As COVID-19 continues to disrupt lives, the economy and our patterns of interaction, many startups are reporting that angel financing has continued to be attainable, and in some cases, a good alternative to early-stage VC financing. Please join us for a webinar featuring active angel investors and successful serial entrepreneurs. Together they will address the following topics:

• The current outlook for angel financing
• Strategies for identifying, connecting with and pitching to angels in a virtual environment
• Guidance for startups to maximize their chances of raising angel money
• Advice for surviving challenging times from those who have led companies through previous economic downturns

The session will include plenty of time for the panelists to answer attendees’ questions.

Panel Leader:

• Paul Ellis, Managing Partner, Paul Ellis Law Group LLC

Panelists:

• Lawrence “Larry” Richenstein, Board Member, New York Angels
• Brad Schrader, President, Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of New York
• Sapna Shah, Principal, Red Giraffe Advisors

About the panel:

Paul Ellis, Managing Partner, Paul Ellis Law Group

As Managing Partner of the 8-lawyer firm, Paul Ellis Law Group, Paul counsels on issues including formation, early-stage and venture financing, joint venture and strategic partnering relationships, employment, equity plans, mergers and acquisitions, and, together with his colleagues, protection and licensing of intellectual property. Beyond the internet/mobile/IT industries, he has practiced in industries including telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing, banking, real estate, consumer products and entertainment. He has represented companies ranging from startups to multinationals, as well as funds and individual and institutional investors. Paul is a board member of NY Tech Alliance and organizes its events on legal issues for startup through midsize tech companies. He holds a BA from Harvard and a JD from Georgetown.

Lawrence “Larry” Richenstein, Board Member, New York Angels

Larry Richenstein is an entrepreneur, inventor, angel investor and mentor to early stage companies. He founded Unwired Technology LLC in 1996, which by 2003 had grown to become the world’s largest manufacturer of wireless headphones. In 2005 American Capital Strategies (ACAS) acquired a majority interest in Unwired, and the company was purchased in 2014 by Delphi Automotive.

Richenstein has invested in more than sixty early-stage companies, both on his own and as a member of New York Angels, one the country’s most active angel groups, where he became a member of its Board of Directors in 2013. He has served as a mentor to dozens of startup companies and regularly advises startup entrepreneurs. Richenstein is an advisor and Board member of BotFactory, a manufacturer of desktop PCB printers. Recently, Larry started a new B2B venture in energy harvesting generators, WePower Technologies LLC, www.wepowertechnologies.com.

Brad Schrader, President, Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of New York

Brad Schrader has led multiple B2B startups and turnarounds. He currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Sun Chemical and previously led EasyLink (Nasdaq: EASY). From start as an engineer, he has helped grow diverse businesses from fiber optics to airbags to specialty chemicals to eCommerce with BCG, Corning, TRW, Honeywell among others. He is an active venture adviser.

Sapna Shah, Principal, Red Giraffe Advisors

Sapna Shah is an angel investor, retail expert and three-time entrepreneur. Through Red Giraffe Advisors, Sapna makes early-stage seed investments in retail tech, fashion tech, ecommerce and consumer startups. Sapna is also the founder of Retail X Series, a retail startup boot camp program for pre-seed stage founders who are revolutionizing the future of retail.

Previously, Sapna co-founded Retail Eye Partners, an independent Wall Street equity research firm. Sapna also co-founded a menswear e-commerce retailer, Mind the Chap. Prior to Retail Eye Partners, Sapna held executive strategy roles at Linens 'n Things, Inc. and at Ann Taylor, and spent time at Gap, Inc. Previous to her career in retail, Sapna worked in investment banking at Punk, Ziegel & Knoell and in credit at Morgan Stanley.

Sapna received her B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School as well as a B.A. in East Asian Studies from the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.