Eric is an associate at Frost Brown Todd LLC and practices in the firm’s intellectual property group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of privacy and data security with a particular focus on consumer privacy regulations, including behavioral advertising, children’s privacy (e.g. COPPA, FERPA), and the California Consumer Privacy Act and similar state regulations. In addition, he advises companies and individuals in matters relating to advertising, specifically as regulated by the FTC, FDA, and NAD. He also assists international companies who operate websites and services in the U.S. with compliance with both U.S. and European Union laws. He offers extensive trial experience—150 bench trials as Assistant City Prosecutor for the City of Cincinnati. Offer extensive experience managing projects, cases, and clients as well as steering.

Marvin is an entrepreneur, speaker, brewer, investor and advisor to many companies. He is the CEO of Wunderfund, an equity crowd investing platform that gives people the chance to invest in growing startups. He also founded Esoteric Brewing Co the first minority owned brewery in Cincinnati. Previously, Marvin spent 18 years with Procter & Gamble in Brand Management and Sourcing. Marvin is a two-time TEDx speaker, and regularly gives talks at Fortune 500 companies, conferences, accelerators & universities.

Doug’s practice includes assisting with the patent application process as well as licensing and transactional work, with a focus on software. Doug has more than seven years professional experience as a software developer in the Cincinnati area, including positions at The Kroger Co. and General Electric. With his extensive industry experience in software Doug can communicate effectively with inventors and owners on legal issues while also understanding many of the technical difficulties and concerns that are unique to the software world.

Doug has experience as the primary draftsman for more than 25 patent applications and has assisted with a variety of Office Action responses and filings. Doug has used his experience as a software developer to identify and capture key innovations in software implemented inventions during discussions with inventors. He has considerable experience beyond application drafting and has assisted clients with patent due diligence issues, freedom to practice opinions, novelty searches, licensing of patents, assignment of patents, litigation research, vendor contracts, and a variety of technology transactions. In August of 2014 Doug received a passing score for the United States Patent Office Registration Examination for Patent Attorneys and received final approval to practice October 7, 2014.

Doug has followed developments in patent law and software related intellectual property law closely and has authored a number of articles discussing important Supreme Court and Federal Circuit opinions, including several detailed analyses of the scope and impact of Alice v. CLS, as well as the potential for copyright protection of source code in Oracle v. Google. Following the decision in Novartis v. Lee, which positively impacted the patent terms of many recently issued patents, Doug developed a step by step guide for recalculating Patent Term Adjustment that was used to recapture hundreds of days of lost patent term for clients.

Dan began his career in public accounting in 2007 and specializes in small to medium size business consulting, tax preparation/planning, and accounting for businesses and their owners. His passion for working closely with clients to help grow their business and navigate complex regulatory environments allow him to be a valuable consultant to his clients as if he were a part of their C-Suite. He has significant experience resolving complex business and tax matters for startup tech companies, foreign owned U.S. Corporations, manufacturers, distributors, restaurants, real estate entities, and others.

Over the past 8 years Dan has spent a substantial amount of time working closely with entrepreneurs to help guide them through entity selection, compensation planning, accounting system setup/implementation/outsourcing, financial communication with investors, research & development tax credits, economic incentive investigation, as well as federal, state, and local income, sales, and payroll tax compliance matters.

Dan volunteers time as Head Flag Football Coach for the Taylor Mill Eagles and has previously served as Board Member/Treasurer for Families Matter, Inc and also as Board Member for the Greater Cincinnati Venture Association (GCVA).

James Marable is a marketing strategist with 15 years of experience in social media strategy and implementation, entrepreneurship, employer branding, media production, product development, design, project management, promotional strategy, and event planning. Hailing from Dayton Ohio, James found his way to his adopted home of Cincinnati to attend the University of Cincinnati, from which he began his career as a marketing project manager at various advertising agencies leading the execution of numerous national campaigns/product launches. In 2010 James stepped away from the corporate world to launch Original Thought Required (2010-2016), a groundbreaking boutique, of which connected the burgeoning creative community and the revitalization of downtown Cincinnati's urban core. In 2012 James along with 5 friends founded Cincinnati's largest African American YP organization; Cincinnati Young Black Professionals 501(c)(3). Along with CYBP James has sat on the board of directors of the Over the Rhine Chamber of Commerce, YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, and Elementz Hip Hop Youth Center. In 2013 James was brought on board to launch the employer brand identity of the historic Macy's organization, staying on board until 2019. Currently, James is a Brand Leader at Eli Lilly & Company (splitting time between Indianapolis and Cincinnati) as well as the owner of his own social media consultancy.

Over the years James has traveled nationally to speak on topics such as social media strategy, branding, and entrepreneurship to audiences upwards of 1000 people. James is very keen on helping others reach their goals by sharing his unique story and connecting the dots for individuals throughout his network.

Strong business building background managing multi-faceted missions with competing priorities from both internal and external stakeholders involving engineering and technology operations in the public and private sector. Expertise includes: Venture Capital, Startup growth and scaling, program, project and process management and innovation initiatives. Adept at team building, training, coaching and motivating. Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.

Andrew Savitz is a co-founder and partner at Canned Spinach, a Cincinnati-based digital experience agency, focused on designing and developing unique experiences that drive action. Andrew is an expert in lean product strategy and development; he helps Canned Spinach win new business and with strategy for clients who range from startups to Fortune 500’s.

At Thompson Hine, I am the Chairperson of the firms Early Stage & Emerging Company Practice. I primarily work with tech and biotech:

• Entrepreneurs and emerging companies,
• Accelerators and incubators, 
• Early-stage investors and venture capital funds, and 
• Research institutions and corporate innovation teams.
  

Prior to joining Thompson Hine, I worked in the software industry, holding the dual role of CFO and General Counsel at a series of venture-backed companies. Prior to that, I practiced law in Boulder, Colorado.

I combine broad and deep legal knowledge with real-world business and transactional experience. I drive, facilitate and close deals.

I graduated from Harvard University (BA) in 1992 and the University of Cincinnati College of Law (JD) in 1996, where I was Valedictorian and also the Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review.

I teach “Mergers & Acquisitions” at the University of Michigan Law School (Go Blue!).

I also teach “Startups, Venture Capital and Private Equity” at the University of Cincinnati College of Law (Go Bearcats!). Prior to that, I taught “Agency & Partnership” at UC.

I also serve on its Board of Visitors.I am a lecturer at the nationally-ranked Miami University Institute for Entrepreneurship (Go Red Hawks!), where I also serve as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence.

Last but not least, I am very active on LinkedIn, posting frequently on matters of entrepreneurship, technology, economics, culture, self-improvement and, on Fridays, music!

Shwetha Pai is a Finance and Corporate Strategy leader who has worked across industries, focusing primarily in Investment Banking, Consumer Products, and Pharmaceuticals. She took the entrepreneurial jump with her own tech startup, OrgAnalytix, 4 years ago when she moved to Cincinnati after 13 years in New York City and brief 2 year “detour” in Indianapolis. She is passionate about data-driven problem solving, and analytical decision making, and loves to help companies and leaders build more diverse and efficient teams. When she isn’t working on her startup or helping other small businesses, she spends time with her two girls, aged 7 and 5, and enjoys traveling the world with her family (her 7 year old has been to 14 countries already). Shwetha is an immigrant from India who moved to South Dakota at the age of 12. She has her bachelor’s degree from Boston University and went on to do her MBA at Columbia University in New York City.

Stevi Carr is the Founder and CEO of WISe Wellness Guild, a community dedicated to the advancement of women through whole-self wellness, aiming to support peak-performance through avoiding burnout.  Carr, a seasoned brand-builder, spent a decade working at Procter and Gamble leading the brand expression for global billion-dollar brands such as Always, Covergirl, Max Factor and Pampers and spent several years leading a healthcare brand reinvention at UC Health.   Stevi’s work has been recognized by publications such as Forbes, Ad Age, Modern Healthcare and AVA, and she was most recently recognized as a “Visionary Under 40” by the P&G Alumni Network for her efforts to advance healthcare innovation in the Midwest.  Stevi is a proud mother, wife, global keynote speaker activist in her community.

Courtney Carroll has always had a heart for people, the arts, and encouraging conversation. Born and raised in Cincinnati, she believes in nurturing the community that poured into her.Graduating from Tennessee State University with Bachelors in Public Health, Courtney knew she wanted to support the community and uplift those suffering with mental health issues. Courtney received her Master’s in the Arts of Counseling from Cincinnati Christian University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Ohio. She has spent the past 8 years working with children in mental health crisis. She also found a new love working with children with Autism and developmental delays. Courtney is currently a therapist at Poppy’s Therapeutic Corner. She is also a co-founder of Minority Therapist of Cincinnati, a organization created to connect black clinicians within the greater Cincinnati area to help better serve the community.

She enjoys using group work to help young people learn social skills and practice positive social interaction.Besides counseling,Courtney loves to blog about self-care, self-love, and to travel the world with friends.

Sameer is a digital transformation leader with expertise in IT Sales, Marketing, Solutions- products, and services. He has helped his clients in their digitization journey over the past two decades. He has worked closely with numerous Fortune clients to bring their strategic digital transformation vision to life. Having solved a myriad of business challenges across various domains such as Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Sales, Sourcing, HR, and Finance functions has enabled him to bring systems thinking approach to create lasting value for enterprises. An Engineer- MBA by qualification, he has continued his learning in various domains such as modern marketing, design thinking, machine learning, etc. He brings an entrepreneurship mindset to make change happen for his customers and drive better business outcomes for them.

Brian Higgins is a healthcare lawyer at the law firm of Frost Brown Todd in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is also Co-Chair of the Cincinnati Bar Association’s Health Law Committee. Brian has specialized knowledge of the healthcare industry’s nuanced statutes and regulations, including the anti-kickback statute, the physician self-referral law (the Stark law), HIPAA, and the Part 2 regulations for substance use disorder providers. He regularly assists healthcare providers and vendors to the healthcare industry with corporate formation, asset purchase and stock purchase transactions, contractual matters, and healthcare regulatory issues, including payer audits and appeals. Brian also advises many healthcare providers and state-licensed organizations in the medical marijuana space.

Tom is a Dynamic, highly strategic leader and coalition builder with a proven record of building both established businesses and entrepreneurial ventures. Utilizes broad experience in marketing, operations and product development to create innovative growth initiatives and successfully bring them to market. Recognized for assembling diverse, highly effective teams, motivating teams to deliver results, and for raising the marketing skill of the organization. 

Alice Shade is the founder of Four A Ventures, supporting and advising both healthcare companies and early stage companies in areas of strategic planning, technology adoption, team development, operations, finance and business development. Currently, she serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Louisville, helping researchers and faculty members commercialize discoveries. Her background in healthcare finance and delivery spans the employer, provider and insurance spectrums. Prior to that, she was a co-founder of SentryHealth, a Kentucky based technology enabled health management company, specializing in creating and delivering clinical programs to improve the health among those with chronic disease.

Rhonda assists clients, particularly those in the health care industry, with a range of business issues including mergers and acquisitions, vendor and physician contracts, and compliance with Medicare/Medicaid conditions of participation and other regulatory schemes. She has broad-based experience advising clients on hospice care, medical residency programs, and meaningful use of electronic health records.

Rhonda received her J.D. in 2009, graduating first in her class (summa cum laude) from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law, where she served on the editorial board of the Northern Kentucky Law Review and as a justice of the Moot Court Board. Prior to receiving her J.D., she taught college language courses and worked with various international businesses as an administrator and consultant. Rhonda is fluent in French, conversational in Mandarin Chinese and also speaks some Japanese.

Kelly is the Executive Director of Main Street Ventures. Prior to her current role, Kelly was a part of the third generation of her family's business, BGR, Inc., where she was instrumental in leading the company's strategic planning and growth efforts in her position as COO. She is actively involved in several Cincinnati organizations, serving on several boards including the University of Cincinnati Goering Center for Family & Private Business, The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Ambassador Council, and was a member of C-Change, Class 8 and WeLead, Class 11. She was named one of Cincinnati’s Forty Under 40 by the Business Courier and winner of the 2018 Larry Grypp Rising Leader Award. Kelly received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton and her MBA from Xavier University.

Terrence J.L. Reeves is the Member (Partner) at Frost Brown Todd in Ann Arbor, where he leads the leads the firm’s venture capital team. Terrence represents startups and emerging growth companies at all stages of development, and the investors that fund them. His practice includes corporate and securities law matters, entity formation, corporate governance, software licensing, venture capital financings, strategic alliances, and exit transactions. Terrence advises clients across a broad range of industries, including software, digital health, SaaS, consumer products, energy, cyber-security, mobility, and other emerging sectors.

In addition to his works as a venture capital attorney, Terrence is an active angel investor with IrishAngels (Chicago, Ill.) and Commune Angels (Detroit, Michigan).

Terrence received his J.D. from Wayne State University Law School, where he focused his studies on corporate law. He also earned an M.B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and studied venture capital at Wharton. Once a high school dropout, Terrence is a frequent speaker on urban education, leadership, venture capital and entrepreneurship in the region.

Brittany Bradshaw is a Managing Associate in Frost Brown Todd’s Ann Arbor, Michigan office, where she specializes in the representation of startup and emerging companies.

Brittany advises companies at all stages, from formation through exit, including early and late stage financings. Her practice focuses on general corporate counseling, commercial contracts, venture capital financings and mergers and acquisitions. Brittany represents clients across a broad spectrum of industries, including technology, automotive, mobility, consumer products and manufacturing.

Jacobs's career spans nearly 40 years, with proven success in brand management, marketing communications, sales, and general management. He is an active member of the ACA (Angel Capital Association) Education + Smart Practices Committee. He was a business coach to startups, and the founder and strategist of Harvest Consulting. Jacobs is also a Certified Collaboration Architect for Innovation Games - serious games used as a fun way for improving holistic/design thinking, driving strategy and product road map decisions, improving sales effectiveness, and fine-tuning marketing messages. Harvest Consulting leveraged a proprietary blend of primary and secondary marketing research, trend analysis, and competitive intelligence to define sales driven marketing strategies; and, unlike creative agencies or other marketing or consulting firms, Harvest Consulting executed and implemented develped marketing strategies. Jacobs is a Miami University graduate, Bachelor of Science, 1981.

John Laughlin is the Director of Partnerships at Near The Box -- a technical partnership company that bridges the technical and engineering gap for founders with validated ideas looking to bring them to life. Their expertise and track record is in building digital platforms that can scale to millions of users and account for the need to add features as more feedback comes in over time. He's a startup mentor for gBETA, Aviatra Accelerators, and the ITEN program in St. Louis. His background is in business development and product development & management.