YES Employment and Entrepreneurship

Navigating Hard Conversations in Early Stage Startups
2026-05-26 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Toronto) | Online / Remote, Canada
Learn How to Handle Tough Startup Conversations With Legal Confidence
Founders often spend months perfecting their product but less time on the crucial conversations and agreements that sustain a healthy team. In this workshop, participants will learn to handle tough startup conversations with confidence and legal clarity, gaining practical strategies to discuss roles, responsibilities, compensation, time commitments, and equity with partners and investors.
Led by Niousha Riahi
Led by Niousha Riahi, Business and Litigation Lawyer and Startup Governance Specialist in Montréal, this session is designed for early-stage entrepreneurs seeking to strengthen communication and governance practices. Drawing from her extensive experience advising startups on contracts, partnership structures, and conflict prevention, Niousha provides actionable tools to avoid misunderstandings, define boundaries, and protect ventures legally.
Set Boundaries and Prevent Conflict Early
The workshop emphasizes proactive conversations to ensure clarity and alignment within the team. Participants will explore methods to establish clear roles, document expectations, and address sensitive topics before they escalate. Learning to handle tough startup conversations with confidence and legal clarity helps founders prevent costly disputes and build a foundation of trust among co-founders and contributors.
You’ll learn what needs to be discussed, what should be documented, and how to approach sensitive topics while preserving relationships and ownership rights.
Compensation, Equity, and Legal Guidance
A major focus of the session is understanding compensation, equity distribution, and legal formalization. Attendees will receive guidance on structuring agreements that protect both the founders and early contributors while aligning incentives for growth. Practical tools include frameworks for initiating difficult conversations, legal best practices, and innovative solutions to maintain business ownership and attract committed partners.
By the end of the workshop, participants will walk away with:

A law-informed framework for initiating hard conversations with co-founders and investors
Practical tools for setting boundaries, documenting expectations, and preventing conflict
Guidance on compensation, equity, and roles with legal insights to protect ownership

This session equips early-stage founders to communicate effectively, formalize agreements appropriately, and foster a healthy startup culture.
Speaker
Speaker: Niousha Riahi, Business and Litigation Lawyer & Startup Governance Specialist
Register Today!

About the speaker:
Niousha Riahi, Business and Litigation Lawyer & Startup Governance Specialist
Niousha Riahi is a business and litigation lawyer in Montréal specializing in startup governance, commercial agreements, and conflict prevention. She supports founders in building strong legal foundations that foster trust, protect relationships, and safeguard long-term growth. Niousha has a decade of experience spanning government roles and private-sector practice. She has represented both emerging startups and multinational corporations in national and multijurisdictional matters.
As the founder of Riahi Legal, Niousha leads a boutique law firm recognized for excellence in civil and commercial litigation. Since 2024, the firm has been named by ThreeBestRated.ca as one of Montréal’s top three civil litigation law firms. It has been ranked among TrustAnalytica’s Top 10 Reliable Small Business Lawyers. More recently, Riahi Legal has also been listed among Montréal’s top five family law firms.
Beyond her practice, Niousha contributes regularly to legal workshops and public-facing publications aimed at entrepreneurs and the wider community. She also serves on the board of non-profit organizations, reflecting her deep commitment to community engagement and accessible legal education.
Learn more about our ELLEvate Women Entrepreneurs program!
This workshop is made accessible to you at no cost, thanks to generous funding from the Government of Canada and Yspace: York University.
*Please Note: Pre-registration is required. This workshop is presented in English (with French subtitles) and is available as an online, live streaming webinar only.
Once you have registered, you will receive an email with instructions on how to log on a few hours prior to the start time of the workshop. Please check your Spam/Junk folder if you have not received your email with instructions one hour prior to the start time of the workshop.
