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Saturday, May 9, 2020
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Guest:
 Elizabeth Johnston, Associate
Verrill
Liz applies her passion for problem-solving and her strong background in legal research to assist clients in navigating the ever-changing employment law landscape.
A regular contributor to Verrill’s Taking Care of HR Business blog, Liz handles a variety of employment matters including working with businesses of all sizes to ensure that their policies are in compliance with the latest legal updates and are working effectively for the organization in practice. Liz also advocates for clients facing claims before state and federal courts, the Maine Human Rights Commission, and the Maine Workers’ Compensation Board.
During law school, Liz served as a Bernstein Fellow at the Maine District Court and a judicial extern to the Honorable Kermit Lipez of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. After law school, Liz clerked for the Honorable Andrew M. Mead of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, where she gained invaluable insight into the litigation process from a judicial perspective.
Liz lives in South Portland with her husband. When she’s not at the office, Liz enjoys experimenting with new recipes, running, and exploring Maine’s hiking trails and beaches.
Education
- University of Maine School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude)
- Technical Editor, Maine Law Review
- Teaching Assistant, Legal Writing Department
- Faculty Significant Achievement Award
- Pro Bono Publico Award
- University of Maine (B.A., summa cum laude)
Public Service
- Board of the Maine State Bar Association New Lawyers’ Section, Officer
Memberships
- Maine Trial Lawyers Association
- Maine State Bar Association
- American Bar Association
Clerkships
- Maine Supreme Judicial Court
Court and Other Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maine
Saturday, May 2, 2020
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Our Guest:
Todd Cherches
CEO and Co-founder
BigBlue\Gumball
Author
Visual Leadership
Email
LinkedIn
Todd Cherches is the CEO and Co-founder of BigBlueGumball, a New York City-based consulting firm specializing in leadership development, management training, and executive coaching. He is also a three-time award-winning Adjunct Professor of leadership in the Human Capital Management master’s degree program at the NYU School of Professional Studies/Division of Programs in Business, as well as a Lecturer on leadership at Columbia University. Todd is also a TEDx speaker (“The Power of Visual Thinking”), and the author of VisuaLeadership: Leveraging the Power of Visual Thinking in Leadership and in Life (Post Hill Press/Simon & Schuster, 2020).
With a background in the media and entertainment industries, including tv program development for Disney and CBS, and global project management roles in themed entertainment, what makes Todd’s patented VisuaLeadership® approach unique is his use of visual thinking-based techniques – including visual imagery and drawing, mental models and frameworks, metaphor and analogy, and visual storytelling and humor – to help business professionals become more innovative and effective thinkers, communicators, managers, coaches, and leaders.
Todd holds a Master of Arts degree in organizational and interpersonal communication from the State University of New York at Albany’s School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, as well as an undergraduate degree in English Literature with a concentration in Shakespeare and poetry. And he has been a member of the NYC chapters of the following industry trade organizations: International Coach Federation (ICF); Organizational Development Network (ODN); Association for Talent Development (ATD); and the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).
Saturday, April 25, 2020 @10am
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Our Guest:
 Chris Cynkar
Franchise Consultant
FranChoice
412-877-2000
ccynkar@franchoise.com
Chris Cynkar knows the challenges of finding the perfect business opportunity. For the past 15 years, Chris has walked in the shoes of a business owner. With business ownership experience in multiple industries, Chris possesses the skills necessary to help candidates find the perfect franchise opportunity to achieve their specific goals. After beginning his career with a Big 6 accounting firm and earning his CPA license, Chris spent 3 years working in financial management with 2 rapidly growing companies in the healthcare and manufacturing industries. In 1999, Chris made a career shift from employee to owner. Since he chose business ownership, Chris has owned and operated businesses in a variety of industries including commercial printing, medical equipment, professional services, real estate and healthcare staffing services. In all of these businesses, Chris served as both the lead investor and, more importantly, the leading executive of the company.
Since 2006, Chris has been an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University. He has worked with hundreds of students to evaluate, plan and start businesses in countless industry segments. In 2011, Chris joined a leading retail franchise as a master franchisee.
Chris has joined FranChoice in order to help candidates benefit from his deep and diverse business ownership experience. Because of the variety of industries in which Chris has direct experience, he is able to assist candidates in evaluating multiple business opportunities with an experienced guide on their side. Chris’ goal is to help every candidate find the franchise opportunity that will help them reach all of their personal and professional goals.
Saturday, April 18, 2020
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Guest:
 Kelly Donahue, Partner
Verrill
Kelly assists small and large businesses in establishing and protecting their brands in the U.S. and in other countries. She advises clients on trademark portfolio management, prosecution, clearance, and enforcement.
Kelly has extensive experience in reviewing trademark availability searches; advising clients on the feasibility of adopting new trademarks; drafting cease and desist letters, coexistence agreements, and settlement agreements; handling cases before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board; negotiating software license agreements and software-as-a-service (SaaS) agreements; and preparing click-through agreements, privacy policies, and terms of use. As a member of Verrill’s Food & Beverage Group, Kelly also regularly assists craft food and beverage businesses by providing sensible branding, labeling, and marketing advice, while being mindful of budget and overall business goals.
Prior to joining Verrill, Kelly worked for several years in the Boston office of Locke Lord, where she established a solid foundation in trademark law. Kelly also worked in the legal department at Under Armour, where she gained a practical, in-house perspective on the trademark and intellectual property issues that are most important to brand owners, marketing professionals, and corporate counsel.
Kelly has traveled to China to attend classes analyzing current Chinese, European, and U.S. intellectual property issues at the Tsinghua University School of Law.
A native of Winterport, Kelly now lives in Saco, where she enjoys spending time at the beach and exploring new restaurants. During the summer months, she can often be found at her family’s cabin on Lake Moxie in The Forks.
Education
- University of New Hampshire School of Law (J.D.)
- Senior Editor, University of New Hampshire Law Review
- Bryant University (B.A.)
Memberships
- Member, International Trademark Association (INTA)
- Member, INTA Internet Committee and Legal Resources and Communications Subcommittee
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