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 own experiences – they are here to help. *(Please note:  Experts-in-Residence Sessions have temporarily been suspended and will be reactivated soon.)

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.*

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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