Third Thursday is a recurring open forum and networking and info session for the Columbia University entrepreneurship community. It provides students, faculty, staff, and alumni the opportunity to hear ideas from across campus, form teams, and explore career options. You’ll hear from Columbia alumni and other experts on their experiences working in the field, how they’ve applied their Columbia experience in their careers, and more.
Thursday, January 26 (technically Fourth Thursday instead of Third Thursday due to the late start of the semester) will feature Megan Kludt, an attorney at Curran & Berger, LLP, a boutique law firm specializing in all areas of immigration, including business, achievement, investment, family, and humanitarian bases for immgration status.
Megan is very knowledgable on visa options for students after graduation, and specializes in complex immigration cases in the areas of business, academia, scientific research, and the arts. Additionally, she was selected by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) to provide emergency legal aid to children at the US/Mexico border and was honored as one of AILA New England’s Pro Bono Champions in 2016.
Megan holds a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, a Master of International Relations from Boston University, and a JD with an international concentration from Boston University School of Law.
At this month’s Third Thursday event, Megan will discuss
- Options and requirements for various visas, such as: J1, O-1B, and H-1B
- Visa options and NYC/NYS immigration resources for foreign startup founders
- How much of an impact a lawyer/representation has on a visa application
- How to find out whether or not a startup is qualified to help employees file for work visas
- The process of hiring and granting a visa for a non-USA citizen that just finished school in the USA
- The STEM extension of the OPT for foreign entrepreneurs launching startups (non-employed by existing and EVerify companies)
- Shareholding issues that may caused by the immigration status of foreign entrepreneurs in start-up companies
This should be a particularly interesting discussion given the close timing of the event to the inauguration of President Elect Donald Trump, which will take place 6 days before the event. As Trump has promised to make many changes to the USA’s immigration policies, we are all curious to hear Megan’s thoughts on how his policies may affect international students looking to work in the USA upon graduation.
Food & Drink will be served! Catering will be provided by Eat Offbeat, a CU startup that delivers authentic and home-style ethnic meals that are conceived, prepared and delivered by refugees resettled in NYC.
Join us!
Have an announcement or idea to pitch to the group? Contact Ivy Schultz (is2350@columbia.edu) in advance and come prepared to pitch it!