Efficiency. Compliance. Competition. Yawn. Is all the relentless change we’re facing asking us to dig deeper? When will modern business tap its Mighty Soul— and what role will leaders play in that journey? According to sought-after executive coach and meditation expert Kristoffer Carter, our work is to expand our spiritual capacity to hold more of what life and business is constantly throwing at us. In his powerful new book, Permission to Glow: A Spiritual Guide to Epic Leadership (On Sale 10/5; Page Two Books), Carter creates intense awareness of the universal forces that hold us back— and gives us 4 Permissions: “…to transcend the crazy train of overwhelm and disruption, by using everything life offers as fuel to glow.” Kristoffer shows us how we’ve become laughably self-reliant, settling for “I got this” versus the unlimited potential of “We got this.” With plenty of 1980’s pop culture references and humor, Carter invites us to drop our autopilots, whom he playfully calls our frenemies. Rooted in yoga’s ancient science of union with Spirit, Permission to Glow offers 4 paths from panic, to peace, to power.