The Founder's Financial Playbook: Accounting, Tax, Finance and Funding

Please RSVP to this Meetup and then Register Here for Zoom Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1982415790996

Building a successful startup requires more than a great idea—it demands a solid financial foundation. This webinar is designed for founders and entrepreneurs who want to understand the accounting, tax, and financial decisions that can make or break a company.

We’ll walk through the core financial issues startups face from day one through growth and fundraising, including how to set up proper accounting systems, avoid common tax traps, manage cash flow, and prepare financially for investors. The session will also cover how funding choices impact taxes, financial reporting, and long-term strategy. Attendees will leave with practical guidance, real-world insights, and a clearer understanding of how to align financial compliance with business growth.

Key Topics:

• Accounting basics every founder must get right
• Common tax issues and compliance risks for startups
• Cash flow management and financial planning
• Preparing your financials for investors and fundraising
• How funding structures affect taxes and ownership

Who Should Attend:
Entrepreneurs, startup founders, early-stage executives, and anyone responsible for financial decision-making in a growing company.

Presented by the Entrepreneurial Strategy Series and Gearhart Law.
AGENDA:

• Networking (11:30 am - 12 pm EST)
• Presentation (12 pm - 1:15 pm EST)

OUR SPEAKERS:
Mitchell Fillet, Chairman & CEO of Fillet Capital Corp, Educator & Senior Executive**:** Armed with both knowledge and desire, Mitch began a long career in the Financial Services industry, that started in a traditional Wall Street training program and progressed from securities trader in the fixed income markets, both tax exempt and taxable to a published analyst, an investment banker and finally management at two of the three largest broker/dealers in America: Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith, Inc. and Prudential Securities, Inc. At the latter two firms, he was a Senior Vice President and spent more than 10 years at each of the two companies as part of teams that provided strategic advice and executed financings and investments for hundreds of businesses of various sizes, scope and industry, ranging from start-ups to public companies.

After the mortgage crisis of 2007 to 2009, Mitch turned his part-time focus in secondary education to his main job. In total, he has now taught at the university level for over 25 years as both a Part-Time Lecturer (PTL) and a fully appointed member of the faculty of both Fordham University and Rutgers University. He has taught a broad range of finance and investment courses at New York University, Rutgers University, Fordham University, Yale University and Columbia University during that period of time.

Mitch provides coaching, mentoring, and consulting services to a number of organizations, both for-profit and not-for-profit. He currently is a member of the senior advisory team of two start-up organizations. One is in the luxury brands space and the other is a leading technology developer in Urban Air Mobility. He is a past board member of the Boston University Rowing Association and Impact/NYC, a charitable organization that uses entrepreneurship to assist people in New York City who are struggling financially and he has advised various parts of the Catholic Church from Rome to Mexico to the United States.

Mitch holds an MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and is a Babson College-certified Leadership and Executive Coach. He has completed post-graduate studies in Manufacturing Management at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, in Operations Management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and Effective College Instruction jointly awarded by ACUE (The Association of College and University Educators) and ACU (American Council on Education). He qualified for the Chartered Financial Analyst designation at The New York Society of Security Analysts. Read more at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormitch-8735b9113/

Robert Pesce is a managing director in the Tax & Business Services division at CBIZ. He has aan outstanding reputation for developing strong relationships with clients in the entertainment industry as well as professional services firms. His ability for successfully working with actors, authors and agencies led to his instrumental role in the founding of the Company’s Media and Entertainment group.

A trusted advisor, Rob is often engaged by clients for business advice and tax saving strategies. He provides a variety of accounting, business management, consulting and tax planning services that enable his clients to become more profitable and efficient.

Rob has more than 30 years’ experience. He has spoken before industry groups on various tax topics and published numerous articles. Rob is very involved within the New York City community and volunteers his time and serves on committees for cultural and community?minded nonprofit organizations.

His professional affilations include American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), Cooperation with Education Committee, Nassau County Chapter Chair, Association of Authors’ Representatives and The Authors Guild. Read more at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-pesce-cpa-413a57/

EVENT MODERATOR:
David Postolski, Esq. is a senior partner at Gearhart Law, is a registered patent attorney and Intellectual Property (IP) attorney for close to 20 years. David specializes in assisting inventors, creators, artists, start-ups, entrepreneurs, early-stage companies, and emerging companies with their U.S and international IP strategy, protection, enforcement, and monetization. David is a frequent speaker and author on emerging IP issues and technologies including, raising capital, business formation, food science, software, licensing, Data and Privacy Compliance, equity-based crowdfunding, and compliance with other US and International Regulatory structures. David is also a Professor at Temple University, Parsons School of Design and the Radzyner Law School (Herzliya, Israel) where he teaches master-level students about IP, ethics, and other regulatory considerations. David is a current Council Member of the American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law, founder of their International Action Group, and editor of their monthly newsletter, and the outgoing Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Officer. David currently serves on Harvard’s Lemann Entrepreneurial Program Advisory Board. Read more at: https://gearhartlaw.com/

Email David D. Postolski, Esq.. with any questions at (david@gearhartlaw.com).

This event is sponsored by Gearhart Law, a full service Intellectual Property firm specializing in Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law domestically and globally. We serve inventors, entrepreneurs, and established businesses. We can help you strategize and build your IP portfolio based on your business needs. Call us for a free consultation at 908-273-0700 or contact us through: https://gearhartlaw.com/