Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Posted by Jim Cossler, CEO & Chief Evangelist

So...you just never know who might wander onto our campus on any given day.

This past weekend, it was George Pavlov, a Partner in a $600 million Venture Capital Fund based in Menlo Park, California.

Here's his bio:

 http://www.tallwoodvc.com/team/george_p.html

Yep... that Menlo Park.

94025....we seriously love hosting our friends with that zip code!

Jim

Friday, April 12, 2013

Posted by Rose Shaffer, Project Manager Research and Communication

Attorney, Keith Ashmus

and

Attorney, Adam Russ

 

present

 "Hot Topics"

of Employment Law and

 

Non-Compete Agreements

Wednesday, April 17th

11:30am-1:00pm

Youngstown Business Incubator

Learning Lab

Registration: $10.00

Lunch is Included in Price

 

 

Attorneys Keith Ashmus and Adam Russ will present the "Hot Topics" for startups. 

 

Attorney Keith Ashmus will present employment law, including immigration reform, I-9 program, the EEOC criminal background check, Affordable Care Act Issues, and Trade Regulation Reform.

 

Attorney Adam Russ will present on the use of non-compete aggreements, including a discussion of recent Ohio Supreme Cout cases that addresses what happens to such agreements once an entity changes hands (e.g. merges with another or is bought out.)

 

The workshop will give attendees the opportunity to ask specific questions to the attorneys and allow discussion of on-going issues related to small business, technology, and business development. This discussion will examine the use of non-compete aggreements by commercial enterprises. We will review the necessary factors that will make an agreement enforceable under Ohio law.  We will also discuss reasons why employers might choose whether or not to use non-compete agreements.  Finally, we will examine recent cases, including an Oiho Supreme Court case that addressed whether non-compete agreements will survive a corporate merger.

 

Attorney Keith Ashmus:

Keith Ashmus received his B.A. (Policy Sciences) and his M.A. (Economics) from Michigan State University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.  He is a past president of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ohio State Bar Foundation.  He has been a small business advocate for many years, having chaired Greater Cleveland's small business chamber of commerce, the Council of Smaller Enterprises ("COSE"), and the National Small Business Association ("NSBA").  While chair of NSBA, he met with White House and Capitol Hill officials to attempt to achieve rational provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Although those attempts were unsuccessful, they did provide him with perspective on the Act's complex provisions.  Keith is the author of numberous publications and frequent speaker on topics important to small business in Ohio.  He is one of the co-founders of Frantz Ward LLP and is a member of its Labor & Employment practice group. 

 

Attorney Adam Russ:

Youngstown-native Adam J. Russ is an experienced commercial litigator in both Ohio and federal courts.  Adam serves as a senior associate at Frantz Ward LLP, where he has obtained favorable settlements, dismissals, and verdicts in varied areas including complex commercial litigation, construction litigation, creditors' rights, insurance coverage, class action defense, employment, foreclosure, director and officer liability, and real estate maters.  Adam regularly counsels both individuals and business on "best practices" to avoid litigation. 

 

Adam graduated from the University of Notre Dame magna cum laude in Finance & Business Economics ('02) and received his Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School ('05).  Adam is an active member of the Notre Dame Club of Cleveland, where he serves as chairperson of the annual UND Night celebration, and is an associate board member of Shoes and Clothes for Kids.  He was a member of the 2011 Ohio State Bar Association's Leadership Academy and currently serves on the OSBA Council of Delegates and the Young Lawyers Section Council.  He has been selected as an Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star in the area of Business Litigation in 2012 and 2013. 

 

 

Contact Rose Shaffer for more information: (330)599-4583

 

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Friday, April 12, 2013

Posted by Jim Cossler, CEO & Chief Evangelist

Incubator Update: April 3, 2013

 

I just love it when the Silicon Valley takes a big notice of a tech startup originating out of Youngstown, Ohio!

And who would have thought that was even imaginable just a few years ago?

But, that's what happened last week when the San Francisco Chronicle and Yahoo! Finance, among many others, ran articles on the national launch of EquipmentAuction.com, a YBI Portfolio Company.

That in turn brought a call to the firm from the Chicago office of Bank of America, which in turn was followed by dozens of inquiries, all anxious to find ways to join this exciting new e-commerce venture facilitating the liquidation of commercial and industrial machinery and equipment.

Oh, and did I mention, Bank of America has already started uploading their equipment inventory for sale to the site?

If you are a bank, insurance or finance company in possession of an asset that needs a buyer, or if you are a commercial firm or dealer looking to purchase or sell assets without the expense of middlemen, take a look at equipmentauction.com!

Jim