Women in Lava and Global LAVA invite you to a panel discussion on establishing or moving your business, as an expat, in the USA. Los Angeles is an international city with over 225 languages spoken and immigrants owning 33% of businesses in California. So how does one establish themselves in Los Angeles? Join our panelists in this lively discussion covering topics such as starting from scratch, international IP, taxes, cultural and language barriers and immigration law and current USCIS regulations.

Our Panelists include:
Allison-Claire Acker, Esq.
Immigration Law
Wolfsdorf Rosenthal, LLP

Allison-Claire Acker is a 1988 graduate of the UCLA School of Law, and was recently named Southern California’s Top Female Attorney of the Year by Los Angeles Magazine. She has over twenty-five years of immigration law experience, counseling individuals and corporations with regard to all aspects of entertainment, family and employment-related immigration law. Ms. Acker assists both individuals and corporate clients to obtain both non-immigrant and immigrant visas in almost every US immigration category. She advises corporate clients regarding the immigration consequences of mergers and acquisitions. She also represents foreign investors with regard to visa options.
Ms. Acker is a noted speaker at immigration conferences, seminars and local universities. She is also the author of several immigration related articles. She is currently in charge of the immigration section of the Santa Monica Bar Association as well as one of its trustees, in addition to being a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Associations Immigration section, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Mexican American Bar Association and the Japanese American Bar Association. Most recently, Ms. Acker was AILA’s Southern California Chapter Advocacy Event Co-Chair. She has also been reappointed as an Advisory Committee member to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, representing the County of Los Angeles. Ms. Acker also served on the UCLA School of Law Alumni Board of Directors.

Dr. Tatianna Kolpakov, M.D.
Co-Founder
Wellness Pro

Tatiana Kolpakov is a Medical Doctor and a co-founder of a nutritional company, WellnessPro. As a third generation medical doctor, Tatiana began to develop an appreciation for proper nutrition and preventative medicine. In 1999, she moved to the US with her husband and started an international nutritional company – WellnessPro. WellnessPro manufactures high-quality nutritional products and supplements for general health, wellness and weight-loss. From an idea to scale, Tatiana understands what it takes to start and develop and enterprise in the US and looks forward to sharing her experience.

Connie Chang Scotti, CPA
International Tax Senior Manager
Moss Adams LLP

Connie is a Senior Manager in the International Tax Service Group at Moss Adams LLP and works on some of the firm’s most complex engagements—coordinating global services and consulting with taxpayers on the worldwide tax implications and planning opportunities for their international assignments and business ventures.
Connie works closely with international legal and accounting professionals to coordinate cross‐border planning and compliance for individuals, trusts, estates, and closely‐held businesses. She serves as an integrated international business advisor and works at optimizing the worldwide effective tax rate and reducing foreign taxes through tax efficient financing, efficient cash management, and repatriation of earnings to the U.S. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, California Society of Certified Public Accountants Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Panel Leader:
Laurelle Johnson
Co-Founder
Myexpat.us

Laurelle, Co-Founder of myexpat.us works closely with expat spouses, co-joint and partners to adjust to the daily American way of life. In addition she offers investment visa business plans and strategic sales initiatives. She has worked with the start-ups, the last 11 years, in the communities of Santa Monica, Venice and Playa Vista. She offers a comprehensive program to identify and guide the spouse, co-joint, partner to new areas of interest, employment and adjustment to USA social life. She was born in Los Angeles to French parents who taught her the beauty of the French culture and language. Her worldwide travels gives her a deep appreciation of all cultures and a knowledge on how to bridge the gap with American way of life.