Each quarter, Venture Mechanics offers a rotating series of Founder Workshops on specific topics that every startup team needs to master. These are typically 1.5-3.5 hour evening sessions given by the best of our mentors. While the workshops are intended to be taken sequentially they can be taken asynchronously.
Please note that some courses are in-real-life and others are virtual. IRL courses are generally not hybridized.
Companies in the Venture Mechanics Catapult Accelerator receive unlimited access to these workshops at no additional cost during their term.
The recommended course order is as follows, but is not sacrosanct by any means:
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Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Companies in the Venture Mechanics incubator are entitled to an unlimited free buffet of these workshops during their term. The workshops are also open to startups that aren't in the incubator, at the regular tuition price. Dinner is included, and parking is always free.
More About This Workshop:
"Everything Legal" is a high-density workshop that introduces all the contracts every startup will need to be familiar with, licensing agreements, patent and trademark protection (building your “IP moat”), common debt and equity funding structures, stock options, Sarbanes Oxley compliance in fundraising, and more.
This workshop takes a deep dive into two vital aspects of protecting the value of the business you’re creating. Part I covers the corporate structure, stock distribution, and about 15-20 legal contracts that startups usually need to develop by the time they’re selling stock, hiring employees and generating revenue. Part II covers your trademarks, patents and other forms of intellectual property.
Part I: Some of the most daunting tasks in creating a new startup are things like figuring out the “cap table,” equitably dividing equity between co-founders, selecting the ideal legal entity type (e.g. C-Corp vs LLC), and starting out with rigorous corporate hygiene from the get go, so it doesn’t become an obstacle to closing a funding round later. You’ll learn about all the legal documents that you’ll need to create to support your business and protect its value, spanning from employee agreements to user licensing agreements. You'll also learn about the things that every CEO should know about Sarbanes Oxley rules before speaking in front of investors.
Part II: You’ll learn from three highly experienced attorneys how to build a fortress around your IP. Included will be “brand protection” - everything from trademarks to domain names to trade secrets. Next up, how to structure licensing agreements - especially for software companies that will rely on these contracts for the majority of their revenue. Lastly, we’ll dive into patents, including the rapidly changing landscape of AI and machine learning patentability.
Learn from a veteran serial entrepreneur, veteran startup lawyer, an expert intellectual property strategist, and a highly experienced patent attorney on the various ways of protecting and enhancing the value of your enterprise, from inception to exit. You will walk away from this workshop with a checklist of legal documents you’ll need to create and filings you’ll need to make in order to comply with the law, optimize your investors’ and founders’ pre-tax and after-tax returns, protect your intellectual property assets, and minimize your overall business risks.
Founding Attorney, Light Legal PLLC
Principal Attorney, Audentes Fortuna Law PLLC
Patent Attorney, ÆON Law
Free and convenient parking is always available at Venture Mechanics. The course begins promptly at 6:00pm, but feel free to arrive up to 30 minutes early to network with the instructors and other attendees. Feel free to bring dinner with you, only light snacks and drinks will be served.
Each quarter, Venture Mechanics offers a rotating series of Founder Workshops on specific topics that every startup team needs to master. These are typically 2-3 hour evening sessions given by the best of our mentors. While the workshops are intended to be taken sequentially they can be taken out of order.
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Each quarter, Venture Mechanics offers a rotating series of Founder Workshops on specific topics that every startup team needs to master. These are typically 2-3 hour evening sessions given by the best of our mentors. While the workshops are intended to be taken sequentially they can be taken out of order.
Companies in the Venture Mechanics Catapult Accelerator are entitled to an unlimited free buffet of these workshops during their term. The workshops are also open to startups that aren't in the incubator, at the regular tuition price.
The workshop will be delivered in an engaging fireside chat format. This will enable the two presenters to interact with each other and the audience as they share their presentation. The session will combine both the theory and practical aspects of the sales process with plenty of real-world case studies discussed. Attendees will also learn how to create and execute an effective go-to-market (GTM) strategy.
Workshop Objectives
By the end of the course, startup founders will be able to:
Who Should Attend
Instructors
Mark Kotzer - Chief Growth Officer, Growth Jumpstart
Rob Mathewson - Sales Leader, Deepen AI
Details
The course begins promptly at 6:00pm, but feel free to arrive up to 30 minutes early to network with the instructors and other attendees. Attendees are welcome to bring their own dinners. Light snacks and beverages will be available. Free and convenient parking is always available at Venture Mechanics.
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Each quarter, Venture Mechanics offers a rotating series of Founder Workshops on specific topics that every startup team needs to master. These are typically 2.5-3 hour evening sessions given by the best of our mentors. While the workshops are intended to be taken sequentially they can be taken out of order.
Companies in the Venture Mechanics Catapult Accelerator are entitled to an unlimited free buffet of these workshops during their term. The workshops are also open to startups that aren't in the Catapult, at the regular tuition price.
More About This Workshop:
Learn to build pitch decks that keep investors engaged. With investors, first impressions are important. When you show investors your pitch, whether by email or live, you need to be clear, concise and compelling. This pitch workshop at Venture Mechanics Incubator/Accelerator will provide you with the necessary tools to create a winning pitch deck.
Learn how to:
Don't miss out on this chance to elevate your pitching skills! Discover how to craft a compelling story that captivates investors. Find out why having more than one deck is crucial and what elements to include in a teaser deck.
Join us for an evening workshop with Q&A, practice sessions, and dinner included. You don’t need a pitch deck ready to benefit - this workshop will kickstart your progress.
Bonus:
About Dana Sather Robinson
Dana is an angel investor, pitch trainer and creator of the Pitch 4 Impact Framework. As a professional presentation skills trainer, she understands how to help clients communicate with impact, clarity and authenticity. Dana is an active member of E8 Angels, an innovative cleantech angel investing group. The Pitch4Impact program was created from two perspectives, as an investor and as a trainer of presentation skills. Dana emphasizes how to make the most of your own natural style to be memorable and authentic.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-sather-robinson/
Details:
The course begins promptly at 6:00pm, but feel free to arrive up to 30 minutes early to network with the instructors and other attendees. Attendees are welcome to bring their own dinners. Light snacks and beverages will be available. Free and convenient parking is always available at Venture Mechanics.
Due to the interactive nature of this particular workshop virtual attendance is not available.
