Ask an Expert recap: Equity Essentials for Founders — September 29

Thank you to everyone who joined today's Ask an Expert session with Dan Gawronski and Keith Zittle, Partners at Michael Best LLP! The recording is embedded below, and the slide deck is attached.

Recap highlights:

Capital raising options — Dan walked through the range of instruments available to early-stage founders (grants, SAFEs, convertible debt, priced rounds, venture debt), and how the right choice depends on your company's timing and goals.

SAFE best practices — common mistakes founders make with pre-made SAFE templates, and why modeling dilution across multiple SAFEs before you raise is critical — including a cautionary example of a founder unexpectedly diluted to 15%.

Founder equity & vesting — Keith explained why a standard four-year vesting schedule with a one-year cliff is essential to protect your cap table if a co-founder leaves early.

Legal foundations for fundraising — choosing a Delaware C-Corp, proper IP assignment agreements, consistent employment contracts, typical share authorization counts, and how to handle founder capital contributions vs. loans.

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