Expert series: Building a global team
Operating & scaling a global team introduces a new set of strategic decisions, from visas and employment structures to payroll, payments, and cross-border compliance.
This expert session brings together Aspire and Sophie Alcorn to help founders understand how these pieces fit together when expanding internationally. We’ll dive into the practical considerations founders face as teams grow across countries, and how to design systems that support that growth in a structured, sustainable way.
Rather than treating visas and financial operations as separate problems, this session examines how they intersect and how thoughtful setup early on can reduce complexity as a company scales globally.
What we’ll cover:
Visas and structuring global teams
Building a global team model that supports growth without constant restructuring
Understanding how visa choices affect fundraising, ownership, and executive control
Choosing the right U.S. pathways for founders and key hires
Avoiding early visa and role decisions that quietly constrain future expansion
Payroll and cross-border financial operations
Designing payroll and payment workflows for international teams
Paying employees and contractors across countries and currencies
Maintaining centralized visibility and control
Preparing for audits, fundraising, and future expansion
Meet your hosts:
Sophie Alcorn:
Sophie Alcorn is a leading immigration attorney and the founder of Alcorn Immigration Law in Silicon Valley. With a focus on helping tech startups and international talent, she specializes in guiding clients through the complexities of U.S. immigration law to obtain visas and green cards. Sophie is a Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law and has been a regular contributor to TechCrunch’s "Ask Sophie" column, where she shared valuable insights on immigration issues. She is also the host of "The Sophie Alcorn Podcast", providing essential information for entrepreneurs navigating immigration challenges. With a commitment to empowering individuals and families, Sophie actively participates in mentoring and advocacy, ensuring that her clients can achieve their dreams in the U.S.
Alcorn Immigration Law:
Alcorn Immigration Law is the fastest-growing immigration law firm in Silicon Valley and recognized as the 2019 Global Law Experts Awards’ “Law Firm of the Year in California for Entrepreneur Immigration Services.” Alcorn’s mission to provide expert legal representation that empowers individuals to overcome the barriers of borders and pursue their dreams is evidenced by its remarkable 95% approval rating. The Alcorn Immigration method has worked for them, and we’re excited to make it work for you.
David Harris:
US Country Head at Aspire. He's a global leader with experience across multiple industries. Previous to leading US activities for Aspire, he spent the prior 6 years with Revolut in the US, Australia, and New Zealand, leading high-performing international teams.
Aspire:
Aspire is the all-in-one finance platform for modern businesses globally, helping over 50,000 companies save time and money with international payments, treasury, expense, payable, and receivable management solutions - accessible via a single, user-friendly account. Headquartered in Singapore, Aspire has 600+ employees across nine countries, clients in 30+ markets and is backed by global top tier VCs, including Sequoia, Lightspeed, Y-Combinator, Tencent and Paypal.
To learn more about us, contact: [email protected]