Growth doesn’t always require doing more alone — it often requires doing more together. This dynamic workshop is designed for business owners and leaders ready to expand their scale, scope, and capacity through intentional collaboration.

Participants will gain clarity on what a strategic alliance is and how it differs from a joint venture or traditional partnership. We’ll break down when each structure makes sense, how to evaluate the right opportunity, and how to align with partners in a way that supports long-term growth.

The session will also explore key considerations around legal compliance and intellectual property, including how to define roles and responsibilities, protect proprietary information, establish profit-sharing models, and build agreements that reduce risk while positioning both parties for success.

You’ll walk away with practical strategies to:

• Leverage partnerships to increase revenue and market access

• Expand operational capacity without overextending your team

• Structure joint ventures that align with certification opportunities and supplier diversity goals

• Build sustainable, growth-driven alliances

Whether you're exploring your first collaboration or looking to formalize existing relationships, this workshop will equip you with the insight and tools to scale strategically — and confidently.

Cheryl Borland

Cheryl is a corporate counsel with over 30 years of experience advising closely held businesses throughout their full life cycle. She guides clients through entity formation, corporate governance, compliance, and certification processes, including WBE, MBE, SBE, LGBTBE, and VBE designations. She also handles mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, and business succession planning.

Cheryl serves clients across industries including construction, manufacturing, transportation, retail, professional services, real estate, and telecommunications, and partners with entrepreneurial incubators in the Greater Cincinnati area.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Business Enterprise Council – Ohio River Valley (WBEC-ORV), is President of Ellevate’s Cincinnati Chapter, and previously served as First Vice Chair of the Derby Diversity Business Summit. Committed to connection and community impact, Cheryl lives by the motto: “The more you give, the more you get.”