How to Protect Your Decision to Start a Business

Venus Liles is a startup attorney and the founder of Liles Law, a B-Corp certified, female/minority-owned, carbon-neutral business law firm radically changing the access to legal services by helping founders sleep better at night with comprehensive legal advice and transparent flat rate packages. After earning her Law Degree and a Masters in Cognitive Psychology at Duke University, Venus began her legal career as an intellectual property and corporate associate at Smith Anderson, the largest business and litigation law firm headquartered in the Triangle. She transitioned to in-house counsel at SAS, a global provider of analytics, business intelligence and data management software and services, where she counseled the company’s IT division in the licensing and implementation of technology solutions. Venus was also one of the youngest members of xElle Ventures, an early-stage angel network that supports female founders. With a passion for helping the underdog, Venus founded Liles Law to make sure each of her startup clients is as legally protected as the Fortune 500 companies she has helped in the past. Liles Law levels the playing field so that innovative and mission-driven businesses can continue to change the world. As an entrepreneur herself, Venus has also published a children’s book, started a dance popup series, and created a patent-pending software solution. She serves as a startup mentor with Founder Institute and NC State’s Entrepreneurship Clinic.