MANAGING YOUR FINANCES — Maximize Your Runway with QuickBooks & Tax Credits
Clean books, clear cash flow visibility, and smart tax planning are the difference between startups that thrive and those that run out of runway. Founders don’t need 100 tools — they need the right-sized finance stack and the awareness to use tax strategy to their advantage.
Most startups don’t fail because they can’t raise money — they fail because they don’t understand their finances and fail to watch their cash flows. The right finance stack keeps you on top of both. For 90% of startups, that means starting with QuickBooks Online (QBO).
And while taxes often feel like a burden, they can actually be your friend. The R&D tax credit is a powerful tool that can generate real cash for startups — even those operating at a loss — by offsetting employer payroll taxes and recovering a portion of qualified R&D expenses.
Keynote Speakers:
Jerry Lovatt (Fractional CFO) — “Right-Size Your Finance Stack: From QBO to (Maybe) NetSuite”
Charlie Shureen (Tax Partner, Abbott Stringham & Lynch) — “Taxes as a Startup’s Secret Weapon”
Moderator:
Spencer Hamm - Senior Technical Recruiter, Woven by Toyota
Bonus Segment:
We will kick things off with live start-up pitches from a few early-stage companies building innovative solutions in the world of AI.
Early-stage tech start-ups are invited to pitch their solutions to a panel of industry experts. Gain exposure, investor connections, and a chance to be selected for the exclusive Draper University showcase on November 20, 2025.
Interested?? Submit your deck to: [email protected] with subject 'Pitch Spotlight, (Company Name)', by October 26 (midnight PST).
Organized by: