innovate4inclusion Legal Service Awards

What is it?

 

The purpose of the innovate4inclusion Legal Services Awards is to promote racial equity, justice and inclusion by providing awards of in-kind legal services without charge to technology startups who are developing products that promote racial equity, justice or inclusion.

The awards will total a maximum of $25,000 in corporate transactional legal services, and will be divided among up to four recipients, with awards ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 depending on the legal services needs of the recipients.

In addition, the awards will include the filing of a US trademark or provisional patent application.

Application Window

Applications will be accepted from July 1, 2022 through July 31, 2022.  

Eligibility Criteria

 

  • The founders must be U.S. based and be at least 18 years old

  • The company/founders are primarily engaged in developing a technology-enabled solution that  promotes racial equity, justice or inclusion

  • The company/founders have not raised more than $1,000,000 to date

  • It is not a requirement that the business already be incorporated

Application Process

Applications for the award should be submitted to innovate4inclusion@novusgc.com and should include the items listed to the right.

An attorney-client relationship will not be formed by submission of materials and we request that you not provide any information in the submission that you consider proprietary. We will use the submission solely for evaluating applications for awards and may use third parties to assist with that evaluation.

 

  • Company name (if already incorporated)

  • Name and email address of company contact

  • Description of product being developed and how it promotes racial equity, justice or inclusion

  • Stage of development of the product

  • Brief bios of management team

  • Product or investor pitch deck, if available

  • Legal services sought (see list below of services provided)

  • Confirmation that you meet the Eligibility Criteria

Legal Service Awards

Out-of-pocket expenses, such as filing fees, registered agent fees and corporate services fees, are the responsibility of the client.

 Each award recipient must enter into an engagement letter, and the provision of services is subject to there not being any conflicts of interest. The award must be used within 12 months.

 

The award covers the following legal services:
·        Choice of entity and C corporation formation
·        Founder arrangements
·        Employee and consultant contracts
·   US trademark or provisional patent application filing 
· Employee stock plans
·        Convertible note and SAFE financings
·        Preferred Stock financings
·        Board and stockholder governance matters
·        Customer and vendor agreements
·        Technology development agreements and licenses
·        Patent transactions
·        Other routine commercial contracts
·        General Counsel guidance on other legal matters

Award Providers

The corporate transactional service awards will be provided by NovusGC.

The trademark and provisional patent application awards will be provided by SoCal IP Law Group.