Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:45 PM

David Lyons, Principal, Den Corporate Advisors Venture success hinges on leadership—investors bet on the jockey, not just the horse. Drawing from decades as a CEO, advisor, and dealmaker, David Lyons helps businesses build strong teams, navigate acquisitions, and maximize value through strategic growth and operational insight. Save My Seat

R.J. Kornhaas, Partner, Wiggin and Dana, will walk you through the essential decisions every startup faces—LLC or C Corp, contracts, insurance, and more. With deep experience across M&A, venture capital, and high-growth companies, he helps founders and investors structure deals, avoid pitfalls, and build a solid legal foundation. Save My Seat

Brenda Lewis of Transactions Marketing has helped launch 24 successful tech ventures by focusing on one thing many founders miss: clearly defining the right market. With 40+ years of experience in strategic positioning across industries like healthcare, fintech, and cybersecurity, she brings unmatched insight to avoiding the mistakes that cause over half of startups to fail. Save My Seat

Wes Whitmyer of The Whitmyer IP Group blends innovation and legal expertise—he’s not only an accomplished IP litigator, but also an inventor with 15+ patented technologies licensed globally. With deep experience across high-tech industries and a passion for educating future lawyers, Wes brings unmatched insight into protecting ideas and scaling innovation. Save My Seat

Giulia Gambale, founder of She So Social and co-founder of Agents of Branding, helps nonprofits and small businesses create meaningful, results-driven brand communications—both online and off. With over a decade of experience leading workshops, mentoring BIPOC entrepreneurs, and producing livestreams, she brings a uniquely human and empowering voice to digital marketing and community development. Save My Seat

John Garber, Strategy Director at ADP Ventures, brings a track record of driving B2B growth across industries including AI medical diagnostics, e-commerce, SaaS, and aviation. With a foundation in computer science from Yale and an MBA from the University of Chicago, John excels at translating complex customer needs into high-impact product innovations and venture-scale revenue. Save My Seat

Seizo Mazer, founder of Language Learning, brings deep expertise in iOS development and startup growth, having led mobile software teams at Arccos Golf and Priceline. With degrees from Williams College and Fairfield University, Seizo now combines his technical and multilingual skills to reimagine how people learn languages using AI-powered, user-centric design. Save My Seat

Eric Anahory is a cybersecurity leader and educator with 15 years of experience, as Senior VP at BNY Mellon, where he leads initiatives in operational resilience and incident response. He also teaches Cybersecurity Risk Management at Fairfield University and coaches the nationally ranked women’s rugby team, bringing leadership and team-building to every arena he enters. Save My Seat

Ed Cesare, Managing Director of Pleiad Capital Management, brings nearly four decades of experience in capital markets and board governance across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. In addition to pioneering investments in the Wellness and Blue Economies, he actively mentors startups, consults on board development and governance, and applies his leadership experience from institutions like King School and the New York Yacht Club. Save My Seat

Frank Eucalitto, Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler, advises startups, investors, and VCs on venture capital financing, M&A, and the legal nuances of scaling a company. With a background in molecular biology and deep interest in emerging tech, Frank brings both practical insight and entrepreneurial passion to his clients—making him a trusted partner in navigating term sheets, growth, and exits. Save My Seat

Bob Pravder, an active angel investor and board member of the Angel Investment Forum (AIF), brings decades of experience in both corporate finance and entrepreneurial ventures. With a background as CFO across high-growth and private equity-backed companies, Bob now focuses on helping startups shape capital tables and valuations—and has even developed a tool to better assess return potential during due diligence. Save My Seat

Ted Stone is a seasoned tech CFO who blends engineering insight with financial strategy to help technology-driven companies accelerate value creation. With experience across ownership structures and firm sizes, he’s known for aligning teams, optimizing operations, and delivering results—especially in financial modeling, capital raising, and M&A. Save My Seat