The USC Stevens Institute is developing a catalogue of programs designed to harness and advance the creative and forward thinking of USC's innovators. Below is a list of programs that offer mentoring and support to entreprenuers and their startups.

Mentoring and Startup Support Programs

USC Law School Small Business Clinic
The USC Law School Small Business Clinic (SBC) provides basic corporate legal assistance to small businesses, entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations that cannot afford to pay market rates for legal services. The purpose of the SBC is to give students hands-on experience handling transactional legal problems while providing assistance to small business owners in the greater Los Angeles area. The SBC provides an opportunity for these businesses to get legal guidance on what type of entity to form and assistance in forming a corporation or an LLC, to implement legal protections and to obtain guidance in complying with a variety of legal requirements, without the high costs of business legal services. For more information, click here.

Every semester, the USC Stevens Institute helps to identify candidates for this clinic and selects eight students to become clients. If you would like to be considered for this program, please download the fill-in PDF application here and e-mail it to Polai Av at pav@usc.edu with subject: USC SBC.

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USC Stevens Institute Office Hours
Offered twice a week, our office hours are geared to aid in the day-to-day general mentoring support for students, staff and faculty. For hours, and to schedule an appointment contact Polai Av.

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USC Stevens Institute Legal Office Hours Program
Innovators often forget one of the key elements necessary to advance an idea: making sure the legal issues are sorted out up front. Legal advice enables innovators to use the legal system to manage risk and maximize the value of their ventures, and thus prevent legal issues from becoming big legal problems later on. The USC Stevens Institute Legal Office Hours Program provides strategic legal guidance on a complementary basis to USC innovators and start-up companies. USC innovators participating in the program have access to corporate and intellectual property attorneys that provide invaluable assistance by acting as sounding boards for both business and legal issues. For more information, click here.

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Meet Tech Coast Angels – Screening Sessions
The Tech Coast Angels are the largest angel network in the U.S. and the number one source of startup funding in Southern California. The Tech Coast Angels (TCA) regularly bring screening sessions to USC hosted by the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. TCA members have invested more than $86 million in more than 136 companies and have helped attract more than $856 million in additional capital, mostly from venture capital firms. A limited number of USC innovators and students are allowed to attend the screening sessions and observe the way in which the Angel investors interact with entrepreneurs looking for funding. For more information, contact Dr. Kathleen Allen.

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The Innovator Mentoring Program
Geared to support innovation and entrepreneurial activity throughout the USC community, the Innovator Mentoring Program matches the most promising innovators and prospective entrepreneurs with volunteer mentors.

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Entrepreneur Mentorship Program
The Entrepreneur Mentor Program (EPM) was created by the Lloyd Grief Center for Entrepreneurial Studies to link MBA candidate, undergraduate senior, and undergraduate junior entrepreneurs with experienced industry professionals and entrepreneurs. The goal of this program is to strengthen Trojan Family connections while providing the opportunity for mentors to help young entrepreneurs make a difference. For more information click here.

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Other Resources click here.