Founder Agreement Fundamentals for University Start-ups

Program agenda:

• A look at the various documents and agreements including:
  • Vesting agreements
  • Confidentiality
  • Non-Compete
  • Non-Solicitation
• Equity and stock restrictions
• Understanding and valuing the level of commitment of each party at the outset
• IP ownership issues
• Identifying risks and baggage and how they affect the agreements, negotiations, and relationships between parties
• Procedure for handling departures, whether voluntary or involuntary
• How the Tech Transfer Office can best support new founders to ensure successful partnerships and start ups
• Do-it-Yourself no-no’s

Starting a new venture is no doubt an exciting time, but inexperienced faculty and student founders may be paying little attention to the more mundane but critically important task of crafting and negotiating their founding documents.

Founder agreements are more than just legal documents — they represent a roadmap for the start up’s future. These important documents define the roles, responsibilities, and rights of each founder, helping to prevent misunderstandings and conflicts down the road. When well-crafted and comprehensive, these agreements set the new launch on a clear course for success, but a lack of attention to key provisions can have disastrous consequences down the road.

TTOs can play a key role in getting their start-ups off on the right foot by ensuring founder agreements are not only effectively drafted, but also are well-understood and aligned with the founders’ vision for the new venture.

That’s why we’ve developed this practical program, led by four experienced entrepreneurs and legal experts who will give new founders – as well as TTO staff — a solid foundational knowledge of what to expect when entering into the various founder agreements. We’ll also outline best practices that TTOs can lean on to help support the founders and prepare them for the stressful early days as entrepreneurs.

Program Leaders