Founder Breakfast: Building Companies That Last
Before You Sign: The Legal Decisions That Shape Your Startup's Future
The legal terms you agree to in your earliest financing rounds can have lasting implications for your company, your fundraising journey, and your ownership. Yet many founders sign SAFEs, convertible notes, and financing documents without fully understanding the provisions that matter most because they focus too much on the check size.
Join us for an interactive practical discussion on the legal considerations every founder should understand before raising capital.
Keynote
Before You Sign: 10 Clauses Every Founder Should Understand
Colin Kirby, Foley Hoag, Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Fochair
Colin will walk founders through the most important legal provisions in early-stage financing documents, explaining what they mean in practice, which terms deserve closer attention, and how founders can avoid common mistakes before they become costly.
Fireside Chat
Following the keynote, Victoria Yampolsky and Yorkseed will co-moderate a panel with two exited founders for a candid discussion on legal trends in today's fundraising market, including:
Current trends in SAFEs and convertible notes
Valuation caps and discount rates across today's market
Founder-friendly vs. investor-friendly terms
Common legal mistakes that delay or complicate fundraising
Critical clauses that founders should understand before signing
When walking away from a deal is the right decision
Fireside Chat Panelists
TBD 1
TBD 2
Who is this event for?
Early-stage tech startups preparing to fundraise or actively fundraising, with MVP or market-ready / early-revenue traction.
Event Schedule:
6:00 – 6:30 PM: Networking
6:30 – 6:40 pm: Keynote
6:40 - 7:20 pm: Fireside Chat
7:20-8:00 pm: Networking
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
BIOS
Supported by
This event is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, investment, or tax advice.
Our Hosts:
About The Startup Station
is a CFO advisory and financial education platform for early-stage startups. We help early-stage founders build investor-ready financials and tell their funding story with confidence. In the past decade, we’ve helped 150+ founders raise over $50M and educated 20,000+ entrepreneurs worldwide. The Startup Station also runs Speed Pitch, an exclusive investor-founder matchmaking event series for early-stage startups where founders are matched with 3 investors by sector, stage, and check size.
Yorkseed
Yorkseed is a global venture platform designed to help founders and investors build meaningful relationships at scale. Through curated experiences, trusted introductions, and the Yorkseed platform, members discover investment opportunities, connect with relevant people, and engage with high-signal venture ecosystems across the world's leading innovation hubs.
Introducing Valois by Yorkseed, our curated capital circle for investors and allocators.
Join Yorkseed NYC Chapter | Subscribe to our weekly mailing list | Join our global hubs. Let’s make magic happen, NYC style 🇺🇸💫
The right rooms. The right people. The right tools — for every step of the journey, including the ones you have not thought about yet.
All attendees are encouraged to join Yorkseed Connect this week to access Connection Intelligence and better understand who you're meeting.
2 months complimentary Yorkseed Founding Membership https://app.yorkseed.co/eventofferWe look forward to seeing you there.