Startup Equity Foundations

This practical workshop is designed for startup founders who want to understand how raising venture capital impacts their current and future equity positions. You’ll learn how early founder decisions can be pivotal in setting the stage for future investment and how to best leverage your startup’s equity to incentivize various stakeholders. This includes explaining legal entity options, demonstrating ownership changes over time, and understanding how venture capital fits with other funding instruments.

Join Tommy Skinner, Director of Venture Investments, and Calvin VanderWal, Venture Associate, for a working session designed to build confidence in all things related to startup equity.

In this workshop, we'll cover:

• How early startup decisions impact future equity and capital opportunities
• Structuring equity among founders, team members, and investors
• Understanding how fundraising impacts ownership and dilution
• What cap tables are and how to manage them

Bring your equity questions with you!

While this session is designed with startup founders in mind, those who support early-stage entrepreneurs—such as mentors, advisors, and entrepreneurial support organizations—are also encouraged to attend.

PRESENTERS:

Tommy Skinner is Director of Venture Investments at the MSU Research Foundation, bringing a founder-first perspective shaped by his experience building and advising startups from Pre-Seed through Series B. He began his career as a CPA at Plante Moran before launching a logistics startup and later cofounding an e-commerce integrations platform, where he led finance, operations, and strategy.

Calvin VanderWal is a Venture Associate at the MSU Research Foundation, where he supports early-stage, high-tech startups through investment sourcing, due diligence, and management of the Michigan Rise Purchase Order Financing Program. A CPA, he brings a practical, accounting-based approach to startup finance and holds both a B.S. and MBA from Central Michigan University.

ORGANIZER:

The MSU Research Foundation supports the Michigan State University ecosystem with resources that increase the impact of research and innovation. The Foundation achieves its mission through grant programs that contribute over $15 million annually to the University, entrepreneurial programming and early-stage investments that accelerate technology transfer and startup growth throughout Michigan, and environments where startup businesses and collaborators can thrive. The Foundation's work is made possible through its stewardship of a flexible and sustainable endowment, nourished by over 50 years of licensing revenues and investment returns. Learn more about the MSU Research Foundation and its impact at msufoundation.org.