In The Room Series - January 2024

Join other leaders, entrepreneurs, and network partners every fourth Thursday of the month for an in-depth "In the Room" discussion with Gera Grinberg (as in..."in the room where it happens"). 

January's topic is: "Let's Make A Deal"
Reviewing all of the different kinds of deals, including some horror stories and “gotchas” to be aware of. This can include an overview of angel investors, friends and family investors, larger more sophisticated private equity, and selling (or acquiring) a company. It can also include reviewing an investor agreement and what matters most when you are fortunate enough to have an investor ready to invest. 

• 8am - doors open / breakfast provided by Insperity
• 8:30 - Program begins with kickoff from KEC team and intro to the day's topic
• 8:30 - 9:30 - Guided conversation with q&a from audience throughout (BRING YOUR QUESTIONS!) 
• 9:30-10 - networking

About Gera Grinberg: 
Gera founded Grinberg Law Offices in 2007, a full-service practice representing businesses, boards, and individuals. Gera serves as a fractional General Counsel and business consultant, and provides leadership development and practical training for in-house legal departments as well as executive coaching for C-Suite and boards of directors. Grinberg has represented Fortune 100 companies, international media and technology companies, the largest healthcare company in the world, and he has managed mergers & acquisitions totaling over $1,000,000,000,000.

Special thanks to our hospitality sponsor, Insperity, for providing breakfast!

Stay tuned as the series continues throughout 2024, with all dates and topics listed below. If you've got an idea, question or just want to get in touch, please reach out to chris@knoxec.net or visit us at knoxec.com. 

February 22, 2024 - Life Cycle of a Deal: From the NDA to the LOI to the “main” agreement (investor / purchase agreement), transition, etc. and everything in between (e.g., leases, purchase orders, etc.) as well as the “gotchas” along the way. A bit of a deeper dive than “Let’s Make a Deal”.

March 28, 2024 - Entity Structure: What you need to know about how to select your initial entity type (C, LLC, S, LLP, sole proprietorship, etc.). Considerations that influence this decision (such as taxes, liability, extra filings, etc.). Also, tips on how to navigate, how it might change over time (including avoiding costs and frustration). 

April 25, 2024 - Commercial Leases: Things to consider when signing a commercial lease for your business, including personal liability for the owner / tenant. And, yes, you pay base rent, but typically, you also pay a pro rata share of NNNs (Maintenance, Taxes, and Insurance). 

May 23, 2024 - Entering (and Exiting) Partnerships: What should you think about as a “prenup” of sorts for entering a partnership, including who (which partner) is going to do the work, can you have another job, who is going to manage the company, who is going to own the IP, can you bring others into your “marriage” / partnership, etc. And, of course, what happens when a “divorce” occurs.

June 27, 2024 - What do investors REALLY care about?: Diving deep into the REAL needs/wants/concerns of potential investors in the current market, and how to tap into the right networks/relationships to make progress happen. Also, how not to lose your mind while going through the process. 

August 22, 2024 - Intellectual Property: Copyrights, trademarks, patents, the USPTO, foreign IP filings, registration protection, filing “counterfeit protection documents” with customs (border control) - and generally what matters and what doesn’t.

September 26, 2024 - “I Do Not Like You – Can I Fire You?”: Employment issues, including discrimination, retaliation, EEOC, and all the related rules and policies to know as you grow.

October 24, 2024 - Managing Exponential Growth: Implementing correct strategies that allow for growth while bringing up new leadership / market opportunities. What does it look like to actually summit the mountain? 

November/December 2024 - TBD (either Dec. 5 or 12th): “Ask Me Anything” open ended end-of-year session conversation - with attendees encouraged to interact and bring questions.