Before You Need Us: Founder Money & IP Mistakes to Avoid
Before You Need Us: Founder Money & IP Mistakes to Avoid
Join House of 434 for an intimate conversation designed to help founders get ahead of the financial, tax, and intellectual property decisions that can become costly when addressed too late.
Founders often focus on building the company first, but personal finances, business structure, taxes, and intellectual property can have a significant impact on how a company grows, raises capital, and protects what it has built.
This evening brings together experienced professionals across personal finance, tax and operations, and intellectual property for a candid, practical conversation about the mistakes founders make, the questions they should be asking earlier, and what they can do to prepare before they need a lawyer, CPA, or financial advisor.
Through a moderated panel and open audience Q&A, we'll explore:
Personal financial readiness — what founders should have in place as they build
Structuring & taxes — common pitfalls and considerations at different stages
IP protection — patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyright, and when protection becomes too late
Founder mistakes & lessons — real-world situations and the things founders wish they had addressed sooner
Agenda:
5 min - Welcome & Framing
Opening remarks, event context, and introduction to the conversation.
5 min - Panelist Introductions
Each panelist briefly introduces themselves and the perspective they bring to the discussion.
30–35 min - Moderated Panel Discussion
A practical conversation covering:
Personal financial readiness for founders
Structuring, taxes, and early financial decisions
Intellectual property protection and when founders should act
Founder mistakes, real-world case studies, and lessons learned
The moderator will guide the discussion one question at a time, giving each panelist an opportunity to share their perspective and respond to one another.
10 min - Audience Q&A
Open questions from founders in the room.
Remaining Time -Closing & Networking
Informal conversation and networking with panelists and attendees.
PANELISTS:
Marc Rachman - is a partner in Davis+Gilbert’s Litigation + Dispute Resolution and Intellectual Property + Media Practice Groups. He focuses on intellectual property counseling and litigation, advertising disputes, and complex commercial matters, with experience spanning trademark, copyright, false advertising, rights of publicity, trade secret, and patent disputes. He advises companies of all sizes on protecting and maximizing the value of their intellectual property and resolving disputes both in and out of court.
Aisha Jordan, CPA | Principal, The Jordan Factor™ an AI strategy and operations advisory. She brings 25+ years of experience across global financial institutions, founder-led businesses, and investor-backed environments, including CFO, transformation, governance, and board roles.
Aisha focuses on the operating foundations behind growth: visibility, accountability, effective workflows, and decision-ready information. Her perspective helps founders consider what should be in place before adding people, technology, advisers, or investors.
Attendance is intentionally limited and subject to approval to keep the conversation relevant and the room high-quality.