Are you thinking about starting a business or taking your existing one to the next level? Mark your calendar for Start Smart: From Idea to LLC, happening on March 20 from 5–7 p.m. at The Co-Lab!

This event is designed to provide aspiring and current entrepreneurs with the essential resources, expert advice, and connections needed to build a successful business. You'll have the opportunity to:

✅ Connect with industry experts
✅ Get practical advice on business formation, branding, operations, and more
✅ Network with fellow entrepreneurs in the community

Confirmed panelists:
- Ellen Hockley Harrison is the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting, where she helps aspiring entrepreneurs turn their business ideas into reality. With over a decade of experience in both service and product-based industries, she specializes in strategic planning and actionable solutions for business launch and growth. Ellen is passionate about empowering female entrepreneurs, believing that when women build businesses, they drive meaningful change within their families, communities, and the world.
- Sarah McNamara is the founder and principal at Sarah McNamara Solutions LLC. Sarah McNamara is a strategic systems thinker and operational problem solver specializing in bringing clarity to chaos. Drawing on over 25 years of experience working across many sectors from big banks to small businesses to nonprofit organizations, she now focuses on bringing operational solutions to small businesses. Through research, analysis, synthesis, documentation, training and financial insights, Sarah allows business owners to move past problems and projects they have been unable to attend to due to lack of time, staff or simply not having the stomach and/or knowledge to address. Her solutions allow organizations to grow while gaining peace of mind.
- Melissa Hodge, Executive Director of South Orange Downtown.
- Samantha T. Alexander is a partner at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C. in the Corporate & Business Law, Commercial Real Estate, and Cannabis & Hemp Law practices. Her corporate practice ranges from advising entrepreneurs and emerging growth companies on a broad range of corporate and business matters, including startup formation and corporate governance, debt and equity financings, developing and implementing business initiatives, corporate reorganizations, succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, and wind-downs and dissolutions. Samantha also handles a wide array of commercial real estate matters including preparing joint venture agreements, providing borrower representation in commercial mortgage transactions and negotiating commercial leases.

✨ FREE for past Co-Lab pop-up businesses | $10 for all other attendees

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1261287377499?aff=oddtdtcreator