From the Edge: Insights on the Innovation Economy

Welcome to our new podcast series In the Boardroom: Practical Advice and Guidance, featuring insights from Mintz Members Steve Osborn, Melanie Levy, and Tom Burton on a wide variety of topics specific to boards. They'll answer all of your questions related to the “who, what, when, where, and how” of boards. For decades, Steve, Melanie, and Tom have guided companies from inception to exit and encountered, navigated, and mitigated innumerable board-related issues. From their experiences, you can learn a great deal. Let's take a listen! Session 1: Board Basics Our first session covers the following topics: • What is a board of directors, when is it formed, and what's the ‘best' composition? (Hint: odd numbers are key!) • Who sits on a board of directors (i.e., founders, investors, and independents), how are they selected, and how does the composition of a board change over time? • What is NOT a board (e.g., scientific advisors and observers)? • What are the duties of the board? • How should boards handle confidential information? • Client question - How often should boards meet, and what should occur in these meetings? (Second hint: surprises should never occur!) We hope you enjoy listening. And stay tuned for our next session, which will cover running an effective board meeting!

Please join your favorite SPAC corporate attorneys, Tom Burton, Sahir Surmeli, and Jeff Schultz as they set the record straight on SPACs’ apparent boom and bust, heavily reported on in the media. In this episode, they will address the few reasons why SPAC transactions have slowed down, including the SEC’s heightened scrutiny, the question over company valuations, and recent market shifts. They will also explore the advantages now present in this new SPAC era. The Mintz team has handled numerous multibillion-dollar SPAC transactions in recent months, including for XL Fleet and Butterfly Network, as well as the recently announced deals involving Quantum-SI, DeepGreen Metals, and Vicarious Surgical. Mintz’s SPAC practice draws from decades of experience guiding clients in a broad spectrum of industries through the intricacies of SPAC financings. The firm handled the first New York Stock Exchange SPAC transaction and has completed over 35 SPAC transactions, including SPAC IPOs and de-SPAC mergers.

It seems that everyone is taking a second look at SPACs as the number of lawsuits against these alternative IPOs continues to increase by the day. The SEC has recently commented on the liability risks of SPACs under the securities laws following the agency’s heightened scrutiny of these blank-check companies. What exactly is happening, and how can SPAC actors mitigate the ever-increasing risk of litigation? This latest episode of SPAC Chat features your two favorite corporate attorneys in the forefront of SPACs, Jeff Schultz and Sahir Surmeli, along with two of Mintz’s leading litigators, Doug Baumstein and Sean Prosser, as they discuss this latest SPAC trend. The Mintz team has handled numerous multibillion-dollar SPAC transactions in recent months, including for XL Fleet and Butterfly Network, as well as the recently announced deals involving Quantum-SI, DeepGreen Metals, and Vicarious Surgical. Mintz’s SPAC practice draws from decades of experience guiding clients in a broad spectrum of industries through the intricacies of SPAC financings. The firm handled the first New York Stock Exchange SPAC transaction and has completed over 35 SPAC transactions, including SPAC IPOs and de-SPAC mergers.

There is no denying the surge in special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and that these financing vehicles have had a significant impact on financial markets. Join your favorite SPAC attorneys as they discuss the key trends highlighted in Mintz’s comprehensive new SPAC report produced in collaboration with PitchBook, Breaking Down the SPAC Surge: A Review of Key Trends & Issues Defining the Phenomenon.   Topics covered will include: - The steady rise of capital - Redefining company valuations - The strength of the PIPE market - Ever-evolving risks Tom Burton, Jeff Schultz, Sahir Surmeli, and the Mintz team have handled some of the hottest multibillion-dollar SPAC transactions in recent months, including for XL Fleet, Butterfly Network, and Canaccord Genuity’s Environmental Impact Acquisition Corp. Mintz’s SPAC practice draws from decades of experience guiding clients in a broad spectrum of industries through the intricacies of SPAC financings. The firm handled the first New York Stock Exchange SPAC transaction and has completed over 35 SPAC transactions, including SPAC IPOs and de-SPAC mergers.

Does a minimal investment in a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) entitle a sponsor to a tremendous amount of equity after a successful IPO? Hypothetically speaking, will an investment of $25,000 for founder shares result in approximately $40 million of equity value upon completion of a $200 million SPAC IPO? What is at risk for SPAC sponsors and what are the controversies surrounding sponsor equity? Join Mintz’s Thomas Burton, Sahir Surmeli, and Jeffrey Schultz for the second episode of SPAC Chat as they dive into the risks and high rewards affiliated with being a SPAC sponsor. Topics covered will include: - What is sponsor equity? - How much do sponsors typically get? - What is at risk with investing? Mintz has handled some of the hottest multibillion-dollar SPACs this season, including XL Fleet, Butterfly Network, and Canaccord Genuity’s Environmental Impact Acquisition Corp., and draws from decades of experience guiding clients through the intricacies of SPAC financings. Mintz handled the first New York Stock Exchange SPAC transaction and has completed over 35 SPAC transactions, including SPAC IPOs and de-SPAC mergers.

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) are taking over Wall Street as more and more companies are taking advantage of this alternative IPO strategy. However, SPACs didn’t always have the best reputation, with many analysts warning against their growing popularity. Grab a cup of coffee and listen as leading SPAC attorneys from Mintz discuss and debunk the four most common myths about these transactions. Tom Burton, Jeff Schultz, and Sa Surmeli have handled some of the hottest multibillion-dollar SPACs this season, including XL Fleet, Butterfly Network, and Canaccord Genuity’s Environmental Impact Acquisition Corp. Listen to them bust the following most common myths about SPACs: 1. SPAC is a four-letter word. 2. SPACs are the same as IPOs. 3. SPACs are faster and cheaper than traditional IPOs. 4. SPACs only enrich sponsors at the expense of others.

In this podcast, Sebastian Lucier speaks with Carl Dumesle, one of the winners of the USD School of Business Fowler Business Concept Challenge, about the experiences of launching a company as a student and engaging with academic institution resources available to student entrepreneurs.

In this podcast, Lonnie Adelman, founder and president of iAssay, Inc., a point of care medical diagnostic company, explains how he started and built his company, the benefits to medical professionals of his cloud-connected technology, the applications that help in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges he faced in fundraising.

In this podcast, Eric Shnell, the founder of Craitor, developer of a ruggedized 3D printer for military use, discusses how he founded and funded his company while a student at UC San Diego and how the innovative UC San Diego Accelerator Program known as “The Basement” helped Craitor build its team, develop and build its prototype, and raise initial grant monies.

In this podcast, Jeremy Glaser, Co-chair of the Mintz Venture Capital & Emerging Companies practice, and Ryan Floyd, founder and partner at Storm Ventures, discuss important points for entrepreneurs to be aware of when negotiating a venture capital term sheet.

In the second installment of Mintz’s multi-part series addressing common questions relating to establishing a new enterprise, Sam Effron and Sebastian Lucier discuss the issuance of shares to the founders, the mechanics and reasoning behind vesting and some important tax consequences relating to share issuances.

In this podcast, Jake Shapiro, the founder of RadioPublic and Podfund, explores the current state of the podcasting market and industry trends.

In this episode of MintzEdge’s From the Edge podcast, David Ponraj, a physicist-turned-analyst-turned-entrepreneur, tells Aditya Perakath, a physicist-turned-Mintz attorney, how he started his current venture: a startup designed to help other startups succeed.

In this episode of MintzEdge’s From the Edge podcast, Sam Effron speaks with Ben Zegarelli of Mintz about considerations for new medical device, pharmaceutical, or other health regulated start-ups and strategies for how to prepare for FDA oversight.

In this podcast, Una Ryan, a successful life sciences entrepreneur and investor, shares her fascinating story of how she came to the United States and became a successful life sciences entrepreneur, investor, and artist – and offers important tips to help entrepreneurs achieve success.

In this podcast, Jeremy Glaser discusses with John M. Morris the value of mentors and the role they can play in both early stage and later stage companies.

In this episode of MintzEdge’s From the Edge podcast, Will Perkins speaks with Phil Gager of Stifel about venture debt. Will and Phil begin their discussion with an exploration of the background and basic terms of venture debt. They also dive deeply into the use cases — when a technology-driven emerging business should think about taking on venture debt and when it should not.

In this episode of MintzEdge’s From the Edge podcast, Jeremy Glaser speaks with Jen Rubin about AB 5 — California’s recently enacted law banning most types of independent contractors, the financial impact of that law on start-ups and emerging growth employers, and the changes in hiring methods employers need to make now in order to comply with the law’s provisions.

In this episode of MintzEdge’s From the Edge podcast, corporate attorney Ben Stone speaks with Steph Speirs and Sandhya Murali, co-founders of Solstice, about their journey starting and scaling a dynamic start-up that aims to make solar energy accessible for everyone in the United States. Among other things, they discuss how Solstice is disrupting the community solar space through technology, advocacy, and innovative partnerships; the challenges and opportunities of Solstice’s social enterprise approach; their experiences as female founders and leaders; lessons they’ve learned about entrepreneurship; and the importance of guiding values.

Jennifer Rubin, a Member in the Employment, Labor & Benefits Practice, and Sebastian Lucier, a Member in the Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice, discuss employment law related matters for companies operating in the state of California, including the challenges relating to characterizing an individual as an employee rather than an independent contractor.

Sam Effron, a Member in the Mintz Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice and co-editor of MintzEdge, sits down with Sean Grygiel, a Member in the Mintz Intellectual Property Practice, to discuss key IP considerations and strategies for new companies.

John Rotchford, founder of SASI, a boutique investment banking firm, discusses how to prepare your company for sale, how buyers will value your business, and how to achieve a favorable and timely outcome.

Ben Stone – an attorney at Mintz and a former founder, CEO and General Counsel – talks with Ananth Kasturiraman and Caroline Fay, the co-founders of Skillist, an innovative job application platform connecting untapped talent to in-demand jobs, about their efforts building a mission-driven business and “reinventing the resume.”

In this podcast, Dick Pfister, the founder of investment management firm AlphaCore Capital and one of the partners of Altegris Investments, explains how he built successful investment management businesses.

In this podcast, Georges Daou, founder of a number of successful technology companies and of the Daou Winery, explains why entrepreneurs need to develop and convey to investors the passion they have for their businesses in order to succeed.

In this podcast, Jeff Belk, an early employee of Qualcomm and serial entrepreneur and investor, explains why it is important to build a great board of directors and how to communicate to your board most effectively.

Jeremy Glaser, Co- chair of the Mintz Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice, talks to Blaise Barrelet, a successful serial entrepreneur and founder of Analytics Ventures, about how and when companies should raise money.

Jeremy Glaser, co-chair of Mintz’s Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice, discusses the role of the CFO in growing companies with Jeff Gilford, co-founder and principal of BlackFord Partners, Inc.

In this podcast, Jeremy Glaser, Co-chair of the Mintz Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice, discusses with John Creelman, a serial CFO/COO in leading technology companies such as Western Digital, Copper Mountain Networks, ID Analytics and RT Oncology, John’s journey as a veteran CFO and his experiences funding numerous successful companies in both the private and public markets. John also discusses the balance between good financial management in building and growing technology companies against the pace and urgency required to be successful in that same environment.

John Sarkisian, founder of sports and lifestyle venture capital fund Motion Ventures, explains how he built and funded numerous companies in the real estate, restaurant, sports and technology industries and guides entrepreneurs on how to raise money and get successful exits in each of these varied industries.

Jon Sundt, Founder of Altegris, explains how he built one of the largest alternative investment advisory firms in the country and how he achieved a hugely successful exit.

Ken Cohen discusses how raising money for life sciences companies is different than for technology companies and gives entrepreneurs advice on how to finance and grow their life sciences company.

JD Davids of SmartMoney Startups explains how to identify and close the best venture fund for your company.

In this podcast, Cliff Boro, a serial entrepreneur and investor, shares his insights and experience to help entrepreneurs best position themselves to raise money from angels and venture capitalists.

In this podcast, Walt Tendler discusses the importance of having sophisticated financial advice when preparing your company for a financing and the challenges that entrepreneurs face when they fail to take care of the financial side of the house.

In this podcast, Carrie Stone discusses the importance of management in the financing process and how venture capitalists assess management teams prior to making an investment decision.

In this podcast, Charlie Silver, the founder of RealAge, a big data email marketing company, discusses how he turned his company around during the dotcom crash and successfully sold it to The Hearst Corporation. Mr. Silver also discusses the future of online marketing and the role of blockchain and how his newest company, Algebraix, is changing the way consumers share and get paid for their data.

In this podcast, David Taylor, the founder of CineForm, a digital media company that was successfully sold to GoPro, discusses how he built a successful company and the many challenges he faced along the way.

Jeremy Glaser, Co-Chair of the Mintz Venture Capital and Emerging Companies Practice, discusses with George Kenney, Founder and Managing Director of Shepherd Ventures, a successful Tech, Software and Life Sciences Venture Capital Fund, the challenges in raising venture capital and how to grab the attention of venture capitalists with your pitch deck and thirty second elevator pitch.

In this Podcast, Jeremy Glaser, Co-Chair of the Mintz Venture Capital and Emerging Companies Practice, discusses with JD Davids, the Founder and Managing Partner of SmartMoney Startups, practical steps that entrepreneurs can take to identify, approach and close the best investors for their companies.

In this Podcast, Jeremy Glaser, Co-Chair of the Mintz Venture Capital and Emerging Companies Practice, discusses with Mike Krenn, President of the San Diego Venture Group, how Mike advises entrepreneurs to identify and approach angel investors and venture capitalists and his recommended best practices for writing pitch decks and executive summaries.

Jeremy Glaser, Co-chair of the Mintz Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Practice, discusses key lessons for entrepreneurs running growing with companies with Patrick Henry, the CEO and Founder of QuestFusion.

Jeremy Glaser, Co-chair of Mintz's Venture Capital and Emerging Companies Practice, and Greg Chin, a member of the Venture Capital and Emerging Companies Practice, give insights on what to expect on upcoming episodes of From the Edge and share some stories that explain how certain of their clients have achieved financial success and lessons learned along the way that would benefit any entrepreneur.