6:00 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.  Networking
6:45 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.  Fireside Chat

Runway
1355 Market Street, #448
San Francisco, CA 94103

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Produced by Runway Incubator and Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Teamwork is critical to any success.

We’ll explore this concept in an intimate discussion with a seasoned technology industry team leader who will share his perspective on the triumphs and pitfalls of building, motivating and leading a start-up team. This fireside chat will cover team characteristics and dynamics, incentives, equity and otherwise, and creating the passion for excellence in product development.

The interactive discussion will be led by Sheppard Mullin emerging growth partner Stephanie Zeppa with Mikael Silvanto, an industrial designer with one of the world’s most innovative companies and a former owner of Helsinki-based Aivan! Design Studio. Our speaker has founded startups, scaled successful technology business, designed and launched cutting-edge technology, and actively invested and advised in a variety of tech businesses.

We hope you can join us for a broad discussion on building teams and products, leading vs. managing people, loving life, and doing the right thing.

Speakers:
 

Mikael Silvanto
Mikael Silvanto is an entrepreneur, an investor and an industrial designer, originally from Helsinki Finland.

During the day he works with the best designers and engineers in the world creating groundbreaking new products and experiences, then spends available free time between the most exciting hardware start-ups, as an advisor and investor. These include Reaction Housing system in Austin TX and Open ROV in Berkeley.

Mikael graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2008 and then founded a design studio called Aivan (http://www.aivan.fi) in Helsinki that designed the Finnish President’s Office’s new Yacht, the Unmonday company and speaker (http://unmonday.com) and won the 2010 Young Designer of the Year Award in Finland.

Stephanie Zeppa
Stephanie Zeppa is a Partner in Sheppard Mullin’s Corporate & Securities Group in the firm's Palo Alto and San Francisco offices. Her corporate expertise covers businesses in a variety of industries including social media and video games, software and information technology, FinTech and digital health.

Stephanie has extensive experience representing both private and public companies in a wide range of transactions including mergers and acquisitions, investments, strategic transactions as well as corporate governance matters. She also represents emerging growth companies, founders, institutional and strategic investors in connection with formation, financing and exits of emerging growth and technology companies.

She received her B.A. from Pepperdine University, cum laude, in 1994 and her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1999, magna cum laude.

Questions? Contact Michelle O'Driscoll at modriscoll@sheppardmullin.com or 415.774.3180.