From establishing an LLC to writing business contracts, Brooklyn business start-ups got free legal guidance from Fordham Law clinic students this spring.
Fifteen Mangrove Community Business Academy participants—including the owners of a cleaning service, a nonprofit literature collective, and real estate company—attended this session led by Fordham Law students.
The Mangrove Community Business Academy is a 12-week course hosted at Flatbush Central that offers hands-on training in business planning and management to small business owners. The curriculum focuses on business fundamentals including bookkeeping, budgeting, marketing, and financing.
At this particular session, Fordham law students spoke about the basics of business law to help local entrepreneurs make informed decisions about their budding businesses.
Raeven Mataya, owner of Raediant Bakes
“The business entity event gave me the insight I was after and more,” said East Harlem-based entrepreneur Raeven Mataya, who owns Raediant Bakes, a home-based bakery specializing in made-to-order New Orleans sweets. After sharing some of her treats with her friends and community, she was encouraged to introduce them to a wider audience leading to the recent launch of her business.
“I wanted a deeper understanding of the legalities and logistics behind running a business, such as LLC registration and best practices for contracts,” said Mataya. “I wanted to know anything that could help develop and protect my business as it grows. I learned many things that will help me build a stronger foundation for my business and future endeavors, and I’m looking forward to putting those lessons into practice.”
Mataya’s specialty is her candied praline pecans, which she bakes and packages for sale from her home. The recipes are traced back to her early days of helping her grandmother, Honey, in the kitchen. She currently supplies a local cafe with her products and her goal is to continue growing her list of partnerships with other cafes, organizations, and markets.
In their presentation, Fordham Law students broke down the key differences between business entities and structures—from sole proprietorships to LLCs and nonprofits—while offering practical guidance on creating effective contracts that protect entrepreneurial ventures and outline partnership agreements.
Curtis Stahl ’25 presents to entrepreneurs.
Three different Fordham legal clinics collaborated on the session. The Community Economic Development Clinic, taught by Professor Gowri Krishna, serves grassroots nonprofits and community-based organizations working toward economic justice. The Entrepreneurial Law Clinic, taught by Visiting Professor Carrie Hempel, provides legal services to early-stage startups and social enterprises in New York City, offering guidance about entity formation, contracts, and workplace development. The Intellectual Property Clinic, taught by Professor Anderson J. Duff, helps clients navigate the complicated balance of protecting creative ideas and making information accessible.
Student speakers included Curtis Stahl ’25, Drew Sager ’25, Uche Onyiuke ’25, Kayla Ann Siletti Brown ’25, and Brianna E. Courtney ’25. Onyiuke explained key legal concepts through a narrative featuring a fictional bakery owner. The entrepreneurs followed along as the business owner navigated real-world challenges, which helped make the material feel more relevant, clear, and approachable.
“The goal was to demystify the legal side of entrepreneurship and to empower the attendees to make confident decisions,” said Onyiuke of the event. “It was so rewarding to see how engaged everyone was, and I was glad to hear how helpful they found the session.”
Left to right: Professor Gowri Krishna, Drew Sager ’25, Uche Onyiuke ’25, Visiting Professor Carrie Hempel, Professor Anderson J. Duff, Kayla Ann Siletti Brown ’25, and Brianna E. Courtney ’25.
The session not only provided useful business law insights to the local community, but also provided networking opportunities to the law students. “Teaching the Intellectual Property Clinic has been a lot of fun for me, but what makes it fun is seeing students that I’ve been teaching go out into the real world and learn to interact with all different types of people,” said Duff. “It’s an incredibly valuable skill to have.”
