The Brumley Institute for Graduate Entrepreneurship partners with subject matter experts to host private office hours for students at University of Texas at Austin interested in entrepreneurship. Do you need expert advice, pitch coaching, or 1:1 support? Schedule some time with the expert of your choice for accessible, impactful resources no matter what stage you’re at.
How do I book office hours?
Choose the subject matter expert you’d like to meet with and click the button to their professional calendar. Book a date and time based on their indicated availability, and you’ll receive an email confirmation with details and a virtual meeting link (unless otherwise specified in-person meeting).
How is Brumley Institute for Graduate Entrepreneurship involved?
Our center’s mission is to create opportunities for those in the UT ecosystem who are interested in entrepreneurship and set them up for success. We’re partnering with professionals in our network to bring accessible 1:1 mentorship to our community in the form of “office hours” – without the intimidation. Though we’ve created the space for these connections, the responsibility and meeting expectations are entirely managed by the individual and their chosen expert.
Is this opportunity only for UT graduate students?
These office hour offerings were made with UT graduate student entrepreneurs in mind, however if you’re affiliated with UT or the Austin startup ecosystem and would find this opportunity useful, you’re welcome to make an office hour appointment as long as you follow our code of conduct.
What if the professional I want to meet with doesn’t have availability?
Each subject matter expert is generously volunteering their time based on the cadence that works for their individual schedules. However, they’ve committed to hold at least 4 office hours spread throughout the fall 2026 semester from August to December, so please look ahead at future months to see if there’s another open booking.
Can I bring my co-founder or team to the meeting?
Yes, feel free to invite other individuals relevant to the discussion you want to have. Please make the professional you’re meeting with aware of this.
What if they don’t show up to the meeting?
If you weren’t notified of any last-minute changes to your appointment time, then please contact brumleyinstitute@mccombs.utexas.edu so that we may step in to solve the issue and facilitate an alternative.
Our subject matter experts generously volunteer their time to support student entrepreneurs through these office hours. These opportunities are made possible through the strong relationships that we at the Brumley Institute have built with industry professionals who are excited to share their expertise with the next generation of founders.
If you schedule an appointment, please come prepared and ready to spark the conversation. We ask that you arrive on time and bring at least 1–2 questions or topics you’d like to discuss. Be respectful, professional, and considerate of the expert’s time and willingness to mentor. While these sessions are informal, they are also valuable opportunities to build connections, gain insight, and represent yourself—and the entrepreneurial community at UT—with professionalism.
Thank you for helping us maintain a positive experience for both our students and our volunteer mentors
Founder-in-Residence
Dr. Iman Salafian
Iman is CEO & Co-Founder at Imagine Devices Inc, and has just received his Doctorate from UT Austin in Mechanical Engineering. He’s pitched Imagine Devices and their Trinity Tube med-tech product in front of hundreds of investors and judging panels. He was also the 1st prize winner of Brumley Institute’s Spring 2025 TVL Investment Competition. With his years of experience in pitching and running his own startup, he’s the best resource to help student entrepreneurs gain the general knowledge, skills and confidence they need to succeed!
Ask Me About:
- Questions about Brumley Institute Programs
- Building & Perfecting Your Pitch Deck
- Presentation & Public Speaking
- Storytelling
CPG Brand Building
Beau Bergman of SKU
Beau Bergman is Executive Director of SKU, one of the leading CPG accelerators. Beau brings 12+ years of experience across CPG, corporate innovation, venture capital, and startups, having led accelerator and innovation programs for Fortune 500 companies including Comcast NBCUniversal, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Real California Milk, and advised hundreds of founders and operators along the way. Ask Beau about branding, product development, and CPG essentials.
Ask Me About:
- Essentials & Strategy
- Product Development
- Brand Loyalty
Legal 101 for Startups
Kastner Gravelle
Kastner Gravelle is an Austin-based law firm that provides strategic and legal counsel to emerging growth companies, entrepreneurs, and investors. Meet with partners and/or associates from Kastner Gravelle to ask about incorporation, mergers & acquisitions, tech & commercial contracts, employment counseling, or tax & equity compensation.
Ask Me About:
- Corporate. Entity formation, corporate governance, capitalization tables, founder equity, and early-stage fundraising (SAFEs, convertible notes, and venture financing).
- Equity. Designing and issuing equity incentives, such as stock options and other compensation grants, and the related tax considerations.
- Employment. Worker classification (W-2 vs. 1099), onboarding, offboarding and termination, non-compete, non-solicit and ensuring your company owns the IP created by employees and contractors.
- Contracts and Intellectual Property Agreements. Non-disclosure agreements, vendor, customer and partner agreements; assignment and transfer of IP into the company (including founder IP contributed at formation); and inbound and outbound IP licensing.
- Mergers/Acquisitions. Buying, selling, or combining businesses as your company grows.
Fundraising Financials
Kevin Burke, CPA
Kevin Burke is a finance and accounting leader with over a decade of experience at the intersection of audit, technology, and innovation. Based in Austin, TX, Kevin is a Senior Manager at EY, where he’s led audit engagements for public and private companies – especially in the technology sector – and plays a key role in responsibly advancing the firm’s Global Assurance AI transformation, an initiative that enhances how over 120,000 professionals deliver quality and value. Before coming back to EY, he also led accounting and financial reporting at a SaaS and services start-up.
Ask Me About:
- Financial statements, bookkeeping & controls
- Fundraising financials (cap table, valuation, due diligence)
- Unit economics (incl SaaS & AI)
- Entity structure & tax basics
- AI tools in finance & governance
Founder-Led Sales Advisor
Mike Roberts
Mike Roberts is a Sales Advisor, Fractional GTM Partner, and former VC-backed CEO with over two decades of enterprise sales leadership. Having raised $14M+ in venture funding and scaled early revenue motions from scratch, Mike specializes in helping seed-stage technical founders in B2B SaaS, AI, and supply chain technology build repeatable sales engines and transition seamlessly from $0 to $1M+ ARR.
Ask Me About:
- How to tell your founder story
- Defining your initial value proposition
- Knowing when to pivot, and how to fail well
- Managing the complex sale
IP & Patent Expertise
Greg Parker
Greg Parker has experience rendering patentability, patent infringement and patent validity opinions as well as overall client counseling on intellectual property issues; preparing intellectual property licenses and assignments; preparing and prosecuting U.S. and international patent applications in the semiconductor, electromechanical, mechanical and optoelectronic arts; and procuring U.S. and international trademarks. He’s participated in many phases of intellectual property litigation including preparation of motions, briefs, other litigation documents and appeal briefs to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Subject matter areas of experience include patent, copyright, trademarks, trade secrets and contracts. He’s also involved in extensive trade secret and International Trade Commission actions.
Ask Me About:
- IP Law
- Patents
- Trademarks
- Copyrights
AI & Sales Strategy
Jeshua Loh
Jesh Loh is the founder of DriveWithJesh LLC, a media and lifestyle brand based in Austin, TX. After 13 years at Google- including roles in enterprise sales and AI go-to-market strategy – Jesh left corporate America in 2025 to pursue entrepreneurship full-time. He now creates content at the intersection of cars, lifestyle, financial freedom, and authentic living, while helping others navigate their own leap from corporate to entrepreneurial life. He is a McCombs BIS/MIS alumnus (December 2010) and a Mercedes-AMG brand ambassador.
Ask Me About:
- Enterprise sales strategy and building a pipeline
- Landing and growing strategic partnerships
- Practical AI tools for small business growth and operations
- Corporate-to-entrepreneurship transition
BIG-E Executive Director
Mellie Price
Mellie Price is a recognized educator, thought leader, and public speaker specializing in innovation and entrepreneurship. As the inaugural Executive Director of Texas Entrepreneurship, and Executive Director of Brumley Institute for Graduate Entrepreneurship at University of Texas at Austin, she leads cross-campus initiatives to cultivate entrepreneurial skills, maximize entrepreneurship programs, and foster student success.
Ask Me About:
- The Brumley Institute for Graduate Entrepreneurship or TEXAS Entrepreneurship programs and opportunities
- Networking in the UT Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
- General guidance for early entrepreneurs
