Kick-off Event to be Held on April 5, 2016

LICA Collaborates with New York Institute of Technology on the Series

Save the Date: Consumer Products, Manufacturing and Distribution Capital Forum on May 6, 2016

Melville, NY – March 17, 2016 – The Long Island Capital Alliance (“LICA”), Long Island’s leading non-profit capital formation and business development organization, today announced the launch of its Entrepreneur Educational & Mentoring Series, which is intended to provide professional guidance, mentoring and assistance to the next generation of business leaders and employers on Long Island. LICA is presenting the series in collaboration with New York Institute of Technology (“NYIT”).

LICA and NYIT will launch this series with an event entitled Growing Your Business from the Ground Up on Tuesday, April 5, 2016 from 5:00-8:00 pm at the historic NYIT de Seversky Mansion, on NYIT’s Old Westbury campus. Over 100 attendees are expected and will include local entrepreneurs, professionals, incubator residents, NYIT faculty and select students. In addition to presentations provided by guest speakers, event participants will enjoy an open bar and buffet dinner. Subsequent events in the series are expected to provide detailed examinations of the topics discussed at the kick-off event.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with NYIT, a leading local academic institution, which shares our vision for promoting regional economic development, as we launch our Entrepreneur Educational & Mentoring Series,” said Neil M. Kaufman, Chairman of LICA. “The program was designed to track the way an entrepreneur should leverage best practices to build a company from the ground up -- selecting and forming an entity; establishing a business infrastructure such as human resources and accounting systems; financial projections; equity-based compensation; intellectual property protection; obtaining various alternative types of financing; and sales, marketing and communications strategies. We have pulled together a highly experienced panel of speakers who will share with local entrepreneurs their vast knowledge of the most critical areas to business growth.”

“This collaboration is a natural extension of our mission to foster innovation and expand industry-academic partnerships by leveraging NYIT’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Technology Center (ETIC),” said Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D., dean of the university’s School of Engineering and Computing Sciences. “The ETIC aims to spur economic growth and ensure greater competitiveness for Long Island by encouraging small businesses to work with our bright students and expert faculty in areas of great opportunity, including cybersecurity, bioengineering, and clean technologies, among others.”

The Growing Your Business From the Ground Up panel discussion will be moderated by Neil M. Kaufman, LICA’s chairman. Topics and speakers include:

• Forming an Entity, with Neil Kaufman of Abrams Fensterman
• Considerations in Start-up HR, with Dawn Davidson Drantch of Alcott HR
• Stock Based Compensation, with Eric Altstadter of EisnerAmper
• Accounting Systems & Projections, with Corey Massella of Katz, Sapper & Miller
• Intellectual Property Protection, with George Likourezos of Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt, LLP
• Business Planning, with Jeff Bass of Executive Strategies Group, LLC
• Financing Alternatives, with Mark Elenowitz of TriPoint Global Equities/Banq
• Corporate Communications & Marketing with serial entrepreneur Michael Lane

The Entrepreneur Educational & Mentoring Series Kick-off event sponsors include Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt, LLP, Alcott HR, EisnerAmper LLP, Astoria Bank and R & D Tax Savers. To participate as a sponsor, presenter or attendee at any of the Entrepreneur Educational & Mentoring Series events, please contact LICA today or register online.

Subsequent Entrepreneur Educational Series events will be held at the offices of Launchpad Huntington, in Huntington, New York. Launchpad Huntington, which provides a co-working environment for start-ups and entrepreneurs, also is participating in the Entrepreneur Educational & Mentoring Series.

About Long Island Capital Alliance

Since 1984, the Long Island Capital Alliance (www.licapital.org), formerly known as Long Island Venture Group, has been promoting business growth on Long Island. LICA seeks to create a productive and business-friendly environment that will afford area businesses access to the resources necessary to compete successfully in today's markets. LICA serves as a focal point for the exchange of ideas among new and existing business enterprises, successful entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers. Through quarterly capital forums and special meetings, LICA brings together members of the region's business community, and has been recognized as the place to turn to when small businesses need equity, debt, or other financing, or for investors to find an attractive investment opportunity.

LICA's mission is to encourage economic development on Long Island by facilitating capital formation for a broad range of companies in various industries, from early stage to mature, middle market, closely held and publicly-traded businesses. LICA accomplishes this primarily through education, networking, quarterly capital forums, periodic special educational meetings, and alliances with other regional organizations. LICA brings together members of the region's business community and serves as the finance arm for significant local business and organizations.

About New York Institute of Technology

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 12,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses.

Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, nearly 100,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

Next LICA Capital Forum

LICA is hosting a Consumer Products, Manufacturing and Distribution Capital Forum on Friday, May 6, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at 68 South Service Road, Melville, NY, 11747. The capital forum will provide an opportunity to meet capital providers, entrepreneurs, industry executives and businesses seeking capital, as well as to hear a panel of industry experts discuss financing alternatives for emerging companies.