The Ain Center offers a variety of services to help the UR community of entrepreneurs build their ventures.

We recognize that everyone is at a different stage, so we provide support for all levels of the entrepreneurial journey. Ain Center advisors can provide networking assistance for a variety of fields and can help deepen connections, both within the Rochester community and beyond.

Our Experts-in-Residence serve as subject-matter advisors and hold office hours each month (you can schedule a consultation with Ain Center staff to go over this process using the buttons below). EIRs hold 30-minute sessions monthly that are free of charge and available to anyone: students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. Bring questions or ask them about their experiences – they are here to help.

Mentors are assigned by the Ain Center and work closely with students to provide individualized guidance. Mentors meet with their students once a month to set goals, create action plans, and answer questions as needed.

*All advising programs will be offered virtually until further notice.*

Questions?

Contact Ain Center staff via AinCFE@rochester.edu.
Book EIR Consultation

Experts-in-Residence

Gain subject-matter expertise through an entrepreneurial lens.

1:1 Mentors

Get guidance from and work closely with an experienced entrepreneur.

Meet our Advisors

Michael Lightman

Mike Lightman ’14S

Venture Partner, Republic

Specialties: Fundraising; Market Analysis; Operations; Program Management; Slide Deck Creation; Strategy; Team Development

Location: Buffalo, NY

Felipe Vasconcelos

Felipe Vasconcelos ’16S

Founder & CEO, Koda Brands

Specialties: Brand Building; eCommerce; International Supply Chain; Product Management; Social Media Strategy & Digital Marketing

Location: New York, NY

Gemma Sole ’09

Dir. Product Marketing & Management, Tradeswell

Specialties: Product Management; Product Marketing, Brand Building; eCommerce; Retail, Digital Marketing Venture, Pitching

Location: Boston, MA

Bob Arnold

Robert Arnold

President & Principal, RHA Results LLC

Specialties: Engineering; Finance; International Business; Manufacturing; New Product Strategy & Development

Location: Rochester, NY

Jordan Brooks

Jordan Brooks ’16

Technical Program Manager, Lyft

Specialties: Hardware Product Development; Manufacturing & Supply Chain; Accelerators, Incubators, Crowdfunding, etc.; Pitching

Location: San Francisco, CA

Elliot Garbus

Elliot Garbus ’85

Advisor & Consultant, Elliot Garbus Ventures

Specialties: Business Development; New Product Development; Patent Application; Software Design & Implementation

Location: Paradise Valley, AZ

Jono Rosen

Jono Rosen ’94

Partner, Applied Invention, LLC

Specialties: Business Development; Corporate Strategy; Venture Capital

Location: Boston, MA

Frank Novak

Partner, Harter Secrest & Emery LLP

Specialties: Employment-Based Immigration Law; Family-Based Immigration Law

Location: Rochester, NY

Glenn Schieck

Glenn Schieck

Senior Associate, Harter Secrest & Emery LLP

Specialties: Employment-Based Immigration Law; Family-Based Immigration Law

Location: Rochester, NY

Bill Saltzstein ’81, EE

President and Founder, Code Blue Communications

Specialties: Medical Device Engineering/Development; Wireless Technology; Medical IoT; FDA Regulatory

Location: Ashland, OR

Louis D. Lieto, J.D., Ph.D.

Partner, Patent & Innovation Strategies Group, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C.

Specialties:  Patent Prosecution; Licensing; Strategic Patent Counseling; Mergers & Acquisitions; Capital Markets; Global Generics; IP Due Diligence

Location: Boston, MA

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