TESTIMONIALS OF TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEURS
“Navigating intellectual property law and other legal issues affecting technology startup companies is a daunting task for entrepreneurs. We were recommended by technology commercialization experts we knew to take part in a novel program led by Prof. Falati at Albany Law School, and we agreed. The Entrepreneurship Law in Emerging Technologies course at Albany Law School was really a unique experience and provided the opportunity for entrepreneurs like us to interact with knowledgeable law students, led by Professor Falati. I found the students were both knowledgeable and professional and that this program provided us the guidance and information we needed to move forward on our technology startup. We are grateful to Albany Law School for assisting us in this way.”
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
“At the beginning of a new business venture it is easy to feel overwhelmed with the wide variety of tasks that require your attention. With limited time and funding, it’s imperative that you move quickly and efficiently. Working with Professor Falati and his team of students from Albany Law School allowed me to focus on building my services, while receiving an education on the most important legal considerations for my new venture. Professor Falati and his Entrepreneurship Law in Emerging Technologies students were extremely professional, knowledgeable, and prepared throughout our interaction. The report they delivered covered the full spectrum of topics relevant to my business and has provided me with a path forward. I would highly recommend working with them to anyone looking to gain a better understanding of the legal considerations facing their new technology venture.”
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
“Intellectual Property is one of the pillars we have prioritized in developing and growing a brand. We were asked to participate in an innovative program through Albany Law School led by Professor Falati where we could interact with upper level law students to review and gain product specific information and guidance. The experience was invaluable and enjoyed by all. Thank you for allowing us to participate and we hope to be invited back in the near future.”
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
"I am very fortunate that Dr. Falati offered to help my start-up with my intellectual property concerns via the expertise of two Albany Law students. I was introduced to Dr. Falati at an innovation summit in early October 2019. Ten months prior to that, I had entered a twelve-week long innovation challenge at my college. My technology was awarded with the generous grand prize of $10,000 in start-up capital, plus the use of a local technology incubator over the summer. These resources led to better prototypes as well as great networking opportunities - such as the October innovation summit. The two law students that Dr. Falati assigned to work on my technology (Jalen and Joseph) gave me the valuable legal perspective that I had been missing when contemplating business decisions. The students’ work culminated with a final report that contained several sections of legal information pertaining to the commercialization of my technology and startup. The descriptions, advice, and recommendations were thoroughly explained and well written. Their information will undoubtedly assist with a number of business decisions in the coming year; it will be referenced often. I would like to thank Dr. Falati and the Albany Law School for offering this valuable experience."
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
"Embarking on the journey of starting a technology based business has its challenges, Professor Falati and his students at Albany Law School made navigating the legal considerations much easier. His program is an ideal scenario for entrepreneurs: approachable, free legal advice. My background is in luxury fashion, I have worked with several well known brands in NYC for nearly a decade. I moved to MA for family reasons and my idea related to fashion, but utilized technology in an unconventional way for the industry. I enjoyed meeting with Prof. Falati, Nick and Alexa to discuss the business. The students asked good questions and even did some homework before the meeting. The report I received at the end was informative and useful to refernce. Overall, the experience was professional and enjoyable. Thank you to Nick, Alexa and Prof. Falati at Albany Law School."
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
"The world of business is new to me, and frankly is quite daunting. Knowing which direction or approach to take to enable work from my research laboratory to be translated into a product is complex, and therefore I was delighted to be able gain from the experience of working alongside Professor Falati and two of his students, Hannah and Josh. My background is in the medical sciences, and recent work has led to the development of a new medical diagnostic test that could be used to stratify patients with various cardiovascular conditions. Hannah and Josh spent time with me exploring ideas and the potential models that could be employed to establish a company to take this forward. I posed some tricky questions around where I should consider doing this, in the UK (where I am based) or in the USA. I enjoyed this discussion greatly. There followed a period of intense research by Hannah and Josh and the preparation of a detailed and excellent report which included relevant aspects of intellectual property law, business entity formation options and commercialisation strategies. I was so impressed to see that this had been researched and discussed considering options and associated legal considerations in the UK and the USA. This report has been essential in formulating my ideas for next steps and is very useful reference point for me. Overall the experience for me was excellent. Many thanks to Professor Falati, Hannah and Josh for helping a budding entrepreneur get off the starting blocks!"
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
"When starting a company from scratch, one of the most challenging aspects entrepreneurs face is the legalities of the work they produce. Professor Falati and his upper-level law students granted us a unique opportunity where we were able to sit down and figure out the fine details of which direction makes the most sense for my company. Through their extensive research, I have received invaluable guidance that will most certainly aid in the overall success of my company. The students and Professor Falati were all very knowledgeable, helpful and easy to work with. Thank you, Albany Law School, Professor Falati and his students for the great help you have been."
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
"Technology Innovation is often spearheaded by scientists and students, not businessmen and lawyers. We enter the space of entrepreneurship and intellectual property law speaking a different language and can feel lost in the foreign space. The Entrepreneurship Law in Emerging Technologies course led by Professor Falati at Albany Law School gave us the opportunity to have a personalized translator and guide to help navigate the space in an effective and productive manner. The students were able to identify what our startup needed and deliver clear and constructive advice to help us achieve our goals. We cannot thank Professor Falati and his student’s Ms. Haddadnia and Mr. Hallock enough for this opportunity to grow and learn together."
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
“As founder and CEO of a technology start-up located in the Mohawk Valley and part of the ecosystem of the technology incubator in Utica, I was pleased to be connected to Professor Falati through my professional network. I enjoyed meeting with the third year law students and Prof. Falati when they visited us here at the incubator. The students asked many intuitive questions in a professional manner and covered many topics related to my business, and remarkably I was able to “pass the straight-face test” and provide a rationale in each case as we walked through the good the bad and the ugly legal events of the past couple of years. I enjoyed the experience and reading the report, and especially for one legal issue, the report was very enlightening in our efforts to commercialize our tooling technology.”
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
"I was awarded the 2018 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities and also separately obtained funding from the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps. for our technology. We were keen to move our technology/ideas to the next level. I took part in a very interesting and relevant program led by Prof. Falati at Albany Law School for the students taking their course on Entrepreneurship Law in Emerging Technologies. The team of their final year law students and Prof. Falati traveled a long way to the Technology Incubator where we are based in on the PA border for meetings. I found that the students asked very good and useful questions about our new technology and the plans to commercialize it. They prepared an excellent recommendation for me that included background review, analysis of legal and ownership issues and advice on how to proceed on the path to commercialization. Indeed, we are presently searching for a CEO and are in the process of assessing applications, and I've encouraged the two impressive final year Albany Law School students to apply. Thanks also to the Research Foundation of SUNY for connecting us to Prof. Falati and this program. I am glad to have been part of this."
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
"I had invented new technology, our team had been developing a functional website around it, and we wanted to establish the proper business entity and legal protection to share it. But the costs of legal help are inordinate for an early stage project like ours. The opportunity to work with Professor Falati and the students in this clinic was perfect for us at that moment. His upper level students took the time to understand our technology and business situation and distill their research into a clear, valuable document that will help to guide our future work. It's the kind of opportunity that would benefit any early-stage technology-based project."
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
"I am happy to share my thoughts on the work that your law clinic did with you (and with students Kate and Jamey) in the Fall. First of all it was a great experience to share my ideation with the students and educate them on the subject matter. They asked great questions and gave me a sense of satisfaction that my proposed business had societal impact and a reasonable underpinning for success. They performed the necessary analyses, rejoined me with further questions and prepared a final report. I suspected that their conclusions would have been similar to my own but it was great to get an objective voice, which in the end posited an alternate pathway, and an alternate clinical emphasis. I realize that they were not allowed to give legal advice and I did not take it as such. However the benefit of having “community members” evaluate my proposed plans was somewhat akin to customer discovery but with the added benefit of landscape insights. Thanks for the opportunity to participate in this experiential learning for the students. I will be happy to participate in the future as well."
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
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