Equity Pathways 

This series of five workshops will focus on the various ways your company can prepare to raise capital to grow your business

April 24 - Preparing to Raise Capital – What Startups Need to Know
Presenters:  Kristy Abraham, Bryan O’Brien, Don Gooding
There are many steps a startup can take prior to seeking outside capital that can help maximize its capital raise opportunities.  This workshop will walk you through what investors will expect to see – from financial models, pitch decks, executive summaries and business plans, to cap tables, reference lists, deal structures and exit options.  Is your corporate legal work in order?  We’ll also discuss the various legal issues to consider when preparing to raise capital.

May 8 - Non-Equity Financing for Startups
Presenters:  Sara Moppin 
Many entrepreneurs, particularly small business owners, rely on debt and other non-equity sources of capital to finance their ventures.  We’ll discuss the different non-equity avenues available to startups, including traditional bank financing options, awards, grants, SBA loans, GoFundMe and other sources to fund your business without selling your equity.  Equally important, we’ll address the legal considerations for each of these options.

May 22 – Raising Equity Capital and Securities Law Basics
Presenters:  Kara Sweeney and Mac McCabe
This workshop will include a general overview of applicable securities laws and traps for the unwary when raising equity capital. 

June 5 - Equity Compensation of Employees, Advisors, Directors
Presenters:  Emily White, Matt Hoffner
Learn best practices and avoid pitfalls among the many options for using equity to incent people key to success.

June 19 – Come to Terms: Understanding Term Sheets
Presenters:  Michael Sheehan, John Burns
This workshop will teach you the language of an equity term sheet as well as the long term implications of the most important deal terms. You’ll learn about the four broad categories of deal terms (economics, exit/liquidity, protection, management and control) and review the major terms in each. Three sample term sheets will be distributed and discussed: convertible note, seed, and common. And the expert panel can dive in deep into some of the implications of issues like the balance of pre-money valuation with liquidation preference.

These workshops are made possible thanks to our sponsor: