Sophie Alcorn Podcast

Imagine navigating a foreign terrain as you venture to launch your startup. Daniel Zawarczynski, Austrian Trade Commissioner for San Francisco and co-director of Open Austria takes us on a journey through the intricate landscape of the US tech ecosystem and his role in aiding Austrian startups to successfully penetrate it. He provides invaluable insights into the shifting focus of Austrian startups influenced by economic and geopolitical shifts, and the importance of comprehending the unique dynamics of the US market.

We then traverse the transatlantic differences between the US and European markets, discussing the challenges, and potential gains Austrian startups could face in their expansion endeavors. Daniel enlightens us on the changing VC market, the escalating AI ecosystems in San Francisco, and how old-school, in-person marketing can be a game-changer for startups.

Being 'born global' has been a buzzword in the startup sphere but what does it truly mean? We discuss this concept and the aims of the Open Austria Startup Landing Zone program, offering an unfiltered look into the cultural contrasts between Austrian and US entrepreneurship. We also underscore the significance of confidence, market analysis, and the power of a compelling narrative for founders. Rounding up our enlightening conversation, we delve into the cruciality of a reliable network and nurturing trusted partnerships. Daniel shares his wisdom on how startups can build these crucial connections and leverage them for success. Tune in to equip yourself with these key insights.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Austria's role in transatlantic trade
• Austrian startups and European market focus
• European startups' importance to US visas
• Exploring alternative funding and support options
• Building confidence in pitching
• The future of global citizenship

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Supporting Resources:

Open Austria https://www.open-austria.com/

Open Austria's Startup Landing Zone https://www.austria.org/news/austrian-start-up-landing-zone-in-san-francisco

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:
  • Episode 16: E-2 Visa for Founders and Employees
  • Episode 19: Australian Visas Including E-3
  • Episode 20: TN Visas and Status for Canadian and Mexican Citizens
• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

What happens when two brilliant minds from the finance and tech sectors come together to revolutionize the way we connect talent and companies? In today's episode, we sit down with Hubert Dagbo and Jide Osan, the co-founders of Equipt, to discuss their inspiring journey and vision behind their innovative startup.

Learn how Hubert and Jide's long-lasting friendship, and their individual professional backgrounds, have shaped Equipt's mission to foster collaboration and enable humanity to reach its full potential. Their unique perspectives, from their families' immigration stories to their experiences in the global market, have informed their determination to create meaningful connections in the professional world. Don't miss their valuable advice for aspiring founders on learning from failures and seeking mentorship.

• Forming real connections, not just growing your connection list on LinkedIn
• Bridging the gap between what you learned in school and the real world
• How Equipt's platform works
• Big learnings from the layoffs
• Their immigration stories
• Taking the extra step to stand out
• How to benefit from accelerator programs

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Supporting Resources:

Equipt

https://www.joinequipt.com/ 

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 16: E-2 Visa for Founders and Employees

• Episode 19: Australian Visas Including E-3

• Episode 146: Access to Innovation: Founders and the Blockchain with Samuel Ekpe

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

What if your investments could change the world for the better? Join us as we explore the power of impact investing in tech with attorney and entrepreneur lawyer Chintan Panchal. Listen in as Chintan shares his journey from working at a prestigious international law firm to founding his own practice, RPCK, in New York. Discover how his experience working on a pro bono case representing detainees in Guantanamo Bay inspired him to find more meaningful and fulfilling work in the realm of corporate and finance transactions.

We dive deep into the importance of impact investing and how it enables individuals to make a difference, regardless of their geographic location or citizenship. Learn about the concept of abundance and how it can be applied to deal-making and business relationships. If you're an aspiring entrepreneur or startup founder, you don't want to miss this episode.

Get ready to be inspired as we discuss the powerful impact of entrepreneurship and impact investing in our world. Find out how technology can amplify and accelerate solutions to global problems, and learn about the various funding opportunities available to US for-profit technology startups. We emphasize the importance of entrepreneurs in driving real change and the need for a partnership between them and those who have the resources to support their endeavors. Tune in and discover how you, too, can make a difference through your investments and entrepreneurial pursuits.

• Tech impact investing for immigration law
• Purpose-driven law firm and impact investing
• Abundance philosophy in impact investing
• Abundance and deal-making philosophy
• Entrepreneurship and impact investing

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Supporting Resources:

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 124: International Students & Professionals Succeed with Robert Adams

• Episode 122: U.S. Immigration Policy with Stuart Anderson

• Episode 135: The Future of Work with Dr. Sankar Venkatraman

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I’m joined by David Hardwick to talk about the state of the economy and jobs – and everything going on for startups in terms of hiring and recruiting. There have been so many changes in this area over the last six months that’s why I’m excited to have this conversation. 

David is the principal recruiter for early-stage startups, and founder of Hardwick Technical Recruiting, which helps software engineers, data scientists, and people for product roles at early-stage and rapidly growing companies. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• What leads to hiring and scaling engineers
• How to build a strong startup team
• Be practices for remote and hybrid teams to onboard and retain new talent when recruiting
• How technology will impact recruiting

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Supporting Resources:

Connect with Dave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-hardwick-4596a0/ 

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:
• Episode 93: Recruiting with Beth Scheer
• Episode 118: Should I sponsor engineers I’m recruiting for green cards?
• Episode 127: Tech Recruiting with William Tincup
• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

On this episode of the Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I am joined by Nadia Zaidi to discuss EB-2 second preference employment-based immigrant visa I-140 petition. The petition allows individuals whose work is in the national interest to skip the PERM process and obtain an EB-2NIW green card. 

This type of green card is unique because it does not require the applicant to be extraordinary, making it a great option for individuals born in India or China. This pathway has opened more doors and has become much more accessible. Tune in to learn more about this exciting opportunity. 

• What is the EB-2NIW? 
• Navigating the green card process
• Proving extraordinary ability
• The three prongs of EB-2
• Tips for imagining the impact of your work in the future

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Supporting Resources:

Legal Launch

https://www.alcorn.law/legal-launch/

Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp

https://witty-author-184.ck.page/6aa580311b 

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 16: E-2 Visa for Founders and Employees

• Episode 38: Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp Course

• Episode 142: Successfully Financing Your Startup in the U.S with Matteo Daste

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I’m joined by Samuel Ekpe, the CEO and co-founder of Grupa.io, with a mission to democratize access to innovation. Grupa strives to get startups to work with the best talents and the best products built on Grupa – making it an entire ecosystem rather than a marketplace. At Grupa, you can hire expert developers and pay them with equity. By creating this level playing field for entrepreneurs of all backgrounds, Grupa hopes to empower people to create new solutions that are innovative and beneficial for society as a whole. 

Today, Samuel shares his experience as an international startup founder and immigrant presently living and working in California. Getting your visa and green card is like this whole chicken and egg thing with money and company, funding and investors, and proving your legitimacy to the U.S. government. It’s a long road, but if you really want to do it, then you’ve got to start now. 

• The Silicon Valley in the cloud
• Setting up the foundation for his company
• The challenge of getting a visa when you’re from Lagos
• Finding his co-founder
• The importance of looking at technology shifts and changes
• The ultimate vision for Grupa

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Supporting Resources:

Grupa.io

Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups by Jason Calcanis 

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:
  • Episode 16: E-2 Visa for Founders and Employees
  • Episode 89: Advocating for International Startup Founders with Jeff Farrah of National Venture Capital Association
  • Episode 113: How startup founders are moving to the US
• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I’m joined by Asra Nadeem, the co-founder of Opus AI, a streaming platform powered by proprietary technology that turns text into movies in real time. She is also the CEO of Entrepreneurship Programs at Draper University where she has invested in over 30 early-stage companies. She is the first woman venture capitalist from Pakistan.

Asra believes that talent is evenly distributed across the world and that there are brilliant and enthusiastic individuals worldwide who want to make a difference in the world. However, access to capital is a major hurdle for these individuals, which is abundant in the U.S. As a result, Asra is motivated to find ways to bridge this gap and support these eager, brilliant individuals in realizing their visions and empowering more entrepreneurs and innovators from diverse backgrounds to create impactful solutions and drive positive change at a global scale.

• What education and capital get you in an emerging market
• Understanding the venture capital model
• Using technology to create things
• The glamorization of venture capital and raising money
• Fundraising as a sales process

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Supporting Resources:

https://www.asranadeem.com/ 

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 89: Advocating for International Startup Founders with Jeff Farrah of National Venture Capital Association

• Episode 140: Immigration Capital and Climate Change with Kieran White

• Episode 142: Successfully Financing Your Startup in the U.S with Matteo Daste

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I’m joined by Rolando Villalobos, former Director for the Bechtel International Center of Student Affairs at Stanford University where he helped international students for over 32 years. He has reviewed and directed all of the services to almost 6,000 international students and their family members.

Listen in as we discuss how you can navigate immigration as an international student. At the end of the day, you are responsible for your legal status as an international student. And so, you have to take due diligence in doing all the research you need as you go through this process. You've got to have a good foundation when you step foot in the United States and be sure to maintain legal status.

• Questions to ask your DSO
• Things you need to consider as an international student
• The 24-month STEM extension
• How to qualify for STEM OPT
• Other rules and considerations when applying for STEM OPT
• Thoughts on experiential learning

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 26: F-1 Students and Work

• Episode 123:Entrepreneurship and Crypto with Kevin Chou

• Episode 124: International Students & Professionals Succeed with Robert Adams

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I’m joined by Sedale Turbovsky, the CEO of OpenGrants, a company that makes grants and public funding more equitable, accessible, and transparent, especially for businesses and early-stage startups. 

If you’re an international founder, whether in the U.S. or outside, and looking for startup funding in the U.S., there are various options available, even coming from for-profit entities. Now, this can all tie into becoming more qualified for an O-1 visa, an EB-1 visa, a green card for extraordinary ability, or an EB-2 National Interest Waiver green card.

Grant funding, also known as free money, usually doesn’t require a repayment, nor is the ownership of your company going to be reduced. That being said, there are certain conditions you need to be aware of before going down this route. While grant funding is abundant, in terms of utility, it is not easy to use for a lot of different reasons. 

For the purpose of this discussion, this episode focuses on the U.S. landscape since the grant funding ecosystem in the United States functions differently than the grant funding ecosystem in other places and around the world. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why OpenGrants was created
• What is a grant: scope, timeline, how to be grant-ready
• Venture capital vs. grant funding
• The main buckets of impact for grant funding
• Avenues for grant funding

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Supporting Resources:

OpenGrants.io

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 15: Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp

• Episode 38: Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp Course

• Episode 113: How startup founders are moving to the US

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

Post-pandemic, we’re now seeing a large influx of entrepreneurs and startup founders coming over to the U.S. But what does it take to raise money in the U.S.? Maybe you’re thinking of getting venture capital in the U.S., or perhaps creating a company in your home country and expanding it in the U.S. 

In this episode, Matteo Daste joins us today to talk about the current landscape in the startup ecosystem both in the U.S. and in Europe. Matteo is the partner and the head of the Northern California ECVC (Emerging Companies and Venture Capital) practice at Mayer Brown. With over 15 years of experience as a corporate finance attorney, Matteo holds expertise in technology startups. He has gone through the whole immigrant thing himself, and he helps advise international startup founders on all things corporate startup law, from formation to exit transactions, Delaware flips, and more. 

Matteo also shares his own immigration story and background moving from Italy to Silicon Valley, and the work he does today to help international founders and investors.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• His personal immigration experience and his legal career background

• How innovation is born out of a recession

• Changes in the startup landscape

• Incorporating and owning equity in a company in the U.S.

• European vs. the U.S. startup ecosystems  

• Terms for creating your next startup

• The landscape for raising capital over the next six months

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Supporting Resources:

https://lombardstreet.vc/

https://www.dayoneventures.com/ 

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 16: E-2 Visa for Founders and Employees

• Episode 089: Advocating for International Startup Founders with Jeff Farrah of National Venture Capital Association

• Episode 113: How startup founders are moving to the US

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.