Category Archives: Events

Preccelerator Workshop: Term Sheets w/ Caroline Cherkassky & Kelly Laffey

“Fundraising Essentials – Term Sheets 101”
Presented by Caroline Cherkassky & Kelly Laffey

Topics that will be covered include:

Type of financing: convertible notes vs SAFEs vs priced equity rounds
Convertible notes and SAFEs: caps, discounts, and other key terms
Priced equity rounds: economic provisions, voting rights, and other key terms

Tuesday, December 17th, 2019
12:00PM – 1:30PM

Featuring:

Caroline Cherkassky

Caroline Cherkassky is a partner of the firm.

Caroline’s practice focuses on advising emerging growth, development stage, and middle market companies on a variety of matters, including venture capital and other financings, employee compensation, securities laws compliance, technology transactions, mergers and acquisitions, stockholder agreements, equity incentive plans, corporate governance, and other general corporate matters, including serving as outside general counsel to early-stage companies. She also advises the funds and other investors that invest in these types of companies.

Kelly Laffey

Kelly Siobhan Laffey is an associate of the firm and the Director of Business Affairs at the Preccelerator.

Kelly’s practice focuses on advising emerging growth and middle market companies in the technology, digital, internet, interactive media (i.e., AR and VR), and entertainment industries. Kelly counsels clients on issues related to corporate governance and formation, venture capital and other financings, joint ventures, employee compensation, complex stockholder and operating agreements, securities law regulation and other general corporate matters. Kelly also advises investors and funds in connection with venture capital and other financings.

Kelly also counsels clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions matters, including asset and equity acquisitions and dispositions, cross-border transactions, spin-off transactions, secured lending transactions, financing restructurings, and corporate reorganizations.

Drawing on her diverse work experience in the entertainment arena, including time spent with talent agencies, and music and television production companies, Kelly also assists on matters related to licensing, marketing, and exploitation of intellectual property rights.

SAM Preccelerator
1316 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 107
Santa Monica CA 90401

*You must register with your name & email to attend this event.

Preccelerator Workshop: Employment Contracts & Alternative Compensation for Startups

“Employment Contracts & Alternative Compensation for Startups”
Presented by Louis Wharton

For a company founder, it is easy to understand the benefits of providing stock or stock options to employees. It’s a way of compensating employees that doesn’t drain cash from the business. Employees will feel invested in the future success of the company. Join us to get insights and wisdom about maximizing opportunities and minimizing mistakes in creating equity compensation.

Tuesday, December 10th, 2019
12:00PM – 1:30PM

Featuring:

Louis A. Wharton is a partner of the firm and president of the Preccelerator Program. Louis’ practice focuses on advising venture capital funds and angel networks, along with early-stage, emerging growth, middle-market and public companies in corporate finance, securities compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate matters.

He counsels clients in the technology, e-commerce, digital media and entertainment industries, among others.

SAM Preccelerator
1316 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 107
Santa Monica, CA 90401

We hope to see you there!

*You must register with your name & email to attend this event.

Preccelerator Workshop: Pivoting With Constraints W/ Jim Cooper, Braid Theory

“Pivoting With Constraints”
Presented by Jim Cooper of Braid Theory

Direction and position of a company’s pivot, relative to risk and other factors, strongly affects how a startup progresses through barriers and objects in the market. These constraints can be difficult for a startup to identify, navigate and adjust to. By applying the constraint model, allows alignment to pivoting. To know more about this characteristic of constraints, make sure you’re familiar with the “axis” of your company. Pivoting can be disastrous for some companies without intellectual capital and customer evidence to support the move. In this workshop we investigate the challenges..

Tuesday, November 19th, 2019
12:00PM – 1:30PM

Featuring:

Jim Cooper, CTO, Braid Theory

Jim has 20 years of experience in commercialization and concentrates on bringing to market novel early-stage technology startups in emerging market segments. He specializes in customer and market validation, competitive analysis, regulatory pathway, business modeling, and go-to-market strategy. He is an inherent of evidence-based entrepreneurship and utilizes the Lean startup methodology, design-thinking, as well as other more traditional approaches to business modeling, and creating a pedagogy for startups to coalesce around to create meaningful benchmarks, waypoints, and milestones. Educated in both Australia and the United States, his background in economics and the life sciences, as well as experience in both the public and private sectors, positions him to assist companies in the deep sciences and engineering fields: Ag and Food Tech, Biotech, Aerospace, Advanced Manufacturing, Transportation, Marine and Maritime spaces, at his company, Braid Theory. Braid Theory is a strategic advisory company, which also supplies incubation resources for early-stage technology startups, taking the nascent to latent demand, pathway. Braid Theory looks for opportunities for revenue, and matches startups in the relevant space, and has raised a fund to support startups in the above market areas.

SAM Preccelerator
1316 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 107
Santa Monica, CA 90401

We hope to see you there!

*You must register with your name & email to attend this event.

Preccelerator Workshop: Employment Law for Startups with Rachael Lavi

“Employment Law for Startups”
Presented by Rachel Lavi

Rachael Lavi, an Attorney specializing in Labor and Employment matters in California, will be speaking on the top employment law risks for startup companies in California, including: (1) best practices for hiring employees; (2) independent contractors and misclassification issues; (3) how to utilize interns; and other significant legal risks.

Tuesday, November 5th, 2019
12:00PM – 1:30PM

Featuring

Rachael S. Lavi, Associate, Littler Mendelson

Rachael S. Lavi advises and represents employers in all matters of labor and employment law, including discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and wage and hour claims. Rachael has vast experience representing clients in litigation in both California state and and federal court, as well as before state and federal agencies, such as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Department of Labor Standards Enforcement, the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, the Public Employment Relations Board, and the National Labor Relations Board.

In addition to managing a diverse litigation docket, Rachael also provides clients with direct advice and counsel to help her clients come to the best legal and business decisions regarding compliance with state and federal employment and labor laws, including wage and hour requirements, leaves of absence, paid sick leave, handbooks and written employment policies, best practices for hiring, disciplining, and terminating employees.

During law school, Rachael was a judicial extern for the Hon. Andrew Wistrich of the U. S. District Court, Central District of California and was a volunteer law clerk for the Cancer Legal Resource Center. She was a lead articles editor on the Pepperdine Law Review, a teaching assistant, and a magister of the legal honor society, Phi Delta Phi. As an undergraduate, she was an intern for Hagen Resources International in Switzerland and U. S. Senator Dianne Feinstein.

SAM Preccelerator
1316 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 107
Santa Monica, CA 90401

We hope to see you there!

*You must register with your name & email to attend this event.

Save the Date – Preccelerator Class 12 Demo Day

Clear your calendar – It’s going down!

The Preccelerator ® Program Class 12 Demo Day kicks off on November 13th @ 6:00 pm, and you’re invited to take part in the festivities.

What a wild ride it has been! Preccelerator cohort companies are early stage, and we work hand in hand with them throughout their term to know their market and users, foster their leadership skills, build and test their product, avoid legal pitfalls, ensure the defensibility of their products, acquire users and partnerships and prepare them for the fundraising process. Now it’s time to showcase their efforts!

CLASS 12 COMPANY PITCHES

Expy Health is a digital health platform designed to optimize orthopedic recovery. The platform helps patients prepare for & recover from orthopedic surgery while improving clinical efficiency through remote monitoring. By tracking real-time data, they are able to provide health analytics and insights that lead to increased patient engagement and better health outcomes. Working with healthcare providers, they deliver the tools to educate and support patients during at-home rehabilitation which expedites recovery and reduces costs.

Visit https://expyhealth.com/

ALUMNI COMPANY PITCHES

nēdl (as in, “the haystack”) is a free app that converts audio into text so radio listeners can search live content as easily as they search the web— by keywords (being said at this moment!), and songs & artists (being played right now!)— and, then discover what comes next on over 120,000 live radio stations worldwide.

Users can even add their own voices to the live search results of premium live news, sports, talk to become searchable by the words they say. It’s as simple as tapping the microphone button in the app to go live – no signup necessary.

Visit www.nedl.com/

Checkplis believes people should feel like they are visiting friends when they go out for a meal or drinks with their friends. It’s all about the experience. They are solving the last mile problem of the hospitality industry service. Whether a solo lunch, a brunch with girlfriends or a table with friends at a club, paying the check can ruin what otherwise would be a great experience after an amazing meal or drinks with friends.

Checkplis is a mobile app integrated into POS systems so customers can pay, tip and split the check themselves, all from their phones. They are strategic partners and experience creators for restaurant, bar and nightclub industry leaders.

Visit www.checkplis.com

Trufl is an on-demand seating platform that allows guests to wait less at busy restaurants by bidding on the next available table. The total amount bid may be used as a credit towards their food and beverage dining experience. The Trufl platform includes a guest profile CRM system that allows restaurants to create a more personalized hospitality experience. Trufl also allows restaurants to managed their waitlist, seated guests, and floor plan.

Visit www.truflapp.com

LOCATION

1316 3rd Street Promenade
Suite 107
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Preccelerator Workshop: Building a Growth Engine for Your Startup w/ Chris Bechtel

“Building a Growth Engine for Your Startup”
Presented by Chris Bechtel

Learn how to attract, convert and retain users/customers to validate your business model, grow revenue and demonstrate traction for your start-up. Get a proven framework and practical advice during this engaging talk from Chris Bechtel the Managing Partner at Growth Engine Labs, a growth services firm.

Tuesday, October 15th, 2019
12:00PM – 1:30PM

Featuring:

Chris Bechtel

Chris Bechtel is a growth consultant, start-up advisor, former SaaS CEO, and marketing executive.

Chris brings 20 years of sales and marketing expertise, specializing in demand generation, customer acquisition, and revenue growth. Chris has extensive experience in B2B SaaS, and enterprise software, as well as mobile apps and B2C eCommerce. He works primarily with Seed and Series A start-ups and enjoys helping founders make their visions come to life. He is currently actively driving growth for Boost AI, an enterprise-class conversational AI platform for banking, insurance, telecom, and government.

SAM Preccelerator
1316 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 107
Santa Monica, CA 90401

We hope to see you there!

*You must register with your name & email to attend this event.

Preccelerator Workshop: Are You Ready to Fundraise? with Ronette Kite

“Are You Ready to Fundraise? ”
Presented by Ronette Kite

Months before you fundraise you need to make sure you have your business and revenue model aligned, company decks and summaries available, in compliance with financial records, business licenses, taxes. Come by to find out more and be ready fundraise!

Tuesday, October 1st, 2019
12:00PM – 1:30PM

Featuring:

Ronette Kite

Startup CFO Consultant
Accretive Solutions

rkite@accretivesolutions.com

LinkedIn | Twitter | Website

*CFO Consulting, Digital Media, E-Commerce, Operations

Experienced StartUp/Interim CFO with operational expertise in high-tech, e-commerce, on-demand, and digital media businesses. Financial partner to Founders and CEOs with an emphasis on accounting, finance, human resources, and operations. A progressive career in private and public industries with a focus on planning, operations and financial responsibilities in start-up and early-stage companies.
– Startup/Interim CFO for a number of known startup and early-stage companies in Los Angeles
– Raised over $100M in Convertible Debt, Series A and B funding for StartUp companies within the last 2 years
– Launched an e-commerce website, successfully sold within two years
– Led finance and accounting operations efforts, reported directly to the Founder/CEO for a high growth technology company, successfully sold within a year
– Implemented SOX globally, SEC reporting, Board and Audit Committee presentations for a public established company
– Six years of Big-4 Public Accounting experience, early promoted to manager. Focused on SEC clients in the internet, high-tech, biotech and entertainment industries.

SAM Preccelerator
1316 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 107
Santa Monica, CA 90401

We hope to see you there!

*You must register with your name & email to attend this event.

Preccelerator Workshop: Pitch Deck Preparation w/ Jasmine Foroutan

“Pitch Deck Preparation ”
Presented by Jasmine Foroutan

Tuesday, September 24th, 2019
12:00PM – 1:30PM

Featuring:

Jasmine Foroutan

Jasmine Foroutan is a full-time pitch deck specialist for tech startups, investors, and accelerators. She’s the Founder & CEO of Pitch Genius, a boutique pitch deck consulting firm on a mission to help more startups get funded. The firm is based in Los Angeles but has also helped startups successfully pitch in San Francisco & New York. She started her career in 2014 and holds a Bachelors in Entrepreneurship from Loyola Marymount University.

Follow her on Medium and Twitter, connect on LinkedIn, and learn about pitch deck services at PitchGenius.co.

Location
SAM Preccelerator
1316 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 107
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Parking

Parking Structure #4, Entrance on 2nd Street

We hope to see you there!

Preccelerator Workshop: Your Team’s Secret Weapon to Outpace the Competition w/ Christine Perakis

“Your Team’s Secret Weapon to Outpace the Competition”
Presented by Christine Perakis

How will you lead your company to 10x your growth and outpace the competition?

Find your “Mars Group”: identify and engage your internal influencers, including senior managers and key personnel, who embody your company’s spirit and future.
Understand why you’re in business: your Mars Group will identify, develop, and articulate your core ideology – the values and purpose that set you apart from the competition.
Dive deep into your business: identify and communicate industry trends, core customer cares, and company strengths to become a leader in your constantly-changing competitive climate.
Spread the word: share this roadmap to exponential growth with your teams, customers, and vendors, empowering decision-making that aligns with your company’s vision and legacy.

Thursday, September 12th, 2019
12:00PM – 1:30PM

Featuring:

Christine Perakis

As a survivor of two Category 5 hurricanes, a 100-ton boat captain, and an attorney, entrepreneur, and certified executive coach, combined with her experience as a certified mountain rescuer and EMT, Christine is the perfect and unique choice to teach her signature Cat 5 Leadership strategies to help professionals navigate their unavoidable business storms to reach clear skies and calm seas. She is also the author of the bestselling book and small business survival guide, The Entrepreneur’s Essential Roadmap: Take Your Business from 0 to 7 Figures in Record Time and the upcoming release The Power of the Storm: Becoming a Storm Warrior in Life and Business

Connect with her on Twitter and Linked-In.

SAM Preccelerator
1316 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 107
Santa Monica, CA 90401

We hope to see you there!

*You must register with your name & email to attend this event.

Preccelerator Workshop: UX Primer for Entrepreneurs w/ Rich Abronson

“UX Primer for Entrepreneurs”
Presented by Rich Abronson

User experience design is much more than creating “clean” interfaces or deciding where to place buttons. In actuality, the UX design process is key to knowing your target users, defining core features, and uncovering your minimally valuable product (MVP). From the start-up perspective, this session will introduce entrepreneurs to the concepts, expectations, and techniques for bringing the user experience design process into the mix. This session will discuss:

What UX is (and isn’t) and why it’s important
UX costs and how to incorporate it into your strategy
The UX process including brainstorming, feature prioritization, and usability testing

Tuesday, August 20th, 2019
12:00PM – 1:30PM

Featuring:

Rich Abronson
Founder and User Experience Designer – Zero 2 Eleven

Zero 2 Eleven was founded by Rich Abronson, a veteran Internet professional and entrepreneur with an extensive, multidisciplinary background leading online product development, marketing, and user-experience design. Rich began his career as a Web designer in 1995, and has been engaged in shaping, defining, and communicating the online experience ever since.

Rich is an entrepeneur, and he created Zero 2 Eleven for entrepreneurs. In 2006, he co-founded a profitable mobile publishing platform company, Gumiyo, that was successfully sold in 2013. As a co-founder, Rich was immersed in many aspects of the tech start-up world including product and business development, fund-raising, and marketing. Rich continues to be involved in the Los Angeles tech start-up community, a.k.a. Silicon Beach, as a general partner for Accordance Ventures and board member of the Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA).

As a result of this experience, Rich understands the mindset to create something from nothing, and he empathizes with the tension that exists between boundless creativity and scarce resources. With that, Zero 2 Eleven seeks to help the small business or online startup conceptualize and realize web and mobile projects in a manner that balances this tension.

Zero 2 Eleven encourages active collaboration with clients who want to solve problems, fill market needs, and build cool stuff. With that, Rich becomes part of the team, and invests himself in the results.

richabronson@gmail.com

LinkedIn | Website

*User-experience design, online marketing, product development, business development, fund-raising

SAM Preccelerator
1316 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 107
Santa Monica, CA 90401

We hope to see you there!

*You must register with your name & email to attend this event.