Loyola Serves as Hub for International Entrepreneurs
Like any aspiring Israeli entrepreneur developing the next “big thing,” Eden Zohar was looking for a way to break into the U.S. market. And like the other participants in Tel Aviv University’s IDEAS Immersion program, the digital diary developer found an answer in the “Legal Issues for Startups & Founders” boot camp hosted at Loyola Law School.
Leveraging its strengths as an entertainment and transactional law, Loyola Law School professors and alumni indoctrinated the group of about 10 international students during a day of instruction and feedback on Friday, June 16. The event included a mock pitch session during which the students delivered presentations to alumni like Scott Alderton ’85 of Stubbs Alderton & Markiles and Marty Willhite ’97, general counsel of blockbuster studio Legendary Entertainment.
Designed as a means of accelerating the trajectories of early-stage entrepreneurs, the incubator’s other fledgling companies included Botcast, an on-demand news app; DIT, a program to help plan and staff digital productions; Co-lab, a platform to produce and promote pop-up events; and Craftride, a mobile crafting truck. The participants were at the Law School for one day of a three-week program in and around Los Angeles.
The event was hosted by Business Law Practicum Director Professor Shannon Treviño, who provided an introduction after a welcome by Dean Michael Waterstone. Sessions included “The Entrepreneurial Process in the U.S.: A Legal Perspective & Overview of IP Issues.” Participants also had an open forum to ask questions of the experts, which also included Professor Therese Maynard.
During the process, the student participants received valuable feedback from industry veterans. "You can't scale you," Alderton warned when discussing a student's ability to manage her time as a resource.
Practical feedback included considerations when selecting brand colors or naming a company. In another pitch, Willhite offered one measure for success: “You want your name to be a verb: ‘I Uber’d.’” Other topics included funding goals, scalability and headquarters location selection.
Learn more about the IDEAS Immersion program on its website.