Tavern Community Presents: Manage Your Startup: From Chaos to Clarity
Manage Your Startup: From Chaos to Clarity
Join us for an inspiring and collaborative event with Tavern Community and Lawrence Krubner at Tempo by Hilton, Times Square!
See photos of our previous event. (Credit to Fabio García)
Event Highlights:
Communal Lunch: Meet and connect with fellow entrepreneurs over a relaxed, communal lunch while sharing insights and experiences. (Lunch is ordered à la carte, not included in your ticket)
Panel Discussion: Hear from seasoned startup experts, including Zia Heller, Andrew Ackerman, Michelle Akhenidor, Ben Mills, and Andrew McAuliffe who will share their journeys, challenges, and strategies for turning chaos into clarity while managing a startup.
Happy Hour: Wind down and solidify new connections in a casual happy hour setting. (First drink-house beer or wine-included in your ticket)
Join us for the whole day, or just come for the Panel Discussion at 1:30 PM.
Meet the Speakers:
Michelle Akhidenor is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Lister and Founder & CEO of The Peers Project - an award-winning podcast agency with global operations born in Australia and headquartered in New York. In 2018, Michelle launched The Peers Project at 24 years old and in its first 6 years, bootstrapped and scaled the agency to work with Fortune 500s and the world’s biggest tech brands including Shopify, Indeed.com & Alibaba, all the while running the company with zero employees and instead, a team of permanent contractors. Since its inception, The Peers Project and its podcasts have garnered extensive recognition with features in Forbes, Marie Claire, Ad New and Radio Today to name a few. In 2021, The Peers Project became Australian Podcast Awards Finalists and Pause Award Winners. Prior to founding her company, Michelle started global podcast, PEERS, where she continues to host conversations with some of the world’s most inspiring young founders. From an archive of 250+ episodes, past guests include fellow Forbes 30 Under 30 Listers and TEDx speakers from across the US, Australia, UK and Asia.
Andrew Ackerman is a serial entrepreneur turned early stage investor and innovation expert. He has invested in over 70 startups over the past 2 decades. Andrew is currently the Strategic Advisor & Head of REACH Labs for Second Century Ventures, consults on corporate innovation strategies (CVC, accelerators, venture studios, etc.), and is an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship. He was previously Managing Director at Dreamit Ventures where he launched and built both their Edtech and Urbantech (Proptech and Construction) verticals. Andrew has written over 60 published articles for Fortune, Forbes, Propmodo, CREtech, Builders Online, Architect Magazine, Multifamily Executive, AlleyWatch, Edsurge, The 74 Million, et. al. and is the author of “The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey” (Routledge Press, Spring 2025) a textbook-disguised-as-a-novel on how to launch a successful startup.
Andrew McAuliffe - With 20 years of expertise in sales, marketing, & operations for SAAS startups (EZFacility/NinjaCat - 1 exit, 1 series A and growing), Andrew has identified problems across multiple industries and solved them through technology & ingenuity. This has led to huge customer retention & revenue growth for businesses across many industries. In recent years, he has become an expert in the engagement & gifting space and is the CEO of ForeverCard which is an engagement platform to help with employee recognition and customer retention/growth. A great solution for any organization that wants to show gratitude to those that matter most.
Benjamin Mills, CPA is the owner of Cardigan Consulting LLC. A pioneering fractional CFO firm that assists business owners with achieving their goals. Prior to launching Cardigan Consulting, Ben was a Partner in a leading regional accounting firm for the past 17 years, working with entrepreneurs to large established businesses in a wide range of industries. Ben is also an adjunct professor at Marist University where he teaches accounting. He currently serves on the board and is the past board-chair of the Greater Hudson Valley Council BSA, which serves over 8,000 youth covering 7 counties in NY. He is the Past-President of the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce, which served over 450 businesses members in Northern NJ.
Zia Heller is a dynamic finance leader with a proven track record of driving growth and operational excellence across clean tech, health and wellness, and consumer industries. In her fractional practice, she partners with companies focused on human and planet health, from bio-materials to robotics in the food service sector. With a rich background in strategic analysis from top firms like Citigroup and Houlihan Lokey, Zia consistently delivers impactful financial strategies that improve profitability and optimize operations. Known for translating complex financial data into actionable insights, she excels in data-driven decision-making that accelerates business success. As Chief of Staff at Sealed, Zia played a critical role in supporting the executive team, co-leading the sales function, boosting conversion rates, and leading strategic planning efforts, all while helping the company scale rapidly in preparation for its next funding round. Throughout her career, she has helped companies raise over $500 million across both debt and equity financings.
Let’s turn chaos into clarity and create the future of startups together!
🕒 Start Time: 11:30 AM
Location: Tempo by Hilton, Times Square
RSVP Required
Schedule:
11:30 AM: Welcome, mingle or cowork
1:30 PM: Panel talks, followed by audience conversation
3:00 PM: Coworking
4:30 PM: Happy hour
RSVP now to secure your spot!